We in the Hue (pronounced "way" get it?)

This was a city that we enjoyed for many different reasons. It was definitely a different pace from Hoi An… the shopping mecca. We both think it was an important place to visit while travelling through Vietnam. Around Hue there are many pagodas, temples, tombs, lakes and palaces, so it’s the perfect place to explore and discover. Also located only a few hours away is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Vinh Moc Tunnels and other sites mostly related to the War. (Vietnam War as it is known by Westerner’s or American War as it is known by the Vietnamese)

Fortunately for Andrew and I, my good friend Terri Samuels was kind enough to get us in contact with her aunt’s father-in-law who is a tour guide & restaurant owner in Hue named Mr. Trung. Mr. Trung was not only a great guy, but he knew a lot of information about the city and sites. Also he served in the Vietnam War as an officer, 1st Lieutenant, for the South which gave us a different perspective of the war.

One tour we took with Mr. Trung was a motorbike tour of Hue which was fantastic. I rode with Mr. Trung, who was an excellent and safe driver. Andrew rode with someone else, who also was very capable. Mr. Trung led us through the countryside riding along the embankments of the rice fields. It was surreal to be on the back of a motorbike and going through winding paths with fields all around us. This day we visited a rice museum, two pagodas, a royal tomb of Tu Duc, saw conical hats being made and watched a women make incents.

Our next tour was a private tour of the DMZ with Mr. Trung. Like I mentioned before Mr. Trung was an officer in the “American War” and he fought for the RVN; South Vietnam. He told us many stories about the war some being very difficult to imagine. As I looked at Mr. Trung’s smiling face and uplifting personality it was hard to envision all the awful things that he must have witnessed. Some of the few major things we were made aware of were the order and steps in which the two sides were separated and how the war ended. The biggest revelation for us was what life was like after the two sides were united under communism. We learned that after the North won the war, Mr. Trung was jailed for 2 ½ years. A lot of the officers of the south were promised safe passage to America after their time in the “re-education camp” was complete, but Mr. Trung received notification that he would not be granted that option. We figure the best thing when learning about history, especially one as complicated as Vietnam’s, is to keep an open ear and a closed mouth taking in all that you can and only forming an opinion after you have exhausted all resources. Even then it is best to keep it to yourself or those very close to you… such as this blog!!!

Hue was another great stop and luckily the rain held off long enough for us to get a few tours and some sightseeing in… When the rain came, it poured for two straight days and we were glad our bus could still make the long journey to our last stop here Vietnam, Hanoi!

Click on the picture below to see the album in Picasa

Hue, Vietnam

~Nicola & Andrew