Friday 11th April and Saturday 12th April
This morning we enjoyed another feast of brunch on the boat and some last of the sea gazing before having to say goodbye to our private junk.
Once we got back to Hanoi, we did some food shopping for our next journey and then packed our bags and checked out. We were on the road again. We were taking a night train to Hue! Having enjoyed the night train experience in Thailand, we were curious to see what the Vietnamese trains were like. The trains were two bunks per cabin and they were a bit more enclosed. This meant it was more private but less social. Anne and I were with Holly and Matt. We played Taboo and it got rather competitive! Matt was crowned worthy champion.
Before bedtime, we decided to explore the rest of the train. We were lucky enough to be in first class, but the rest of the train looked rather dreary and rather cramped. Some people were even on just simple bus style seats for the whole night! Suffice to say, we felt very grateful for our bunk cabins.
Morning had arrived after a bumpy night train and we were welcomed to Hue. There was a festival going on in Hue while we were there, so the station was very busy. The hotel we had was absolutely gorgeous and we felt spoilt rotten with luxurious breakfast. The tour has included a mixed range of accommodation styles, so we are always pleasantly surprised when we check in to a nicer hotel.
What an exciting day ahead- we would be given a tour of Hue on motorbike! I love the adrenaline and breezy ride of a motorbike so I was bursting with energy. However, some of the others were rather nervous though at the prospect of being a passenger on Vietnamese roads, so we tried to reassure them. I was paired with Huen, our tour guide.
Huen was a great driver! We had several stops on our tour. We were taken to some pagodas, an incense stick shop where we were shown how they are made. Also on the tour, we were taken to a Vietnamese hat shop, again we were shown how they were made. Lunch was at a nunnery/monastery. It was a pure vegan lunch and absolutely delicious. I really loved being able to eat everything rather than having my own separate vegetarian meal.
In the afternoon, we were shown the bunkers from the war and also an emperor's tomb. We also enjoyed a boat ride along the Perfume River. We were all exhausted from all the travelling over the last few days and the highs of the motorbike ride the whole day. I fell asleep on the boat ride as it was so peaceful!
After a rest, we strolled around Hue, taking in the beautiful sights. Then, while walking along, I spotted my German friend, Steffi, sitting at a cafe! She was on holiday in Vietnam and I'd planned to meet her the following day in Hoi An, but here she was! We caught up over a drink and excitedly made plans to meet again the next day.
Dinner was at a family home, where we were served a huge range of traditional Vietnamese dishes. It was fascinating and delicious.
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