Adventures in Vietnam: The Marble Mountains and Lady Buddha

Our last adventures in Vietnam were to visit The Marble Mountains and Lady Buddha in Da Nang.  The Marble Mountains are magnificent.  They pop right up out of flat terrain and are entirely marble! It was incredible to walk through one of the mountains, feeling the cool-to-the-touch marble walls and seeing the extraordinary statues and carved out caves.  And the temples and shrines built on the mountain were equally as impressive and beautiful!

  

To get up into the mountain and to see the shrines, we took a giant elevator built into its side. From there, we had beautiful views and could just start right on to the hike that took us in and out of caves and to see all of the amazing statues and things that had been carved out of the mountain.

Just down the street from the Marble Mountains is the Cao Dai Temple.  It was actually closed when we went, but there were some people who lived/worked on the property that let us in to see it and walk around!  It was truly unlike any other temple/church I've ever been in!

And, lastly, we drove along the beautiful coast, past the round fishing boats and up another mountainside to see the giant Lady Buddha that stands watch over Da Nang.  It was such a gorgeous day, and being up above city and the sea was absolutely breathtaking!

Vietnam was so so wonderful!  I hope to go back someday to explore Hanoi and all of its many other beautiful coastlines and cities!

Adventures in Vietnam: Beach Dayzzz

Vietnam was overall really relaxing!  We went to the beach everyday the kids were in absolute heaven.  We played in the sand, went boogie boarding, and Bennett was obsessed with running and flinging himself down on the ground over and over again.  It was hilarious!

One day, while we were out swimming, a man came walking down the beach pulling an extremely long rope that was connected to a net or something out in the ocean.  I can only assume he was fishing, but it was unlike any other fishing method we had ever seen!  And since he was pulling it right through where our kids were playing, they decided to help the guy out!  Here they are pulling the rope from beach:

And one evening while we were on the beach, a sweet lady came walking by carrying big pots on her shoulders.  She was selling homemade, warm tofu with brown sugar and ginger for $1/bowl.  I couldn't resist!  So, she dished me up some in an actual glass bowl with a metal spoon and then she sat and waited while I ate it!  It was so delicious!  I would love to know how she made it!

While in Hoi An, we also did our fair share of pampering :)  Peter got 2 or 3 massages, Clara and I both got our nails done, and I also got a massage!  And none of them cost more than $7.  Amazing.  

Our other favorite thing to do on the beach was to eat at Soul Kitchen!  Soul Kitchen was just a few steps down the beach from our house, and it was great!  We loved the food (and the convenience) and we ate there numerous times!  Plus, being right on the beach, the views just couldn't be beat!

 

 

Adventures in Vietnam: Hoi An Ancient Town

After an amazing 4 days in Cambodia, we hopped over to Vietnam to continue our adventures!  We rented another awesome house (through Airbnb) in Hoi An, Vietnam that fit all 16 of us comfortably, and that was also just steps away from the beach.  It was absolutely perfect.  

The view from the back of the house was beautiful.  Full of palm trees, greenery, and flowers.  Then, just behind the yard was a path that led right down to the beach!

Hoi An is so beautiful--set along the coast, but once you leave the beach areas, you drive right through rice fields with water buffalo grazing and then onto the small city full of shops and businesses.

The first thing we did in Hoi An, besides run down to check out the beach, was to go to the Hoi An Ancient Town.  The ancient town was a really neat little village with original homes, shrines, and shops, some of which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries.  Many of the especially old homes have been preserved and are on display in their original condition.  It was fascinating to see what an old port town would look like.  The town is now full of souvenir shops, restaurants, art and cultural displays and performances, and street food and vendors.  We had a fabulous time walking around shopping, watching traditional Vietnamese dancers and singers, eating, and even taking a little boat tour down the river.

Those little, yellow, round cakes were potato-coconut pancakes and they were sooo delicious!