Day 11 - Pool and the Pagoda

Despite the lack of improvement in the weather, we were determined to use the hotel pool. So straight after breakfast we hung around the pool for a couple of hours and braved the icy embrace of the water.

Pagoda.

After we had dried off from the pool we washed and got ready for our 3pm boat ride to the Pagoda. The Pagoda was situated on the 'Perfumed river' on the North and South Vietnam divide. An area which saw some of the worst fighting during the war of independence. The pagoda which has 7 ridges apparently symbolizes our 7 senses. The added 2 Vietnamese senses being the mind and speech. After walking around the Pagoda, which, like a lot of monuments in Vietnam is basically a temple, we headed back to the boat. On our boat ride back to Hue, we were basically forced to buy souvenirs which the boat owners sold, which was uncomfortable, as the whole journey consisted of them shoving t-shirts and crappy wooden carvings in our faces.

Once our awkward boat ride was over, we headed to DMZ, a bar/restaurant specializing in typical fast food: pizza, pasta, burgers etc. At this bar you can write on the walls which is always fun when you find a scrawl written by someone local. If anyone visits DMZ, which I do recommend, as the food and service is good, maybe you will find our message.

My sister looking terrified on the rickshaws.

When we had finished in the restaurant we decided that we would get rickshaws back to the hotel. My dad signaled to a group of rickshaw drivers and suddenly hell broke loose. It was almost as if every rickshaw in the city was crowding around us; drivers yelling, and trying to pull us all into rickshaws, people arguing. It was manic. A bit later, once we were in our own individual rickshaws, and the dejected, rejected empty rickshaws had left, we were suddenly on the streets weaving in and out of mopeds and cars, heading into oncoming traffic. Terrifying. Somehow we survived the journey and made it back to the hotel. I definitely recommend getting a rickshaw at least once when you visit Vietnam, but be prepared to cling on for dear life as mopeds pass inches from you as you go through red lights on cross roads.

The eyebrow King.