As usual, breakfast was an enormous buffet meant for every taste and culture. There were even donuts and mini bagels. We were ready for our pickup at 7:45. We were the last people to join the group of 14.
We drove along the peninsula toward DaNang to our first stop, the lady Buddha. She is an enormous concrete statue 220 ft high overlooking the harbour. Our guide explained that since she has been there, (completed in 2010) no typhoons have struck DaNang. She carries a vase depicting the nectar of life and carries a willow branch to sprinkle the water.
She is surrounded by gardens and a few temples. The gardens have interesting statues and trees trained to various shapes using wires and wooden supports. The day was already becoming warm and sunny.
We made a stop at a marble statue site where there were all sizes of carved statues. I decided that I needed a lady Buddha to bring home. The price dropped as I wandered through the store. I was told that I was getting the “first customer of the day” discount. HA!
We moved on to the cave below Marble mountain that represents the 18 levels of hell. Apparently many of these caves were used as hideouts during the war. The many rooms and winding passageways makes them good hiding spots. There were many carved pieces depicting how you can be tortured in hell. It is interesting to know that Hell exists in Buddhism. Apparently your level depends on your misdeeds.
Our next adventure was to climb up the mountain. There is an elevator but our guide said we should take the stairs. The steps are all different widths and heights. There are a few platforms to rest and a temple where monks live. We stood outside and watched and listened to them chant. We continued on to a spot near the top. The guide told me to wait because it was slippery and narrow. He and I sat and waited for the group to take a very narrow path to the top and back. It wasn’t much farther. Kris said it was a nice view.
The stairs going down were a different path. As before, they were all different sizes. It would have been nice to have a handrail but not typical in Vietnam.
We got back into our minibus to go to lunch. Much of the food here is some sort of noodle soup-the noodles vary in size-and then meat or vegetables and fresh herbs. There are other added spices like very hot peppers, fresh lime, and hot pepper sauce. Adding hot pepper to anything can be trial by fire! But you learn what’s tolerable.
We got back to our hotel for a quiet afternoon. I wandered up and down the beach. The shallows make for powerful surf. The gym was deserted so I did a little workout. Then we went into town. We had been told about a place that was extremely inexpensive for the local noodle dish, Cao Lao. It took a while for us to find the place. Hoi An is an endless maze of shops and restaurants. We arrived to find a line out the door. We took that as a very good sign. Dinner was a delicious bowl of noodles with a dark flavorful broth, slices of pork and fresh herbs. The meal cost $1.52 for the soup and $1.52 for a beer. No wonder the place is popular. The clients were a mix of locals and travelers. It’s a deal!!!
We walked into the night market to see what was happening. It was a crazy mix of more shops, restaurants with loud bands singing American rock music, and all sorts of street food. We wandered back into the main streets to reach our shuttle bus back to the hotel. Tomorrow we are being pickup at 5:20 am to go to a huge archaeological site. Breakfast is included. Time to get some sleep now.
The Adventures of Anne 