Here was our day:
No hot water for my shower because Bruce accidentally turned off the hot water in our room. This set the tone (or should I say temperature) for the day.
Tour of the imperial city of the Nguyen dynasty - reminded me of all the novels by Lisa See that took place behind the walls of the Imperial City in ancient China. American bombed the hell out of this complex during the war and destroyed most of it. It is slowly being restored with UNESCO funds, but Ethan believes it will never be completed. Still, some magnificent relics of architecture and furniture remain. I always wondered the correct pronunciation of "Nguyen" - it's "win".
Here I am at the gate to the imperial city.
Buddhist temple - beautiful and peaceful grounds and beautiful building. Ethan discussed the history and philosophy of Buddhism with us. Most Vietnamese are Buddhist.
Vegetarian lunch at Buddhist monastery - we enjoyed the meal, although it was getting colder and the rain did not let up. A 23 year old Buddhist nun described her austere life in the monastery and hopes to achieve everlasting happiness so she can spread happiness in the world.
Massage - at the hotel, was less than $20 for an hour of a hot stone massage. The masseuse was a tiny girl with incredibly strong fingers and the massage was "hard" and routine. It was very cold in the room, and she did her best with lots of towels. Many others in our group were very unhappy with the cold rooms.
Visit to Buddhist orphanage - a facility supported by the Grand Circle foundation! the philanthropic arm of,the tour company. Facility houses over 150 children from infants to age 21. Grand Circle is currently funding renovation of the dining room and a boys dorm. One nun oversees the facility.
Water puppet show - a traditional folk art, with the puppeteers standing waist deep in water behind a bamboo curtain. Mildly entertaining, but I was freezing cold and hungry.
Some photos of the puppet show
Dinner at restaurant - very good. As with all,of our restaurant meals the meal was many courses,,starting with soup and ending with fruit.
Four hour bus ride to Hoi An tomorrow morning, but it should be warmer weather.
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