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photographie-irie > Motorbike Repair, Somewhere South of Hue, Vietnam       Motorbikiing is my favorite way to get around all of Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam where you become so much more a part of being there by doing so. It's nice to have friends with whom to ride in case of trouble. But trouble begets trouble, as now started my effort to find someone in the middle of nowhere who could fix a flat (our second of the day) and would come to where the flat was, that is after I was able to convey my request and negotiate the transaction entirely with hand signals and body language. We paid what they asked, which although high locally was only a few bucks equivavlent, with the personalized on site road service of two friendly qualified professionals. Greg is practicing the peace sign he learned from local Southeast Asians. Marique is happy there are two able Vietnamese to our rescue. On another motorbike event in Laos I was not so lucky to be traveling with friends, as I broke down riding solo about 120k into remote mountains. I needed to push the bike up and coast down huge hills about 10k to get where local Hmong thought I was very interesting pointing, making noises and pantomiming what I wanted to convey. And as usual, although previously in this caption I mentioned how trouble begets trouble, both of these experiences and all my other challenges in route all ended up each as a wonderful highlight experience of my long journey. I met great people, surmounted challengess, and experienced wonderful interaction with locals on a level never imaginable unless shit happened.
photographie-irie > NVA Pith Helmet Guy, Hue, Vietnam After wandering the Imperial City for most of the day, we strolled outside the huge city walls to a local cafe devoid of other foreigners. Enjoying some strong and delicious Vietnamese "white" coffee (with sweetened condensed milk), we watched the world go by, including this old guy lounging on a bicycle in his pith helmet, also enjoying watching the world go by. Old war items like clothing and this pith helmet are common sights among the local civilian populace, with some stores like our American army-navy counterparts selling nothing but surplus war goods. The quality is good and nostalgic for these proud people's sense of past war tribulations and glories.
photographie-irie > Moat and Wall and Lilly Pads, Imperial City, Hue, Vietnam      Lilly pads float in the moat surrounding the walls guarding the Imperial City. One of the ornate gateway structures offering admission though the walls, this smaller one stands idle without pathway across the moat for people to cross. The walls and moat seem to extend endlessly around this huge city, now protecting it from unpaid tourists as it was protected from less desirable elements in its past.
photographie-irie > Archs upon Arches, Imperial City, Hue, Vietnam Ornate decorations in faded glory adorn ancient pathways throughout this gloried Imperial City. It is huge, with pleasant gardens, ponds and waterways throughout, adding to the massive archtecture that has endured the ravages of time and war in this pleasant faded state. In my experience Hue offered some of the more understated attractions in visiting Vietnam, including friendly people, bargain prices, a most pleasant riverfront on which to dine outside and savor local bia (beers), and easy, open wanderings wherever one goes. I was even able to purchase some backup portable hard drives to replace two of my own that disastrously failed in route...
photographie-irie > Arched Walkway, Imperial City, Hue, Vietnam      A full day can easily be spent wandering to and around the walled Imperial City of Hue, just north of the Perfume River from modern day Hue. Ten huge gates provide access to this aged city, home to many interesting attractions including 9 Holy Cannons that were used to defend the palace, the Imperial Enclosure where official Emporor business was conducted, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of the Mandarins, and the Purple Forbidden Palace reserved for use by the Emperor himself and mostly destroyed in the Vietnam War. Here we see Greg from South Africa relaxing as is so easy to do in the many peaceful settings within these huge walls. Most Vietnamese who encountered Greg treated him as their most handsome idol, with his combination of red bushy hair, beard, and pale complexion that Vietnamese found so unusual and attractive.
photographie-irie > Koi Asking for Food, Hue Imperial Palace, Hue, Vietnam      Hungry Koi telling us to feed them at the Imperial Palace (Hue Cung Vua) in Hue. The Imperial City of Hue was the political, cultural and religious capital of Vietnam when the Nguyen Emperors ruled during the 19th century until the middle of the 20th. Home of the Imperial Palace (Citadel), this huge, walled, moated city is on the north side of the Perfume River, and covers five square kilometers. The present day city of Hue extends south of the river, and is a fairly mellow, open city by Vietnamese standards. A very pleasant break from some of the other more bustling cities in the country. More images need to be added of this pleasant stop as one heads north or south in Vietnam - this will happen over time....
Motorbike Repair, Somewhere South of Hue, Vietnam      

Motorbikiing is my favorite way to get around all of Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam where you become so much more a part of being there by doing so. It's nice to have friends with whom to ride in case of trouble. But trouble begets trouble, as now started my effort to find someone in the middle of nowhere who could fix a flat (our second of the day) and would come to where the flat was, that is after I was able to convey my request and negotiate the transaction entirely with hand signals and body language. We paid what they asked, which although high locally was only a few bucks equivavlent, with the personalized on site road service of two friendly qualified professionals. Greg is practicing the peace sign he learned from local Southeast Asians. Marique is happy there are two able Vietnamese to our rescue. On another motorbike event in Laos I was not so lucky to be traveling with friends, as I broke down riding solo about 120k into remote mountains. I needed to push the bike up and coast down huge hills about 10k to get where local Hmong thought I was very interesting pointing, making noises and pantomiming what I wanted to convey. And as usual, although previously in this caption I mentioned how trouble begets trouble, both of these experiences and all my other challenges in route all ended up each as a wonderful highlight experience of my long journey. I met great people, surmounted challengess, and experienced wonderful interaction with locals on a level never imaginable unless shit happened.
photographie-irie > Motorbike Repair, Somewhere South of Hue, Vietnam       Motorbikiing is my favorite way to get around all of Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam where you become so much more a part of being there by doing so. It's nice to have friends with whom to ride in case of trouble. But trouble begets trouble, as now started my effort to find someone in the middle of nowhere who could fix a flat (our second of the day) and would come to where the flat was, that is after I was able to convey my request and negotiate the transaction entirely with hand signals and body language. We paid what they asked, which although high locally was only a few bucks equivavlent, with the personalized on site road service of two friendly qualified professionals. Greg is practicing the peace sign he learned from local Southeast Asians. Marique is happy there are two able Vietnamese to our rescue. On another motorbike event in Laos I was not so lucky to be traveling with friends, as I broke down riding solo about 120k into remote mountains. I needed to push the bike up and coast down huge hills about 10k to get where local Hmong thought I was very interesting pointing, making noises and pantomiming what I wanted to convey. And as usual, although previously in this caption I mentioned how trouble begets trouble, both of these experiences and all my other challenges in route all ended up each as a wonderful highlight experience of my long journey. I met great people, surmounted challengess, and experienced wonderful interaction with locals on a level never imaginable unless shit happened.
Motorbike Repair, Somewhere South of Hue, Vietnam      

Motorbikiing is my favorite way to get around all of Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam where you become so much more a part of being there by doing so. It's nice to have friends with whom to ride in case of trouble. But trouble begets trouble, as now started my effort to find someone in the middle of nowhere who could fix a flat (our second of the day) and would come to where the flat was, that is after I was able to convey my request and negotiate the transaction entirely with hand signals and body language. We paid what they asked, which although high locally was only a few bucks equivavlent, with the personalized on site road service of two friendly qualified professionals. Greg is practicing the peace sign he learned from local Southeast Asians. Marique is happy there are two able Vietnamese to our rescue. On another motorbike event in Laos I was not so lucky to be traveling with friends, as I broke down riding solo about 120k into remote mountains. I needed to push the bike up and coast down huge hills about 10k to get where local Hmong thought I was very interesting pointing, making noises and pantomiming what I wanted to convey. And as usual, although previously in this caption I mentioned how trouble begets trouble, both of these experiences and all my other challenges in route all ended up each as a wonderful highlight experience of my long journey. I met great people, surmounted challengess, and experienced wonderful interaction with locals on a level never imaginable unless shit happened.
See photo in original gallery.
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