Hue

After an early morning run, I took an 8AM tourist bus from Hoi An to Hue.
Before the ride I tried to get breakfast but the couple places I tried can't give me bread and cheese within 15 minutes. I specifically told them I needed it fast, but they let me wait until I can wait no more. So bought some cookies for my 5 hour journey...

We stopped at couple places along the way, nothing really interesting, a marble making place and beach side resturant.

The bus drop us off at a hotel where they get a commission. After checking out the room and haggled the price down to $5.5, I decided to stay here instead the one I had in mind, too hot, and hungry to find my first choice...

After lunch I took a stroll to the imperial city and chatted with couple Kiwis for a while until about sunset. Took a picture and headed back for food, and rest.

Day two, after I exchanged $50 in travelers check, it was time for temple and tomb visits. I hired a motobike driver to take me to 3 temples and 3 tombs for $5. The standard tour package offered by tour companies cost $1.5, but I heard from other travelers and from book, it is a hassle and with additonal hidden cost. Anyway I am glad I did the bike way instead boat (more complains from people I met that came by boat), I control how long to visit a place and what to see.

The tombs and temples are interesting in its own way, althought the tombs cost $3.5 each, which is a lot by Vietnamese standard. The local pays $1.25.

O, I am still looking for a pastry place here, so far just cake places.

Also finally got CNN and BBC, old HBO movies, which keep me at my room at night. although there isn't much to do in Hue at night anyway.

Day three, I headed into the Imperial City. Modeled after China's much larger Forbidden City. It was build in 1833, but much of the structures were destroyed during the Vietnam war. Today some parts have been reconstructed with funding from various countries.

I'll leave for Saigon tonight, no seats on morning or afternoon flights. So I have about 4 hours to burn.