Tourismo, The Walkthrough
I've just noticed something about the oral transference between travelers (he said, sipping on his iced apple/ginger drink from a plastic bag basking in heat and humidity).There's some similarity between telling helpful hints to your fellow tourists and video game walkthroughs. For example:
Go down to Sinh. (The one with the Tamarind Cafe underneath.) Find "Jimmy." Ask him for a boat ride. He'll haggle in price, which is OK, just don't go above 50. Take the golden ticket due south about 20km. If it's sunny you'll see a bunch of chairs, if it's rainy, go inside the building with the Golden Star that you first saw on entering the city and deposit your belongings. Don't forget to take out your things(!), you'll need them later...We're in Hue, Vietnam. Like many tourists, we are visiting ancient tombs. But if you squint and see the hillsides you can see large graveyards as well - they are apparently part of the legacy of the Tet Offensive - a hell designed for those villagers unfortunate enough to be caught between the North Vietnamese Communist Army and U.S. Marines.
The tombs are imposing and beautiful. The Tu Duc monument was especially awe-inspiring, as it was, in part, meant to be. It is said that it was built as a place for the young emperor to be inspired by - in part so that he could write and recite poetry for his concubines.
The sign at the tomb itself suggested that the monument was built to inspire the creation of poetry, which strikes me as a particularly beautiful sort of patronage. Not just state sanction of artists, or their compensation, or for rehearsal halls or theaters - but a state-built construction designed to inspire artistic creation, which seems like a nice idea.
I could be inspired ... if I could just get something out of my head:
Me, walking through tombs: Is it somewhat or extremely wrong that I have the soundtrack to Kill Bill Vol. 2 running through my head?
Mai: Extremely wrong.
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