Old-Time Vietnam – Off to Hue

I must see Mr. T.  He has the stories of the DMZ as a veteran.  So I chose Hue as my fourth trip to Vietnam.

On this first morning in Danang I had coffee, worked a bit more, and had lunch at the Happy Bread 76 – Mi AA downstairs from the hostel.  The banh-mi (Vietnamese sandwich) came in just the right proportions between the meat and the veggies.  Since Vietnamese coffee was irresistible, I had my second cup there.

“Ga Dao” is how one pronounce “train station” in Vietnamese.  The staff at the hostel recommended that I took a Grab bike to the train station.  This would be the first time in years that I got behind a motorbike.  It was a little scary, especially with my big backpack on.  Yet there was this sense of freedom on a motorbike.  On the back of the motorbike I stretched my arms wide open and embraced the crisp morning air in Vietnam.  In this country, I was truly carefree.

I did lose a winter top on my first night in the hostel.  Well, I thought of it as a value transfer.

The second impression of Danang was how familiar its streets looked to a small city in China.  I wondered if this familiarity came from a common bonding as communist countries (though relations are not friendly between the two).  Or perhaps it was simply the familiar ways in which Asians see and organize their lives.  I had the impression that the Vietnamese are friendly with the South Koreans.  I saw a clear Korean presence in this relatively local neighborhood, with small Korean-owned businesses from manicure to food.

Photo: The Streets of Danang.

As it turned out, my very good morning in Danang ended when I arrived at the train station.  In an unusual streak of bad luck, my train was delayed for 2.5 hours.  I waited from 1:30pm, and at 4:40pm the train finally roared away from Danang.

Photos: The Train Station of Danang.

At around 6:15 or so, there was a call for dinner on the train.  Came a meal cart with two choices: chicken drumstick or pork chop.  The German man that I met at the station ordered a plate.  He was my only guiding light on this train ride.  His phone had data and he could tell me approximately where we were.  We chit chatted about China, Vietnam, and travels around the world.

I saw others giving the attendant meal tickets.  Despite being a little hungry, I declined.  I was really looking forward to the famous cuisine of Hue.  So I saved my appetite for later.

I shared fruits with the Vietnamese people though.  The man next to me said, “Vietnam, Vietnam” pointing at me.  I was flattered.  When you remind the locals as one of their own, it is a compliment.  We otherwise could not communicate, despite his speaking Vietnamese to me.  The man did a cross and prayed before having his meal.

Photos: Left is my banh mi lunch; Right is the dinner served on the train.

This scene of the locals dining together on the train stayed on my mind, it was moving to watch them eat.  The food was humble, and so were the people.  They were very happy as they ate.  Children were animated, going around their parents’ plates for seconds.  They shared snacks, fruits and chatted with each other.

I asked the German what he thought of the food, “surprisingly good,” he said.

At around 7, 7:30pm, I heard, for the first time, “Hue” as it is said in Vietnamese.  “Hue! Hue!” I grabbed my backpack, and departed the train in great excitement.

Photos: The humble foods of Vietnam.