Hoi An to Hue – August 31st 2008

At Marble Mountain we climbed Thuy Son (water)

Nuygen, Ann and Pat putting the world to rights while enjoying a rest in the shade





Adeline and me with a new friend

Hai Van (Sea Cloud) Pass









Lang Co

Hoi An to Hue – August 31st 2008


On Sunday we travel from Hoi An to Hue via Da Nang and the scenic Hai Van Pass. First we visited the beach at Hoi An and then traveled along the China Beach road to the unmemorable city of Da Nang. China Beach, famous as an R & R area for American troops during the war, is being extensively developed. There are dozens of luxurious resorts being built all along the coast. There will have to be a massive increase in the number of wealthy tourists to the area if these are to be successful.

On the way to Da Nang we stopped at Marble Mountain. This is a group of five rocky islands that have become part of the mainland as the surrounding area has filled with silt. The mountains are named after the Five Elements which interestingly are metal or gold, water, wood, fire and earth – I find the similarities and differences in the ways in which we create a taxonomy of our worlds interesting. From a distance the “mountains” looked deceptively small but it was a very hot day, so by the time we had climbed the tall steps to see the caves and pagodas, we felt that it was certainly high enough.

Within the marble and limestone rocks are tall caves that were Hindu then Buddhist sanctuaries. Amongst other things within the caves were large statues of Buddha carved into the rock, in the dim light created by holes in the roof these were an impressive sight. This area was also used as a Viet Cong stronghold during the war and still shows the scars of the ferocious battles that took place. In such beautiful and peaceful surroundings it is difficult to imagine the terrible events that occurred in this country but the bullet holes evident in the monks quarters are a sobering reminder. I understand that some of the monks and nuns who shocked the world in the 1960’s with terrible feats of self-immolation, in protest against the war, came from this region. My knowledge of the history of Viet Nam is very sketchy but I have been surprised to discover how clearly some of the images I saw in my childhood and early teens have remained in my mind.

My quiet reflection on the contrast between the past and the present was soon curtailed when we arrived back at the car park and we were beset by people from dozens of shops selling marble statues and ornaments. Apparently it became evident that there would no longer be a mountain if they continued to excavate it at the rate they were and the marble is now imported from China. The results of their labors are spectacularly crass.

We had to persuade Dong and Nugyen that we really did want to travel over the Hai Van (Sea Cloud) Pass rather than through the much shorter new tunnel but it was well worth the extra time. At the top as we admired the grand views both north and south we were beset by some of the most persistent hawkers I have ever encountered. Nothing seemed to deter them as we tried to brush them aside so we could actually admire the view. It was a stunningly clear day and we could see for many miles. The battle scarred French fort on the summit was again a reminder of the wars that have raged through this region. The road, particularly on the northern side descent, is an amazing feat of engineering with sharp switchbacks that are almost parallel with the road above and below.

On the other side of the pass we stopped for lunch at Lang Co. Unfortunately I am discovering just how fussy I am. The others tucked cheerily into whole squid which were about seven inches long and came complete with tentacles, beaks and eyes that were eaten as well as guts that had to be removed at the table – I just wanted to barf! This was compounded when I admired the fish tank full of rice wine – as well as the usual assorted snakes and scorpions etc this one included a whole dead bird – feathers, feet, head and all – so I am culturally insensitive but “yuck” does not even begin to describe my reaction.

Hue was initially not what I expected. As we made our way to our hotel, located in the citadel, it was difficult to discern the charm of the city but over the next one-and-a-bit days I fell in love with it and felt very sorry that I did not have more time to explore more.