food, sometimes we consume it, sometimes it consumes us. while enjoying my fried duck stuffed with shrimp and i got chitchatting with some parisians, time flew by. i really don't recommend running, or many other activities, for that point, in 34 degree weather with insane humidity. a human stuffed with a duck, stuffed with shrimp usually maintains a landspeed of 2 mph, but i managed to kick it up a notch and squeezed at least 3mph out of my greasy duck fuel and was only 15 minutes late.
riding cyclos in vietnam has freaked me out, rightfully so, as they bomb the opposite direction in hanoi, obey no stop signs, wear no helmets and strap gear equivalent to space shuttles on their backs. easy riders have a much better rep, authentic ones at least. i was pleasantly surprised at quyen's ability to maneuver, even if the traffic wasn't a tenth as dense as hanoi. he pointed out weddings and buildings of note as we cruised through the country side to the marble mountains.
the marble mountains are something to behold. especially the 'water' one we climbed. they even have a new elevator quite like the one i encountered in salvador, brazil for the really fat tourists. i will admit the steep steps did cause me to perspire a 125% more than usual. at the top there is a gigantic white buddha and a temple. jineth and i wonder into the caves atop the mountain first. they are huge and hold the buddha which i'm standing next to in the photo for perspective. there is another cave with an adorable pair of buddhas, one sitting and another laying down behind the sitting buddha. it's as if he is the older buddha watching over his younger buddha brotha. then we venture to the pagoda atop the hill. seeing it from the ground gives you more perspective and appreciation towards the pagoda. even though they take great care of the pagodas and temples, i don't think they feed the lions much; one tried to munch my head a little.
we get back down and chat the marble locals up. i thought i would be more useful in conversation due to the fact i bought granite and marble for 5 years, but their family has been at it for 100's of years. we hop back on the hogs and head into town, where we tour an important governor's house kept up by his relative proudly displaying all the instruments of his grandfather, even a casio radio which looks like it was made in 1995. he did live to be 102. i was about to try the medicine potion they had in the front but a huge group of tourists came in and we left. jineth splits and i wonder around town trying to find the night life again with some new friends of friends. dave lived in japan for a while, but is bartending and managing a restaurant in indianapolis. we strike out again and they head to bed and i meet some girls from california.
the second highlight of the day behind the mountains is when i break into the locked pool and float on my back drinking beer. since there is not much light pollution at all in vietnam, the sky is amazing. the subtle sounds of the water splashing against the edge of the pool seems to charm the astral display brighter, (eat your heart out risinger). the bad part is when my ears aren't under the water, i'm listening to these 23 year old girls talk about money and their sex lives. they work in the medicine field and are going back to school to earn more. they seem completely fixated on marrying rich and doing nothing else. they did relay trysts and infidelities which i ended up holding my breath underwater for as long as i could to drown them out, (pun intended). i finally concede and retreat to my freezing room, thanks to my overzealous airconditioning!
tomorrow, i face the town of nha trang, sharks, pirates and discos! will steve continue his travels or be eaten, plundered, or turn forever into a dancing machine? tune in shortly.
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