17th January - Hue

Exhausted we clambered off the bus (shoeless) tried to get our bags as loads of men tapped us on the shoulder and shouted "TAXI! YOU COME I TAKE HOTEL!" After saying no thank you politely and walking away several times we had KFC - ergh, but was served with cutlery on plates! Fancy! Found our hostel pretty easily after asking KFC staff where we were, people seem so friendly. As we walked past men selling paintings we said "no thank you" he told us about his love for Man United, gave us a high 5 and a happy new year! Then another guy sayed "AAAH very happy" Everyone we walk past smiles at us, different to the busy streets of Hanoi. Hostel guy brings us Jasmine "Lady Tea" lol. Got to our room which was really damp and pretty mouldy (we found this quite fitting as the hotel was called "New Life"). Turned the TV on and it started sparking at the back - safe! Ants living in the bathroom and under the bed, thinking of moving rooms tomorrow. . . Had tasty noodles and totally mastered the art of the chopstick!

We moved rooms - the ant thing was out of control. We wandered to the hectic market which sold everything from some sort of brown gloop to Man Utd shoes to raw meat & fish to big bags of salt. Later skyped peoples :) and had curry - too spicey for laura! Next day we walked to the citadel, there are a few monuments and museums as well. Some performers were rehearsing for a chinese new year performance (including a choreographer taking things a bit too seriously) watched that for a while. Then had some Vietnamese food (omelete on rice lol). Along the street saw huge fish tanks full of millions of goldfish packed into tanks (needed more or bigger tanks) :( There were also several polystyrene boxes full of goldfish - with some escapee fishes to the pavement! Pizza for dinner :). Checked out the next day and got picked up from our hotel to take us to our 3hr midday sleeper bus - turned out being 5hrs due to massive crack in windscreen so the driver couldn't go over 30mph.