Journey to Peace Village

I spent the first few days of my latest trip in Danang. (Including my birthday). It was a surprisingly nice city. Danang is overlooked on most tourist trips, if anything a quick pause between Hoi An and Hue. But it has a lot of charm in its own right.

Called Tourane by the French, Danang is the third largest city in Viet Nam and the principal city of the center of the country. It was important during the Viet Nam war because it is very close to the DMZ, (the dividing line between the old north and south). A lot of American troops were stationed in and around Danang, and I saw some of the remnants, including a large, decaying army base and helicopters, etc., on display. Danang is also home to "China Beach" which was an R& R center. China beach is pretty empty these days and I only got to lounge around in a beach chair, as I couldn't find anywhere to secure my belongings and change into my swim suit. That's how empty it is. There's one high end resort near the mountains on China Beach and there are more being developed, so it may not be this pristine for long.

I also went to the "Marble Mountains" a chain of mountains which are a geographical break between North and South Vietnam. It was absolutely beautiful with spectacular views of China Beach and greater Danang. There's a spectacular pagoda on the top of one of the mountains(actually several located in caves within the mountains). My guide for the pagoda was Nga, an elderly Vietnamese who has the flexibility of an eighteen year old. She helped me to climb and shimmy through the caves to some of the hidden treasures such as a reclining Buddha cut out of the rocks. At one point she even pulled me up a difficult to navigate rock ledge.

My room was a restful retreat from the activity. It afforded a spectacular view of the mountains and the "rooster church" an old pink cathedral built by the French. Every morning I was awakened at 4:30 a.m. by the church bells calling the faithful to prayer!

I'm glad I got delayed in Danang on my way to the Festival in Hue!

Labels: Viet Nam, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history