Today I visited the Forbidden City, which provided a peaceful escape from the constant horns and traffic fumes of Hue. The architecture was beautiful. I arrived yesterday morning, where initially there was some confusion over the $12 room and asking for a room with internet access. In the end they let me stay in a luxurious $30 room for the lower price, so I’ve been spending quite a bit of time online. Last night was the first time I’ve had my own room since I’ve been traveling and I had the most wonderful twelve hour sleep. Even though flights, dorms and night trains are fine, it does feel like I’ve been trying to fit sleep in around everyone else.
Other than the Forbidden City, there isn’t much else to see in Hue. It’s a very average city, with many restaurants and cafes providing menus for tours as well as food. Many tourists seem to come here as a stepping off point.
I have found it a lot friendlier than Hanoi. Maybe it’s because I walk everywhere that the locals stop and say hello, but even in street side cafes the owners are a lot more talkative. The downside to being in a smaller city is the hassle from the moto drivers, which fall into the ‘unskilled labour’ bracket. I get tired of the constant calls as I walk past and sometimes follow you, asking where you’re going and why you don’t take a moto. Even when eating at cafes men come to the tables, trying to sell drawings. I think out of principle, every Westerner says no. The other thing to get use to is when asking a question that they don’t understand, the answer is always ‘yes’.
Tomorrow morning I take the train to Nga Trang.
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