Day #7 March 17: Hue- Tombs of Two Kings

On Day #7, we were to see two of Vietnam's most famous King's mausoleums, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.

But first, we had a breakfast with too many choices at the Romance Hotel in Hue.

This is the burial place of King (Emperor?) Tu Duc.  Hoa called him king.  Wikipedia calls him emperor.

Emperor Tự Đức (22 September 1829 – 17 July 1883) (full name: Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm, also Nguyễn Phúc Thì) was the fourth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam and reigned from 1847–1883.              --Wikipedia

Emperor Tự Đức continued the policies of his predecessors, shutting Vietnam off from the outside world and refusing all efforts to modernize the country. Accounts of his personal life show a gentle and educated man, but his policies brought on conflict with Europe that Vietnam could not win. He oppressed all foreigners in Vietnam, especially the Christian community, who had frequently tried to overthrow his ancestors, such as in the 
Le Van Khoi revolt. 
 
Hoa:  Courtiers were lined up according to rank.

I guess they rode elephants even then.

I'm not exactly sure where his body was actually entombed.

I was fascinated by the detail and beauty of the ceramic decorations.

After leaving King Tu Duc's tomb, we stopped by this craft area to see how incense sticks made.

This woman was rolling sticks in scented sawdust mixed with a glue like substance. 

It seemed everyone in Vietnam had these conical hats.

This young lady was making hats with a paper design pressed between the layers so you'd be able to see it in the sunshine.

No, I didn't buy one because I knew I'd have to carry it all over the place.  It was bad enough that I'd gotten those delicate bamboo dragonflies that were sure to break.

I bought these dried ginger slices instead which helped ease a queasy bus-sick stomach.

 Our next stop was the tomb of the 12th king, Khai Dinh.

Emperor Khải Định (born Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Đảo; 8 October 1885 – 6 November 1925) was the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam. His name at birth was Prince Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Đảo. He was the son of Emperor Dong Khanh, but he did not succeed him immediately. He reigned only nine years: 1916–1925.                                              -Wikipedia

(Art and I decided to have some fun with the iPhone panoramic feature.  Some people walked in front of me when Art was taking it so they got weirdly cut off.  Still, it was fun to play with this feature.)

Hoa:  The builder of the king's mausoleum was struggling to come up with a new idea for decorating it.

His wife was serving him a bowl of soup and he accidentally knocked it over causing the bowl to break into shards.

Eureka!  He hugged his wife!  He'd come up with the idea to use the colorful ceramic shards to make mosaic designs.


(I'm thinking Hoa meant a builder of long ago because the previous tomb had this ceramic technique also.)

Hoa told us that King Khai Dinh was probably gay.  His photo did appear to make him look a bit more feminine.  He never married and reigned for only a short time, but his burial site was very grand.

Lunch was at La Campania in Hue.  It was Chicken Parmigiana again and it was OK.

On to Thien Mu Pagoda...

Built in 1601 on the order of the first Nguyen lords, Nguyen Hoang, who at that time was the governor of Thuan Hoa (now known as Huế). According to the royal annals, Hoang while touring the vicinity, was told of the local legend in which an old lady, known as Thiên Mụ (literally "celestial lady"), dressed in red and blue sat at the site, rubbing her cheeks. She foretold that a lord would come and erect a pagoda on the hill to pray for the country's prosperity. She then vanished after making her prophecy. Upon hearing this, Hoang ordered the construction of a temple at the site, thus the beginning of Thiên Mụ.                                                                                                    --Wikipedia

This pagoda is seven stories and is supposed to be the tallest pagoda in Vietnam.

We saw a monk carefully tending the hedges at the pagoda site.  We also saw exhibits showing how monks protested the South Vietnamese policies of persecuting Buddhists by doing self immolation.

Hoa:  The "Happy Buddha" swallows all your sorrow, and gives you back a happy smile.  If you are able to also swallow your burden of sorrow and give everyone a smile, you can be a Buddha too.  You must learn to be happy and find your inner contentment.

Next stop was a "Local Family" store.

They served us tea and all kinds of treats to sample.

We loved their sesame candy best and bought some.

Here is Art with our friends, Al and Kris with a friendly local family member.  Incredibly, I discovered that Kris' brother was my classmate!!!

On to the airport for the 1 hour 5 minute flight to Ho Chi Minh City.  Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1979. There are 8 million people living there.

We arrived at the Bong Sen Hotel about 9:00.  Nha HangTu Do Liberty Restaurant across the street actually kept the restaurant open for us so we could have our very late dinner.

I fell asleep writing in my journal while Art stayed up until 1:00 AM doing laundry.  Yes.. yes... I do feel guilty about that.

Day #6 March 16: Hue

Breakfast was at 6 AM and our luggage had to be outside of our doors by 7:00.  At 8:00 we were wistful about leaving the luxurious Hoi An Historic Hotel for Hue.

There was a half hour ride to a marble carving factory called Tien Hieu 3 Handicrafts/Sculpture Factory.

Hoa mentioned how many Vietnamese including himself wear these beads on their wrists as prayer beads.

The carvings outside the factory were very impressive.

I'll bet they would have shipped it for us if we'd bought something.

Wouldn't my mother be surprised to see a marble water buffalo come home?

Art went off on his own and found this carver who gave him a tiny piece of marble as a souvenir.

9:50 AM  We stopped at China Beach.

An American TV drama was set in this location and very popular.

One suggestion is that the beach was named for its "china white sand".  Another source said it was named that by American soldiers during the Vietnam War.  I don't know what's correct.

We reboarded the bus and drove through Hai Van Tunnel, the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia.  It is 11.9 meters long and was constructed in  2005 with help from Japan.  I can't believe I actually dozed off going through this tunnel. 

We arrived at the walled fortress called, The Citadel in Hue.  Hoa said a few million people lived here; I would have to see that in writing to believe it.  It's a gigantic place, but not that huge.

The King's living quarters were really impressive.  Like China, the roof was yellow to denote power.





Hoa:  The French missionaries created the new alphabet for the Vietnamese which has been used since 1919.  The French tried to keep the Vietnamese king as a puppet for their own use.


The King loved watching opera and had this theater built for his enjoyment.

We were all given the option to ride rickshaws to our hotel.

How could we resist?

Granted it was a little unnerving riding rickshaws on the congested streets.

 Along with my tip I gave my driver a granola bar from Hawaii that I happened to have in my backpack.  I loved seeing his smile!

In the evening we got to dress up in ancient Vietnamese court clothing and were serenaded by Vietnamese musicians and singers. 

The Vietnamese food was beautifully arranged and decorated.

As you can see, there were those ever present spring rolls.

Now that I'm home and looking at these photos, I'm feeling the urge to go out and get some Vietnamese food.

Instead of spring rolls, I'm still craving pho though.

Day #5 March 15: Hoi An

We got up at 5:00, thrilled that we'd had a decent night's sleep.

 Hội An, also Faifoo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the East Sea in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  Hội An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.                                                                                  --Wikipedia

The buffet breakfast under the trees was fabulous.

We also watched some tai chi being done.

Quite a few of our tour friends opted to get a bag full of laundry done at a local laundry that Hoa knew.  The cost was by the pounds and extremely reasonable.  Art and I didn't have enough to do.

I know Hoa said there was a law in effect that only three people could ride on a motorbike.  They were also supposed to wear a helmet. 

Ummm...

Hoa told us that when we're crossing streets teeming with motorbikes, we shouldn't run or stop.  We should simply walk slowly because bikes don't stop.   They just swerve to avoid you.

We went to the Chinese Community Center (Phuc Kien Assembly Hall) and saw a statue of Thien Hau (Heavenly Queen Lady).  In China, Thien Hau is known as Mazu.

Thiên Hậu is a deity of traditional Chinese religion, who is revered in the southern maritime provinces of China and in overseas Chinese communities. She is not specifically a deity of Taoism or Buddhism, though she has been brought into connection with figures and themes from Taoism and Buddhism.  -Wikipedia

I loved seeing this lady watching her dogs and puppies.










It was really funny to see bulbuls hanging from cages as pets.  They may be pretty, but are such pests in Hawaii!

Hoi An Artcraft Manufacturing Workshop

It was interesting to see this woman creating lanterns to be used for their festivals .

We listened to Vietnamese music.












This woman was selling Chinese horoscope pendants and hanging ornaments.

Japanese Covered Bridge
(16th - to early 17th century) 

It was built by the Japanese to connect their side to the Chinese side of town.

Lunch was at the Morning Glory Street Food Restaurant and Cooking School.

We thought their food was the best we'd had on this trip so far.

The menu listed this as Tofu & Tomato Soup and a Crispy Pancake.

The crispy pancake had green bananas, green mango, bean sprouts, cilantro (coriander) and mustard greens.

I know North Face is made in Vietnam, but I still wondered if what we saw in these little shops were the real thing or knock-offs.


I was having a hard time getting used to Vietnamese money which is called Dong.

The exchange rate was $1.00 = 21,000 dong.

The many zeros totally confused me!

In the late afternoon, I took a rest for a couple of hours while my energizer bunny, Art continued to explore the town.

Dinner at the hotel was restful and lovely.

Several tour friends had already gotten sick so a little rest was helpful.

Day #4 March 14: Hanoi

Woke up at 5:00 and had breakfast at 6:00.  Luggage pick-up at 7:00 and out the door by 8:00.

 Ngoc Son Temple

According to the legend, emperor Le Loi was boating on the lake when a Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) surfaced and asked for his magic sword, Heaven's Will. Lợi concluded that Kim Qui had come to reclaim the sword that its master, a local God, the Dragon King (Vietnamese: Long Vương) had given Lợi some time earlier, during his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Lợi renamed the lake to commemorate this event, it was formerly known as Luc Thuy meaning "Green Water"). The Turtle Tower (Thap Rùa) standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend.   --Wikipedia

This is the Year of the Horse.


















And here's the soft shelled turtle that's preserved.

Hoa Lo Prison

Hoa said there is a real Hanoi Hilton so if a tourist were to ask for directions, they would be sent there.

There were glass shards embedded into the walls to prevent escape.  Hoa told us that the prison was originally built by the French to contain and torture Vietnamese revolutionaries.

He rather downplayed the fact that it also held American pilots.  There were photos of American pilots relaxing and having a comfortable life there.  Hoa said the prisoners weren't fed much, but they ate better than most of the citizens.

This plaque showed the terrible times the Vietnamese suffered at this prison.









John McCain's flight suit is preserved in that glass case at the far end of the room.

 Our next stop was the Quan Thanh Temple.

Legend has it that Quán Thánh Temple was established during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai To (reigned 1010–1028) and was dedicated to Trấn Vũ, Deity of the North in Taoism, whose symbols of power are the serpent and turtle. It is one of the Four Sacred Temples that were built in four directions to protect the capital from malevolent spirits.                                      --Wikipedia

On the way to the pond where John McCain crashed his airplane, I was looking the wrong way and nearly got run over by a scooter.  Luckily, a quick thinking Canadian in our group pulled me out of the way.

Then it was on to the airport to fly to Danang.

Our very fancy hotel was the Hoi An Historic Hotel.

Many in our tour group wished we could stay there longer.

In the evening we walked through Hoi An town.  We managed to luckily be there just in time for their monthly lunar celebration
when lanterns are lit throughout the streets in the evening.








Dinner that evening was
Chicken Parmigiana.

It was OK...

I would have preferred spring rolls.

Day #3 March 13: Hanoi

We woke up at 5:45, had breakfast and was out to the bus by 8:00.

I'm really missing pho for breakfast because I really got to love it!

Our first stop was Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum.

He was a communist revolutionary leader who was prime minister from 1945-1955 and president from 1955-1969.

Although seen as an enemy of the U.S. during the Vietnam war, he is highly regarded here.

We had to very quietly and respectfully walk past his preserved body in the mausoleum where no photography was allowed.

Children soon followed in busloads after us.

The congestion in all the Vietnamese city streets were mind boggling.













We passed rows of shops with family apartments on top.

We went to a craft shop rest stop where we couldn't resist buying these bamboo balancing dragonflies that could balance on the tip of your finger.


On to Three Cave Grottos (Ninh Binh-Tam Coc)!

Hoa told us that this is the land version of Halong Bay's islands.

Unfortunately, it was once again drizzly and overcast.

Our friends, Mike and Julia didn't let the rain dampen their travel joy.

It was fun to go through the three caves.

If you look closely, you'll see that the boatsman was rowing with his feet.  It was HARD work!

We thought this was a farmer working in the rice fields, but it was a scarecrow.









These ducks are not kept in the pens as pets.

We then returned to our hotel room, had a sumptuous dinner and went to sleep by 11:00.

POSTSCRIPT:   Thank you very much for all your kind comments, everybody!  It's your motivating energy that keeps me going.  I'm working hard to get all the days recorded and then I'll need to get our travel book done.  Only then can we put the trip to bed and get back to my regular routine.

Day #2 March 12: Halong Bay

Despite our lack of sleep and travel tiredness, we still woke up at 4:00 AM and were relieved it wasn't 2:00.

We set our bags outside our room for pick up for we'd be moving to another location.














At 6:00 the huge assortment of delectable breakfast choices was arrayed in front of us.  Oh yes, I overate!  I really grew to love pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) on this trip.

8:20 AM:  It was a short half hour drive to Halong Bay which is famous for its 1,600 limestone islands and islets that jut out of the water. It is located in the Gulf of Tonkin and is a UNESCO site.

Our tour guide, Hoa bought all our tickets for us.

Our boat was comfortable and I would realize later how good we had it when Art and I moved on to Bangladesh.

Art saw our cook preparing our lunch.

Unfortunately, a heavy fog blanketed most of our day.  Still many people remarked that it gave the scenery a mystical, lovely effect.

Here we are waving at the other tour group that we were traveling with.

We stopped at the biggest of 20 caves in the bay.  The "Surprise Cave" truly amazed us.  We enjoyed it as much as we did Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.  Colored lights emphasized the beauty of limestone shapes.

I enjoyed seeing this heart hole in the cavern.

And yes, Art had to check out the t-shirt stand.

Lunch was on the boat.  We had spring rolls that were rather ubiquitous in Vietnam along with steamed cabbage, squid with vegetables and an assortment of other Vietnamese food.  Rice is served at the end of the meal in Vietnam and our tour guide had to make special arrangements to have it served at the beginning.  Dessert was almost always watermelon with other fruit.  Art was a happy camper.  I wouldn't have minded some chocolate ice cream.

We soon returned to port and began the long ride from Halong City to Hanoi.


More Vietnam notes from Hoa:

• Dog and snake meat are eaten in Vietnam.  Dogs are also pets which you wouldn't eat.
• Children are give 12 years of schooling.  The school year begins on September 5th and ends on June 5th.  
• Vietnamese were told that the moon in China is bigger and rounder than in the U.S.
• Russian watches are more accurate than the Swiss made ones.
• Vehicles beep constantly to let people know they are in blind spots.
• Many of these buildings have shops on the first floor and apartments on top for family members.

Dinner was at the Nha Hang Mimh Anh Vietnamese Restaurant.  Beef was served in the hollow of bamboo stalks.  The pineapple flambe was pretty wonderful.




Our Thang Long Opera Hotel room was spacious and quite lovely.

We did laundry in our room that night after unsuccessfully trying to figure out how to take a shower without the water draining onto the floor.

It was a strange anomaly of  many Vietnam hotels that the tubs had a depression along the sides which collected water and prevented it from draining into the tub. Water flowed, flooded the floor and eventually emptied into a floor drain.

Just like China, we always had two complimentary bottles of water in our room every night.  We were admonished not to drink the tap water.

We collapsed into our beds that night totally exhausted.

POSTSCRIPT:  Thank you, thank you to Kris (my tour mate) who wrote to correct me that we weren't in Ho Chi Minh City, but Halong City.  My journal notes are very sketchy here (too exhausted) so I'll be making more mistakes, I'm sure.  If any of my other tour mates reading find I've goofed, please let me know.  Thanks, everybody!