Aug 28, 29- Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An

Hue used to be Vietnam's capital, and is extremely rich in history. We spent yesterday sightseeing various pagodas and tombs of the 13 emperors that ruled during feudalism in Vietnam. My favorite site was the tomb of Khai Dinh, which was a mixture of Vietnamese and French architecture and decor. We also took a boat trip down Perfume River, and could see a distinct difference between both sides of the river. One side was full of hotels and tourist attractions, while the other side was visibly much poorer with the extremely poor living in boats on the river.

I love the markets of Vietnam, which have everything imaginable for sale. One of the shop owners loved my sunglasses (actually my mom's from 1974), and wouldn't let me leave without taking a picture of her.

We left this morning for Da Nang, which is a beautiful town surrounding China Beach. We drove up a mountain where the views of untouched beaches and small towns were spectacular. It reminded me a little of Positano. This is one of my favorite cities in Vietnam so far, maybe even the world. The first site we visited was the Cham Museum, which is dedicated to the Cham Dynasty that ruled central Vietnam during the 2nd-10th century. The main religion of this dynasty was actually Hinduism, portrayed by the numerous Hindu gods and goddesses we saw at the museum. The mix between Hindu and Vietnamese culture is amazing, with a statue of Shiva right next to that of a Vietnamese dragon, across from Lady Buddha. Vietnam took over the Cham Dynasty, but there are still a few Cham people living in south Vietnam, and they resemble Indonesians.

After lunch me and Nihal climbed Marble mountain, which was more than a 300 step steep hike. I was tired and drenched after 150 steps, but somehow Nihal and our tour guide Phu tricked me into believing there was a cave somewhere, and another 150 steps later we were at the top of the mountain! But it was worth it, the view from the top was unbelievable. One side was China Beach, and the other side was the city surrounded by mountains. Simply amazing. I've already lost so much weight on this trip that the only thing keeping my shorts up is the fact that I'm always sweating and they are able to stick to me and stay put.

Following Marble Mountain we drove another 30 km to Hoi An, which is known for its ancient city. The ancient city lies alongside the river, and no cars are allowed inside. It kind of reminds me of Venice/Amsterdam meets Asia. Everything is so peaceful, with traditional folk music playing in the background, cute little cafes, shops lining the street, and people just strolling through the streets. It's very touristy, but I thought it was beautiful.

I'm going to stretch and go to sleep, I have a feeling I won't be able to walk tomorrow :/