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Huenext «1 2 » previousMarble Mountains/Trip to HueOn our last day in Hoi An we took a trip to the Marble Mountains via taxi. The mountains were once a chain of five marble islets that were submerged under water, now they loom poetically over the landscape. They are named for the five elements that the Vietnamese thought made up the world: earth, fire, water, metal and wood. If you have time and you are on the Central Coast, I would recommend that you go. The mountains' are like the realization of a childhood dream, the embodiment of Tolkein's stories of civilizations carved into a mountain. The mountains really are made of marble, and many civilizations from the Cham to the current day Buddist have carved temples and sculptures into the caves inside the mountains and used the mountains as their secret sanctuary. During the American war, the Viet Cong used the temples inside the mountains as hospitals. The water dripping from the stalagmites is said to have healing properties. If you can climb to the top of the largest peak, you are rewarded with an inspiring view of all five mountains and China Beach. Come prepared to climb though, Jeff and I came thinking that we could just walk up the mountain. Not so. This trip requires a bit a of climbing, sometimes on all fours. We took the train to Hue from Danang, and I don't recommend the train if you are travelling with large backpacks or suitcases. The train is used by the domestic Vietnamese who are usually only going to a city for a day or two and have packed all their necessities into a very tiny briefcase. They didn't seem to understand that we had large bags that had to be properly secured or they would fall and hurt someone. I got repeatedly pushed and shoved aside by everyone from the travellers to the train attendants, and no one ever thought of stopping to apologize or see if I was okay. When we arrived in Hue, I was unable to get off the train because of all the people getting on. People getting off would shove me down. Then, just as I had managed to get up, someone else would shove me down again. This happened four times in a row. Finally I had to be heaved off the train by two young men who could build up the moment to get past all the people getting on. Yesterday we visited the remains of the Imperial City in Hue. The city was repeately burned, looted and bombed by the French in 1947 and the Americans in 1968. Between them the French and Americans seemed to take everything from the Imperial City that was of value. Walking through the city for me was like visiting a cemetary, you could see the foundations of five large palaces that had been completely levelled by the Americans in the Tet Offensive of 1968.’Δέ Nothing was left of their former grandeur, only old pictures and models. I felt very sad and violated by the unnecessary autrocities of the American War. next «1 2 » previous |
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