Hue remains the same

We sadly left Hoi An for Hue, located on the coast in central Vietnam.  The bus ride took a few hours, and it was through mountains, so there were amazing views.  The roads weren't always paved very well; I could imagine Jacob motorbiking the same road when we went from Hue to Hoi An.  I am so glad he didn't tell me until it was over!  We arrived and took a walking tour, and after a rest, had dinner in someone's home, which was really charming.  

Today we went on a "dragon boat" on the Perfume River, visited a couple of tombs of Emperors, watched incense being made by hand, and had a delicious vegetarian lunch in a monastery prepared by nuns.

The most fascinating part of yesterday was an hour long pedi cab trip through the narrow streets of Hue.  People live in tiny shacks, and many of them sell things in the front of their little home.  I could peer into their homes, and see that they have little or no furniture (many of them sit on the ground), some people cook on the street, but every home has a small altar to pray for their ancestors, and they all burn incense as a way of honoring those who have come before them.  They have great reverence for their families.  

Most Americans will never be able to take a trip like this, which is a real shame, because seeing the way that people live here, with barely any posessions, is a real humbling experience.  For some reason, I just want to walk the streets and see what their lives are like; I feel a little like I am embarking on their privacy, but it is so foreign to anything I have ever seen before.  They were born here, their children (and there are many) are born here, and they will most likely never experience anything outside of Hue, because they are so poor.  

This is a typical house; the woman below is bathing and washing clothes.

Below is a nun who prepared our vegetarian lunch.