My first mountain pass... rewarded by the best food ever!

Being a tourist in Hue was enjoyable. The first day was spent generally wondering around the city, taking in the largest citadel I have ever been to and all the crazy Vietnamese ways that continue throughout the country. We feasted on Western food after a week of pho and com which as a result made me lose two inches off my waistline, which has been commented on by a number of worried individuals! Don't worry - I am feasting as much as I possibly can and I think by now I have made up for it after the curries, pasta, pizza, cakes and goodies I have eaten that such tourist towns provide. We took an organised tour in Hue - something we both would rather not do as we both dislike being in a group of foreigners being ushered and rushed around the sites, whilst also being ripped off for all the extra costs that are not in the tour fee. But, it was nice to have someone else do the thinking for us and we got to see some great sites that we may not have otherwise. 

I loved the Thien Mu Pagoda and its surrounding gardens (above). It was so peaceful and green and everything is focused on being central and symmetrical - a design I love. 

We also visited the tombs of ancient Emperor Minh Mang, who had hundreds of children who never had the same mother (nice guy) and whose body is buried somewhere in the tomb but no one knows where exactly. This tomb had what seems to be traditional yellow washed walls and red finishings with Chinese symbols (Vietnam was ruled by China for a thousand years). We also visited Emperor Khai Dinh's tomb which was totally different; black and Gothic like set high up on a mountain with contrasting colourful intricate designs on the inside which reminded me of the marble designs on the Taj Mahal. Khai Dinh only fathered one child and as a result was deemed gay - how nice of the local people to make such a judgement.

On we cycled and we took a road out of Hue that for the first time was not Highway 1. Instead it was parallel to it and ran on a long narrow piece of land that was split from the mainland by a bay, so we cycled with white sandy beaches on our left and a fishing bay on our right. It was great to get away from the trucks and the horns. Fortunately it rained the whole day, so there was no risk of being tempted by the beaches! Back on the mainland we suddenly reached a road that split in two. One went through a tunnel and the other went up over the mountain. Bikes and scooters cannot go through the tunnel. Why is it that the smallest types of vehicles cannot take the flat and quick route and the most powerful can? So up we climbed the mountain road which kindly and continuously reminded us that it was an 8% gradient, which lasted 7 miles in 40°C. Sweat springs to mind. Clean, AC tourist buses passed us one after the other, filled with pale faced individuals with their noses stuck to the window trying to take in the views. It was amusing to see them do a double take of us as the bus struggled past up the steep road. Some passengers perhaps thinking 'Why?' and others perhaps thinking 'Good for you'. Hopefully more thought the latter. It was worth being forced to take this road for the view and the challenge, and of course coming back down the other side where I reached the maximum speed Sally and I have ever done at 37 mph. It's funny that the guys that make my trailer recommend a max speed of 18 mph - whoops!

Mountains in the distance.

The view from not even half way up the mountain.

Struggling up the mountain pass with a tourist bus in the background.

Now in Hoi An, which is probably smack bang in the middle of Vietnam - length ways. Staying in the most expensive hotel so far but the town is generally a classy up-market place. The Old Town is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites along the river. It is a charming area with narrow streets that are shut off to the traffic (hooray!) and with Hoi An being Vietnam's tailoring centre, the streets are lined with cafes, restaurants and tailors, each having a speciality. Argh! It's so frustrating not being able to buy anything! I've seen beautiful ballgowns in hundreds of elegant styles, colours and material, cute cotton dresses, tailored suits for men and women, tailored dresses, trousers, skirts, handbags, shoes including boots, sandals, high-top trainers and high heels. Everything you could imagine, they can make for you. If you present them with a design (even a picture to copy) and pick the material, they will make it for you. I need to come back here with an empty suitcase one day!

On the other side of the river looking back at the edge of Hoi An Old Town.

Getting lost in this crazy cramped market selling everything - despite the rain.

The most exciting thing about Hoi An was my meal that I had the night we arrived. After trying to find a restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet and failing, hunger took over and I chose a random restaurant in one of the little streets called Morning Glory. Firstly, the seats had cushions! A first in Vietnam. Perhaps it is only because I have a sore bottom 90% of the time that I have noticed this! I had read about a local speciality of Hoi An called Banh Xeo so I ordered this to start. It is a small savoury rice flour pancake, flavoured with tumeric. Inside there are prawns, pork and bean sprouts and it comes with peanut sauce, herbs, star fruit and green banana. After a demonstration by the waiter of how to eat it, I wasn't sure how it would taste with all these different things going on. OH MY GOODNESS! I felt as thought my taste buds had been zapped by a defibrillator and they were dancing around in my mouth, having a party with each other. It was amazing. I tried a slice of the star fruit on it's own and it was like eating Haribo, only ten times better. I just couldn't believe how happy it made me feel! For my main, I chose marinated prawns in coconut juice. Thinking that perhaps this won't be quite as tasty as my starter, I was pleasantly surprised that my dish arrived inside an actual coconut with a lid and all and I couldn't have been more wrong. As I dished it up over the rice on my plate I could smell coconut, herbs and spices of some nondescript kind, tomatoes, onions and garlic. My mouth was watering just smelling it and my taste buds were begging to be stimulated again. And wow, were they. I have never tasted prawns like this, it was as though they had been injected with flavour. Do I sound like Nigella? I can see why she's so descriptive about good food! And of course, my dessert of mung bean filled, chocolate covered profiteroles was surely not going to be as nice as the cream filled ones at home - WRONG! I need to find out more about mung bean, whatever it is - it is better than cream! Yuuuuuuuum! I was in a happy place and so excited I had to call James and tell him all about it! I am getting hungry now and it is nearing my dinner time. Perhaps I can persuade Kris to go back there tonight. :)