I set my alarm for 6 today as I wanted to be on the road by 7 to make it to Hue by lunchtime. I had breakfast, got all my kit together and my bike gear on, handed in my towel and said goodbye to the staff. I was about 5 minutes down the road when I remembered I hadn't checked under the bed and I hadn't seen my flip flops in my bag whilst packing. I hate losing stuff so I turned around and went back just to make sure. I dashed up to the room. There they were, under the bed, pleased I'd returned for them. Our worlds were reunited once more like old school buddies. We reminisced for a while about the good times we'd had and the long journeys we'd been on and then I threw them in my bag.
Back on the road I was reminded that a couple of things on the bike didn't work anymore. It seems in requesting the odometer to be fixed I had in fact swapped this for things that now didn't work. The odometer and 4th gear light now worked. But the fuel gauge now didn't and the speedometer stopped functioning at 45 km/h. I suppose it was good though because I didn't break the speed limit once! But this meant I now had to judge the distance that a full tank of fuel could do, and fill up before. So far I've risked 150 km but could push it further if necessary. I might take a look at the bike myself later on if I get a chance. I started off on the Ho Chi Minh highway which was a great stretch of road to ride but thought the parallel road near the coast might be better for views so headed across to it when they got close to each other. As it turns out this is the route all the trucks take and the coast wasn't as close as expected. So I headed across once more to another smaller road that ran right next to the beach. This is when it hit me, like someone had flicked a switch. The warm breeze. It was perfect. Through gaps in the trees I got glimpses of the sea, rough as it was, with the white sandy beach in front. The road deteriorated slightly but it went on for miles, straight as an arrow. There were little inlets every now and then and rivers crossed my path to the sea but these were all bridged and it was certainly nice to get away from all the traffic. The road led away from the beach a few kilometers above Hue and I thought I'd better get some fuel so stopped at a slightly backwater town which fortunately had a petrol station. I pulled up and started undoing my rucksack to get the seat up and realised I was being watched by a small boy about half my height. As he approached, with a slow shuffle, it became clearly apparent that he was disabled. His eyes were different levels and I'm not sure if he could see very well but I don't think either eye looked directly at me. This sounds like I'm taking the piss and I'm leading up to a funny story but I'm genuinely describing this exactly as it happened. I was clearly a source of confusion for him as I don't think he'd seen a westerner before. As I was crouched by one side of the bike he came right up close to see me better and followed me round the bike as I moved. I did say hello both in Vietnamese and English but there was no response. Not even an expression change. Emma you'd have been freaked out. It was a little like being in the hills have eyes movie. He then started touching my shoulder. I had my body armour on so to him it felt like a rock hard body. He did the same with my arm which again had hard plastic round it and he was fascinated. I was a bit unnerved and felt like I was the chosen one to be sacrificed. I looked up expecting to see the whole town shuffling towards me zombie like ready for their next meal but there was no one. The people at the petrol station didn't even acknowledge him and I wondered if I was the only one that could see him. It was so weird. I took no time at all to re-attach my rucksack and was so hasty in leaving I actually went the wrong way. I'd intended to go back the route I'd come slightly to get back on the beach road but ended up heading further inland. Google maps showed where I was and I found a road a few kilometers on that led the right way. I eventually got back on track but this was definitely the back route into Hue. Paddy fields stretched on one side as far as I could see with hardly any trees in sight. I think agent orange was possibly the culprit for that. On the other side were various schools or houses or temples all set back about 100 metres from the road. It was so open everywhere. The complete opposite to the mountains in the north. I crossed a canal at one point and stopped to check where I was. As I looked up the canal I could see what looked like a yellow fluid really far away moving across the canal and up the bank then back in then back up the bank again and back in and it was heading my way. I couldn't work out what it was. But as it got closer I could see it was hundreds of yellow ducklings moving about all so close together it looked like a liquid. I got some photos but as usual they don't do the scene justice. I eventually got into Hue about half 1 entering through the residential villages which slowly got busier the further I went till I hit the main central part of town which was bustling with vehicles. At one point I crossed what looked like a moat and drove through a huge stone gateway which formed part of the historical citadel wall. There were a few American war vehicles and gun relics at a museum inside and before I knew it I'd passed through another stone gateway and was out the other side. This is when I saw the main river running through Hue. This was on the same scale as the Thames. The North side, where I was, was the older historical part of town and so I headed to the south side where the hostel was, along with numerous hotels and shops. This was the newer more vibrant part of town. I found the hostel with little trouble, parked my bike over the road, and checked in. You'll never believe what was waiting for me. My clothes from Hanoi. They'd arrived yesterday. And they also knew my room was free of charge. Incredible. As the weather had got warmer the closer to Hue I got, and I was dressed for the North, I was now roasting and my first priority was a shower. None of the other room guests were there so I used the opportunity to spread my kit out and dig out my shorts from the bottom of the rucksack. In my shorts, T-shirt and flip flops I went downstairs to ask the advice of the staff about what was worth seeing. They told me the citadel was the main attraction and lonely planet confirmed it so I took myself off there walking. The citadel was built in 1804 but was bombed heavily during the war and a lot of it is in ruin but slowly more buildings are being restored. It was used by one of the emperors for ceremonial duties as well as living in. You can really feel the history as you walk round. The reconstructed buildings are very impressive and brightly coloured and the gardens felt really tranquil. There are parts of the grounds that are so derelict it feels like you shouldn't be there but then round the corner is another set of ceremonial buildings that have been reconstructed. The entire plot of land is a lot bigger than expected and I soon ran out of time although I'm pretty sure I saw most places inside the walls. I left the palace citadel about half 5 and walked back through the town via the market which was much bigger than the others I'd seen. I didn't buy anything but it sold everything you could ever need and the bustle was good to see. On the way back I'm sorry to say I was overcome by a snack temptation and entered a KFC. Popcorn chicken. I hadn't eaten since breakfast so allowed myself but it'll certainly be my last as it tasted nothing like popcorn chicken at home! I returned to the hostel to find the other room guests on their beds. One Brit, 3 yanks and one Canadian. We got chatting, the usual grammar piss taking started, as expected, and we were soon laughing at each other. We arranged to go out for a meal together and after that we found a cheap place for beer. 20p a go. The glasses weren't massive but it went down so easily. I only left because I had to be up at 6. I'd arranged a visit, through the hostel, to the DMZ, which I'd intended to do on the way to Hue but didn't want to leave my rucksack on the bike while I did the visits. Plus the hostel trip visited more than one place and there was a guide which is better for these things. The bus was picking me up at 7 and I also needed breakfast first. So I left the bar and the others at about 11 and walked back to the hostel alone. It was only about a two minute walk but in that time span I got harassed, separately, by about 6 different blokes on mopeds asking if I wanted a lift anywhere. Of course I said no and in Hanoi that would be it. But here they stay with you and then the next question is "you want boom boom? Sexy lady?" and then after a no to that they ask "marijuana?". 'Oh I thought you'd never ask' I felt like replying, 'And then maybe the sexy lady boom boom after yes?' Do people seriously jump on the back of the bike, on their own, after these slightly threatening options are presented to them? And if so are these people still alive? I personally don't get it. Anyway I got to the hostel with little other problems and went straight to bed. It had been a good day.
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