The Fascinating Perfume Pagoda Complex in Vietnam

On June 6, 2022June 6, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn VietnamLeave a comment

One of the day trips that you can take from Hanoi in Vietnam is to visit the Perfume Pagoda Complex, which is a complex of Buddhist temples and shrines that are located on the Huong Tich mountains. It is certainly worth visiting for a variety of reasons, but be aware that during the festival time, from mid-January through mid-March, hundreds of thousands of visitors make their way to Perfume Pagoda. We visited in late fall, so there weren’t many visitors although preparations for the festival were already beginning. After taking a car to the town nearby, we boarded a rowboat to make our way through the countryside, which is absolutely beautiful. About halfway through the hour-long boat ride, other boats came by to offer us food, drinks, and other items to buy.

Some of the Many Hills in the Countryside

Once we docked in Ben Tro, which is really a series of restaurants along the river, we made our way to the first of the pagodas that we were to visit. We walked up the long path and stairs to reach Thien Tru Pagoda, which is over 500 years old. On either side of the path, especially as you near the pagoda, are tents selling items to use as offerings as well as restaurants. The architecture, artwork, and cultural features are amazing. We went in the different temples with the golden statues of Buddha and walked throughout the grounds. We saw a few monks on the grounds, but were mostly by ourselves with our guide as we walked among the different buildings. It was a wonderful start to our time in Perfume Pagoda.

After visiting Thien Thru Pagoda, we went to one of the restaurants. Normally the tours of Perfume Pagoda have large groups of people visiting together, but even though it was just the two of us, we were treated to a feast. It was way too much food, but it did give us the opportunity to try many different local dishes. We were served beef with fried potatoes, an omelet with spring onions, Bok Choy, fish from the river, fried chicken, stir fry, fresh fruit, and rice. Of course we put the spicy pepper sauce, Chin-Su, on everything. Although we couldn’t eat it all, we definitely tried a little bit of everything and also enjoyed a couple of cold beers to help cool us off on the hot day.

View as You Pass Through the Gate to Thien Tru Pagoda

After lunch, we made our way past more of the stalls where monks were actually browsing through some of the items for sale, to get our tickets for the cable car that will take you to the top of the mountain. You can take the path to top of the mountain, and when it is busy it is pretty much the only choice, but we chose to take the cable car up and then walk down the mountainside afterwards. We had to wait a little while for the cable car as only a couple were running due to the lack of visitors, but it was well worth the wait as the cable car gets you above the trees to get wonderful views of the country.

Once we reached the top of the mountain, we made our way up, then down, to Huong Tich Cave. The cave itself is quite beautiful, but the reason for going there is see Chua Trong or the Inner Temple inside of the cave. After spending time walking around the cave, we started our way down the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) trail that is again lined with stalls selling items to use as souvenirs or as offerings to be left at the temple. Most of them were not open during our visit, but we can only imagine what it must be like during the height of the festival when thousands of people would line the pathway.

After a very full day, our boat took us back along the Song Huong River so that we could return to Hanoi. We took several tours during our time in Vietnam, including the Ninh Binh Province and Halong Bay, but going to Perfume Pagoda was definitely an incredible experience. If you have time while visiting Hanoi, we’d highly recommend taking this tour to see the various temples and beautiful countryside.

Temple Building on the Side of the Mountain

Heading Back from Perfume Pagoda after a Full Day

The Fascinating Statues at Buddha Park in Laos

On May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos2 Comments

We saw many wonderful and fascinating places when we took a few days trip to Laos during our time in Vietnam and Buddha Park was certainly one of the highlights. Located near Vientiane is a park that is filled with sculptures representing Buddhist and Hindu images. Built in 1958, the park is a popular tourist attraction for those who travel to Vientiane. Buddha Park is also called Xieng Kuan or Spirit City and has over 200 statues of various sizes. We visited the park with a guide who was able to explain the meaning behind many of the different statues, which made the experience even more interesting.

Two Reclining Buddhas (They are Farther Apart then It Looks)

One of the main sculptures is a large, round building with a demon face as its entrance. It is a three story building meant to represent Hell, Earth, and Heaven. To enter the building, you walk through the mouth of the demon, also referred to as the jaws of hell. There are many statues inside each of the levels and when you make it to the top you are rewarded with views of the entire park. Another focal point of the park is a large, reclining Buddha statue. We saw many similar such statues in Laos, but this one was definitely interesting.

Even though the park is only a little over 60 years old, the statues look as though they are centuries old. The park is near the Mekong river, which separates Laos from Thailand. The same sculptor also built a park in Thailand after fleeing Laos in the 1970’s, but the park in Laos is the original park. To fully enjoy the park and take time to see the details of the statues from various angles, you should plan on spending 2 to 3 hours in Buddha Park. It is certainly a fascinating experience and is a contrast to visiting all of the various temples (wats) that are in Vientiane.

Top of the World in Baltimore, Maryland

On May 3, 2022May 3, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Maryland4 Comments

As we continue to get acquainted with our new location and finish the process of moving in, we decided to take some time this weekend to be tourists in our new city. One of the things that we did was to go to the observation deck of the World Trade Center near Inner Harbor that is called “The Top of the World”. This is the type of thing that we would do anytime that we visited a city, regardless of where we are in the world, as these observation decks provide amazing views. In addition to the views, the deck also provides quite a bit of history regarding the city and information on many of the famous citizens that have lived there.

Looking Out Towards Our Neighborhood Off in the Distance

Like many cities located on the eastern coast of the United States, Baltimore has a rich history that goes back hundreds of years to the birth of the nation. Clearly it has evolved over time into the modern city that it is today. Inner Harbor is just a short distance from the city center of Baltimore, so the views from the observation deck include both views of the harbor as well of the city center. One of the things that we found interesting was that we could see the landmark of the local brewery in Baltimore, National Bohemian (Natty Boh), which is located near our new location, so we could almost see our new home from the deck.

There are many recognizable landmarks that can be seen from the deck, including the baseball stadium where the Baltimore Orioles play named Camden Yards. In addition to the navy and commercial ships that can be seen in the harbor, there are also several ships that are part of the living classrooms in Baltimore that people can tour that can be seen from the deck. It was definitely an enjoyable way to spend some time getting acquainted to Baltimore. It was also a clear and sunny day, which made the views even better.