Night-Train Experience & Hué

As mentioned before, we chose the night train for our first leg south and settled into a four-bunk compartment on the Vietnam Railway Company's train for the upcoming 688 kilometers and 14 hours to Hué. 

There certainly could have been more comfortable options for the journey to Hué, yet we opted for the train knowing that the Orient Express was not waiting for us here. A bit of adventure simply cannot be missing: once the bunks were allocated, it quickly became clear that the hardness of the mattresses was more akin to the base of a prefabricated house than that of a four-poster bed. Lying down, one could certainly feel the contours of the railway track very clearly.

While Mara seemed to adapt very quickly to the jolting and monotonous clattering of the train and fell into a deep 11-hour sleep, Nadi attempted to tire herself out by reading. In the meantime, I wandered like Hercule Poirot in his prime through all the train compartments in search of the dining car. In the end, all our activities resulted in us getting a few hours of more or less decent sleep. 

The railway line, by the way, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. This and the authentic travel experience make the trip worthwhile from our perspective. 

The central Vietnamese city of Hué was the splendid imperial residence of the Nguyễn dynasty between 1802 and 1945, and it hosts us tonight. The main attraction is the Imperial Citadel, which we also visited today. One can spend hours in the vast area - however, we opted for a shorter visit.

Since a Southeast Asia trip without a market visit isn't a real Southeast Asia trip, we then headed to the local Dong Ba Market. A huge market that must be a paradise for all bargain hunters. The street food section was more my domain. Delicacies steamed in banana leaves, skewered chicken and pork, spring rolls and soups; the selection was enormous. 

To wrap things up, we briefly strolled through the fresh meat section. It's quite crazy to see how meat and offal are processed and stored at high temperatures here so routinely, while a German hygiene inspector would have a fit over an expired yogurt cup. 

Before we finally retire to rest in the lovely little Hué Riverside Villa Hotel, we will enjoy the evening in the Walking Street one more time.

Tomorrow we continue to Hoi An.

Bye Bye :-)