From Hanoi, we headed to the ancient city of Hue located between the sixteenth and seventeenth parallel, south of Hanoi and north of Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon) located in the heart of central Vietnam. Hue was for a long time the historic capital of the nation, a beautiful city noted for its fine buildings and mausoleums. It is studded with old pagodas, including the famous Thien Mu Pagoda with its wonderful seven-storied tower construction.

 ….hundreds of Vietnamese children and citizens followed Ali who seemed to be the Pied Piper. Wherever he went, he was recognized and the Vietnamese gathered and followed. Ali stopped on the path to the house and called the children around him. As he was encircled by the kids, he pulled out a bright red handkerchief from his pants pocket and began to perform a series of magic tricks for the crowd. He tucked the hanky into his closed fist and then he opened both hands. Hocus pocus… the handkerchief disappeared! The children laughed and giggled excitedly and even the adults applauded Ali’s amazing slight of hand.

an excerpt from, saved by the bell