Exploring the World : April 2013

~ Sunrise. DaNang, Vietnam ~

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I love pleasant surprises. And I think sometimes when you expect the worst or nothing at all, you're more often pleasantly surprised than not. On my flight from Hanoi to DaNang, the man in the seat next to me asked if I would switch seats with his wife so he could sit with her. I told him "of course," and got up as he motioned for his wife to come on back. When I got into the isle, she pointed to her seat- the very first spot in first class! Even though the ride was only a couple hours, I was super excited!! They brought extra snacks, and warm towels for our face, and beverages, and so much leg room! Anyway, I was pretty pumped about my fancy new seat and was sure to thank the man and his wife :)

Vietnam Airlines- First seat of FIRST CLASS! woot!

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After I arrived in DaNang, I got a ride from the airport to my little hotel near the beach. It was only $27 a night but very cute! Although it didn't have air conditioning and my shower was either freezing cold or really hot, everything else was much more than I expected, so again, very pleasantly surprised :)

On my first day, I woke up early to see the sunrise and then went down for some breakfast and coffee. I pulled out my travel books and wrote a list of things I wanted to see. I read a little bit about the history of Vietnam, the north and south, and how DaNang was portrayed during the war. After a tasty breakfast, I asked the woman at the front desk how I could get around the city to see those spots- "Would it be safe to just walk?" She just laughed at me and started dialing on the phone. She smiled, handed the phone to me, and said, "Motorbike tour. He help you." On the other end of the phone some guy started talking really loudly and I had no clue what he was saying. So I said, "motorbike tour?" and he replied. "Yes, I come there now." and then hung up the phone.

I looked at the woman and said, "Is this safe?" And she just smiled and said, "Are you scared?" I laughed nervously and replied, "Uh, should I be?" And she laughed at me and said, "He will show you those spots you want to see. You enjoy DaNang." So there you go, that's how I was gonna see the city!

I grabbed a few granola bars and some water, and headed outside to meet a guy named Nom, who handed me a helmet and said, "ok I show you Vietnam." So I hopped on his bike and hoped for the best!

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Getting ready for the day

The entrance to my hotel :) [fancy!]

And this is Nom. My tour guide for the day :)

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The first stop was The Museum of Cham Sculpture. These were statues of the Hindu Deities which were found by a few architects in the area of DaNang. When I bought my $1 ticket at the front, the woman asked where I was from and I told her Ann Arbor, MI. She had a huge smile and told me her daughter is in grad school at U of M! Such a small world :)

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First Stop- Museum of Cham Sculpture

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Yep. That's Nom's Head.

I am hanging on to the back of the bike with one hand and taking a picture with the other.

That's the Dragon of the bridge as we drive into the city of DaNang

The Goddess Lakshmi-

my roommate's name is Lekshmi and she was indeed named after this Goddess!

Lakshmi meditating. Very fitting. I see now why my roomie is so wise :)

Museum of Cham Sculpture

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Ho Chi Minh Museum

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Next Stop- Marble Mountain and Caves with Buddhist Monasteries and Temples

(Was amazing. Perhaps my favorite part of Vietnam.)

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Marble Mountain in the distance

Buddhist Monks walking through the entrance of Marble Mountain

~ DaNang, Vietnam ~

Walked up the stairs and through the trees....

...To find these.....

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As I walked through the mountain, there were caves that you had to climb through and end up in the middle of huge hidden caverns filled with incense, Buddha Statues, and shrines. Buddhist Monks were praying and meditating. There were butterflies outside and bats in the caves. The entire atmosphere was of peace. It felt like time briefly stopped. It was simply amazing.

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Through the Caves of Marble Mountain....

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