Exploring Hue

Not only was that bed huge, it was also the most comfortable Asian bed I have ever slept in!

The plan was to start out early to avoid the heat. We left the hotel at 8.00 and it was already sweltering with high humidity. Can't imagine what it is like here during the summer.

First stop was the Khai Dinh tomb about 12 kilometres from the city. It was great seeing some of the countryside during the bus trip. We had the most amazing 'near miss' when the bus passed a truck while another bus was travelling, at speed, towards us. Gave everyone a bit of a fright. The tomb is the burial sight of the last emperor of Vietnam.

The mosaic work inside the buildings were amazing.

Next stop was the Minh Mang Tomb. This one covered an extensive area and had some beautiful gardens. Gardena trees grow everywhere.

All along the path were women selling bananas. They were obviously very poor, but always had a smile, even though we weren't buying from them.

Next stop was the Thien Mu Pagoda which is still functioning as a monastery. It was the home of the monk who burnt himself to death in Saigon in 1963 to protest against the way the government discriminated against Buddhists. The car he drive that day is still on display.

Once again, the gardens were lovely.

By these stage, the heat was becoming unbearable.  We were all very pleased to board a boat for a 40 minute boat ride on the Perfume River. The breeze was glorious, as we're the cold drinks that were on sale. The families live on the boats and make a living from tourists trips and by selling souvenirs. The trip was fun but rapidly got over the constant 'hard sell'.

There were lots of working boats travelling up and down the river, along with the tourist boats.

This afternoon we had time to relax and recover from the heat. We went to a local restaurant called Why Not (memories of Whakatane days).  Last day in Hue and we will miss this lovely hotel.

Today Ella and I are feeling a long way from home and from the people who are special to us.