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| Mausoleum for Emperor Tu Duc. The statues represent some of his guards. They all had to be shorter than him......he was around 5 feet tall! |
One thing that I would say is an absolute must if you come to Vietnam is that you get up and get out early. This probably won't be much of an issue since there is a 13 hour time difference between here and the east coast of the US. Your sleep patterns will be out of whack! Being the party animals that we are, we've been going to bed around 8:30-9:00 local time. This means we're up and at it early. One thing that we've learned is that the Vietnamese get up early. They're out walking, stretching, doing aerobics, tai chi and various other forms of exercise. It's really quite a sight to see and one I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss.
We are now in Hue. It's a city of around 350,000 people, located in central Vietnam on the Perfume River. The river got its name because in the fall the orchids fall into the river giving it a perfume like aroma. As we drove into the city and looked around Beth and I agreed that it looked like a very livable city. Not too big. Not too small. Plenty to see and do for an extended period of time.
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| A "tourist boat" going down the Perfume River. This photo was taken from our hotel room. |
Hue is located about 60 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone during the Vietnam/American war, which was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam. It was the sight of one of the most fierce battles of the Tet Offensive (a series of well orchestrated attacks by the North Vietnamese military). There were heavy casualties on both sides including 216 Americans killed and 1,584 wounded. In addition to the military casualties, thousands of citizens (estimates are as high as 10,000) were captured by the North Vietnamese army. Sadly most of them were executed.
Many of the historical sites in and around Hue were heavily damaged by bombing and ground combat. They remained in ruins for many years but thankfully they have been restored over the past twenty years or so. Although the South Vietnamese & American troops eventually won the battle, most experts see the Tet Offensive and Battle for Hue as a turning point. Support for the war in the United States began to fade at this point, leading to significant protests and turmoil. Can you imagine if there had been 24 hour news in the 60's and early 70's (assassinations of leaders, anti-war protests, race issues, etc.)?
Yesterday after arriving (we flew from Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines) and visited a couple of the most significant sites in the city before checking into our hotel. First up was the royal mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc. He was the ruler in the mid-1800's. Interestingly, he designed the mausoleum early in his reign so he could enjoy the beauty and serenity of it before he died. Now that's thinking ahead. He had a harem of wives but no children. He had an adopted son who was made Emperor after his death, but his reign was a little shorter. He only lasted three days before he was arrested and there doesn't seem to be much information on what happened to him after that...…….I'll bet it wasn't pretty! One other interesting fact, Emperor Tu Duc is not actually buried in the tomb inside the mausoleum. Because he was buried with many treasures, to keep graver robbers away the location of his actual tomb is a secret. How you may ask did they keep it a secret? The 200 servants who were responsible for digging the actual grave were all beheaded after he was buried! Not very nice, but I guess it was effective.
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| Inside the entrance to the mausoleum grounds |
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| Mausoleum grounds |
We then visited the Citadel that was built in the 1700's. Although it's on a much smaller scale, it is designed very similar to the Forbidden City in China. There is a surrounding outer wall, followed by an inner wall and gate that leads to temples, palaces, a library and theater that were for the exclusive use of the emperor, his family and inner circle.
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| Outside the Citadel |
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| Walkway through the Citadel |
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| Archway above the entrance to the library |
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| Inside the Citadel Theater. When it was used by the emperor the stage was up front (where the photo was taken) and the emperor sat in the area on the second floor center (rear of the picture) |
After checking into the hotel (Moonlight Hue) and walking around the area for a bit it was time for a little indulgence...…...again! The hotel spa was offering a 50% discount on the first treatment and a 60% discount for any additional treatments. We both went for the one hour Swedish Massage. This was our fifth massage this trip and we both agreed it was the best. Beth then had two additional treatments, a manicure and a pedicure. As for me, according to some app on the phone that I checked, I've been roaming this earth for 22,214 days. I did something that I had never previously done, I got a pedicure. Was it fun? Heck yeah! Did it feel great? Absolutely! Do my gnarly feet look a bit better? You'd better believe it! As I laid back enjoying it I couldn't help thinking. This young lady is probably really questioning her career choice right now!
Keeping true to form, we were up early this morning and enjoyed a walk along the banks of the Perfume River. We left the hotel a little after 5:00 am, thinking there wouldn't be much action yet. As we approached the boardwalk we were surprised to see everything was already in full swing. There were walkers, runners, individuals and groups practicing tai chi everywhere...……...Good Morning Vietnam!
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| On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights the street in front of the hotel and several surrounding streets are closed to motorized vehicles. Makes for a fun and safe street scene. |
