Hue
So after an eventful boarder crossing we stayed in Hue to try and relax for a few days. This was a big change to the laid back style we had been used to in Laos and we weren't so used to everyone trying every trick to part us from our money. Despite this we managed to take in a few of the sites which make Hue a popular destination. Hue plays a large part in Vietnamese history with its old citadel and many tombs of past emperors. On the first day we pottered around the old citadel, checked out where the emperors used to live. Sadly this place has taken a bit of a battering over time with many scars from more recent wars. Despite this the place still held a certain charm about it.
On the second day we had planned to get a couple bicycles to visit some of the old tombs but we got talking to a guy in our hotel who's normal job is teaching music at a local school but at weekends takes tourists out on his motorbike. He seemed a nice guy and it was so hot that we decided to save our energy and go for the easy option. This turned out to be a good choice in the end as it was a very hot day. The tombs which are located just outside of the town were amazing. We were informed that they are built around the theory of ying and yang and therefore each tomb had to include certain elements in balance. We went to three very different tombs, one very romantic one which the emperor used as a holiday home while he was alive, one very traditional but quiet one and a more modern one which had greater french influences. following our tour, out guide took us to a local cafe where many Vietnamese people go for lunch. Here we managed to get our first taste of more authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
We were keen to keep moving but Ben was more keen to stay an extra night to watch the Champions League Final. It started at 2am so I went to bed while he played pool at our local and watched the football. Next day we took a night bus up to Hanoi. More bus madness here, in short Ben ended up being moved to a three in a bed situation (it was a sleeper bus with fully reclinable seats this time but the back seats were 3 together) with two other people from Belgium. One of them spent most of the night throwing up due to travel sickness so it wasn't much fun.
Hanoi
A bustling capital city with a beautiful old quarter, although you do have to close your eyes and pray that you don't get run over when you cross the road. The streets here are named after what is traditionally sold down them and that is still slightly true today. If you want wedding stuff you pop to one road, if you wanted a leather belt, you pop to another road.
It was also home to Ben's now favorite drinking spot, beer corner. Here they sell Beer Hoi which is locally brewed and it was a favorite spot for both locals and tourists. The beer was about 30p a tankard and it was a great spot to get chatty with new people and was interesting to hear local views on the recent rise in tourism.
While Hanoi was a brilliant city, the strain of constant selling and touts trying to rip you off got a bit much and we headed north for the cooler climate of Sapa.
Sapa
Sapa is located in the north of Vietnam in the mountains and is surrounded by many local Hamong villages. Many people visit here for trekking. We were greeted by rain on the first day and many local Hamong ladies trying to sell us their hand made goods or guide us to their village. Despite often being surrounded by them, their selling technique was far more pleasant and they often had a cheeky smile on their faces. We striked up a bit of banter with one particular lady called Mai but unfortunately when we wanted to do a trek she got nabbed by some other tourist so we ended up just taking ourselves on a long walk to see a couple of villages. You will probably see from the photos that it was rather misty although well worth venturing out of Sapa for the views.
