13-16/12/19
Hello readers from your new scribe David.
To put this section of blog into context I shall refer to yesterday afternoon, when Suzanne and I were relaxing in Wan's smoothie bar. Suddenly Suzanne phone beeps; she leisurely checks her phone and it's a message from our hotel booking for Hue. Choaking on my smoothie as Suzanne gasps! " we have a message from our hotel in Hue; their pool's out of action!!!!"
Ten minutes later all sorted; hotel cancelled and I've booked The Hue Orchid Riverside Villa which looks to have a fab pool if a bit further out. Also, I book a transfer from Da Nang Airport, Vietnam, as I realise we'll land after dark and it's 70km to Hue. 
Our twelve hour journey by foot, speedboat, mini-van, skytrain, plane and taxi from Koh Samet to Hue leaves us shattered and ravenours when we finally arrive. Greeted by receptionist Li Na and a platter of delicious tropical fruits we immediately get a good vibe. The tropical fruit does not satisfy our hunger so Li Na kindly arranges a takeaway room service for us to devour once freshened up. Truly great service at £11 per room per night.
A good night's sleep later, we wake up and can't believe what we are getting for the price; aircon, fabulous shower, fruit basket and most of all QUIET!
A decent ca-phe (Vietnamese coffee) fuelled breakfast is punctuated by our conversation with hosts Anh, Li Na and Thouh who are incredibly friendly and offer all sorts of advice for our stay including the local lingo.
Our hotel is an "up and coming" neighbourhood, a fifteen minute walk from town. The suroundings are not to everyone's taste as some reviewers complain it's rather rundown or too far to walk; but it suits us perfectly. We are living cheek by jowl with locals who are all very happy to exchange pleasantries  "Xin Chao" (hello), and the children adorable when they wave and dare to say hello in return. 
Having been bombarded wth useful tourist informtaion we spend the next few days pounding the streets visiting the main sites. 
Although Huế [hwě] is known as the ancient capital it is best known as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945 (hardly ancient). A major attraction is its vast, 19th-century citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City, once the emperor's home; and a replica of the Royal Theater. The city was also the battleground for the Battle of Hue, which was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. The palace, shrines and tombs are in part crumbling from neglect and some from bomb damage and this creates a feeling of being much older. There is also a semi-colonial feel to parts of the city with wide avenues. It feels as if we are on set in our very own Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
On our return from a trip down the perfume river to visit the famous Thie Mu Pagoda, we are told we'll be dropped off at the citadel, another must see. However, unbeknown to us the drop off point is not a pier but an unkempt riverbank which we both scramble up.  Was this the price we paid for tough negotications on price? A few metres later we are greeted by the sight of a huge dead rat and are so pleased we saw this after the trek from the riverbank.
After a full day on our feet we treat ourselves to a foot massage. It's very relaxing and as I drift off to the gentle pummeling the duke box from across the road at DMZ bar plays California Girls by The Beach Boys. It feels surreal but this is the dichotomy of modern Vietnam. Our new friends tell us "we live for today and forgive the past" and Suzanne says "yes it is like us and the Germans", and I think - "Do mention the war, I said it once and I think I got away wth it!"
We have done Hue and are getting excited now, planning our trip to Hoi An which includes stopping off at sites such as Hai Van Pass made famous on Top Gear, stunning Lang Co Beach and what looks beautiful at Marble Mountain. 
The serious staff starts here as the next three weeks we'll spend writting for an online Magazine - Hidden Hoi Ann run by two English chaps, Travis and Andrew. 
# Wildlife 2: One dead rat on river bank and one Giganticus Raticus scurryng alone the old town.