From Hoi An, I took a three-hour bus ride to Hue, the old capital during the Nguyen dynasty. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site with a walled old city named the Citadel with its own Forbidden City, this one called the Forbidden Purple City. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, only the Emperor, the mandarins (officers), and the eunuchs were allowed inside. Today hundreds of camera-wielding tourists trample the grounds. Actually, only a few structures remain in the Forbidden City from the bombing during the "American War".
By the Flag Tower in the back, which is actually behind the Chinese gate, is 37-meters high, making it the tallest flag tower in Vietnam.
I am stuck in Hue for a few days to get my Vietnam visa renewed. I have been here almost a month now. In retrospect, I should have gotten the visa renewed in Hoi An where it was $17 for a 14-day visa and $23 for a 30-day visa and it only took half a day. Here, it's $30 and it takes a full day. Why the difference in price? Because it's the set price by the local officials. Do you think they just pocket the money? Of course. I went to the Immigration Police station yesterday morning so I could get my renewal. Relying on the Lonely Planet guide book (which was wrong), I spent an hour trying to find the station. I was directed to three other places (on three different streets by policemen in different buildings) until I finally found the office (by asking a travel agency). Once there, I waited around for a while until someone told me that I had to renew my visa through a travel agency. Oh well. Anyways, that was my attempt at avoiding Vietnam bureaucracy.
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