Second attempt

So,

I finally found an Internet connection that works. You know that last post, well I laboured over that for hours. Choose each word carefully, and then what? bang....didn't work. All I got was a title! There was so much more! And then I find that half the places in Hue block blogger. Well I can understand that, as my words are rather seditious and I have got this sense that the Vietnamese people are really getting into the blog. I mean Louise Cook is a very common Vietnamese name, like Nguyen and Le Loi. Except they were emperors.

Anyway,

We just returned from a rather long bus trip to the demilitarised zone, which was the boarder that separated north and south Vietnam. Strangely enough this was actually a really violent area, despite the name. There is very little left there now, as the combined efforts of the US blowing up their bases as they deserted them and the scavenging of the Vietnamese have totally engulfed any remnants of the war. However it was the sight of many of the huge battles of the American war, notably Khe Sann.

Other than that, we have been going around Hue looking at all sorts of old temples and palaces. During the French days Hue was the capital of Vietnam although, as with so many sites in Vietnam, endless wars have weathered these once great sites. It's actually really sad, with amazing temples being levelled in a stupid bunch of wars. However, the Grand Palace still sort of stands, and we sat in the building that the emperor used to use to watch military processions making us feel very regal.

On a lighter note we had an amazing dinner last night. In the Hue Royal style (that's right, this was the way the emperors demanded food be served!) we enjoyed a 6 course banquet. The first dish was Hue spring roles on formed peacock. Now I though this sentence was just one of the many victims of poor translation. But no...our yummy spring rolls (which as an aside are really popular and wholesome here, none of that deep fired crap) were mounted on a mock peacock, made out of pineapple and carrot! From now on I will not eat any meal that is not mounted on some sort of mock animal: pizza on mock dog, pasta on mock bat...the possibilities are endless!

Actually, since my last post I haven't mention Hoi An. Now Simon and Bob really talked this place up, and it was good. Perhaps not as good as they said, but lots of fun. The architecture is amazing; big old buildings, looking like a rundown Paris (well what I imagine Paris to look like). Hoi An is also the home of tailors, so I got a suit and some shirts made up, all of which I'm very happy with. We also had the pleasure of watching Vietnam draw with Indonesia in a bar full of Vietnamese men going mental (well as mental as the Vietnamese go!). The ASEAN cup is on at the moment, and due to the very low skill level in the league Vietnam are doing pretty well. Tell you what, it is nothing but soccer, soccer, soccer over here. Or is that football...

Anyways, we're heading to Hanoi tomorrow. That is the capital of Vietnam and is apparently very cool. All that stands in our way is a romantic boat trip down the perfume river (so named because a nice smelling princess committed suicide by jumping into the river) and a 12 hour bus trip. The train was booked, but they convince me it's "fine, very comfortable, no worries, new bus, great sleep"....