Hue & Bach Ma

Sorry for the long break from our last post...we were enjoying ourselves in northern Vietnam and got quite a bit behind. Actually we're in Malaysia right now...more on that later. I'll put up some pictures in this post from the city of Hue, and also from Bach Ma national park south of Hue.

Hue is the former capital of Vietnam, up until 1945 or 54 I forget. There is still a huge royal palace grounds surrounded by a walled citadel. The city was great for walking tours, and the people were really friendly. We were even adopted by a local couple who showed us some local restaurants and invited us to visit their home and meet their children. Bach Ma was great for hiking, although most of the park was not accessible due to landslides. No one seems to want to go hiking, cause its really freakin HOT, so we were quite alone on our hike.

The Imperial Palace inside the citadel in Hue

The Imperial Library with manicured gardens

Local cuisine in Hue - self made fresh spring rolls with shrimp, figs, cucumbers, greens and peanut sauce

One of the potted bonsai trees at the Thien Mu Pagoda

Thien Mu Pagoda, which was the home temple of the monk who infamously burned himself in Saigon to protest government policies

Our Vietnamese friends in Hue

Jungle trekking in Bach Ma national park

A rewarding finish to our hike, a cool waterfall and swimming pool

Lush jungle lined path, notice the 20 ft tall tree ferns!

Butterflies were plentiful along our hike

The view from about 1/2 way up to the waterfall