Vietnam November 2022

As we geared up to leave for Hue, our final destination, the morning was a whirlwind of activity. Our priority was to retrieve our tailored garments from Faifoo and the leather shop. We bid a warm farewell to Faifoo and quickly hopped into our vehicle, already parked and waiting.

Hue greeted us on a Friday evening, and our first venture was to explore the local cuisine. Hue is famed for its culinary offerings, and our very first meal was a taste sensation. To this day, it serves as an inside joke, our reference for exceptional dining: Nem Lui. Trust me, you should try it at least once!
We ambled through the city in the evening and noted an urban, lively atmosphere with numerous bars. It was a stark contrast to the traditional ambiance of Hoi An.

Our only full day in Hue was dedicated to a visit to the Imperial City. A bit of history – located around 130 kilometers north of Hoi An, Hue was a former capital city, home to the Nguyen Dynasty for over a century. The city boasts the magnificent Imperial City, as well as royal tombs that house the remains of nine Nguyen Dynasty emperors.
We embarked on a short boat ride to cross the river to arrive at the citadel which is quite impressice. It's a sprawling citadel, and it was constructed during the reign of Emperor Gia Long in 1805. In 1831-1832, Emperor Minh Mang added an outer defensive layer to the citadel, complete with cannons, strengthening its protective functions. The significance of the Hue Imperial City extended beyond its military role. It was a hub of culture and politics for Vietnam. The city served as the nation's capital until 1945 when Vietnam was divided into North and South. Regrettably, much of this grand citadel was razed during the conflict with the United States.

We embarked on a guided tour, gleaning some fascinating insights:
- Inside the citadel, you can find the tombs of ten of the thirteen kings of Vietnam. The missing three are the 5th (imprisoned and died of starvation for disrespecting traditions, with a reign lasting just three days), the 6th (poisoned after being perceived as too French-friendly), and the 13th (a "puppet king" manipulated by the French, who married a French woman and passed away in Paris in 1997). One king, the 2nd, had over 500 concubines and more than 140 children, gaining the affection of his kingdom. Another king, in the early 1900s, ascended the throne at the tender age of eight, influenced by those seeking power.
- Concubines residing within the citadel led rather unhappy lives and typically died young, around ages 20 to 25, often due to boredom or disease. Fierce rivalries existed among them.
- One building within the citadel is designed to be the tallest out of respect; no structure should ever surpass its height.
- Yellow symbolizes royalty, purple represents the Emperor and the forbidden city, destroyed by the Americans in 1968, while blue signifies Mandarins.
- There were five gates: one for the royal family, one for the mandarins, horses, and elephants, and one for women.
- To become a soldier mandarin, one had to pass an exam and achieve the 1st or 2nd rank.
- During the war with the Americans, only a portion of the palace survived; the rest was bombed.

The guided tour left us with very insightful key take aways. Upon exiting, we struck up a conversation with two locals and asked them for dining recommendations. They were exceedingly kind and helpful, offering to take us on their bikes to a nearby restaurant. The cook, the mother of one of their friends, greeted us warmly at this charming, intimate restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing.

Next on our itinerary was a visit to a nearby orphanage, established and managed by French nuns. We had discovered this place in our travel guidebook, "Le Routard," which mentioned that the orphanage primarily relies on visitor donations. We hoped to offer our contribution and stopped by. This remarkable institution houses hundreds of young Vietnamese girls, most hailing from impoverished mountain tribes next to the boarder of Laos. It caters exclusively to girls and provides an education in addition to imparting essential life skills. On the day of our visit, all the little girls were finishing dinner as we arrived. Grace, a young woman who had grown up at the orphanage as her Mom was still a teen when she gave birth to her in anonymity and gave her up to the orphanage, offered us a tour, introducing us to the head Nun. In our conversation, conducted in French, we learned about this establishment's noble mission and extended a contribution to support their vital work. We explored the dormitories, music rooms, dance studios, and classrooms. Afterwards, we met the little girls who were watching a cartoon in the screening room after dinner. They stopped to sing for us us with a famous French children's song, which was both delightful and a little uncomfortable, as we didn't want to disrupt their evening routine or make them feel obliged to perform. Before we left, we encountered two little girls, one in tears and the other comforting her. Grace explained that the one in tears was missing her parents. It was a heart-wrenching moment, considering that most of these girls only saw their families for two months each year during school breaks when they returned to their villages in the mountains. Yet, we also discovered that this institution offered these girls incredible opportunities: education, life skills, and a future as tailors, nurses, and even for a few lucky ones as immigrants to Germany or France. This encounter touched us deeply, and we left with the intention of planning a more structured and interactive activity with such establishments for our next visit in the future.

En route back to the city center, we stopped at a mall to purchase an additional suitcase for the many gifts we'd acquired. For our last meal together on this journey, we dropped by a small local bar where a few locals were intently watching a World Cup game featuring France. Joining their table, we shared drinks with two friendly locals, including one who had perhaps indulged a bit too much but remained exceedingly friendly. Afterward, we headed back to our hotel.Read more