Hello, blog readers! Many of our postings are thematic, focusing on a topic or happening that especially hits us. Each day is so rich and full, but I thought a simple rundown of a single day (without great detail or fascinating facts) might give you an idea of the pace and texture of our travels. So here is Sunday, Day 8:
- Up at 5 am to pack suitcase for our late morning bus trip to Hue
- Walk on the beach until 6:30 am
- Half an hour in the business center downloading pictures to our blog from my camera
- Breakfast in the Indochine Cafe at 7:15 am
- Up to the room at 7:45 to place suitcases outside the door for loading onto the bus
- Gather in the hotel lobby at 8:15 to board bus for trip to the Cham Museum in Danang
- Orientation talk on the bus, by guide Huy, regarding the Champa culture
- Tour the museum (about four rooms of archival photos and sculptures) until about 10 am
- Board the bus for our two and a half hour trip up Route 1 (the backbone of Vietnam) north to Hue City, with mountains on the west and the ocean to the east
- Rest stop featuring Oriental-style toilets and a lovely view
- Arrive at the Saigon Morin Hotel (French colonial style) where we were welcomed with cool glasses of watermelon juice
- Quick face wash before walking to the Mandarin Cafe for lunch
- Back to the hotel for a cyclo ride over the Perfume River and through residential neighborhoods and shopping districts to the Citadel and Imperial City
- Orientation by our guide Huy to the Imperial City and characteristics of Vietnam's thirteen dynasties
- Tour the extensive site, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, on foot
- Board the bus back to our hotel to wash for supper
- Meet in the lobby at 6:15 pm to travel in a cozy bus that can fit through the narrow stone gate of the Citadel
- Enjoy a meal together at a restaurant featuring local food and traditional music
- To bed early, anticipating meeting for a walk through the French Market at 6:30 am tomorrow
No comments:
Post a Comment