Hue

In Hue we went and visited the Citadel. Got some so-so photos. That evening I went down to the Perfume River to check out the possibilities of a boat ride. I got hailed immediately and even tho I said it was too late for a ride I was assured that, "No, now is the best time o go! Tomorrow too hot! Only eight dolla." OK. I reckoned there was a little light left and I might get a sunset picture or two. The boat only had one passenger - me.

It quickly became apparent that the $8 fee wasn't all it was hoped I would part with. Once we got going , Mom and the kids rolled out the sale goods. Mom had embroidery and postcards. The little girl and boy had drinks and doo-dads. They were just so damn cute! the kids were so sweet that I don't think sugar would melt in their mouths. Daughter looked to be about 6, but when she showed me her drawings I asked how old she was and found she was 10.

In Vietnamese there are different ways of saying "Thankyou." You say thankyou-boy, thankyou,girl/woman-younger-than-I. Thankyou-child, thankyou-sir, thankyou-woman-older-than-I. It all gets confusing , so Mom and I spent some time on Vietnamese lessons trying to get that straightened out in my head. Once Mom and I were getting along well, she asked her child to show me her drawings. She had a whole notebook full of pictures, and I admired them so much, that she detached two of them giving them to me using the word, "souvenir." So I got in my wallet and found an American quarter to give each kid for their souvenirs. It was a delightful trip.