Hue (Way)

I'm sure that no one is going to understand this and I am not even sure that I understand it. I AM HOMESICK! Yes...ME! Believe it....

It's difficult for me to understand my emotions right now because I normally try to be such a strong person and keep myself under control, but homesick is the only way I can describe how i felt this morning. I was sad and feeling sorry for myself for being lonely. I spend 99% of my time without close friends and family around. Why now? The only explanation I can think of is that I am really alone here. No one really speaks my language. I have not yet met another American. I feel out of place with the locals (although they have been nothing but overly friendly) and I feel out of place with the other travelers (mostly because they are so well traveled and I'm not).

I guess taking this trip alone wasn't the best possible solution for me. I'm not scared nor have I felt intimidated any any of the places that I've been. I just cant stop thinking about being able to share everything that I've seen and done with someone else and it would be so wonderful to have someone beside me to share in all the new experiences. So...who wants to take the next trip with me?? There will be another and hopefully sooner than later. And...if I have to go alone, I will!

I guess if I've learned nothing else during this trip, I have learned what it is to truly be alone....

After I was finished feeling sorry for myself and pulled myself together, I visited the Citidal. All I can say is that it is amazing. It's certainly something that you must see. enjoyed a liesurly morning walk through the maze of palaces and pagoda's. It is truly beautiful. I can only imagine what it was like in it's day of splendor.

The remainder of my day was spent (yes again) on a moto-bike tour of some of the sites surrounding Hue. At least there wasn't any rain and the sky was mostly overcast so the sun wasn't too intense.

We visited a small Japanese Bridge that was donated to the people of this little village on the outskirts of Hue. It was as beautiful as the one viewed in Hoi An, only made more special due to it's location. The bridge is placed in the middle of a huge rice field between what looks to be two small villages. My guide was telling me that some rich emperors wife donated the bridge and it's still used today as it was when it was first constructed. The villagers don't have to walk across the mucky waters anymore and they also use the bridge as a shelter from the mid-day sun while working in the rice fields. It's not uncommon to find the workers napping here during the heat of the day.

We visited two separate pagoda's that were much like all the other pagoda's I've seen. Then we visited the 'tomb' of one of the emperors. This was an amazing complex of buildings, with a moated river flowing through it. I'm not sure how many acres of land the site encompasses but it's quite a large area. There is a theater, a complex (mostly debris) where the Emperor's concubines were housed, And very ornate staircases, statues, and tomb entrances for the Emperor and his wives. It is reported that the Emperor had no children of his own and I was surprised to see a tomb for his step-son!! Who would have thought that they recognized step-children way back then....wonder if he was red-headed?

Overall, it was a full day of walking around and exploring the local historical sites. I should really have read up on the history of Vietnam prior to coming here. I know that there was some Moroccan invasion near the time of the French war and wonder if these Emperor's were of Moroccan influence (they look more Chinese influenced than Vietnamese). Something to investigate....

Life is good....