We are staying at Azerai La Residence, Hue. It was the mansion for the French Administration and built in the 1930's and the wings were added in 2005. It is located near the perfume river and the Citadel.
Devin goes over today's route.
Creative visuals of what we will see and where to go!
We toured a market where they made incense, hats and ginger candy.
We crossed a river on a Dragon Boat. Backroads was waiting for us on
the other side with our bikes.
Our fearless leaders, Dragon, Devin & Kevin!
This is a cemetery for the Vietnamese soldiers who died in the "American War."
There is an opening left at the top (where the sand is located) This is done so the spirit can leave anytime. Traditionally, when a Vietnamese person dies, they are buried and then in three years, they are dug up, and their bones are collected and are reburied in a fetal position as they would have been in their
mother's womb. This tradition is slowly coming to an end because it is expensive and more people are opting to being cremated. Dragon explained that there are two levels of cremations, one where only the bones are left and the second is when just the ashes remain. He said his parents have asked to now be cremated, but to keep the bones!
The cemetery markers state whether the soldier was unknown or not, and also specified if the body was found and buried there or if it was a marker. All people buried here were from the same region. It is
estimated that Vietnam lost 3.8 million people. The Americans lost, 58,220 people.
Views as we are biking....labor intensive lives.
Dinner @ Vinh Tu's home. Details I remember are that this was his grandfather's home. His grandfather had 4 wives (I think he was part of the royalty with the king? He & father? left in 1954 during the French conflict and didn't come back until after the wars. His acres of land had been taken over by squatters and was left with 4-5 five small buildings (temple, kitchen, bedroom, guest house and dining room.
Menu is listed on the fan.
Vinh Tu shows us the pipe his grandfather smoked opium out of. His grandfather recommended
just a little bit "to make you fly!"
On the far left is Devin, one of our guides and Ben & Amy from Boston. Today Amy took a corner
on her bike too quickly and hit the left brake on her bike (left brake stops the front wheel). She flipped over her bike, lost a front tooth, cut completely through her top lip and is spending the night in the hospital. Their plan is to leave the country ASAP. As Maeve has told me in the past..."Must be careful."
Will DO!
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