Big sun over Big C(itadel)

On Friday we got lightly roasted in Hue.

We set out early to try and avoid the midday sun but the Imperial Citadel is rather big and even hugging the shade we were feeling the sun. The Citadel is beautiful and the varying states of repair give an interesting perspective to the history of the site. The palace was only moved to Hue in the early 1800's but Vietnam has seen so much upheaval since then that it has taken it's toll. Palace intrigue, European invaders, a World War, kicking out the European invaders and a pivotal role in the war with the USA, have all left their mark. Slowly the site is being restored bit by bit to its former glory but hopefully the history isn't completely plastered over. At present the renovated buildings and gardens nicely illustrate how grand the palaces would have been whilst the older sections help stop it feeling like a theme park. 

After getting cooked we decided it was time for another shower and rest, so naturally I went for a massage. It was a nice massage but it was also the oddest massage I have ever had, never before have I had my hair washed and then a comb used to massage my scalp. This whilst listening to the elevator musak version of 80's power ballads. My hair is very soft now though.

Aimee's friends while I was getting my hair washed

After getting toasted today and munched by midges in a park a few days ago we have been trying to find a pharmacy where we could recognise the products. After failing for the last few days we spotted a Big C on our map. Big C being a South East Asian supermarket chain we thought it would be a good bet for all of our pharmacy needs. Visiting super markets whist travelling might sound a bit mundane but we always enjoy comparing how similar they are in different countries, as far as we can tell you can get brand name Cornflakes and Cheese Singles in every country in the world. Our favourite surprise on this trip to Big C was the man pushing a stack of trolleys up the escalator. 

We finished off the day at Take a Japanese restaurant that was so authentic that we nearly forgot where we were, it had fake cherry blossom inside and side doors.


The view from our balcony.