After the 14 hour journey, I'm not feeling well. I hear a few other people with similar issues. I grab a moto, being taken to the drivers choice of a hostel in the centre called Ngoc Hung Hotel. I don't have the energy to find somewhere and accept the touts waffle. He is going for the hard sell and asks to meet me at 9am for breakfast. I decide to listen as at least I will find out what Hue has to offer. The room is an old fashioned Vietnam guesthouse, with a French influence on the furnishing, darkened wood and large curtains. Dumping my bags I head downstairs to speak to the Moto guy about the tours he's selling. He takes me to a local place for breakfast. I get the coffee, cold with that horrible condensed milk at the bottom. Pushed aside, a poor noodle soup is placed in front of me. Grisly bits of meat tucked into the watery mess and pretty sure this adds to my illness later. He's not getting very far with the countless flyers and hard sell so he brings in an old guide in to convince me further. A large map is layed out on the table and whilst I eat my Bun bo hue beef noodle soup, I am losing interest fast. The woman doesn't charge me for the coffee. I take the touts details and say to him I will think about it. Already forgotten, I head to the old city, battling my dodgy stomach. Whilst it's marginally cooler I need to see as much as I can before I'm completely out of energy. The volume of touts both in noise and numbers here is offputting. Every corner someone is trying to get you on a bike tour, moto tour or to simply buy a bloody donut. Just what I need in 34 degrees of heat and humity. I head to the Imperial city. A fort looks out to see and guards over the palace grounds. A lot of the site appears badly damaged, bombed during the Vietnam war. In the central palace 2 guards are obsessing about no photos. I hide behind a pillar and take my shot of the throne. I want to do the Hoi an pass by myself but I know that I have to get out of Hue and my sickness is getting worse. By chance, I meet an ex monk who reasonably offers the tour for 40 dollars. I tell him I will think about it, but I have a good feeling about him and maybe I'll learn a thing or 2 along the way. I see him on the way back smiling and waving. We arrange to meet early tomorrow. A more fun bike than I would have got on anyway and my spirits pick up.
Heading back, I relax and catch my breath. Use the sun to dry my washed clothes, hung around a small birdcage outside my room. I'm not feeling any better and this has the traits of food poisoning on top of my original bug. In between running to the bathroom I seek a pharmacy. I mimic the actions to what I have and she gives me Vietnam strength Imodium and sickness pills. I hope her chemicals work as meeting my driver at 8:30am and should be a fun day. I find a cafe to get out for a bit. Hui looks like it has a nice little nightlife scene in the new part of the city. Plenty of places to eat and just sit by the street side. My hotel is nothing special. I sit with the small bird in the cage just outside my room. Unwell I am glad I am not in a party hostel or a dorm. The staff member who told me where the pharmacy is had checked I was ok and mentioned a night market not too far away. Next time. I make do with an early night, hoping that I will be feeling better by the morning.