DEMILITARIZED
Driving along Highway Nine through
the demilitarized zone (DMZ) we passed 72 cemeteries filled with
the bodies of locals killed during the war and by the war's leftovers.
Our guide told us there were still over half a million landmines
in the DMZ.
The day before we visited the region
three children had been killed when a cow they were riding stepped
on a landmine.
When we arrived in Hue, about halfway
up the Vietnamese coast, the city was recovering from massive
flooding. The owner of the popular News Cafe told us he had to
dive down into his cafe just a few weeks before our visit.
Despite being the third largest city
in South Vietnam, Hue lacks the frenetic pace of Vietnam's other
cities. The city lies humbly on the banks of the beautiful, sage
green Perfume River.
Tranquility is a new experience for
Hue, which bore the brunt of the French colonial invaders and
was the site of the Vietnam War's bloodiest battle, the 1968 Tet
Offensive.
The Citadel, which contains the Forbidden
Purple City, is a reminder of old struggles against invading French
and North Vietnamese. Today however, the Citadel is used mostly
for impromptu soccer matches and afternoon strolls.
Hue produces the finest conical hats
in Vietnam. If you want to bring one home this is the place to
get it. Hue's specialty is "poem hats" which when held
up to light reveal silhouettes of Hue's landmarks.
