HAWN FAWN

Remember when I was in Asia for 20 days a couple months ago? Well...neither do I.  It took so long to edit these pictures, and I nearly gave up, but I am finally finished with the first batch.  So, let's start at the end - Vietnam.

On this particular day, we ventured just a short ways north of Da Nang and headed to Hue.  It's mostly known for it's beef noodle dish (bun bo hue), but I discovered something more amazing than the food (wait for that post!).  The scenery was breathtaking.  We rode through valleys that opened up and led way to mountains of lush greenery.  Above us, a light fog loomed, but it was still as dry and as humid as the deserts; to the north, more mountains, and to the east and west were bodies of water riddled with fishing boats.  After leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city, it became drastically apparent that country dwelling did not even coexist on the same plane as the city or suburbs; everything is more spaced out, there's hardly anything modern - the buildings are shacks, and if not that intricate, then you'll find only flimsy planks of wood nailed together and kept upright by strong tree limbs and topped off with patchy tinned roofs.  People sleep on hammocks instead of beds, they nap in fishing boats and sway with the tides, everyone moves without purpose and it's as slow as molasses but it's perfectly acceptable.  If you're trying to achieve enlightenment, you'd most likely find it here and get absorbed in the serenity.  Hue also keeps you modest; the people make their living on food, either by catching what they can find in the waters and selling it to local restaurants, or raising herds of chickens and opening up a speciality restaurant for the few people who do pass by this ghost town.  It was definitely one of my favourite places in Vietnam.