18 March 2026 – Wednesday – Last day of sightseeing

We were picked up this morning at 7:30 for a long day of travel to various sites. One of our intended destinations was not on any package tour so we hired a car and driver. It was nice to be alone. Although the total distances aren’t huge, it’s hard to get going when traffic is slow and filled with trucks and motorcycles. I figure that our speed averaged about 25-30 mph. Some roads are in good shape. Others are bumpy and narrow to one lane in each direction. On 4 lane roads the trucks all stay in the left lane and passing is on the right with honking, turn signals and blinking of lights. I am surprised that we haven’t seen any accidents. 

We went through the outskirts of Danang to climb up to Hai Van pass. The name means Ocean cloud pass since it is often clouded by sea mists. The road connects DaNang and Hue with spectacular views on clear days. Today was hazy despite the windy conditions. We stopped for a climb to see the view down to a beautiful bay below. It was not an ideal photo shoot. 

We snaked our way down from the pass to visit Lap A lagoon. It is a large area of oyster cultivation for both pearls and food. I was amused to see a woman in a boat tied to shore picking through oysters and placing them in baskets which were brought to the street in a wheelbarrow. The woman was barely visible as she crouched in the boat wearing her pointy Asian straw hat. The motor on the boat was on a long pole that was lifted above the water. The lagoon was filled with staked areas that seemed to be a pearl farm. The area is quite large. 

We continued on to our unique destination, A Bang cemetery, the city of ghosts. My cousin had told me about this place. It is probably the fanciest cemetery one could imagine. Each family plot is beautifully decorated with pillars, tiles and guardian creatures. The very fancy structures are meant to house the ancestors and keep them well tended. They need to be well housed so that the opulence of the structures is meant to keep them well respected. The village leading into the cemetery is filled with fancy houses that belong to foreign based Vietnamese who come to visit family graves on major holidays. It is otherwise empty. It is quite unique. All religions seem to be buried there. Our driver had never been to this site. He was quite curious. We had been warned not to go very far into the cemetery because it stretches 3km along a waterway and getting lost is a problem.   The whole place is overwhelming in size and opulence. 

We moved on to Hue to see the Imperial city. Hue had been the capital for many years during the rule of 13 emperors. Actually, the capital moved at times according to the ruling party. Many capitals were destroyed to remove evidence of a previous ruler.  The imperial city is and was the walled compound of the emperor. We visited several buildings. Some were original and others had been restored after the war. It turns out that the “American” war was just one of several that led to destruction. It was hot and humid outside but inside the buildings it was cool with breezes blowing and very high ceilings. The whole place seemed very peaceful. 

We moved on to lunch which was very much like the dinner we had cooked the night before. The restaurant was filled with many locals as well as tourists. Our guide didn’t sit with us but he came over to explain the food and how to put sauces together with various dishes. 

Our next stop was a pagoda with a tower. Step climbing is a must for all visits. The buildings around the tower hold monks who pray and tend to the grounds. One display was an old car which was the one used by the monk who immolated himself to bring focus to the persecution of Buddhists. Apparently he drove the car to Saigon and then stepped out and set himself on fire. It worked! 

Our final visit was the very elaborate tomb of the 12th emperor. He had the structure built during his lifetime. It is an impressive structure with many levels. The interior of the tomb is highly decorated. A statue of the emperor sitting on his throne covers the coffin. 

We had a long drive back to our hotel. We went through a tunnel through the mountains that made the drive shorter than our drive to Hue. Traffic wasn’t too bad once we left Hue. In fact we came across a cow in the middle of the road with her calf suckling. Our driver seemed unfazed. 

Once back at the hotel we decided to have snacks at the bar. We both chose American food. It is time to go home. It will be another very long journey starting at 11:00 at night.