Hue

Hue is the former capital and the seat of power of the House of Nguyen Phuoc, which ruled from the early 1800s until the Communist Party decided they were done with feudalism in the 1940s. We only had one full day in Hue, and the main attraction is the imperial citadel.

We knew it would be hot, so we went very early, only to be collared inside the gate by a woman who was cheerfully insistent that her teenage son practice his English on us (he didn’t want to), and that we also speak to her daughter, adorably named ‘Kimchi’. Vietnamese must have the most subtle vowel variations of any world language, so it was mutually and hilariously frustrating for all parties that they couldn't hear the difference between ‘live’ and ‘leave’. "When do you leave? Oh, just around the corner." To be fair, we are clearly mispronouncing cao lau (cow law?) and keep getting mystified looks from anyone we try to discuss this meal with.

Inside the palace (finally), Dan was swarmed by schoolchildren who all compared heights with him, and one adult woman who demanded he pose for pics with her (Chelsea was not asked to join).

The citadel itself is stunning, and has been rebuilt in beautiful detail since it was heavily bombed in the Vietnam War. Even in the years since Chelsea's last visit, the improvement is remarkable. Highlights: Chelsea enthused about the ceramics, and learning the lineage of the entries (including a seven-year-old boy-Emperor, Duy Tan, who was a puppet for the French before being exiled to Réunion). Dan discovered the 'symbol for happiness and longevity', and then began noticing it EVERYWHERE.

In the late afternoon, once the heat had subsided, we checked out the Mausoleum of Tu Duc. This is a gorgeous park housing the tombs of a former emperor, his wife, sons and concubines. It is known as the Tomb of Modesty, and it is… strikingly immodest. There is an autobiographical epic poem by the emperor on a stone monolith at least a storey high. A park featuring a boating island on a lake. Dragon-adorned burial complexes for his 'minor wives' (read: harem). Very demure, very mindful, very modest.

We wrapped up with Bun Bo Hue, a delicious, local variation on noodle soup. People in Hue are proud of having the best cuisine in Vietnam. Our motorbike guide Tony told us it's because the emperor would summon the best chefs from the north and south of Vietnam to Hue, and if they weren't any good, ‘they die’ (slashing hand-motion). Not sure it was a paragon of workplace psychological safety. But we're grateful in the long run! To cap the night we visited the (in)famous DMZ Bar, a throwback to Chelsea's 2017 trip. The ceiling still shows a map of the demilitarised zone in flashing lights, in which we scoped our route for the next few days. Czytaj więcej