The start of our tour of Vietnam

Chris and I arrived in Hue in Central Vietnam this evening by overnight train from Saigon. It was a long journey that passed fairly smoothly besides the upset of spotting a mouse running across the cabin floor in the evening. Chris used his initiative in creating a humane makeshift mousetrap out of objects we had available to us (a plastic bottle, crackers and lip balm), but by the next morning the trap appeared untouched aside for a couple of mice droppings lining the inside of the bottle... Damn. Besides this, and the general grubbiness of the beds and floors, the train was a fine way to travel. We shared  a cabin with a friendly older Vietnamese couple and enjoyed reclining on the beds while watching scenes of rural Vietnam pass slowly by. At lunchtime we bought a hearty meal of rice, green beans, tofu, chicken and soup for little more than a pound each, and at station stops women selling drinks and fruit would board the train.
Between Danang and Hue we followed the coastline, giving some pleasant views despite the heavy white sky. We arrived in Hue and checked into our hotel before going for a walk to the citadel that houses the remains of the imperial capital. We ate at a cheap Japanese restaurant before a drink at a roadside bar. We had already heard that there is not much of a nightlife in Hue- most come here for the history and boat trips down the Perfume River to see the imperial tombs outside of the city. Chris and I only have one day in the town before another overnight train to Hanoi tomorrow.

Riding the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hue

Over the Perfume River in Hue

Checking out war planes inside the citadel