Hue is most famous for its massive citadel in the Center of the city. It is a beautiful Chinese inspired place. Temples, residences, gardens and crumbling buildings.
Vietnam also celebrates Chinese New Year. Here it's called Tet. In preparation for the celebrations the whole country is being prepared. In Hue many larger buildings, especially government buildings, are being decorated with fields of yellow flowers. It's absolutely amazing to see the sidewalks and driveways turned into fields of flowers.
Hanoi is like many of the cities here. It's bustling with life, people and vehicles. I am staying in an area called Old Quarter. It is true to its name. All the houses are old, the streets narrow and the air thick with various smells. It's easy to imagine how it would have looked like back in the day, when there weren't cars and scooters driving around.
I wandered down an alley today, which turned out to be the meat street. Old ladies were squatting on the ground with meat and fish laid on display on cardboard or crouching at a hairdressers preparing the meat. It all looks very unhygienic. Another street was only selling live birds for the locals to put in cages. Some restaurants or shops have maybe a dozen or so cages all over the establishment.
I'm going to be spending the next few days here before I head out to Ha Long Bay. This is one of the places I have been really excited to be seeing in Vietnam. Has anyone been there? Any advice for me before I go there?
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