Just like the name implies, Marble Mountains are a range of five steep marble cliffs jutting up from the ground outside of Da Nang. The Vietnamese name translates to Five Elements Mountains (five elements is a common theme in Vietnamese lore), and the marble was just a bonus. The mountain range has had various spiritual and military functions over the last few centuries, and only in the last few decades has served as the hub for Viet Nam's booming marble carving industry.
Both natural formations and marble extraction have led to a series of caves and archways that make for a beautiful hike.
The path is lined by recent and historic marble carvings, and several pagodas dot the mountaintop.
We barely explored the miles of trails through the mountains, since we were tired from the drive and wanted to get home before the babies lost it. So we made our way down the five flights of narrow stairs (complicated by balancing a wiggly baby on my chest), and headed back to the car.
The only problem with hiring a car is that the driver assumes that we're the type of people that would hire a car. As in the type of people that would enjoy a quick stop at a
We politely walked around the showroom, and explained that we didn't have space in our luggage for a $5,000 marble picnic table. The sculptures were impressive, though.
The only other event of note on the drive home was what may have been the best summary of 21st century Viet Nam. As we rolled away from Marble Mountain, our driver pointed out, "On right, airport from American war. On left, casino."
The airport he was referring to was Da Nang airbase, a critical site for US operations in the region. In its late 1960s heyday, the airport was the busiest in the world, seeing over 2,500 takeoffs and landings daily. The only evidence that remains are a few concrete airplane hangars, as the rest of the buildings have been consumed by the insane amount of resort development happening on the sandy stretch between Da Nang and Hoi An. US Veterans know the area as China Beach. Vietnamese officials have repurposed the area as a tourism zone, allowing the type of mega resorts and casinos that (thankfully) aren't common throughout the rest of the country.
Back in Hoi An, dinner was nothing short of life changing.
Have I mentioned Anthony Bourdain in the blog yet? I don't think I have. In our infinite excitement about this trip, Aimee and I consumed all information about Viet Nam that we could get our hands on. A key portion of this was Anthony Bourdain videos. The chef/journalist considers Viet Nam his emotional and culinary home, and has filmed several episodes in the country for his various shows over the years. He really loves this place, and it's easy to see why. Amazing food is waiting for you on literally every street corner. About five years ago, one of those street corners had a banh mi cart on it, and 95 seconds on the travel channel changed the owner's life.
These days, Banh Mi Phuong (the owner's name) has grown way beyond a corner stand. It's packed from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM with both locals and tourists grabbing what may literally be the best sandwich in the world.
If you can brave the crowd and the cacophony, you will be rewarded.
We still have a month left in this country, and I'm already growing despondent over what I'll do when I can no longer walk down the street for this.
