Hue, a mere 13-hour sleeper bus ride from Hanoi in beds that are slightly too short for the Western occupant, may as well be in another country. On the approach into town it was instantly apparent that life is more laid back and relaxed than the north and we relaxed with it letting go of the alertness we needed to cope with old town Hanoi. Of course this is still Vietnam so it is difficult to move a dozen yards without being offered food, bike rides or randomly priced curios of dubious quality but now the friendly opportunism we have seen over Asia seems natural and comforting.

Hue is more naturally beautiful than Hanoi with the perfume river flowing turbulently though the centre of the city after the floods that afflicted the area a week ago. The centerpiece is the citadel, an enclosed city within a city with walls 10km long and at the centre of the citadel the palace of the Nguyen emperors.Like so many ancient structures, the palace was bombed heavily in both the French and American wars so that the majority of the area is green field with intriguing stumps of buildings.The restored area looked similar to the Forbidden City in Beijing but on a less imperial scale. Damaged as it was, the imperial palaces fitted in well with the atmosphere of Hue - a faded magnificence hinting of a dramatic past and comfortable with its present.

The people of Hue and the surrounding areas were as friendly and relaxed as the city felt. Everywhere we went children would practice their English on us which was to be fair mostly limited to 'hello', 'one dollar' or 'buy dvd' which I guess they must have learned from the endless roadside vendors. The adults were equally relaxed taking our polite refusals of services with equanimity and more than willing to lend a hand with directions on the many occasions we got lost cycling round the imperial tombs (tomb actually - we only found one). Of course Hue wasn't entirely kind to us as Rachelle had her customary fall in a village 10k south of the city skinning her arm but she is mostly healed now so all is well and we are keeping an eye out for some cut rate crampons to hold off future accidents.

Overall I think Hue's charm is summed up by the meal we had on Thanksgiving night. A traditional turkey dinner was not an option but Rachelle was drawn to an expensive ($8 per head) set menu at one of the best restaurants in Hue deep within the citadel. Our arrival confused the staff completely until eagle-eyed Rachelle spotted our name written on a place card on a nearby table which was set in a beautiful, slightly overgrown colonial garden.Just as the sun set and we tucked into seven gorgeous courses and a good bottle of French wine. Somewhere around the sixth course we were slightly startled by a giant rat emerging from the shadows and making its way along the wall towards the kitchens to get its own thanksgiving feast. We just laughed, Vietnam is as blatant in its mess and noise as it is in its fantastic food, and its friendliness. It is simply impossible to dislike the place.

Love from a contented Antony & Rachelle