Da Nang To Hue

Hue, Vietnam, March 25 2006

My faithful driver, Bonsoon drops me off at the Tour Bus station in Da Nang. I get on this bus and head to Hue (H00-eh), the ancient capital of Vietnam. I'm feeling a bit disoriented. Things are happening very fast here.

The only place available for me to sit on the bus is the bench seat at the very back. I throw my pack behind me and pull in. A few minutes later the bus stops and one more passenger gets on board. He bounces down the aisle to me and asks me: 'Mind if I sit here too.' 'Sure, no problem.' And so begins a magical conversation.
"My name is Foo",he tells me with a grin. I introduce myself. The next thing I know we are having a deep discussion about women and the synchronicity of life. Foo tells me that he owns a Bar in Hue called 'Brown Eyes'. He also says that he just said good-bye to a woman he was dating who is just heading back to Europe where she lives. As we get talking he tells me how much it helps him to have someone to talk to because he thought he was going to have a very sad trip home, thinking about this woman he has left behind. I tell him it's great to have him to talk to as well since I'm just heading into new territory myself. Foo has a very positive outlook on life and lots of energy. He's a free spirit. We agree that we meet each other at just the right time and although it might hurt to leave his new girlfriend it's still important to let ourselves experience the pain , not try to forget it. "We don't learn by forgetting" I tell him. He starts telling me how wise I am but I point out that I got that line from the Movie: 'Poltergeist II'. Then we talk about a Universal definition for 'Evil' that I got in a dream once. "Evil is to make less of what is good."
As we fly along the highway in our bus, we see the diverse countryside. Here we have ancient fishtail boats and modern billboards all in the same setting.

And there are apartment buildings right in the center of lush green pastures. The whole trip is surreal as we compare notes on romance and philosophy. Foo makes life so easy for me as we arrive in Hue. He takes me to a cheap Guesthouse and invites me to visit his bar later. I don't take any photos of him now but I will later.

This is my trip here in Vietnam. Everything happens so fast and I seem to meet the right people at just the right time to take the next step in my Journey.