Hue

Saturday Xmas Day: We took the overnight train from Hanoi down to Hue. Left Hanoi at 11pm on the dot, and arrived in Hue at about 11am. Much quieter and more manageable traffic in Hue.
We went for a tour of the Royal Palace and forbidden city. Most of it was destroyed either in the French War or the American War, but it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and is being restored. The plan is to complete restoration in 2020, but they have a long way to go. It is a huge site with many beautiful buildings, and there is a problem with termites also.
Phuong offered to take us to an optician, so I bit the bullet and took the opportunity to get some reading glasses. My eyesight has been perfect until a year ago, but these things creep up on you when you are old enough to remember the Vietnam War, well the 1975 bit.
We all went for dinner to a Royal banquet, a themed restaurant. A terrific traditional music group. The one stringed guitar was particularly impressive.
Sunday Boxing Day: Motorbikes were waiting to take us on a tour. We set off into the traffic, Hue thank goodness, not Hanoi. We all had a driver each, and it was great fun negotiating the traffic to the boat ramp. We took the boat up the Perfume River to the Pagoda. Monks were praying when we got there, including tiny children. The boat returned us to a gap in the jungle and we jump on the motorbikes again and went on a tour.