Hué 1

I had the morning before catching the train to Hué around noon. So I took myself to the Han markets. Actually I sort of stumbled upon it while wandering along the river bank. Again durians were for sale. Too much temptation.

I bought a bunch of Lady Finger bananas from this vendor. They are also called sugar bananas, are harder to find than the common Cavendish here, are sweeter and have thinner skin.

Other fruits include dragon fruit, and a bit of a surprise for visitors, green oranges, green in colour, not unripe.

A view from the first floor which houses clothing stalls.

I grabbed another bánh mì from the stall we visited the first evening for lunch. The train I took, the Reunification Express, was about 30 minutes late arriving from points south.

The price of the ticket for 100 km travel was ridiculously cheap at around 3 AUD. The Internet booking fee actually cost more than the tickets. It wasn't the most luxurious carriage but was air-conditioned.

Unfortunately the windows were dirty which made my camera autofocus on the window rather than the distant scenery so I got few good pictures of the coastline seen from the pass the line went over. Many of the beaches were undeveloped.

At Hué station, a driver from the hotel met me, as arranged. Hué looked more cultured to me, as we passed a school of music and I saw mention of a university on the way from the station.

The staff of the Holiday Diamond Hotel were very courteous and helpful. The hotel fittings were a bit old, but quite serviceable. Hué is slightly inland so less of the sea breezes of Da Nang, but the air-conditioner worked well.

This not the hotel but a café I found in the city.

Here I had an afternoon coffee with a pâté chaud, a triangular meat pie. The French left a few good things, such as baked goods.

The front of the café, designed for watching the street.

In the evening I took an Internet recommendation and dined at Nina's Café where I had a bun bo Hué, Hue style beef noodles. It was very tasty and cheap at around 3 AUD.

I was glad I went early around 1800 as it was stating to fill up as I left.

The promenade on the bank of the Perfume River.

Boat in the sunset.

Locals enjoying the evening air with the road bridge in the distance.

A riverside restaurant.

I received blandishments to take a river boat tour.

The bustling nightlife in the heart of the city. It's not a large city, one could walk from one end of the main drag to the other in an hour.