Forbidden City vs. Abandoned Water Park

In Hue, which was Vietnam's capital from 1802 to 1945, there is a lot to see.

On my first day, I spent a whopping four hours exploring the old 'Forbidden City'. However, because it was scorching hot, I found myself taking breaks in the shade every 15 minutes.

There are also many ancient imperial tombs around Hue. So on the second day, I rented a scooter and visited the tombs of Minh Mang and Khai Dinh.

But my main goal was an abandoned water park near Hue. It was built several years ago for a lot of money, but the guests never came. Now the area is left to itself and is gradually becoming overgrown. Officially, you are not allowed to enter the premises, but for a small bribe of 10,000 Dong (as I had read), the guard would probably turn a blind eye.

But I was wrong! The entrance was locked and I was kindly, but quite clearly, turned away. But I wasn't ready to give up so easily, so I tried to make my way through the adjacent forest to the park. After an hour, sweaty and angry, I finally gave up.

On my way back, I met an older local (I forgot his name) who asked me where I wanted to go. That was my lucky break because he knew a secret path into the park! So the day was saved (for now)!

We drove into the park together, and he showed me everything. It was pretty cool, and I was glad that there are still nice people in the world! Afterward, he invited me for a coffee and we talked for a long time. When I said goodbye, he asked me, as it turned out, for money. So his help wasn't as kind and selfless as it seemed!

Since I hadn't eaten breakfast that day, I tried to find something vegetarian to eat on the way back, but no luck! Then, when I was in the middle of an intersection, I ran out of gas! (The fuel gauge was broken, and the rental agent assured me that there was definitely enough gas for the day.) So I pushed the scooter to the side of the road and tried to find a gas station. Time was running out because I had booked a bus an hour later... To top it all off, a dog attacked me along the way! Luckily, it only grabbed my pants...