The Tong Dan Hotel provided private car transfer service to Hanoi airport for $10, which I gladly paid, and said a sad goodbye to the hotel staff.
Upon check-in at
the airport I was escorted to the Business Class Lounge, a lavish, carpeted
room with free refreshments and HBO on the television. The 1-hour wait
was over before I knew it and I boarded the A320 Airbus bound for Hue.
Just as I was beginning to think that I would have almost all of Business
Class to myself, five Russian businessmen arrived and took their seats
in the two rows ahead of me. I was not bothered by them at all until they
began to take off their coats. Then the words of an old TV commercial
came into my head. "Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everybody
did?"
The flight into
Phu Bai airport was only an hour long, and the airport itself reminded
me of these very small, rural airports in the Southern U.S. There was
only one runway and no instrument approach. So, on cloudy days, the planes
had to land at Danang and drive for 2 hours to Hue. The Thang Long Hotel
provided free pick-up service and the young man was waiting for me when
I arrived. He had his little placard with my name misspelled as usual.
I waited a few minutes while he rounded up 2 more passengers. I immediately
noticed two things; it was hotter than hell, and no one was wearing the
cute little green pith helmets that were so popular in Hanoi. Hue was
part of South Vietnam before reunification and the helmets represent northern
oppression to the southerners. Although I had purchased a helmet in Hanoi
for $2.00, I knew I had better keep it in my bag.
When we arrived at the hotel, I grabbed my bags and went into the lobby
as the other passengers continued to their respective hotels. The air-conditioned
reception area was very cool and refreshing, and when I approached the
front desk, I was greeted by Phuong, possibly the cutest boy I have ever
seen. He looked to be around 16 years old, but told me later that he was
25. He was very friendly, very bright and possessed a complete mastery
of the English language. He insisted upon carrying my bags to the second
floor room, even though the bags were bigger than he was. 
I had booked the room, one of their best rooms, a month or two earlier through the internet for a paltry $25 per night. It had 2 large beds, private bath with a real bathtub, refrigerator, air conditioning, a ceiling fan and cable TV.
I called my friend Minh right away, as I had promised to do many weeks earlier. Minh was very eager to meet me, but was occupied at work for the next hour or so. So, I took a shower and relaxed, and waited for Minh. He arrived by motorbike right on time. I knew him when I saw him because of the picture he had sent to me six months earlier. But, as usual, he was much more handsome in person. His English was perfect and I was able to communicate with him very easily.
We went out into the noonday heat to see some of Hue and grab a bite to eat. We drove around on his motorbike, enjoying the sights of this beautiful and historic city. He showed me the market, the Perfume River, and some of the lovely French Colonial buildings in Hue. He was very informed about the history of Hue and had something very interesting to tell me about each place we visited.
Later, we met Thao, Minh's girlfriend. She was very beautiful and she and Minh seemed very happy together.
Minh's schedule was very busy, even though it was the weekend. He works for the Foreign Ministry and is very busy this time of year. He excused himself early in the evening and I wandered around Hue, talking with the locals with their broken English and my broken Vietnamese.
I kept finding myself in the hotel lobby talking to Phuong. His smile was enchanting and his mastery of the English language was impressive. He told me that he would go to the province and visit his parents the next day. I was sad that I would not have more time to talk with him. But, I knew I had a new friend, one that I could keep for a very long time.
Sunday, April 8, 2001.
Minh met me at the hotel in the early morning, hoping to get going before
the brutal heat set upon us. We rode on his motorbike into the beautiful
countryside surrounding Hue. I didn't notice how hot it had become until
we stopped at our first destination, the Tu Auc Tomb, a burial complex
dating back to 1864 during the height of the Ngyuen Dynasty. As soon as
the motorbike-induced, 30-MPH breeze stopped, the sweat began pouring
from my body like it was squirted from a firehose. Minh, on the other
hand was cool and collected. We scurried about from one archaeological
wonder to the next, with Minh leading the way, never sweating, even though
he was dressed in long pants and a dress shirt. I was drenched with sweat
while dressed in short pants and a T-shirt. I drank water constantly and
managed to keep up with the energetic Minh as he explained the historical
significance of each stop. I kept saying to myself "This is no worse than
Alabama in August." But, after spending so many years in the mild climate
of southern California, I knew this place was damned hot.
Everywhere we went,
we were bombarded by various local citizens selling post cards, T-shirts,
bottled water, and almost anything you could think of. I often replied,
"No, thank you", but this seemed to disappoint the people terribly. So,
Minh suggested that I change my line to, "Maybe later." It worked like
a charm. The next person asked me to buy water, and I replied," Maybe
later." She just smiled and said "Okay." I looked at Minh who was grinning
from ear to ear. For the rest of my time in Vietnam, I used that magic
phrase.
On the way home, I commented to Minh that his small motorbike was working very hard today. After all, Minh is 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and weighs around 95 pounds. I am about 6 feet tall, and 180 pounds. He replied, "No, no. Don't worry. 100cc...very powerful." I guess he was right. His motorbike performed beautifully and Minh skillfully maneuevered the vehicle through city traffic and country roads.
I was very sad to say goodbye to Minh because I knew I would leave for Danang by bus in the morning. I was kicking myself for not spending more time in Hue. I had spent very little time with my precious friend Minh, and barely got to know my new friend Phuong. But I knew that Hue was on the "must-see" list for the next trip.
