Last Night in Hue

We depart for Hanoi tomorrow night, but have had a wonderful stay in Hue. I'm so glad we had a bit of free time built in to this visit. Our friends at the university here have been very warm and incredibly generous hosts - in fact, we've hardly been left alone for a moment. We spent yesterday making a field visit in the morning to one of the local fishing villages here, and then in the afternoon were taken sightseeing to an area south of the city which is littered with the tombs of Vietnamese emperors. We toured two tomb complexes, both incredibly interesting. Coupled with the sights of the Citadel (which we will visit tomorrow), it is no wonder that Hue has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There's some amazing history here, and quite a romantic atmosphere as well.

We spent this morning meeting with our other partners here in the city, and then touring their learning site, which was further outside of town than we went yesterday. In addition to visiting two fishing villages on the lagoon there, we also went out in a traditional (and very rickety) wooden fishing boat - lovely to be out on the water for a bit, if only to get a break from the oppressive heat!

We've just come in now from a fantastic dinner, hosted by our friends here at the science university. As is usual, there was a procession of about 8 different courses, all of which were delicious and beautifully presented (I felt like a fool, snapping pics of the food - but really, it had to be documented).

Tomorrow is our last day in the city. We will have another university meeting in the afternoon, and then will be taken sightseeing and shopping in the afternoon. A great end to a very nice stay here in Hue - which I much prefer to Hanoi.