Nightlife in Hue, last time I went, was rather subdued. What a difference a year makes. I got the chance of a weekend in Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. I’ve been here before and like it a lot. After the ubiquitous 1 hour delay for the Vietjet flight out of Tan Son Nhat we arrived in Hué at about 6.30pm. Met at the airport, the 15 kilometre drive into town went without incident. The town looks a little busier and more built up than I remembered from merely a year ago. Development here, like everywhere else in Vietnam, is continuing apace. With these changes, nightlife in Hue is really taking off.
I checked into my extremely nice room in the Moonlight Hotel right in the middle of the pedestrianised area, where everything appears to be happening. There was just enough time to grab a quick shower before meeting for dinner. Hué was hot, extremely hot.
One of the things I love the most about travelling is the fact that you meet the most amazing people in the weirdest of circumstances. The night started out relatively normal, but soon got “entertaining.” We went into the Hot Tuna restaurant and found a table upstairs. When one orders a gin and tonic and the waitress says, “do you want a small or a large?” One doesn’t expect the large to be a litre jug of the strongest mix imaginable. But hey, that’s what we got.
The food was not brilliant but not too shabby, a Vietnamese take on what a steak with green peppercorn sauce is. OK, so it wasn’t really what this dish would be in the West but it was fine. Then the football started. It’s World Cup so France were playing Uruguay. The whole street came alive as people cheered on their favourites. Their favourites appeared to be France, and every time they even got close to the opponents goal the whole street went mental.
For the second half I wanted somewhere where I could seriously watch the game. I found a cool burger joint that had beers at a dollar and a good vibe. When France scored their second goal everyone in the bar got a free Ricard! If nightlife in Hue is always like this, it could become a regular trip.
This was my kind of bar. upon the final whistle another Ricard appeared and by this time I was totally one of Les Bleu, for the evening. The atmosphere was terrific. I suspect this could be the venue for the England game tomorrow night.
I am loving Hué!
