Clark's Crazy Adventures: 11/22/10

On our way to Hue.....

Yesterday we headed to Hue. This trip was only 4 hours, thankfully. Hue is a very old city with lots of pagodas and historical 'stuff'. I'm very tired tonight. The best news is that our hotel is actually nice, well we thought it was great until we had a shower. The hot water system is located on the wall next to the shower head. I just fit under it, Ian doesn't. And there is the slight issue of electrocution. However not to worry, I sat on the edge of the bath to shave my legs and the bath wasn't cemented in, so the whole bath tipped backwards. I landed on my arse, legs in the air, stark naked. So there will be no bath or showers (the shower is located within the bath) in the near future.......

Today I did something I swore I would NEVER EVER DO, yep I hoped on the back of a motor bike....... Apparently one of the 'optional' things to do in Hue is tour the countryside on a motorbike. Now I know this wasn't in the trip notes or anywhere else on Intrepids website or I would have noticed. So after having a nervous breakdown several times and nearly crying I agreed to go, I was the only one who didn't want to. We were on the bikes from 8am till 3pm, I just thought we would be out for a couple of hours. We went up, down, around, through mud, water, rice paddies and lots of traffic, Holy Smokes Batman!!!! I'm quite shocked that I actually survived and I have to admit it was fun, when I had my eyes open....

For lunch today we went to an orphanage and the nuns cooked for us. They look after 194 children of various ages that have either been abandoned by their parents or their parents have passed away. Most of the kids ride bicycles to school but like all charities they never have enough of anything. Myself, Ian and another couple decided we would each like to donate a bike, they are only $50 over here. We thought it was a great idea until we realised we would need to purchase AND deliver them. So after we bought the 'body' of the bike at one shop, the 'seat' at another and the 'peddles' from around the corner, we then had to ride our brand new bicycles 10km back to the orphanage. My bum really hurts now. They especially loved Ian and kept rubbing his tummy and calling him 'Budda'.

Tomorrow we catch the overnight train to somewhere near Hanoi. Originally we were booked on the day train but the timetable changed, so then we were going on the night train, then the floods came and we were flying, now the water has gone we are back on the overnight train, confused!!!! I am!!!! So now we have more time to explore Hue as the train doesn't depart until 5pm.