Right after we reached the exit, my friends were swarmed by so many people. Soon, I found out that they were all cab drivers. We got a cab for USD4 each. We thought it was a good price until we found out that the hotel we chose was like 5 minutes' ride away. The night before, my friend has searched on the place to stay, and she found River View Hotel.
The rate of the room was initially USD25, and we asked for a discount. We got it for USD22 a room. Converting USD to RM is heartbreaking. We also learnt that if you want a cheaper rate, just ask them straight - Discount please. While waiting for my friends to inspect the hotel, we got served orange juice. By the way, each hotel I stepped in seems to have free wifi. How awesome is that!
Because it was named River View Hotel, I went to the balcony to check if I could see the view of the river. It turns out one can only see the view from the rooftop. So, we decided to check that out at night.
After checking in, we went for a walk, headed towards the Imperial City. According to the hotel staff, it was about a 10 minutes' walk. Well, there was a package to visit some other places in Hue, but since we got there mid-day, and also the price in USD, we decided to give it a pass and walk instead.
There were lots of flowers for sale. We thought it was because of Women's Day on 08.03.2013, but my friend told me it is probably because there are lots of Christians in Vietnam and flowers are used during prayers.
We walked along the river, and there was a lady selling her boat services. So, we agreed to USD5 to rent the boat. Well, one can walk on that bridge too but it is nice to try something new. It was a 7-minute boat ride across the river.
Souvenirs for sale in the boat.
We continued our walk to the Imperial City. Walked across the bridge and entered the 2km x 2km Imperial City. The Imperial City is actually a walled fortress with a palace inside. It is also a World Cultural Heritage. The ticket to enter costs VND80,000 (USD4 / RM12).
As soon as I entered, I was very surprised at the space inside. It is so large. However, my friends were not surprised, because they said this place pales in comparison to the Forbidden Palace in Beijing. They strongly recommend me to visit the Forbidden Palace. Well, I will one day. For now, the Imperial City suits me well. It has its own characteristics. Looks dark and sad.
One can rent the traditional clothings and have their photos taken.
The view of the entire Imperial City from a bird's view.
After an hour walking around, we were on our way back. We walked along the long path back. I love the trees. Somehow, there seems to be a lot of trees everywhere.
This is not the exit of the Imperial City yet. I figure this is just the exit of the Palace.
There were lots of rickshaws waiting for any tourists who were too tired after the walk around the Palace.
Initially, I thought we were out from the Imperial City, because I saw stalls selling food, and rickshaws waiting outside. I totally forgot about crossing the bridge. We were hungry, and saw a stall selling food. We have no idea what it was, and so we walked inside, and looked at a group of men's food. He said - ham, and pointed to his head. Conclusion - pig's head. Interesting food we tried.
I think it was half a head. If my memory does not fail me, this costs VND60,000 (USD3 / RM9).
This is the soup where the piggy head is cooked in. It was really tasty.
We kept walking, and I finally realised I was exiting the Imperial City when I saw the bridge.
Next post - time for dinner
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