BUDDHIST INCENSE SPIRAL

Yeah I know, this looks like apiece of pop art from the sixties. What it really is is the inside of an incense spiral hanging from the ceiling. They sell these at Buddhist shrines like votive candles are sold in Catholic churches. Buy it, light it, and pray for the deceased. Here's the shrine with a ceiling full of spirals, priced according to size:



This shrine is in Hoi An, Vietnam, which has the finest food in the country -- and some of the finest lantern shows too. Last post I showed you some of the lanterns by night. Here are a few by day.







I'm thinking of making shorter posts through summer. Sound good? Next post will be water shots of fishermen in Hoi An's river, from the window of a seafood restaurant.

Cheers,

Allan

VIETNAM: THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS

Like our own Niagara Falls, Vietnam has allowed a lot of crappy souvenir shops to glom onto some astonishing geological formations. The Marble Mountains are a case in point. They're known as the source for Vietnam's marble carvings, as they are literally made of marble. However, to avoid decimating a tourist mecca, the Vietnamese have halted excavations and now import all the marble that's carved here.

Walking up the mountain you pass through as ancient entrance pocked with mortar shells from the war.





Look up. Look way up...



At the peak, we descend into a cave as magestic as any cathedral. It's been a natural Buddhist shrine for centuries. The Viet Cong (National Liberation Front) used it as a fortified field hospital.



It's filled with monuments: Some garish to Western eyes, like a lot of the art here, that go back a hundred years; others carved into the walls the better part of a millennia ago. Note the shrine INSIDE the cave...







We left the mountain and drove through the rain to Hoi An.



Hoi An is an amazing Unesco World Heritage sight, and I'll show it to you in depth with photos from a sunnier day. But next post is going to be all about LANTERNS! Especially BRIGHTLY LIT LANTERNS!

Cheers,

Allan

VIETNAM: MONASTERY RETREAT

After the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, a trip to the Buddhist monastery/teaching complex in the hills surrounding Dalat was just what the doctor ordered. What a joy to wander/wonder the grounds, free of our "guide" who happily texted his way through our visit.

The complex was sooooooo tranquil. There were larger shrines for prayer...





And smaller. All filled with incense.




And a place for the monks to sleep.



We loved the wander down to the lake...



In the morning haze, the lake was ethereal as a silk embroidered painting.



And being Buddhist and Vietnamese, the complex gardens were filled with whimsy and joy.





Ahhhhh....

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Hey -- any questions you have, feel free to ask. If I don't see them immediately because of travel, I'll be sure to answer immediately on my return.

Cheers,

Allan