Pleasure Palace

The construction workers behind our hotel began their day at 7:30 am. Armed with earplugs, we were able to fall back asleep until the pile driving began at 8:30 am. Note to self, always look out the window when checking into your hotel. Phyl volunteered to trudge down the numerous flights of steps in search of hot water and returned with a large thermos, allowing us to have coffee before setting off to explore Hue.

We had barely stepped onto the street when motorcycle & cyclo (bicycle propelled tuk-tuks) drivers began harassing us. It was not possible to walk more than a few steps without being yelled at for rides. Not since Bali had we experienced such relentless pestering. As we reached the river, tour operators and boat drivers joined the assault and we did not experience a minute of peace until we began to walk across the bridge.

Hue, Vietnam's capital from the early 1800's until about 1945, when the last emperor abdicated his thrown to Ho Chi Minh, contains a walled Citadel. Inside the Citadel is another walled area that contained Emperors' private residences and ceremonial halls.

As we walked toward the Citadel gate, we passed a mobile fish store and stopped to watch a little boy gleefully stick his hands into the fish tank.

P- This is interesting. I've never seen a mobile fish store before.

G- You know they love to wheel, and sell, their goods around the streets.

Cyclo driver – (pointing to the tanks) Fish.

P- (smiling) Yes, fish.

Cyclo driver – Fishes.

P- Yes, they are fish.

Cyclo driver – (pointing again to a different tank) Fish!

P- (looking at me) Does this mofo think that I don't what fish are? (to him, pointing at the fish) FISH!

G- You know they like to teach you things, or maybe he's proud that he knows that they are fish.

P- Whatever.

I finished taking my photos and we continued walking toward the gate, of the Citadel, only to have cycloman follow us.

Cycloman – You take tour in city. One hour tour.

P- No thank you. We're going to walk around.

Cycloman – Very far. Need tour.

G- No thank you.

While we stopped to take a few photos at the gate, he lurked behind us. We walked across the bridge, he followed us. Once inside the gate we stopped to read the guidebook to decide which way to walk.

Cycloman- You take tour.

G- We are going to walk.

Cycloman – Very far. 5 Kilomets.

P- We want to walk.

We tried to read our guidebook and review our map, but he would not shut up or go away.

P- This bastard had better go away because I'm getting really annoyed. I can't even hear myself think.

G- Try to ignore him.

P- I've been ignoring him for 15 minutes now but he won't go away.

Cycloman – You take tour. Very far to walk.

P- Go away! We are not taking a tour!!! (to Gina) I wouldn't take his tour if I was a double leg amputee. I'd crawl on my hands before I'd get into his cyclo.

G- Bwahahahahaha!

Finally getting our bearings, we walked off. He followed us until we cut through a park he could not enter. The sun was hot and we were sweating. We walked to the entrance gate to the palace, only to have the large iron gates closed just as we crossed the inner mote.

P- What the hell?

New cycloman – It's closed for lunch. You want tour of the city?

G- No, thank you, we just going to walk around.

New cycloman – It's big city.

G- So we've been told.

P- We're walking.

We strolled along the inner moat and red brick wall surrounding the palace grounds, then walked through the town toward the lake. We passed women, with roadside stands, selling flower arrangements and what looked like funeral wreaths, but we doubted that was the intended purpose. We walked down a quaint neighborhood street with well manicured homes and yards, no doubt a wealthy area. We watched warily as a dog began to follow us.

P- Watch out for the dog.

G- I don't think he's out to get you Gladys. His tail is wagging and he appears to be sniffing for the perfect spot to pee.

P- Oh my gawd! Look at the spot he selected!! LMAO!

G- He is a bastard! When that woman comes out to collect her bedspread thinking it'll smell all fresh and clean, it's going to smell like dog pee. Hahahaha! That's terrible. I told you he wasn't after you.

P- I'd have kicked him in the head if he tried to pee on me.

G- You are nuts!

Two blocks later we arrived at a lake, surrounded by a wall on one side, and covered in bright green water hyacinth. In many spots hundreds of sticks of colorful incense was lined along the wall to dry.  On the far side of the lake was the footprint of an old temple that had, unfortunately, been destroyed in the war. Hue was pounded to smithereens during Tet Offensive. We walked around the lake and turned left on the far side where we passed a large home with huge pots of ancient bonsai trees in the front courtyard. The trees were amazing and the biggest bonsais we had ever seen. Across the street from the home, a man sat at an old time, foot peddled, sewing machine making alterations to a pair of pants.

With no place in particular to go, we simply wandered aimlessly as we explored the neighborhoods. On main streets, the front yards and first rooms of the homes were dedicated to whatever business the family owns, but on these neighborhood streets, we were able to view strictly private homes. Almost all of the front yards were gated with flowers planted along the fence or in neatly manicured gardens. Many dogs barked at us as we passed, a few following us. Again the myth of the Vietnamese eating all of the dogs was dispelled. Finally, we hit a dead end at a river. Hungry and thirsty, we followed it on a narrow path until we came across a young girl who spoke English and told us how to get back to the street alongside the Palace moat.

We stopped for a cold beer and ate a tomato & onion salad and a plate of fried rice. Although we ate outside in the garden, it was a fairly nice restaurant, and we watched in horror as a table of Asian tourists threw all of their refuse on the ground under their table. Napkins, plastic water bottles, chop sticks, hand wipes, whatever. It looked as though a group of preschoolers had eaten at the table. We've been in Asia now for 4 months, but will never grow accustomed to this practice.

Returning to the King's Palace, we walked along a path between the moat and wall until we reached the main entrance gate. Quite the imposing structure, it was approximately 2 stories high with 3 large, wooden doors in different entrance alcoves. Ones status determined the entrance door he would use, with the king being the only one allowed to enter through the middle door. The King's Palace was a large compound of numerous official buildings and private residences. The Palace had been allowed to fall into disrepair, but efforts were currently underway to restore the buildings.

We walked through the enormous reception hall with it's black and red painted columns, then into another courtyard. We had just begun walking across the large courtyard when the sky suddenly opened up and it started to pour.

G- Dammit to hell! I have carried my umbrella for months and never once had the occasion to use it. I took it out of my pack 2 days ago.

P- You mean I am more prepared than you for once? I have my umbrella.

G- It appears that you are. Thanks Gladys, at least we have one umbrella.

Thankfully, there were many covered walkways inside the palace compound, and we were able to make our way to the Emperor's mother's residence in the far corner.

P- This is the Emperor's mother's Pleasure Palace.

G- Oh really? Her own pleasure palace. It's good to be the Emperor's mother.

P- Notice the wife didn't have a pleasure palace.

G- I wonder what the Emperor's mother did in her pleasure palace.

P- The book says she relaxed, wrote poems and tended her garden.

G- That's all? Yeah, right.

P- I think I'd like to have a pleasure palace.

G- Me too.

The Pleasure Palace was a very cool space. Built half on land and half over a small pond, it was made entirely of wood, with many beautiful carvings. On one side of the 2 room structure was a garden with raised brick beds. The room overlooking the pond had numerous doors that could be opened to almost create the effect that there was no wall. It was understated, but very serene. Everyone should have a pleasure palace.

The rain showed no sign of stopping and we were getting cold, so we hired a cycloman to drive us home. The cyclo was wrapped in a tarp to protect us from the rain, and we sat on top of each other, cramped, but warmer, and viewing the street threw a narrow rectangle cut into the tarp.

P- I hope this poor cyclo driver can get us back over that bridge without dropping his nuts.

G- The bridge isn't very arched, but I hope the wind doesn't blow us and him over the railing.

P- He smells of alcohol, so I doubt he's feeling much.

G- Oh, good. That makes me feel much better. It's always safer when your cyclo driver is drunk.

P- At least he's only peddling, which means he can't go very fast.

G- But it's always the drunk driver who crashes and doesn't get a scratch while the other people are maimed or killed.

P- I don't think you'll be maimed or killed when we're only going 5 mph.

G- If we plummet off the side of the bridge, our speed will increase dramatically.

P- Now who's the crazy one?

We arrived at our hotel without incident and heated ourselves with warm tea. After walking so many miles during the day, we stayed in the lobby until dinner because we didn't want to climb the 5 flights of stairs to our room.  Later we found a 'western' style restaurant where we enjoyed a pizza, a glass of DaLat wine, and a conversation with a very interesting Australian couple.