The landscape around Hue is absolutely beautiful. On our second day there, we went outside of the city to the tomb of an old king. It was completely empty except for a few cows (wild cows?) wandering around. Plants had reclaimed the stone terraces, cementing the age of these ruins firmly in my mind. The day was heavy with mist, which leant a certain eerie gravitas to the story of the king: while we were at his tomb, no one actually knows where he is buried.
After the tomb, we explored a pagoda, most famous for the monks who self-immolated in protest of the wars in Vietnam. The structure was impressive, but the history was far more moving.
Finally, leaving the pagoda, I boarded a dragon boat to cruise up the Perfume River!