Yesterday, we took our first mini road trip to Marble Mountains, a group of 5 mountains, located about 8 miles south of Da Nang. The five 'mountains' are named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). Theses mountains rise out of the surrounding flat plains like monolithic monuments. Thuy Son (water) is the largest of the five and offers an amazing view of the city from its peak rising 105meters straight out of the sand. The climb to the top took about 20 minutes and the stairs were extremely steep. I was so grateful for the railing, especially on the way down when my knees were shaking like crazy and I it felt like my legs were gonna give out.
After such an intense trek, we decided it was time to take a fiver and enjoy some fresh coconut juice. First, you suck down all the juice with a straw, then hack it open and dig into the delectable seed.
The juice of the coconut is clear, mildly sweet and slightly salty. The white, meaty flesh of the coconut is firm, sweet and nutty!
The main attractions of the mountains are the numerous caves and grottoes, with some made into pagodas and shrines, once inhabited by monks. However, on the day we visited, the main attraction was Piotr! We were stopped at least 4 or 5 times by swarms of teenagers begging to have their pictures taken with him. Dang! 5,000 dongs a picture and we could of had dinner paid for the next month:)
My favorite cave was the one with 3 openings at the top where sunshine poured in, spotlighting the incense smoke that filled the room.
After spending a good couple hours exploring Thuy Son, we decided to check out the scene in the village at the base of the mountain.
The third picture totally reminded me of a lizard sticking its tongue out :~
Lunch was scrumdittilyumptious!
Fresh greens and cucumbers, grilled shrimp, broth, a heaping plate of rice and grilled pork.
The best way to eat is to scope out what the Vietnamese peeps are eating, and when you see something you like, just point. Works every time:)
While exploring the outskirts, we happened upon a few fellow motorbikers waiting for the ferry to carry them across the river and decided to join them.
I swear, the woman I am sitting next to gave me the ok to sit by her, but the look on her face says "Who the hell are you and why you sitting next to me?" Gotta love it!
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