In an effort to burn a few calories and save a few dong (the money in Vietnam), we walked it from the train station into town to find our crash pad for the evening which happened to be the Sports Hotel. Funny thing is, theres nothin sporty about it unless you consider the rat marathon taking place in the walls a sport, but they don’t seem to advertise that for some reason.
We took it easy our first night as travel days we’ve learned basically suck the life outta you and leave you hurtin the next day if you try and venture out immediately without rest.
Day 2 we headed out on wheels. Bike rentals for the day at $2 a pop seemed like a good idea considering the heat and the short distance to the citadel. The citadel, constructed in 1804 was the capital and center of political operations in Vietnam until the last emperor abdicated to Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary government in1945.
The area was heavily effected by American military strikes but with the exception of some restoration the majority of the complex was seemingly in its original state and quite imporessive. A wall 8 meters high and 2.5 kilometers around surrounded the massive complex that housed dozens of temples, ceremony halls, and the emperors private residence.
After our trek through the citadel we grabbed some grub and tooled around for a bit an dgrabbed lunch near the river before heading back for a break from the heat at our hotel and then back out to dinner before a big storm rolled through and gave us a chance to watch some tube. Thats all for now, and my head even feels a bit better so thanks for reading as always. More Hue to come!
-adam
More from Asia
Intentionally and incrementally. Most families who live this way did not leap from conventional to adventurous overnight. They built remote work capacity, paid down debt, tested longer trips, and had increasingly honest conversations about what they actually want from their lives. The leap feels bigger from outside than from inside.
Different for every family. For some it is long-term travel. For others it is weekend adventures close to home. What connects them is intentionality about how time is spent and a preference for experiences over accumulation. The version that fits your family is the right one.
By finding stability within the adventure rather than treating them as opposites. Routines, rituals, and family rhythms travel with you. Familiar foods, bedtime routines, and predictable family dynamics provide stability even when the location changes. Kids need consistency in relationships more than consistency in geography.
That people are fundamentally similar across cultures in what they want for their families. That comfort zone is a smaller circle than it feels from inside. That the things worth having in life require effort and discomfort to get. And that time together doing hard interesting things is the most reliable source of family closeness.
By getting clear on why you made the choices you made and returning to that clarity when the outside noise gets loud. Most families living unconventionally describe an initial period of explaining themselves that gradually gives way to just living the life. The explaining becomes less necessary as the results become visible.
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