We woke around 7:30 just to be sure we were ready for our arrival to Hue. We actually arrived closer to 8:30. We got off the train and found a bus waiting for us to take us to the hotel. At the hotel we had about an hour to clean up before meeting back with the group.
First order of business in Hue was a tour of the Imperial City. Hue used to be the capitol city of Vietnam so we went into the old city to look at the old palace. It was beautiful and some of the architecture reminded me of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. After wandering around there, next was our motorbike tour. We were each paired with a driver, hopped on our motorbikes and were off through the countryside of Hue. It was exhilarating and a lot of fun. I had one strange mishap though; my watch fell off. I tapped my driver on the shoulder to let him know and he turned around so we could go get it. One of the other pairs saw it fall and picked it up and they gave it to me which was nice. Luckily the only damage it sustained was a few gouges on the arm but nothing too serious! We continued riding and went to a temple. We were served a 4 course vegetarian meal that was pretty delicious! After the temple, we stopped at a small market selling souvenirs and a few people tried rolling incense.
On our bikes again we drove further out and had a nice view on a big hill overlooking the Perfume River. We also drove through a cemetery. Finally our ride ended at another temple. There famous monk known for setting himself on fire,Thích Quảng Đức, was from Hue and so at this temple they had his car.
After the temple, we rode a "dragon boat" a pontoon kind of boat with dragons carved on the front, on the Perfume River for a little. It wasn't really anything special and the people on the boat tried to sell us souvenirs. After the boat ride our bikers drove us back to the hotel. We had some more time to clean up before meeting and going to dinner. The dinner was held at a Vietnamese family's restaurant, so a nice home cooked meal.
When we arrived, they had us try some kind of leaf to chew. It had a very bitter taste and it made your mouth turn pink! Dinner was another 5 course meal, and it was pretty good. After dinner some of us went to a bar to celebrate New Years Eve. I was able to talk more with Ryan and Katie, the couple from Canada and I really connected with them. They are the same age me. It was fun because just before midnight the staff in the bar gave sparklers to everyone and we all waved them around at midnight.
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