Hue...Away in Hue

After another way too early bus ride (like a 4am departure....), I arrived in Hue.  Hue:  home to palaces and pagodas, tombs and temples, culture and cuisine, history and heartbreak, this World Heritage Site has it all.  It is the capital city of the Nguyen emperors who united Vietnam in 1802 and abdicated to the French in 1956.   Their Imperial City (The Citadel) is in Hue and a bit out of town their Royal Tombs reside.

Why Hue?  Story goes the first Nguyen emperor didn't want to be in the south (too hot) and didn't want to be too far north (think keep a distance from China) so he picked Hue.

The area covered by the Citadel is enormous and features multiple interior areas:  the Supreme Harmony Palace, Temples for Worship, Residences for the Mother & Grandmother of the Emperor, Internal Affairs, Gardens, and the Purple City.  The Emperor and his family (and concubines) lived in the Purple City.

The Citadel has seen some hard times:  a few wars can wreck havoc!  So this area is a mish mash of ruins, fields, and totally restored sites.  Restoration is ongoing.  Signage was sort of haphazard.  It was rainy.

BUT...it was amazing.

And finally lunch:  a Hue speciality.  Hanh Khoai, a fried pancake with sprouts, egg, shrimp, pork (not on my version) served with lettuce, cucumber, fig and peanut sauce.  Small bits of each go in the empty bowl.  And Coffee!
A whole meal for $2.00