Huế, Vietnam
Arriving in Huế early in the morning, with only one full day to visit, put a bit of pressure on making the most of exploring the fascinating and beautiful old city. After getting into town we made our way from the train station to our homestay (a small traveler hotel), where our hosts kindly let us to drop our bags while our room was being prepared (an unfortunate drawback of arriving early is not having a place to settle in right away…). While waiting we decided to find a good place to eat and make a plan for the day. Over a savory bowl of Bun Bo Huế (a soup and local delicacy) and K’s favorite stir-fried morning glory, we managed to book a private walking tour of the walled Imperial City and Citadel, the central features that make Huế so very enchanting.
After being pleasantly surprised by receiving a note from our hosts that our room was ready early, we hastily returned and were ecstatic to find that we had a spotlessly clean top (third) floor room with a wrap-around balcony overlooking the snaking Perfume river below. Finding ourselves still exhausted from the overnight train, with a few hours to kill before our tour, we made an executive decision to simply relax and lounge on the balcony, sipping coffee and tea while soaking in the skyline view. Feeling relaxed and refreshed we made our way to the lobby where our knowledgeable local guide, Vân, was waiting to take us into central Hue for an afternoon of history and cultural appreciation.
As much as it would be insightful and fascinating for our readers, to tell everyone about all of the intriguing details of our tour of the Imperial City would take up far too much time (and we would likely lose some of our audience to a reading induced nap). With readership in mind, some the most salient, scandalous and interesting information that Vân shared related to the complicated history of various rulers of the Imperial City (where all of the emperors lived with their families (and concubines…)) and the extended struggles to protect Vietnam from imperial conquests (especially the French…). To simplify it, the history of the various emperors managed to stay within the family, but bounced from father to son, whenever possible, and then from father to brother, cousin or whatever other leading male relative managed to pull the levers of power, should no legitimate son be available as heir. Although we didn’t fully grasp the complicated nature of “hereditary” leadership, the emperors ranged in age from as young as seven to older adulthood, their reigns ranging from days to decades. To say it was complicated would be an understatement, but it was captivating to gain insight on the intertwined history of Huế and the greater Vietnam.
Vân was just about our age, which offered a fascinating chance to speak with somebody that grew up in Vietnam during our lifetimes, fully post-war. As Americans (one being German too), there seems to be a natural introspection generated by traveling in a country with such recent history of being in an arguably unprovoked war with our country. There are surely mixed feelings on both sides with the complicated history and Vân spoke openly about the history and what it was like to grow up post war in a central area of Vietnam, where some of the heaviest fighting of the war occurred (the “Battle of Huế” in 1968, during the Tet Offensive). It felt very friendly and genuine spending time with her, connecting on shared life experiences and it was especially heartening to hear that most in Vietnam have moved past the animosity that would surely be easy to hold onto after the atrocities of the “American War”. Honestly it’s been such a wonderful experience traveling in Vietnam; the people are incredibly warm, kind and genuine and the natural beauty and amazing food only add to the delight.
After spending a day with Vân we enjoyed a sublimely fresh meal in a funky local spot and then a very restful night in our homestay, feeling delighted by our experiences and relishing in a comfy (air conditioned!) room after the previous, less-than-restful, night on the train.
