Absolutely incredible day today. The motorcycle tour was amazing. Just on the side, this internet cafe is really creepy. I think people are really interested in how I'm plugging my camera into the computer because everyone stops behind me and just stares. A little disconcerting. Anyway, I was a little apprehensive at first, but as soon as you're in amongst the traffic and the people, excitement takes over. We drove down narrow alleyways, over bumpy dirt roads, alongside houses and shacks, the rich and the poor living side by side. The countryside is breathtaking; bright green rice paddies, temples and statues. There were also a tremendous amount of cemeteries, all with very ornate tombstones. And the people. The people are generous and kind - the kids run out yelling, "Hello! Hello!" and have their hands out for high fives. I'm pretty sure I had a grin from ear to ear throughout the tour.

We also stopped at an orphanage outside of Hue. The orphanage, run by nuns, has children of all ages and abilities. Some of them victims of Agent Orange, some whose parents have been injured or killed by landmines. The children were so intrigued by us and were all smiles; it's quite an experience to witness the resiliency and innocence of children. We brought rice, notebooks and pens for them, as the orphanage relies on various groups that visit. After spending a little time with the kids, we were taken to a nunnery for lunch. They had prepared a vegetarian feast for us, no garlic or basil, as this supposedly precipitates the sexual drive. The meal was amazing and we had a mini siesta afterward. I had the best nap I've had in ages! After filling up, we were off down the road to be shown how incense is made. We were then driven through a small village to the home of the most famous conical hat maker in Vietnam. Her name is Thui and with only one full arm, she produces 2 hats per day. She was born without an arm due to pesticide exposure while in the womb and her father died during the Tet Offensive in 1968. She spent 10 years learning how to make the hats, when it usually only takes 3. She has now been making them for thirty years. A very unique experience to be welcomed into her home. Our last stop of the tour was at the highest point around Hue, where we had amazing views of the Perfume River.

We decided to stick with the vegetarian theme for dinner and went to a place called Tinh Tam, specializing in vegetarian meals. Vegetarian meals with a twist. All of the meals are made with tofu so we had "deer" with lemongrass, sweet and sour "chicken", "pig ear" with vegetables and some other random appetizers. Interesting meal. The deer tasted the best, the ear was the worst, it looked like a chewy candy and had a rubbery consistency, much like ear I presume? And that was the day. Definitely a highlight of my time so far in Vietnam. Tomorrow we are off on our last overnight train to Hanoi, 13 hours of fun!