Today we hired a driver and visited three sites between 60 and 25 km west of Hanoi today. First off was Duong Lam Historic Village. This UNESCO recognised site has refurbished some of its buildings to reflect their traditional design.
It is very much a working village full of passageways which we’d hopefully follow to find a temple or traditional building only to find a dead end (but I liked the wiring up the pole).
We got our bearings after a while and found a few traditional communal houses. It was so very hot! Wherever we could we’d walk in the shade but, despite hat, umbrella to keep the sun off and lots of water I just felt like a melting sweaty blob.
Anyway back into the car (and aircon!) to cool down and off to Tay Phuong Pagoda. This pagoda is reached by climbing a steep set of stone steps - 237 of them. I seem to have a thing about counting steps.
It was pretty sweltering but well worth the effort as we had this marvel to ourselves. It’s one of the more out-of-the way sites but also, as we were realising, travelling in the hot season has some advantages as few others are out and about like us. We loved the ancient statues made of jackfruit tree wood. Very quiet and calm in here.
A jackfruit tree in all its glory.
We tried to find the two minor pagogas down the hillside to no avail and were soon heading towards our last pagoda. We swung by a restaurant for lunch and felt sorry for the fish swimming in a tank outside the kitchen knowing that they’d be next soon (not that JC looks particularly upset about it).
Thay Pagoda was another wonderful site. Again, a Buddhist temple consisting of numerous buildings/pagodas.
We crossed a small bridge and huffed and sweated our way up 249 steps to an amazing jungle like temple up a hill. It was the sort of place I’d expect Indiana Jones to appear at.
It had a shrine in a cave which, was not only interesting but super cool temperature wise. We would have lingered longer, except the local resident seller/guide/hawker was determined to advise us and engage with us (for a fee) that we left for some peace.
Back down and a fresh coconut to drink revived us before the drive back to Hanoi.
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