[monumentum]

Another wk, another update. good progress. got back the youtube a/c. (: like finally.
quit the self-indulgent facebook - an achievement.
still stuck with inertia. but at least over & done with lethargy. & the gingerbread dog is still waiting.
Day #25: In Hue. (24-May-2010)
this is perhaps the more appropriate way to start the day - snuggly bear blanket. no actually is was because both sides of the blanket had diff patterns..dat's y these photos. & because it was a cosy blanket too.

That's no camera effect. Real morning mist & glaringly white sky. Had woken up at about 4am+ Vietnam time to the sound of waves.. Awesome start.
Just so I could catch the "sunrise" which I'd ltr notice to be non-existent..

(Above) Who said things don't have outlines in reality? ;D
Misty morning, yes. & freezing too. Didn't help to bathe without heater at 5am.

Ok yupp, so there was completely (or so?) no sun. Just these waves & the little fishing boats far out at sea. Wasn't disappointing.

Huge waves. Scary? But once again it's a sight to live for.

This is my method of self-indulgence. Facebook cannot be compared. Spam-snapping has an alternative subject matter, & a much better one.
Nature camwhoring.

The nice family today brought out their photo album to show me.. I'd never do that for strangers. But oh well. So much for being conservative.
Or maybe, 'reserved' is more apt a word.
Nonetheless, glad to know such friendly people still exist in the world of today.
The mother intro-ed an Ancient Citadel nearby, with directions given. Sweet.
Breakfast was brief. Because the morning in a village by the sea was more than just food.
Yea, & I'm used to farewells too.

Immerse a little in the daily life of the fishing people.

Goodbye to the room where I'd spent the night. & back on the road.
Vietnam is all about colors...

Check out the abacus structure!

This was the ancient citadel at Quang Tri, which the family introduced. Good to have found it, but it really took some asking around..
Yes the place was in ruins. I mean, yea, it's ancient. & some part really appeared to be spooky too. Not really your so-called "tourist attraction" sort.

But of course the best part of it was that it featured ENGLISH descriptions. o.o!

Look. There go those mannequins again. Like forever.. These historical sites are... Hmmm...

Not sure abt statues like these too.. Even now while typing I get the feeling of being spooked.

(Below) Resembles something that Twinsen would encounter on his adventure... Dome of the Slate or stuff of such.Nice lighting though.
& perhaps I should start commenting more abt the 'historical' aspect of the place for the sake of education purpose.
Anyway the gist of the museum was, how the locals actually fought to preserve this citadel during the Vietnam War.
But obviously from the above pictures it's clear that not much of it still remains today.

One of the bad days when there was a downpour.
(Below) While waiting for the rain to stop/lighten (is that how to describe rain?) I admired a display vase in front of the museum. Don't say LOL. It's called ART appreciation.

Hah, ok. No the rain didn't completely stop & speeding along in the rain was.. Traumatic. Freezing. Not just due to being drenched head to toe, but the wind was another thing. Damn lucky the road wasnt congested save for the occasional bikes, else would've gotten into an awesome collision with God-knows-what. A lorry?

Anw, vehicles speeding by & splashing puddles of muddy (& maybe cow dung) water onto the feet wasn't that bad. Yes disgusting, but surprisingly, the water was warm. So it kinda warmed up the soaked freezing feet for awhile.
Then, insurance wld hv to kick in, but no, I didn't get any.

A sumptuous lunch to make up for the harrowing trip. ): they didnt thank me for dripping water all over the shop. These are called fritters of sort.
Not a big fan of food, & forgot what they're actually called. But when it comes to food, always rely on pointing at the menu with the tool called 'fingers'.
Nothing can be more reliable.

Then, here comes, the main attraction of Hue - Dai Noi (that's Hue Citadel), smacked right in the middle of the city.

The interior of the citadel, though I've gotta randomly comment that the ticketing system of this place was quite a screw up.

(Above) Romantic avenue, straight out of an MTV. (:

These were a tier higher level in terms of 'ruins' compared to the citadel earlier on. But essentially they're still 'ruins'.

But of course 'ruins' can be charming in their own way.
Just wondering if the porch below is to park a boat..

& being such a major attraction, this place, once again, featured ENGLISH descriptions to stuff. Oh, & French too (: Vietnam was under colonial rule, wasn't it? Then perhaps it should feature Dutch & Chinese too? Hmmm...

So these are the reasons why I love my Sigma lens.

(Below) Intricacy is spelt like so...

Bad bad bleak white skies after the rain.

Actually these are of major Chinese influence, but Im not sure why Chinese words are nowhere to be found, perhaps except on some of these ancient relics? But really, non-English-educated Chinese tourists would be disappointed.

(Below) View from the citadel towers. Overlooking Hue. Despite the amount of climbing, the angle of depression wasn't tremendous.

The daytime mightn't have had very nice skies to offer today. But the evening was gorgeous in Hue. Nearing the last day of being in Vietnam, these are like very beautiful goodbyes.

LOL ok I know this is not what emergency lanes are for, but couldn't resist stopping for a shot. It's amazing how the colors can differ so greatly from place to place.. Despite the progressive darkness. Anyway, the horrendous day ended quite nicely.