VN Trip-Day5-Heavenly Lady Pagoda

Our driver drove us to the hotel to drop off our luggage and took us to Perfume River (Song Huong). We arrived by train after 8:00am, we were not able to get a tour guide but got our own boat. We were on our own. It's a good thing we spoke Vietnamese.
I told my brother that Hue people have an unusual accent and it's very hard to understand. I tried to imitate for him but I couldn't. Even my father had trouble understanding them.
A couple took us out to Perfume River on the Dragon Boat. The motor was very noisy. I was thinking how this could cause additional damage to my hearing loss. She asked us if we wanted fish, shrimp or squid. My brother wanted all three. Her husband pulled the boat up to the side of the river and she hopped off (to go to the market). It didn't take long before she came back with our uncooked lunch and fresh fruits.
So we headed up the river. Our first stop was Thien Mu Pagoda, also a monestery. It is right on the edge of the river. In fact, steps lead right from the water up to the pagoda. Built in 1601, the pagoda was built after an old woman appeared on the hill where the pagoda stands today. She told the locals that a lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country's prosperity. The seven level brick stupa or tower represents Buddha's seven incarnations on earth.
On the way in, we saw a monk using a weedwacker. They also have a beautiful flower garden here. I went in the far back section of the garden and found orchids grafted onto the trees and lots of unusual plants. This area contained living quarters for the monk. It also housed the Austin motorcar that was driven by the pacifist monk, Thich Quang Duc, who lived at this pagoda. He drove this car from Hue to Saigon, where he set himself on fire, in protest of President Ngo Dinh Diem's policies against the practice of Buddhism.
The lady on the boat and I talked about our children. She explained to me that children here go to school from 7:00 to noon. They come home early enough to help their family with their work/business. In Vietnam, most children do not go past the eight grades. The majority of Vietnam lives in rural areas, farming and agriculture is their specialty. Also, schooling must be paid for. It's my understanding that there is no such thing as free public education as there are in America.