The Citadel of Hue

From one UNESCO world heritage site to the next, Hue about 100km north of Hoi An. We catch a double decker tourist bus which is a little strange as rather than having two floors, has what can only be described as bunk beds, although they are seats that 90% recline, and the bus takes a bit of an indirect route via a temple carved in a mountain and a ceramics shop which consequently means it takes four hours to get to our destination.

NEWSFLASH: We interrupt this broadcast to bring you some breaking news. We are receiving reports that Camilla is dead!! Preliminary reports suggest that Camilla has drowned after plunging head first into a freezing cold river. We can not confirm whether this was a freak accident or whether an act of malice aforethought. Camilla's arch nemesis Great Aunty Colin has denied any involvement or that he is throwing a street party at this very moment. We will bring you further updates as we have them.

Hue is the old capital of Vietnam and as such was the residence of the Emperors. At Hue' centre is a fantastic old citadel where he and his family, courtiers and mandarins lived out their lavish lives. It's a little surprising that none of the structures are actually over 150 years old as its like stepping back to a much more ancient time. Some of the buildings have been or are being restored but many have seen better days and apparently came under severe bombardment during the war – which I suppose is understandable as it is a symbol of privilege, entitlement and donkeys years of practical enslavement and feudal excess. However, the vast expanse of buildings within the site is a little oasis from the madness of traffic outside the walls and whilst very impressive even now, once fully restored could rival Beijing's Forbidden City, of which there are many architectural and design similarities.