Kodak moments

The Citadel in Hue

Oh I LOVE this country! It's simply brimming over in its own personality. Got a motorbike-taxi out to this hot springs spa about 30km from Hue and on the way we passed rice paddies and corn fields where women in conical hats were working, several motorbikes and bikes carrying baskets full of agricultural produce, burning smells, houses with families sitting by the front door... In the hot springs (a beautiful tranquil spa surrounded by trees), we were the only 2 foreigners - the only other people were vietnamese families relaxing in water that got as hot as 48degrees in certain baths. There were also slides and wave-pools - all using the hot spring water! We stayed till the sun set then headed back to Hue and were able to see families sitting down to dinner (on the floor - lots of people don't use tables) as they keep their front doors open. Could also see their 'ancester alters' - ancestor worship is a HUGE thing here and families remember their ancestors at every opportunity, lighting candles on their alters in the evenings... Have also seen a few graveyards and they seem very higgedly-piggedly because people consult the Vietnamese equivalent of feng-shui experts and ask what direction their family grave should point in hence graves pointing in all different directions!
Last night we went for dinner in Lac Thien, a restaurant owned by a deaf man. In true Vietnamese style, when this restaurant proved a success it was copied and now is flanked by Lac Thuan and Lac Thean (or something like that) both also owned by deaf men! Rather than using international sign language, Mr Lac used a more gestural form of communication which served well for basic conversation but it was hard to find out more about him beyond that. We ordered some Hue specialities and the food was delicious and came in huge quantities - 'unlike next door', Mr Lac had us know, 'where they serve much smaller quantities for the same price'!

So much for being left alone to sunbathe in peace - the beach in Hue

The Lonely PLanet insists that when in Hue, one must do the boat trip which takes in various monumnets and pagodas (temples) and we duly put our names down for one. But at 7.30am this morning, Trich and I looked at each other and asked if we really wanted to go and see temples.... 'No' was the answer so we turned over and after a lie-in we got motorbikkes to this really seculed beach with white white sand.... Oh it was just FABULOUS!!! much better than the pegoda I reckon!
The Vietnamese are fascinating people. One thing that constantly surprises me is the apparent lack of a need for privacy and 'own time' here... People simply can't fathom that one would want to be alone! Everything happens out opn the street - front doors left open at night so anyone can see inside... Shops don't go far back into the building and a lot of their stock is actually out on the road. People eat and socialise out on the pavements... They are very eager to practice their English so you get a lot of 'heeeello, how aaaare you'... Then 'I am fiiine thanks!' when you ask them how they are. Other questions are: where you from, what your name, how old you, you have husband/boyfriend? Despite being in a communist country, the Vietnamese are among trhe most entrepreneurial people I've ever met - if you even as much as slow down while walking on the street, you'll be bombarded by several people saying 'you want motorbike/cyclo?' or whatever.
Right, better shut up now but, in a nutshell, I am absolutely loving Vietnam!!!