Not the Ghan to Hue

What can we say about the train trip to Hue? Well it wasn't the Ghan. We were sharing a cabin with the guide rather than two other people so that gave us a bit more room. We had been warned to bring snacks for breakfast as catering on the train was quite basic. So were the toilets but they did keep working. To be honest we slept quite well and were better equipped than most for breakfast as we had found a pastry shop and bought some nice bread and a small banana loaf as well as orange juice which turned out to have yogurt in it. It was a long journey though the views were interesting and we were adopted by a little girl for part of the journey and kept her entertained with the help of William.

Lunch when we arrived followed by a shower and free time in a very nice hotel revived everyone. We took a boat up the Perfumed River, admiring the views and trying to ignore the sales talk. Every tourist visit is a sales opportunity for someone. Our destination was Vietnam's version of the Valley of the Kings - who needs to go to Egypt? - the tomb of one of the eighteenth century kings of Vietnam. We heard amusing stories about the number of concubines he had and learned that the statues of the mandarins guarding his tomb were so small because he was a little person himself so no statue could be bigger than him.

Our evening meal (all meals except breakfast are optional), was an entertainment as we were to dress up as mandarins. One couple became the King and Queen for the evening. We were adorned with robes and hats for the occasion, very splendid and more impressive than those of the Burra pantomime. We also had our own music group who played and sang traditional music while we ate. Hue has a music school so it gave some of the students a chance to play for an audience. We were a bit surprised when they finished by playing Auld Lang Syne. The food was excellently presented and delicious. One of the fruits which is quite common here is the dragon fruit, which we had never come across before but is obviously familiar to the Australians. The total cost of this banquet, including drinks, was about ten pounds a head. Food is very cheap so our day to day costs are not high. It was a great fun evening with lots of photos to prove it and much kidding on next day with our king and queen for the night.

Next day it was a morning bus ride to Hoi An, a lovely town, the old part of which now has World Heritage status. It was about 120 kilometres but the journey took about 4 hours due to the traffic and a couple of high passes. There were very interesting views on the way and a chance to observe the very rural way of life of most of the Vietnamese people, tending buffalo, planting rice and hoeing vegetables. It's a very colourful view as you pass, especially the markets. There are more bicycles in the country but still plenty of scooters and motor bikes. The loads carried are amazing.

Children were cycling home from school at 10.30-11.00a.m as they start at 6.30a.m. They also have an afternoon session which finishes about 5.30. We stopped at Da Nang, the third city of Vietnam and a main base of the US Air Force during the war. Lunch was a complete fish banquet, chosen if you wanted from the fish tanks in the hall of the restaurant. This blog does seem to have a surfeit of meal descriptions!

Our next stop was the Marble Mountain, both to admire the carvings and to climb the many steep steps up the mountain. We didn't know what to expect and it didn't disappoint. We approached a cave, went in and turned a few corners to find ourselves descending into a a large cave, reminiscent of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" We expected Harrison Ford to appear any minute. What gave it atmosphere were the huge carved Buddhas set into niches in the walls, adorned by the usual ornaments, offerings and joss sticks. After exploring one cave we were told to turn anoher corner where there was an even bigger Buddha-it was worth the climb! Our guide also pointed out the vantage point the Vietcong had in order to fire on the American base during the Tet offensive.

After arriving in Hoi An we opted out of the evening meal as we wanted something light and had a wander round the old town. It was very atmospheric with the lanterns strung across the street and the people gathering along the river bank, watching entertainment and taking pictures of each other beside giant lanterns, part of the festival.