Day 44- Cruising on a Motorbike

We started our day with a 4 hour train ride from Hoi An (which was definitely my favourite place in Vietnam so far) to Hue.

Arriving in Hue we opted to take a motorbike tour of the city. Because I can’t actually ride a bike I got a driver.

Our first stop was at a rice museum where we learnt all about how to grow, harvest and prepare rice. We also looked at a historic bridge called Thành Toan Bridge which was built in 1776 by a rich woman. The bridge was built both as a seating area and to facilitate crossing the river.

Our second visit was to see the statue dedicated to Emperor Quang Trung. It is a 21m high marble statue made out of 18 slabs weighing between 10-60 tonnes each. Emperor Quang Trung is a national hero because he united south and north Vietnam reigning between 1788 and 1793.

The third stop was to a pretty viewing point at the top of Vong Canh Hill looking over the Huong River. It was stunning! I am so spoilt with the beautiful views I am witnessing. This hill was used by the Americans during the war and the bunkers are still in great condition.

The fourth stop was at a little shop where we were showed how to make incense. We even had a go ourselves!

The fifth stop was to the old colosseum. It was built in 1830 with the last fight taking place in 1905. The colosseum was used to display fights between tigers and elephants. The tigers were made weaker by having their claws cut and riled up beforehand to ensure the elephant always won. Which is obviously barbaric. The colosseum was only for the very wealthy friends of the royal family. Now in Vietnam there are no wild tigers as they have all been hunted and only elephants in captivity.

Our last stop was the Pagoda. This is a Buddhist temple. It is still in active use and is absolutely stunning.

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