This week brought a reunion with Hanoi and a hello to Da Nang. A much-needed rest on Da Nang’s beautiful beaches and a visit to a great big Buddha.

Da Nang – relaxation

Maybe it was the aftermath of my illness or the bus ride, but by the time I arrived in Da Nang, I needed to briefly unplug. More specifically, I needed to be in calm surroundings for a while. Luckily, Da Nang could deliver on that wish.

I’m staying in the north-eastern part of Da Nang, near the area called Man Thai. The atmosphere here is very different from Hanoi. There’s a holiday feel to the area, which makes sense – it’s 28 degrees, and the beach is only 200 metres away. There aren’t that many tourists yet, though there’s clearly been room made for them. Gigantic skyscrapers line up along the coast, and many new ones are still under construction. In a few months, when summer starts, the place will surely fill up with tourists. I hope so – otherwise these are some very expensive buildings to have standing empty.

For many of you it probably comes as no surprise that I really enjoy a good walk along the coast. Here, Da Nang certainly hasn’t disappointed. There was, however, one thing my attention couldn’t let go of: the huge Buddha statue on the mountainside. So on the third day I packed my backpack and trudged up to it.

Pilgrimage to Linh Ung Pagoda

I’m probably a bit odd. Both in Hanoi and now in Da Nang I’m one of the few pedestrians who dares to walk along the road stretches. That’s understandable enough, really, since the infrastructure isn’t very pedestrian-friendly. In fact, I’d say it practically disowns pedestrians by forcing them out into the traffic. The standard seems to be: as soon as there’s more than one kilometre to go, you call a scooter taxi. And why not? It costs a couple of kroner – maybe less – and then you’re there quickly. With apps like Grab, which find a scooter and set the price, the experience is barely any easier.

But I walk. I enjoy walking. I see things on my walks that others overlook, and I have time to think and reflect – or just listen to a podcast, audiobook or music. For example, I come across a small open-air museum on the way up the mountain, tempting me with a cold refreshment. Dong Dinh Museum sits on the mountainside of Son Tra. For a small sum I could get a freshly pressed pineapple juice, enjoy the view over Da Nang, and see a collection of ancient artefacts – some dating all the way back to the 1st–3rd century.

After a short rest I continue along the heavily trafficked road. When I reach Linh Ung Pagoda, it dawns on me that all the traffic on the road had primarily had one destination: this place. There are a lot of people. Far more than I had imagined. In my head it was just a big statue – maybe with a small ice-cream kiosk next to it. But it turns out to be a huge Buddhist temple complex with large squares, halls, pagodas, statues and gardens. In fact, it’s one of Central Vietnam’s most important Buddhist sites. And even though it was only built a couple of decades ago, it’s genuinely impressive.

You know that thing where a park or amusement park has built a big statue or rock formation to imitate another culture? When you get close, you can see the paint flaking, details breaking off, and what you thought was stone turns out to be papier-mâché.

Here it’s different. The statues are made of real marble on solid limestone plinths. The trees and plants are real, being watered and pruned. The vases are two metres tall and decorated from top to bottom. The furniture has the finest decorations and engravings. Gilded statues and a magnificent altar filled with… supermarket snacks. Yes, okay – good word choice again. But I’m told it’s more about the pretty colours on the packaging than the contents. I spend a couple of hours at the temple, just walking around taking the area in. Despite the many visitors, there’s ample opportunity to find peace and quiet – though not in front of the great “Lady Buddha”.

After a lovely day on the mountain I decide it’s time to give a scooter a try.

My first scooter

In the first two weeks of my trip in Vietnam I actually hadn’t used scooter taxis at all. One reason is of course that I prefer to walk. The other is that, having observed Vietnamese traffic, it wasn’t exactly something that made me want to throw myself into it voluntarily. But it’s also too impractical to ignore entirely. So the bull had to be taken by the horns.

I installed Grab, got verified, and entered my destination. 32,000 dong. That’s roughly 8 kroner. For those 8 kroner I get transported from the temple to my hotel – about 7 kilometres. My driver is ready almost before I manage to hit accept. I walk out to the parking lot, get handed a far-too-small helmet, and climb on the back of the scooter. Off we go. I just manage to mention that this is actually the first time I’ve sat on the back of a scooter. It doesn’t really get any reaction. 12–14 minutes later I’m standing in front of my hotel again. The driver just about registers that I’ve gotten off and gets his helmet back, before speeding off again. I’m left standing there for a moment, thinking.

Earlier in the day I had, together with two Canadians, shaken my head at people riding without a helmet. Now I’m not entirely sure what my own helmet was actually supposed to achieve – other than perhaps ensuring there was still a recognisable face left, after the rest of the body had been beaten to shreds. Maybe it’s just me being a wimp. Millions of Vietnamese ride scooters every single day. In fact, so effortlessly that I’ve myself considered renting a scooter. That option is still on the table. But now the decision weighs a little heavier. As much as I miss the freedom of my campervan in New Zealand, the road conditions there were, after all, somewhat closer to Danish conditions than here in Vietnam. And New Zealand even drives on the left side of the road.

The coming week

No concrete plans have actually been made for the coming week yet. I’m considering some full-day trips, but the weather forecast has proven quite unpredictable.

I’m also a bit undecided about whether I’ll stay in Da Nang after next week or spend a week in Hoi An. Right now I’m leaning more towards fewer changes of accommodation.

Regardless, I’ll be heading to Ho Chi Minh City at the start of April. I’ve made plans with a friend to meet up there. But you won’t get to know more about that just yet.

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