dutky's Journal: Marble Mountains/Trip to Hue

Sorry, again we lost the ability to log into Slashdot while in Vietnam. This log was originally post January 10, 2003.
On 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 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 mountain as their secret sanctuary. During the American war, the Viet Cong used the temples inside the mountain 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 one 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 slim briefcase. They didn't seem to understand that we had large bags that had to be properly secured or they would just 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. 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. Nothing was left of their former grandeur, only old pictures and models. I felt very sad and slightly violated by the unnecessary autrocities of the American War.

Today we visited the Tomb of the Nguyen Dynasty Emperor Tu Duc. His tomb is set on the area that used to be his summer villa. He had a penchant for poetry and painting the areas his filled with pine forests, wildflowers and man-made lakes and islets. There is a flowing grace about the place that is calming and tranquil.

Lina