Hue the Imperial City...or, the Place We Got Haircuts

The funny thing about travel, especially when it is for a long period of time, is that the mundane has to coexist with the sublime.  Yes, we get to see incredible sights, experience unique and enthralling moments, but we also need to do laundry, buy toiletries and get haircuts, and you don’t always know when or where that is going to happen.  Turns out, for us, one of two afternoons we had in Hue, the ancient imperial capital of the country, would be spent, not wandering the grounds of the old castle or visiting temples, but getting haircuts for the three kids.

The hair wash was extra ($1) and was sublime!  It looked so delightful I jumped in and had my hair wash. 
Our scalps have never been so clean!

Hue is a 3-4 hour drive over the mountains and along the coast from Hoi An.  It is a beautiful, if slightly harrowing drive.  Once in Hue you see evidence of the old city in its centre with a large moat surrounding the thick walls that surround the Imperial City.  I read up on how best to explore the citadel and imperial city, how to plan for the heat with kids and what ruins are the "must see".  And then, we did none of it.  Instead, our experience of Hue was much more low key.  Instead of old palaces and forts we took in the quiet scenes unfolding in the lagoon behind our airBnB where a man trudged through chest high water pulling lily pads to and from his small boat and we stopped to watch an army of ants carrying a dead gecko up and down a telephone pole.  Not exactly what the Emperors thought we'd notice about their city, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

We stayed at a lovely air bnb that was run by a Vietnamese man whose father had been a French professor, thus French was the language spoken at home.  It continues to be a French speaking home and as such attracts many French tourists.  We enjoyed speaking French with the other guests over breakfast and the delicious home cooked dinner on our first night.  Speaking of food, which it seems we do a lot in context of our time in Vietnam, Hue is where we tried and fell in love with the crispy Vietnamese pancakes known as Banh Xeo.  The man whose restaurant we frequented twice in our brief stay only cooks this dish and has been doing so for 30 years!  If the rule of thumb that it takes 10 000 hours to be an expert is true, then he is a master!

The base of the dish is a crispy pancake cooked in a small cast iron pan like an omelet, but crispy.  He adds a few small slices of meat, a sliced quail egg, a shrimp and beansprouts. You get a plate of these and then another plate filled with fresh herbs and lettuce.  On the side is a dipping sauce that is peanut based and to which you add chili to your liking.  You add the lettuce and herbs to the pancake and then dip in the sauce.  I watched a pair of local men eat their dish to figure out how to manage picking up the loaded Vietnamese taco with chopsticks.  They managed, but despite my best efforts I eventually gave up and just ate like the rest of the barbarians at my table.  We probably looked like animals eating with our hands and devouring the delicious food as quickly as we could.  But MAN it was yummy.

Another highlight of Hue was visiting the famous Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery.  Thich Nhat Hanh has been an outspoken proponent for peace and reconciliation since the Vietnam/American War and was exiled from Vietnam in 1966.  Thich Nhat Hanh is now 92 years old and in very frail health.  He returned to Vietnam in 2018 to his "root temple" Tu Hieu in Hue in preparation for his death.  It was this temple, in 1942 at age 16 where he became a monk.  The monastery was very tranquil.  It is on the outskirts of town in a thin forest grove.  The buildings were not ostentatious and behind the main shrine there was a lovely small garden.  There was a tranquility to the space and a calmness that seemed to pervade.  There were a few visitors wandering the grounds, some students in their simple brown or grey cotton clothes and monks coming and going to the main building carrying tea and food.  The space had a feeling of being quietly alive, not ruins or relics, yet the energy was very serene.  It felt like a grounded place to come and die.  

This article beautifully describes the monk's teaching and final journey back to his root temple:
Thich Nhat Hanh's Final Mindfulness Lesson

The school assignment the next day was for each kid to contemplate one of Thich Nhat Hanh's famous quotes and write what they think it means for them.  Here are some of my favorites for your own inspiration:

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

The trip back to Hoi An was made via train.  We enjoyed the experience of rolling along the coast with beautiful views of the sandy coves and green hills.  It was especially enjoyable not to worry about oncoming traffic!

The trains are loud!

The crowds getting off and on. Notice V is still plugging his ears.

View from the train

Schoolwork on the train.

We arrived back at Danang, where we hopped in a van for the 30 minute ride back to Hoi An.