Tag: buddha

Vietnam So Far

First starting out in Vietnam, we were trying to figure out what to do. We were in the central coast of the country, and as Vietnam is a long, coastal country, we could either make a move north or south. That gave us some time to check out the tourist sites around us.

This is from Marble Mountain. It was full of caves, Buddhas and candles.

We went to Hoi An for a couple days, which was probably the most touristy place so far. We drove out to My Son from there, to check out some Cham ruins.

The ride there and back was full of rice fields.

We rented a scooter went up to Hue from there, and on the cloudy ride, this was on the way there.

In Hue, we bought a scooter from another foreigner, so we had to return the first one to Hoi An. So, I got to learn how to drive semi-automatic for the first time, in a foreign country, in the rain!

Though a good skill to have in these parts, these types of bikes do not exist in the United States, so it is only a temporarily useful skill.

After returning the bike, we made a decision to head southward, as the weather was warmer.We ended up spending days riding for hours and hours at a time, observing the agricultural and natural scenery, stopping at night in small towns. Vietnam has so many visitors that even in the smallest, off-the-map villages, we ran into other westerners. During one of the rides, we noticed this foot bridge. We only took a picture of it from one side, as it looked a bit sketchy to cross.

Most of the area we passed was largely rural, hence the omnipresence of cows. In some towns, at any point, a cow, pig or dog can run out into the middle of the street while you are driving. This might be very dangerous in a car, but on bike, you have more opportunity to maneuver, plus you aren’t driving too fast anyway.

Through the hills, some of the driving can get quite windy, so you’ll be forewarned. Some signs even let you know that the area has a high cow population.

Many of the landscapes reminded me of parts of California or the Southwestern United States I’d been to. I realized how little I knew about Vietnam before I had actually come.

From the movies, I thought it was all jungle, but in reality, the natural surrounding is quite diverse.

Rubber tree plantations are quite fine places to stop for a picnic, with all of the symmetrical cleared space, plus the umbrella-effect from the top of the trees.

Apart from landscape, this is a very populated country, so lots of different types of houses and buildings line the road.

Palgongsan

Another mandatory trip from my region in South Korea is to Palgongsan Mountain. This destination is quite the interesting mix of nature and culture. Not getting much time off, it is a treat to have both aspects combined in one outing.

The transit trek there from the city has the potential be a bit long and complicated, but completely possible if you just follow the people dressed in hiking gear. Those comfortable with subway transfers and long public bus routes that involve yanking your arm while holding a pole and flinging into other passengers for a bit will find a fine reward of sitting down as this ride drives closer to the destination. One can then relax toward the end of this bus voyage and watch the city bustle dwindle down and release into the suburbs, where one can notice the reduction of building concentration as this vehicle gradually reaches the hills.

Palgongsan is hopping with an assortment of hikers of all ages. In the United States, it is rare to find grandmothers decked out in hiking clothes, navigating a steep hill, but here, it is pretty normal.

This hike involves hundreds of stairs carved out into a steep mountain slope, a very direct ascent. About every 20 minutes of hiking, you must rest and catch your breath, but at these breaks, you are rewarded with some strikingly epic Buddhist temple or statue, perhaps with some interesting music playing in the background. Other breaks involve Korean mothers handing out complimentary fruit to you, or monks standing to the side of the trail, consistently beating on a simple percussion instrument.

The top of the mountain seems a bit other-wordly. Personally, you are worn and heated and undergoing pleasant physical and mental sensations in your head and body. At this time, you are simultaneously greeted by a large, gray Buddha carved into the rock. Dozens of people are on mats, bowing in front of this sculpture or lighting candles.

Though likely cold and windy at this peak, you are immune and able to remove your top clothing layers from all of the workout warmth, and peer over the sides of the summit fences and try to make out the network of hazy hills.