After an incredible time exploring the many sights of Huế and the surrounding area, it was time to rest a bit. The girls were itching to swim, and we grabbed some cold drinks and made our way to the pool. A few hours of relaxing in the refreshing water and soaking into the early evening. As we sat around the pool relaxing and cooling off the sun began to set. I could hear the streets coming to life below. Slowly at first, the sound began to build into a sense of excitement in the streets.
Into the Night
It was around seven when we left the hotel for some night exploration. The city was electric. Huda, a Huế beer company, had set up a large pool filled with ice water in front of our hotel. A mass of people had gathered and a young lady was on a microphone running some sort of game. The gathered crowd was cheering and screaming. We walked up as a contestant was being lowered down into the water.
He had to pick as many cubes as he could from the icy water after a designated time. I could understand the countdown as the clock came closer to zero. Năm, Bốn, Ba, Hai, Một! He was lifted up and back to the platform. I couldn’t be entirely sure what was going on. It seemed the contestants, who seemed to be randomly picked from the crowd, received prizes based on the cubes. I can not be sure. It was however, entertaining to watch.
In Search of Bún bò Huế
We waded through the crowds that had assembled in the street and made our way to the edge of the pedestrian district. We again found a couple of xích lô’s and made our way towards the old city. I had researched some of the best local restaurants and was on the hunt for the best bowl of Bún bò Huế I could find. If I was in Huế I might as well take advantage of it.
Nina’s cafe seemed to be on the top of everyone’s list. A small little eatery a few miles from our hotel. 10 tables, some of the freshest food and specializing in Huế’s famous local fare. On the way there was quite a discussion with our two drivers. It appeared that Nina’s was more for foreigners, and though an excellent choice, did not fully represent the authentic local cuisine. They offered an alternative, a spot they loved to eat, and I was assured it would be one of the best. So we altered our course and headed for our new destination.
Bún Bò Huế Bà Gái
Our two drivers pulled up to a street side restaurant named Bún Bò Huế Bà Gái at the intersection of Hà Nội and Trần Cao Vân streets. An open air family operation with an incredibly limited menu. Specializing in Bún, the Vietnamese word for rice vermicelli, you can get it in a handful of forms. I came here for the classic Bún Bò. Bò means beef, so vermicelli in beef broth. The Huế distinction of course offers the local variation which is all the goodies that come with it.
As we sat down at one of the tiny tables, which my legs never fit under, the husband brought out fresh baguettes, lime wedges, seasoning salts, nuoc mam and took our drink and food order. We sat at the entrance to one of the small stalls that lined the street. It was a typical local type restaurant with short tables, fans hanging on the walls, and more tables extending down the sidewalk. There were quite a number of other Vietnamese families eating there which is always a good sign.
One Hell of a Bowl
Within a few minutes the husband returned with our bowls of soup. I stared down at the steaming pile of deliciousness before me. A wonderful portion of meat, piled on top of the vermicelli hidden underneath. Thinly sliced onion, a chunk of pork belly, sliced beef shank and a ball of turmeric seasoned meat. The bowl was topped with a generous helping of fresh basil and chives and you could see the little droplets of the orange tinted oil floating on the surface. I stirred the herbs into the bowl and discovered more of its delicious offerings. A small chunk of pork rib, a deboned pig knuckle, and the main ingredient of every bowl of Bún Bò Huế I’ve ever had. The large chunk of congealed pork blood.
I can say I took my time slowly savoring the complex and delicious dish. But that would be a lie. By the time I finished taking a few pictures, splashing some fish sauce and chili on, and giving the bowl a good toss, it disappeared. It seemed to vanish as fast as it had arrived. I smacked, chomped, chewed and slurped every bit of the contents. In what seemed like seconds, the bowl was empty. I realized the speed I had devoured the dish when I saw the smile on Diem’s face. I was holding the dish above my head. Trying to coax out whatever drop of delicious broth was left clinging to the porcelain bowl. I wiped my face and laughed and seriously contemplated getting another bowl. But thought better of it. My stomach barely had the chance to register the first bowl.
Off for a Boat Ride
We settled our bill, about 4 dollars I believe it was, and hopped back in the xích lô’s and made our way to the river. I just love the service aspect of industry here, we negotiated a reasonable price, and the two drivers would be our personal taxi over much of the night. We headed north, only a few blocks, to February third park where the dragon boats rest awaiting the night. It was just after dark and soon an armada of the mythically inspired boats would fill the perfume river.
The Perfume River
Long before I made it to Huế, I was fascinated by its description. The ancient home of the Nguyen lords, and Imperial capital of Vietnam, that sits on the perfume river. The romanticism of an ancient city and sprawling citadel in a time of Feudal Lords, Emperors, magicians, mystics, dragons, princesses and concubines. And all inhabiting an area on a river known as Perfume. It is a place that conjures truly fantastical images in the mind. The experiences and sights I’d seen earlier in Huế only added to the fantasy.
There is a more magical aspect of this. The river Perfume is so called because, it does in fact, give off an odor reminiscent of incense or perfume. I know, when I first heard this I didn’t believe it either, but I can tell you it does. They say it is not as potent as it once was with industrialization and modernization of the city and settlements on the river. But as you float down its waters, you do catch whiffs of a floral and slightly sweet aroma in the air.
The smell comes from several varieties of orchids high up in the mountain areas where the river originates. Not an incredibly accessible region so much of the old forests are still intact. The abundance of orchids and orchid trees produces a very large amount of flowers which mostly fall into the river. It is these flowers, in great abundance, that lend their chemicals and aromas that flow with the river past Huế and on to the sea.
The Dragon Boats
We purchased a seat from a man sitting at a foldable, portable desk in the park. Beside him was a runner who took us to a boat and handed us off to a crew member. The dragon boats were in a row against the river wall. The vessels boarded in turn. One vessel in line was filled. It then cast off, and the next would begin the process. It was an efficient system, and within minutes we were on our way.
The boats were very wide and pontoon in design. The pontoons were shaped like dragons. Curved up at the bow into two fierce metal dragon heads. The interior of the boat was enclosed with a few sliding glass doors at the front and sliding windows on its sides. The stern of the boat contained a bathroom and a closed off section for the workers. As the boat sold drinks and light snacks, this was no doubt the “kitchen” area.
I negotiated seats on the outside of the enclosure at the bow, as I initially was more interested in the sights around the boat. As was usually the case, I had no real concept of what was going on, and assumed the boat was going strictly on a sightseeing tour. I would later discover that, though it was a sightseeing tour, inside the boat was the real show.
A Traditional Performance
As the boat pulled away from the river’s edge, and made its way into the waterway, the interior came to life. Several performers assembled at the bow just inside the interior room, and just inside the window were we sat. All in traditional dress, and with traditional instruments.
The boat sputtered away into the night, and a wonderful performance began in the main room. Music, song and dance burst to life just inside the window where we sat. It wasn’t a perfect seat for the performance. Though it did offer a compromise. A great view of the city and a “behind the scenes” kind of feel for the ancient art form developing inside. The performance was beautiful. I don’t know how else to describe it. Many traditional dances and music. From the simple phách, a wooden instrument simply struck as light percussion, to the đàn bầu.
The Đàn Bầu
I’m not sure what drew me to this instrument. I found myself tucked in, just behind its musician, studying his every move. The Đàn Bầu captivated me. Being a guitar player, and in no way am I claiming to be a good one, I was pulled in by the range of octaves and notes. And all accomplished with one string. It fascinated me. In later research, I discovered that the Đàn Bầu has two tones that don’t exist in the western musical scale. I really need to break down the way the instrument is played to further express this idea.
Imagine a guitar with only one string. At one end sits the saddle and bridge which the string sits across to its anchor point. On the other end, which on a guitar would represent the nut and tuning pegs, rests a resonating bowl on a wooden rod. The fifth finger, or what we in the English world would call the pinky, rests on the string. This action acts as the fret on a guitar. The pinky is rested at different positions on the string and acts as the different frets on a guitar. The musician then plucks the string with a long plectrum. The wooden rod and resonating bowl at the top end is pushed in and out. Thus adjusting the note and creating the different tones necessary for music. I sat in the window and watched, in amazement, the performance for its length.
Make A Wish
The performance began to wind down. The passengers who were once focused on the display began to stir. Slowly a crowd began to gather around a central table in the boat. Individuals began to assemble little Asian style boxes. Reminiscent of Chinese takeout in the states. A candle was placed in the box and prepared for release. I’d seen this very thing in other parts of Vietnam. Hoi An in particular.
The candle represents a wish and the river its place of conception. Place the candle in your little paper box, make a wish, and set the wish free. Free to float down the river. The candle is eventually consumed by the waters, thus granting your wish. One by one the passengers on the boat leaned over the front, between the two dragons, and let their wishes go to ride the waters. It was strictly superstitious in my mind, but the girls wanted in on the action, so we purchased a few candles for them to enjoy. Our boat was not the only one in on the action, and eventually other boats around us began to release their own candles.
Off in the distance a rumbling interrupted the moment. What we call in the southeastern US as heat lightning, began to fill the distant sky. I enabled the burst function on my camera and was able to catch a beautiful burst of lightning high above the new section of the city. This combined with the floating candles, dragon boats, and the beautiful Cầu Trường Tiền bridge lights, made for a vibrant scene.
Closing the Night
We floated in the river amidst the candles and dragon boats for some time. It was almost 10pm before we made landfall again. We found our way back towards the hotel. The streets were still alive and vibrant. It was Saturday night after all, and we found a Kem Bơ shop near the hotel. I’ve come to love two particular desserts in Vietnam. Kem Bơ and Chè. Chè is a complicated love. It differs so much from different regions, Qui Nhơn’s is my favorite. It is essentially a fruit soup. Chunks of jellied fruit purees and cream chunks, in a liquid made of lychee with toasted almonds and ice. Unbelievable I assure you.
Kem Bơ is just decadent. Fresh avocado, and not an avocado you can get in the states, mashed and topped with coconut ice cream and toasted coconut. Oh, heaven in a cup. Fatty, rich, cold in the tropical heat and just absolutely decadent. We all devoured our cool delicious desserts in minutes. Unfortunately our time in Huế was coming to a close. We walked down the street to the hotel and made our way inside. The train was leaving for Da Nang at 11 am in the morning. We would be on it.
Click Here for all of the posts about Huế, some of my best work.
or Click Here for a very rustic video of our time in Huế.
