Hue is a sleepy city compared to Hanoi. We started out at 9 AM from the hotel and walked along the river to the dragon boats. For that time of the morning, the city still seemed to be waking up but the river was alive and teeming. We shoved off and crossed the river to a large settlement of houseboats. These boats are long and narrow with the living cabin at the stern with the engine. As we moved upriver, we saw these industrious boats loaded to the waterline with soil and stone. The primary source of earning money comes from pulling soil and stone from the riverbed and selling it for construction.

The Huong River (Perfume River) upriver was very peaceful. We sat out on one of the dragon headed bowsprits and watched as we passed the emperor's dock for the forbidden city. The emperor was never allowed to walk so he had to be carried off his boat and through the gates to his seat of power. We saw many houseboats and were able to get a general understanding of the hard life of these river people.

After 45 minutes cruising and one stop to check the operator's papers with the floating government man, we arrived at the Thien Mu Pagoda. the 7-tiered pagoda is easily visible from the river. We pulled into shore and disembarked. Next to the pagoda is a bell that is said can be heard from 10 kilometers away. The working pagoda and monastery are famous for one monk who drove a car from the pagoda down to Saigon and lit himself on fire to protest the war. The images were transmitted all over the world and spurred a string of other monks to do the same.

Behind the pagoda is an altar with buddhas. There are twelve (?) statues of warriors in this building that are used to teach the classic poses and basic moves of kung fu. Behind the building are some wonderfully sculpted gardens leading to the final monument - a burial chamber for the monk who founded the site.

Back to the boat and continuing upriver, we saw more life along the banks. We could also see the temple of literature and other sites. The building and habitation was sparser and then we came to a split in the river and our final destination: the Minh Mang tomb.

The tomb is very peaceful and the site was selected by the emperor himself on a cruise upriver. The complex is 1.5 square kilometers and includes a courtyard with statues of the emperors' mandarins so hat he can consult with them even in death. No one knows if Minh Mang is really buried in his tomb - it could be an elaborate ruse to prevent grave robbers from desecrating his body.

The complex continues from the courtyard to a shrine and then finally through beautifully sculpted gardens to the tomb itself. There are many decorated gateways that lead to bridges over ponds. The effect is soothing and we did not have to share the site with other tourists.

On the bus ride back to Hue, we were given a lesson in eating bananas. Apparently in southern Vietnam, the locals peel the bananas from the tip downwards. People from northern Vietnam hold the banana at the ends and break it in the middle. This small difference was crucial during the Vietnam war. The north Vietnamese studied the language and manners of the southerners carefully so that they could blend in. But it was the simple act of eating a banana the wrong way that betrayed them.

Once back in Hue, we struck out on our own to explore the marketplace. It was getting close to rush hour so there were more people in the market picking up food and other items on the way home. You could purchase anything in the narrow aisles. One had cooking utensils, another cleaning products, another tea sets and then there were the food stalls. Row upon row of vegetables and fish (many still alive) choked the passages. It was a significantly larger market than Hoi An but organized along the same principles.