For a day that was advertised as a relaxing recap day, it was all but that. Sleep in the overnight train with the constant rocking and clanking noises was hard, relative to the serene and peaceful nights at Mai Chau. We stepped out of the train and admired the transition we had just done in three days, from Mai Chau, to the bustling streets of Hanoi, which was a testament to how busy a city can get. We arrived in the previous capital and current cultural capital of Vietnam, Hue (pronounced hway). After getting the “No Hue!” jokes out of our system, we proceeded to the relatively quiet streets of Hue. We were in a quieter section of the city and that was relieving to many of us. We proceeded to our hotel room for a quick relax and then back out on a dragon boat. Going at a speedy five kilometres an hour we cruised down the rivers of Hue in style, on our way to the lady Buddha pagoda. It was a very serene, peaceful place, lessened by the virtually constant stress of tourists, including ourselves. Continuing on we made a quick visit to the forbidden city and learnt a bit about Vietnam’s history and its most recent dynasty, the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled from 1802 to 1945.
After the incredible forbidden city we all headed back on the boat and to the hotel to go up into the pool on the 7th floor. The much needed swim was ended sooner for myself as Will and I decided to do the gladiator. Headed back to the room to freshen up we had dinner plans at a restaurant nearby and everyone needed to be down stairs in the modern Foyer at 6:15 to exit the building. Arriving at a very interesting restaurant, we were told to dress up in traditional costumes whilst enjoying ancient Vietnamese music. After dinner we headed to an underwater type market which was filled with interesting and home-made goods.
Parker and Harry 
