On the 9th day, I went on a long walk by the Han River in the morning. I walked enough that I decided to rest in the room for the rest of the day. I walked and walked, went under the Dragon Bridge and on the other side, after a short distance, was the APEC Park. Seen images of its impressive white roof structure. On the walk up to that area with the white roof, I saw some people doing yoga. I guess they were recording, I saw a tripod, a camera and stuff. As I walked up, I could hear some noise getting louder and louder. Turned out it was full of school students doing some activities, or dancing or singing. I didn't get closer. I went away, around the park. Nothing much was there. I came out and sat for a while.
Time to eat something. I went to the same family place. I was greeted by a friendly uncle, the owner, I believe. He was patting a cat, must be their pet. I thought great. I love cats. Had sauteed rice noodles vegetables. Looked simple, but it tasted really good, and I was hungry and tired from walking so much. I gobbled it up. The uncle looked at me and asked, "Is it good?" I said, "Yeah, yeah. I'm really hungry". He laughed and gave me a thumbs-up. The cat came closer to my seat and sat with its back turned to me. For a few moments, the cat and I looked each other in the eye. Haha. As I was done, it was awkward to linger, so I paid the owner and left.
Back to the room. Hmm, explore things to do? Started researching about Hue City. I was reading a Danang travel blog and ended up booking a Hue Imperial Day trip, via the Hai Van Pass train. I wanted to experience a train ride. It's been ages since I was on a train. Plus, I read that the Hai Van Pass had incredible views.
The tour guide picked me up at 7 am. It was a group tour, with 3 couples- an Asian, a European and an American gay couple, and 5 others, including me, in the van. During the trip, I talked to the ladies, an American (she was really friendly and talked with everyone) and a German. Headed to the train station and got on the train to Lang Co station in Hue. I noticed most of the passengers were Westerners, mostly older tourists. There was live music in the train, traditional music, and Western music, right behind our compartment. Passengers kept going that way. On the way was the Hai Van Pass. Indeed, the views were beautiful, the vastness of the sea seen from the height. At a point, the train halted to let another train pass. Some of us even got off the train and quickly took some pictures. After we reached Hue, our van was waiting for us. We stopped somewhere in Lang Co for a restroom. It was very pretty there. We took many pictures.
We headed to the Hue Imperial City. Our guide told us about the Perfume River as we were reaching the Imperial City. It has a perfume-like aroma from the flowers from above falling on the water, he said. The Imperial City. How big it was inside! Oooh, it was cold, drizzling and windy. Our guide gave me his umbrella. The gentleman! Hehe. Then some lessons on history and culture.
Headed for our lunch, which was already set waiting for us. Mine was on the corner, the only vegan (because no animal has to die for me to eat) and the rest had the same, except one who didn't eat pork. It was a traditional Vietnamese meal. See, when you put so many dishes like that, it's hard for me to enjoy the meal. At home, also whenever there is a feast, I don't enjoy it as much as eating a regular meal with one or two dishes. That's just me. But ate enough to fill my stomach because we needed energy, and there was still more on the tour agenda.
After lunch, we went to a pagoda and a tomb. Thien Mu pagoda and the Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh, for which we had to climb a hundred steps. Wow! The details inside the mausoleum. It was raining the whole time then. But everyone got an umbrella or a raincoat.
Here's something to remember. Our guide said people outside commonly call it the Vietnam War, but Vietnamese call it the Resistance War, because they believe that the Americans had no rights to come to Vietnam and bomb them. It was their Resistence War against America.
A quote from my current read "The Mountains Sing", "..hundreds of thousands of Laotians and Cambodians perished in the war known internationally as "the Viet Nam War," but called by the current Vietnamese government "the Resistance War against America to Save the Nation." Regardless of its name, even today the war continues to kill children in Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia, with millions of tons of unexploded ordnance still buried in the belly of the earth."
Tour done. After two hours ride back to Da Nang, reached my hotel.
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