Off to the north

I just had a great day exploring Hue. I took a day tour around the area which included the nearby tombs. The tombs were built in the 19th and 20th century by the nyguyen dynasty. The emperor would pick the site and then use it as a place for recreation during his life. The places were beautiful- large lakes, pine trees. Amazing. My favorite of the emperors had 104 wives but no children. What do you want to bet he still blamed them?

I checked out the citadel. It apparently looked better before American bombing. Oops. I got to feed an elephant there. In exchange the elephant got mud all over my shirt, which I will be wearing on another night bus today. Going to be looking awesome by tomorrow. Someone actually called me sir yesterday. I was pretty pumped about that. Generally, people are calling me Madame. I really love that. I feel like I should be wearing red velvet and running a brothel.

Tonight I'm taking an overnight bus to Hanoi and then immediately joining a trip out to halong bay. I'll be staying overnight in halong bay on a boat in the bay. So excited.

Then I will be returning to Hanoi and immediately taking a night train up to sapa in the very north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. I've met so many people who have said that Sapa was the highlight for them in Vietnam, so I am really excited to be going. There are hill tribes and it will be a nice break from the oppressive heat. I'll stay in Sapa on night and then take an overnight train back to Hanoi. That will get me back to Hanoi in the early morning of the 13th. I'll have the day to explore there until I fly to Laos the evening of the 13th. I will certainly be paying pickled ho chi Minh a visit.

I will probably radio silent until the 13th, so no need to worry. I'll update when I can.