3/14/18
We are met at the airport by our new guide. She is a young girl, about my age, speaks English well, and appears to be friendly and relaxed. She leads us to a van parked outside, adjusting her gait to match grandpa’s slow shuffle. We find a driver waiting with the van. Like most of our trip to come, we have two people at our service: a culturally knowledgeable guide who speaks English and a dedicated driver just to navigate the traffic. It’s probably safer that way, considering how crazy the driving is.
With a population of 800,000, Da Nang not nearly as crowded, chaotic, or as full of motorbikes and Ho Chi Minh City. In my opinion, it’s more beautiful too.
The tour takes us to a museum of Cham culture and then to Marble Mountain, where we learn how they carve and polish marble. Afterward, the guide and I separate from grandpa, and we climb to the top to see the temples and pagodas dedicated to Buddha.
The temples are colorful with decorated rooftops, trees, and dragons created with broken glass bottles. There are also caves with people burning incense for the Buddha statues within.
After the hike our guide dropped us off at the most beautiful hotel I had ever seen. Apparently, Bill Clinton had stayed here, at the Furama Resort, a 4 star hotel on the beach with extensive gardens, pools, and several restaurants on site. There is a garden pool on the interior of the hotel, and an infinity pool overlooking the beach.
Our room was a comfortable size, with 2 single beds and granite countertops in the bathroom. We are welcomed to the hotel with tropical drinks.
I head out to the pool for a swim while grandpa tries to get international service working on his cell phone. The weather was incredibly hot and humid, so the pool felt great after the hike up the mountain earlier that day.
Next stop, Hoi An, Vietman…