Hue is a vibrant city not to be missed

  A day off isn’t really a day off.  Arrived at the Citadel around
7:30.  My god is this historic palace huge.  The American war devastated it but
the Vietnamese and the world heritage foundation has brought much of it back to its former glory though much remains to be done. It’s origins go back to 1802.  I drifted from building to building within this huge fortress wall.   Despite the heat and humidity I spent over three hours absorbing more than I could even hope to retain.  Even finding my way out of the place took about thirty minutes.  Once outside, I realized my bike was about kilometer away. A bicycle rickshaw guy insisted on taking me for a “free” ride but upon my arrival, his tune changed.  White North American tourists are targets.  I laughed at the guy when he wanted 500,000 Dong. Almost walking off and telling him to kiss my gritty, we settled on 100,000, still a rip-off.
     Next stop, an ATM for more Dong.  The transaction was declined several times. Terrific! A little concerned, I resorted to getting help from a bank.  Vietcombank worked things out.  Vietnam just hasn’t embraced the credit card yet. And, I won’t forget my debit card.
     I met a French guy having lunch across the ally from my hotel.  We agreed to meet for dinner. In the interim, I found my way over to a shopping area, bought a Vietnamese flag and three red T shirts with a large yellow star on the front, the national flag. Returning hot and sweaty, I packed for my ride to Da Nang. An early morning start was essential given the heat and humidity.  Later as scheduled Bertrand, his young Vietnamese woman friend (a nurse) and  I went to a local restaurant of her choosing.  My chopstick skills aren’t as good I thought.  After she left for work, Bertrand and I went down to the waterfront.  You would never think this was a developing country.  The place was vibrant and upscale, an amazing place. We hoofed back to the hotel and had a nightcap beer. Now for the  5:45 am alarm.