The Many Sides of Hue

After recovering a sense of calm in Ha Long Bay, we flew to the city of Hue on the central coast. Hue served as the country’s imperial capital for over 100 years, beginning in 1802 with the establishment of the Nguyen dynasty as rulers of a unified Vietnam. It remained the capital until 1945, when the Communists took control, forced the last Nguyen emperor to abdicate, and moved the Vietnamese capital to Hanoi. However, Hue is still regarded as the cultural, religious and educational center of Vietnam. Unfortunately, due to its location just south of the DMZ, the city was heavily damaged during the Tet offensive in 1968. Restoration work is ongoing.

On our first full day in Hue, we spent a few hours exploring its famed Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage site located on the banks of the Huong (Perfume) River. 

Construction of the citadel began in 1804 and lasted until 1832. The walled citadel, which is surrounded by a moat, is an enormous complex (covering an area 2.6 miles by 2.6 miles). Within it are numerous monuments, royal tombs, pagodas, temples, and the Harmony Palace where the emperor presided over court ceremonies. 

The palace roof is made of ironwood logs covered with gold leaf.

Near the entrance to the complex, An pointed out a display of massive iron cannons used during the French War. 

Inside the citadel, we took a leisurely stroll through the Forbidden Purple City, once the living quarters of the emperor and his family, where black and white photographs of the royal family still adorn the walls. 

  

Finally, we exited the Imperial Enclosure through a lavishly decorated ornamental gate, once reserved for exclusive use by the royal family.

An hour-long boat trip on the Perfume River gave us a different view of Hue. Our dragon boat motored under several bridges, including one designed by French engineer Gustave Eiffel. 

When we stepped shore at the Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda complex, I got an unexpected lesson in bargaining skills. A woman selling cheap folding hats targeted our group as soon as we disembarked. She zeroed in on me although I was already wearing my utilitarian cloth sunhat. Perhaps she decided I was in desperate need of more fashionable headgear. In any case, I steadfastly ignored her but she kept following me, lowering the price again and again until I finally broke down and handed over a ridiculously small quantity of Vietnamese currency for a hat that turned out to be quite useful for the remainder of the trip. 

The Thien Mu complex is set on a hill overlooking the Perfume River. Its octagonal 7-story tower, which dates back to 1844, is considered the unofficial symbol of Hue. 

The pagoda, located in an inner courtyard facing a bonsai garden, was built in the early 1600s. 

The complex also contains a massive ceremonial bell, a marble turtle (a symbol of longevity), and a stupa where the remains of the Buddhist monk who built the pagoda are interred. Fragrant plumeria (frangipani) trees dot the grounds.  

While walking around the complex, we noticed a large number of monks. An explained that the pagoda offers refuge to any man who desires to stay there. Nowadays, Thien Mu is a peaceful place, popular with tourists, but during the 1960s, it was the site of frequent protests against the South Vietnamese government. The South Vietnamese president, Diem, was a Roman Catholic who used violent methods in an attempt to suppress the practice of Buddhism, the predominant religion in the country. 

Today, Hue is a city of 350,000 and its downtown area is full of tall, gleaming modern buildings. It has a large population of students who attend its highly regarded university. Their presence contributes to the city’s youthful vibe. Our hotel was located within walking distance of a pedestrian area that became extremely lively at night, when hundreds of young people packed the brightly lit restaurants, bars, and bubble tea shops, spilling out onto the sidewalks and streets. 

The pedestrian zone at night

Hue is also known for its fine cuisine. At the hotel’s breakfast buffet, I slurped down some intriguing new items. Two of my favorites were banh beo Hue(steamed rice flour “muffins” topped with dried shrimp flakes) and banh loc(clear-looking, chewy tapioca dumplings filled with shrimp and pork and topped with fried shallots). I bypassed the array of crudités, salad greens, olives, cold cuts, cheeses, grilled vegetables and Danish pastries in favor of quail eggs, congee (rice porridge), fried rice, and tropical fruits. By this time, I’d developed quite a passion for passion fruit.  

Breakfast specialties of Hue

Dinners provided an opportunity to sample several additional specialties of Hue, including bun bo Hue(Hue-style beef noodle soup that differs markedly from pho) and banh khoai(crispy fried rice flour pancakes folded over a savory filling of bean sprouts, shrimp, pork and egg). 

Savory Hue pancakes

The most interesting meal I ate, however, was the lunch that was prepared by Buddhist nuns in the rustic kitchen of the Dieu Thanh pagoda. We had to observe complete silence during the meal. An even instructed us ahead of time to lift our chairs rather than dragging them noisily across the floor when we sat down at the table. Although the food was completely vegetarian and free of garlic (garlic is an aphrodisiac!), it was surprisingly varied and absolutely delicious. In fact, it was hard for me to suppress audible mmmmms as I tasted each new dish.

Lunch at the Buddhist nunnery

Afterwards, one of the younger nuns spoke with us (in excellent English) about her daily life and how she arrived at the decision to enter the nunnery. She told us that becoming a nun or monk was not necessarily a lifelong commitment, and that she could leave at any time. However, she appreciates the tranquility that the nunnery offers and has no intention of leaving anytime soon. 

The young nun who spoke with us 

On our last afternoon in Hue, our group stopped by the Minh Tu Orphanage, which has received support from the Grand Circle Foundation for several years. (OAT’s parent company is Grand Circle Travel. Included in the cost of every OAT trip is a contribution to the Grand Circle Foundation.) Minh Tu Orphanage is home to over 200 children and young adults. We toured the facilities and interacted with staff and children, many of whom were left at the orphanage’s doorstep as infants. Here, they receive loving care and access to educational opportunities in a safe and secure environment. 

Looking back, I see that we certainly packed a lot of different activities into our two days in Hue. 

Otherworldly Ha Long Bay

The sky was overcast on the day we arrived at Ha Long Bay after a 4-hour bus ride from Hanoi, but even the gray clouds couldn’t dim the stunning natural beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Nearly 2000 limestone karsts (a topographical feature formed by the dissolution of limestone over millions of years), covered by verdant rainforests, rise in ethereal majesty out of the jade green waters of the bay. The karsts range in size from tiny outcroppings to towering pillars and small islets. 

Ha Long Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Each day, it receives 10,000 visitors. However, only 200 boats are permitted to stay on the water overnight. Our OAT group eagerly boarded the Bien Ngoc 18, a wooden junk-rigged sailboat built in the antique style. We would be the sole passengers on the vessel for the next 20 hours. 

Our boat, the Bien Ngoc (Sea Pearl) 18

We clearly were not the only boat in the bay!

Up on deck 

We spent the afternoon cruising the bay, marveling at the constantly changing scenic views and taking endless photos. 

After lunch (a multi-course meal that included prawns with ginger and lime, and chicken with passion fruit sauce), we set out in a smaller boat for Sung Sot Cavern, the largest of Ha Long Bay’s grottoes. 

On the hollow islet where the cavern is located, we walked up 721 steps just to reach the cavern entrance. Once inside, we walked through a wonderland of stalagmites, stalactites and other dramatic rock formations. 

The entrance to the cavern up on the side of the karst

The stunning view when we reached the entrance to the cavern

Walking inside the cavern

Red light called attention to the phallic shaped rock formation on the left 

Later, in the afternoon, back on the Bien Ngoc 18, our boat’s chef gave us an impressive demonstration of his knife skills, turning humble vegetables into exquisite flowers and an intricate net. 

A thick carrot became a net that later garnished a dinner dish! 

Dinner was another excellent meal of Vietnamese specialties, highlighted by grilled oysters. The long afternoon hike had left me pleasantly tired and I was ready for bed as soon as I finished dinner. The boat’s cabins were surprisingly spacious and modern, and the beds quite comfortable. The waters in the bay were calm, and the gentle rocking of the boat quickly lulled me to sleep.

The next morning, hoping to see the sun rise over the water, I slipped out of bed early and went up on deck. A silvery haze had settled on the nearby boats and karsts. Although light was gathering in the sky, there was no sign of the sun. I spent a good half hour gazing out in all directions, enjoying the silence and the sensation of being unmoored – not only untethered from the land but disconnected from my own life. This is what I had sought when I planned this trip for the month of February. I needed to put distance between myself and my memories from three years ago. 

As I reflected in the dawn silence of Ha Long Bay, my thoughts inevitably returned to Elliott and the events of February 2016. The sorrow that will never leave my heart seemed transformed into an overflowing sense of gratitude – for the years we shared, for the family we created, and for the joie de vivre Elliott continues to inspire in me, especially here in this place of otherworldly beauty. 

Hanoi: A Closer Look

We got a much more expansive look at Hanoi once our OAT tour began. Under the guidance of our tour leader, An, our group of fourteen set out in cyclos (3-wheeled bicycle rickshaws) for a short ride through the Old Quarter. The streets were relatively quiet because many businesses were still closed for the Tet celebration. 

We then traveled by bus to what must be the number one stop for any government-sanctioned tour group: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex. I’d already seen Uncle Ho’s image on countless occasions in the short time I’d been in Hanoi. It was on red flags, red T-shirts, posters, billboards, on the wall in the hotel lobby – a not so subtle reminder that despite its seemingly thriving capitalist sector, Vietnam is still a Communist country. 

The HCM Mausoleum complex was crowded with local visitors when we arrived. The Soviet-style mausoleum structure, the long row of red flags, and the marching soldiers in their crisp white uniforms attest to Ho’s status as a symbol of the government. On most days, people queue for hours to get a view of his embalmed body, which is returned annually to Russia for maintenance (a face lift, perhaps?) by experts. From what An told us, Ho himself never wanted such adulation. In fact, prior to his death, he left instructions for his cremation. Fortunately for me, the mausoleum was closed on the day of our visit so I didn’t have to deliver a personal greeting to Uncle Ho. 

  

Instead, we strolled the grounds of the complex, and saw the sprawling Presidential Palace, which the French governors of Vietnam occupied for several decades, and the modest traditional “stilt” house where Ho lived from 1958 until his death in 1969. 

Presidential Palace

Ho Chi Minh's stilt house 

Another interesting feature on the grounds of the complex was the One Pillar Pagoda. This small, elegant structure, dating back to the 11^thcentury, rises from a single pillar set in the center of a square lotus pond. It’s a popular pilgrimage site for the mostly Buddhist populace. 

Visitors to the One Pillar Pagoda

One afternoon during our stay in Hanoi, An introduced us to Vietnamese water puppetry, an art form that developed in the rice paddies of the Red River delta over 1000 years ago. In this traditional form of entertainment, the “stage” is a pool of murky water. The puppets have articulated joints and are attached to mechanisms made of string and long metal or bamboo rods. They are manipulated by a hidden puppet master who sits in waist-deep water behind a decorated screen. 

We visited the home workshop of a well-known water puppet maker, who is carrying on a family tradition that goes back for seven generations. He showed us around his cluttered workshop and explained the month-long process of creating a wooden water puppet. Each puppet, which lasts only 3-4 months, is beautifully decorated and unique. Today, water puppets are popular collector’s items in Vietnam.

After we admired the puppets, we saw a performance in the puppet maker’s home theater. The characters in the drama included dragons and water buffaloes as well as figures from Vietnamese folktales. 

At the conclusion of the show, the puppet master came out from behind the backdrop.

In addition to enjoying the show, it was interesting to see the puppet maker’s four-level house, which was typical of the cramped quarters occupied by many Hanoi families. Each floor was a single room. There was a very small kitchen area on the ground level, then the workshop on the next floor, the small theater on the third floor, and finally, a single bedroom for his family of four on the top level. 

And simply walking to and from the water puppet maker’s home was an eye-opening experience. An led us through narrow, twisting alleys where we got a first-hand look at the crowded conditions under which many of Hanoi’s 7.5 million people live. Because of the warm weather, doors that open directly onto the alleys are usually kept open, affording the families very little privacy. We saw people stretched out on low platforms, watching television. Others were sitting down to their evening meal just a few feet away from where we walked. I couldn’t help feeling that I was invading their personal space. 

No privacy in the alleys

I firmly believe that the best way to get to know a new city is to walk, walk and walk. Of course, that wasn’t always easy because of the traffic in Hanoi, but under An’s able direction, the members of our group were quickly learning how to cross the streets safely. He instructed us to stay tightly packed together (like “sticky rice”) and to walk at a slow and steady pace (don’t panic and stop in mid-stream!). Sure enough, his technique seemed to work. My confidence grew daily and I’m amazed that I didn’t witness any pedestrian accidents during our stay. 

Although the urban frenzy of Hanoi was fascinating, I was eager to get a look at the countryside. We made a short trip outside the city to visit the village of Bat Trang, which is known for its ceramic work. In fact, artists from Bat Trang created the nearly 4-mile long colorful mosaic mural that adorns the wall of the Red River dyke system in the heart of Hanoi. This immense public art project was created to celebrate Hanoi’s 1000-year anniversary. It is a sight to behold! 

Bat Trang’s tradition of porcelain and pottery making dates back to the 14^thcentury. We visited a ceramics studio, watched a master ceramic artist at work, and even took a turn at a potter’s wheel. No one created a masterpiece, but we had a lot of fun getting our hands covered with cool, wet clay on a hot day. After we washed up, we toured the market area where the local artists display their wares. Now that I’m back home, I’m reminded of Vietnam when I drink my morning coffee from the mug I purchased in Bat Trang. 

A master ceramic artist 

Making a ceramic mural starts on the floor. 

Finally, I can’t end this post about Hanoi without mentioning the wonderful food. The multi-course restaurant meals we enjoyed there were excellent, and served as a great introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. Aside from being delicious, every dish was presented beautifully. We had spring rolls as a starter course on several occasions. 

Looking back at the menus, I recall some of the memorable dishes: fish rolls with dill, stir-fried duck with basil and herbs, braised eggplant with tofu, mustard greens with snapper soup, grilled fish with galangal and fermented rice, and sticky rice with mango and coconut cream. 

One night, since we were all eager to try some authentic Vietnamese street food, An led us through swarms of people near Hoan Kiem Lake to a modest storefront on a side street where he ordered a bowl of bun ca, fish noodle soup, for each of us. Crouched on low plastic stools at a tiny table, hemmed in by parked motor scooters, we slurped our delicious soup and got a good sense of Hanoi’s bright and bustling nightlife. I should mention that the fish noodle soup cost about the equivalent of $2.50. 

 

Hanoi at night

On our own time, Barbara and I took a cooking class at Apron Up, a restaurant and cooking school in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Our instructor, a young woman named Nhi, assured us that we’d be able to prepare a full meal, including pho bo(beef noodle soup), fried spring rolls, papaya salad, grilled pork meatballs, and egg coffee. 

Our lesson began with a visit to a nearby market street to shop for ingredients. Nhi told us that city dwellers go to the market twice a day to buy their food, for one meal at a time. As we walked along the market street, we noticed a woman selling eggs of different colors and sizes. According to Nhi, these fertilized eggs are prized for the crunch and texture of bones and feathers inside the shell. The four people in our class unanimously declined to try this delicacy and concentrated on selecting a variety of fresh herbs (shiso, Vietnamese cilantro, coriander, lemon mint, lemon grass), vegetables, noodles, and meat that we needed for our recipes. 

Back in the kitchen, we worked diligently under Nhi’s direction and learned how to make a short-cut phobroth, how to roll rice paper and filling into neatly packaged spring rolls, and how to turn jicama and green papaya into thin shreds. The aromas in the kitchen, from bubbling broth, toasting spices, chopped garlic and lemon grass, were intoxicating. 

Toasting spices for the broth

The little tool for shredding papaya and jicama

Chilis, lemon grass, garlic, ginger, shallots

The freshest herbs and greens 

Noodles and mushrooms 

Frying the spring rolls

Egg coffee

With a little help from some of the school’s kitchen assistants, we were able to sit down to a delicious feast in a little over three hours. I honestly think it was the best Vietnamese meal I’ve ever eaten. The egg coffee, which tasted like a combination of a rich custard and dark coffee, made a perfect dessert. I came home with a recipe booklet and now we’ll have to see if I can recreate the flavors of Vietnam at home.

Our feast!