Tomb tour by bike, Forbidden city on foot

Hue, Vietnam

I took myself off to the Tu Duc and Khai Minh tombs, missing out on what sounded the most ornate, partly to avoid a busy bridge crossing and partly to leave time to see town in the day.

Bike ride a pleasure. I parked where I was waved in to – a minor scam by a restaurant owner, free parking but please buy a drink. I later had lunch, so was a fully fledged mark, I guess. Tombs fine, cycle great – only went slightly the wrong way, without a phone I’d have been pretty stuck.

Forbidden planet beautiful and sprawling. Much of it reconstructed, so as ever I had my European sense of 1804? That’s not old-particularly as there didn’t seem to be much still standing from then. But still, a good tour. And I took the route less travelled by, realising why no one else took the route I had away from Tu Duc-the road became a dirt track. Still took me where I wanted to go, though. Smug.

Later I walked Walking Street, pleasant by day – once past the docks where I was offered a boat trip a couple of times – but at night it lights up, restaurants and bars, but well spaced so it isn’t a strip like other resorts have. In between are musicians and sellers, but without the hard sell. I had a beer by the river, just because. The hard sell comes on the far side of walking street, and is annoying – first, do you want moto taxi, then marijuana, finally beautiful girls. How many girls do I need? But all the annoyance was redeemed by the last man’s excitement, on learning I was from England, at the thought that I might have… a coin. You have coin?! You check?! Well no, not even in my bag, back at the hostel, and certainly not on the streets of Hue. But for a glimpse of a different perspective, perfect – here, even 1000 VND (3p) is a note.