Knsas our driver looked around fifteen, but he could drive, see over the windscreen and spoke very good English. It was great to be going out of town and seeing some of the countryside.
Our obligatory shopping stop, no doubt a family member, a shop where they make incense sticks. I bought some with lemongrass, and now my whole suitcase smells of it, wonderful. Can't wait to light one when we get back.
Okay it wasn't rolled on the thigh of a dusky maiden, and it did look more like a kebab than an incense stick when I had finished, but I tried.
Our first proper stop was the Thien Mu Pagoda, just out of Hue. Built in about 1824 it sits overlooking the Perfume River and was pretty impressive. In the past it, has been a centre of any protests against the government, although I didn't see any bullet holes anywhere!
From there is was on to see three vastly different royal tombs. It was lovely driving through small villages, down narrow lanes and past little farms.
Tomb of Tu Duc. This was built at huge expense by the emperor himself, and its cost was nearly his downfall. It caused a coup, luckily for him it was suppressed. He lived a life of imperial luxury and Carmel excess, it says in the blurb, but could not sire one child from his 104 wives. He probably wore it out!
Beautifully lacquered interior of wooden building.
You see these trees ever there. They are new year trees, stripped of leaves and decorated. We have also seen lots of people lighting little fires and burning brightly coloured papers. This is to honour family members who have passed away in the previous year or so.
The second tomb could not have been more different. This emperor was partly educated in France and came back with all sorts of ideas. Again excessive and disliked due to his excess, he decided to build a medieval castle as his tomb. The guy was psychotic.
And now for the inside. This guy really felt good about himself, but when you are an emperor, I suppose you can.
Here he is in his full glory, Emperor Khai Dinh. The whole interior a riot of gold, colour, ceramics and opulence. Completely over the top. But the workmanship quite beautiful. Unfortunately you couldn't go into the tomb part of the building. These were only the outer rooms.
Having coffee with our guide and a Dutch couple before seeing the third site.
Now this one was completely different. Right by the river, it was a serene and peaceful site. Emperor Minh Mang, loved the river and forest and you could sense it here. He designed it himself, but unfortunately died before completion. His son finished it off around him. As an emperor he was well loved and ruled well, supposedly.
The emperor is buried in an underground chamber across this bridge. He was taken across by an underground tunnel, which was filled in and moat flooded around him. You can walk across to the island but the mausoleum structure is closed as it is unsafe.
So a brilliant day had and lovely to see some countryside and culture.
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