Initial problem. Hue is pronounced Hu-ay, our guide Huy is pronounced Hu-ee. Tim is in dyslexia overdrive.

On arrival at our hotel we headed for the citadel, pictured above, the view from our balcony. Obvious destination as the flag is obviously a sign. It wasn’t far but we just about killed ourselves getting there – the roads are mental! You stand at a crossing on a roundabout with 5 lanes of traffic and the green man shows so you think you can cross. But the bikes just go through the red light so it’s a game of chicken. Apparently there is no right of way here, you just give out to the biggest vehicle. Is a human bigger than a bike? I’ve not got it yet.

Anyway, we braved the roads and got to the citadel but it was closed already. We’ll see the imperial city in another life, but it was still pretty impressive.

So we had to face the road back and found an easier crossing and look who we found…

What we didn’t know is that in Vietnam turtles are considered lucky and we have good things coming to us for saving him. But then a woman on our boat yesterday said it might be an unlucky breed of turtle. We were reassured by our guide that the unlucky turtles are very rare but now I’m worrying. And what if it was a lucky turtle who didn’t want rescuing? If it was an unlucky turtle, how do you you deal with it? Maybe we should have left it to it’s fate, but I’m convinced we saved a lucky turtle.

Back on the other side of the Perfume river we found two very different sides of life. The tourist quarter with vibrant bars, loud music and hundreds of restaurants. It could be any holiday resort, albeit with more bikes.

Then take a wander down the river and it changes vibe. A pedestrian walkway alongside the bank is a throng of food stalls, buskers and the standard market tat. The Vietnamese clearly like to socialise and all of life is here. It makes sense. It’s rarely below 30 degrees and most people live in apartments so your social life is outside. Crowds of teenagers gather singing along to someone strumming on a guitar, play football, stroll down the promenade, or look at their phones, like any other teenager. Families strolling or hanging about in one of the many coffee bars. Young dads carry toddlers on their shoulders, older children run wild, grandmothers looking on smiling. Strange thing I noticed is that often mothers dress their little girls in the same outfit as them. Daisy would have loved that back in the day, but really?

And then there are people in teddy bear suits selling sweets.

Flip flops for goalposts