The Imperial Citadel in Hue

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A detail of a gate at the imperial citadel

A detail of a gate at the imperial citadel

From Hoi An I traveled further north up to Hue, a UNESCO city with a rich history and the site of the former imperial seat of government. I arrived just before tyhpoon Haiyan was due to hit and spent my first 24 hours holed up in my hostel dorm with loads of cookies and three fellow solo female travelers. The typhoon fortunately ended up missing central Vietnam entirely, and the excitement surrounding it seemed to snap me out of my two-week travel slump. I finally got my camera and guide book out.

The imperial citadel in Hue was a really interesting place to walk around for a couple of hours. It’s not quite as well preserved as I had expected, but regardless the size is impressive and there’s an informative video in the palace that explains the layout and functionality of the complex. The best part is the colorful, eccentric gates spread throughout.

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Recovering from Travel Fatigue in Hoi An

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The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam

The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam

Still feeling a bit lethargic and overwhelmed by Vietnam, I arrived in Hoi An and wasn’t entirely gung ho about sightseeing and taking photos. Despite my mood, the town proved to be a nice place to hang out. The old part of town is a UNESCO site and has some striking examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. About 5 km away is a surprisingly peaceful beach. Throw in the opportunity to get cheap, custom-made clothes from one of the abundant tailors in town as well as some delicious food and there’s enough to keep a jaded traveler going for a few days.

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Getting to Vietnam and the Long Son Pagoda

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A plaque with a quote from the Dhammapada at Long Son Pagoda

A plaque with a quote from the Dhammapada at Long Son Pagoda

After Hong Kong I felt another bout of travel fatigue setting in. I flew to Manila and stayed for just a four-day layover, which was meant to be relaxing but instead just added to my anxieties, as Manila is a rather dirty, hectic, and poverty-stricken city. From Manila I flew to Ho Chi Minh City, which was again extremely hectic and stress-inducing. I was not in the mood to sightsee or take a lot of photos, although I did visit the War Remnants Museum which was a sobering way to spend an afternoon.

When I finally got to the beach town of Nha Trang, it was great to relax and eat some delicious, cheap fish dishes. I finally got back into a travel mood and started sightseeing again. One of the few main sights in Nha Trang is the Long Son Pagoda, a Buddha statue and temple situated about a 20-minute walk from the main part of town. I got lucky and ended up being the only tourist there, although when I was leaving a massive group of talkative Russians was coming through the gate. Also detracting from the peaceful atmosphere were rather aggressive “students” selling overpriced postcards. Despite this, the site was worth seeing and spending a few minutes walking around.

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Cappadocia Day 1: Hot Air Balloon Ride!

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Watching the sunrise over Cappadocia from a hot air balloon!

Watching the sunrise over Cappadocia from a hot air balloon!

I’d heard so many amazing things about the Cappadocia region of Turkey and I was so excited to finally get there! I debated doing a hot air balloon ride, as it’s never really been a huge interest of mine and it’s pretty pricey at a minimum of $120 for the most budget ride. I finally decided, though, that if I’m ever going to go up in a hot air balloon it might as well be in the so-called hot air ballooning capital of the world, and a couple hundred dollars is worth the experience.

Once I made the decision to do it, I then had to choose from among the few dozen companies catering to tourists in Goreme. I had heard Butterfly Balloons, Sultan Balloons and Royal Balloons were good companies, but I decided to price check at a few different agencies before deciding. I happened to wander into an Atlas Balloons agent, who was also selling rides with Turkiye Balloons. I was convinced to go with the latter, more expensive ride (at 140 euro) because I was impressed with the pilots’ minimum 1500 hours experience each, and also the fact that they are a new company so their balloons are in top shape.

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Sightseeing in Sibiu

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The 14th century citadel in Sibiu

The 14th century citadel in Sibiu

After recovering from my rough week in the Apuseni mountains, I finally got my energy back up and moved on to Sibiu. The city is known as one of the gems Romania’s Saxon heritage, and after visiting I definitely understood why. The old town is extremely well preserved and the architecture is really fascinating. I had a great time walking around!

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