Double Thumbs Up

Saddened to leave Hoi An, home of fabulous dresses and beaches, it was an early start this morning to catch our bus to Hue, old imperial capital of Vietnam. I was a little worried as our "taxi" to the bus stop turned out to be one man and one motorcycle who took us in shifts and then the bus driver thought we were going to Hanoi (even farther north) and I was convinced we would end up in the wrong place.

What was also relatively dubious was the fact we found ourselves on an overnight style bus. Not your typical double decker -- they consist of reclining chairs built on two levels (no floor in between said levels, think bunk beds). They are also fairly nerve wracking in Vietnam because if you find yourself on the top level, you fear you will simply fall off (which is where we found ourselves).

Luckily, it turned out to be the right bus as we drove north and passed more spectacular countryside -- shorelines, rivers, rice paddies, forests, and mountains. Sometimes I feel sad when our bus rides are over because I love driving through the country so much. Makes me miss my mountaineer.

When we got to Hue, it was bigger than I expected which actual tall buildings and wider streets. Without knowing quite what to expect, we dropped our luggage off and headed to explore the old imperial city. Although many of the buildings encompassing the old city are ruined, there is a current plan to rebuild and the existing palace structures are gorgeous. The colors and architecture are understated but you can clearly imagine what they must have been like in their glory day.

After satisfying our desire to see the imperial city, it was time to satisfy our thirst. Afternoon beers. We headed back and decided to check out the "DMZ" Bar. DMZ stands for demilitarized zone and the site of the 17th parallel. Since we wouldn't have time to actually check the real thing out, we figured a bar named after it was the next best thing.

Turns out, it was a fabulous idea as it felt like home. It was a real bar and not just lawn chairs facing the street. There were actual stools, pumping music, and draught beers. Note: the draught beers were too expensive for the backpacking budget but the local beer quenched our thirst just fine. The tables in the bar were also decorated with lovely Asian pop singers. Fab-u-lous.

We also managed to find a yummy place for dinner later where we were also convinced to go on a motorcycle tour tomorrow. Thumbs up to getting back on bikes and exploring the countryside. Only a week left in Vietnam and we will definitely be making the most of our time!