Nui Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains)

Mountains are everywhere in Danang, and yet, Nui Ngu Hanh Son are a well-known feature of the landscape of Danang and Central Vietnam.

From Wikipedia, Marble Mountain (Vietnamese: Nui Ngu Hanh Son "Five Element Mountains) is a cluster of five marble and limestones hills located in Ngu Hanh Son ward, south of Danang city in Vietnam. The five "mountains" are named under the five elements Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth).





Although I'm not really fond of marble, but yet I have to admit that, the stone sculpture making, stone cutting crafts, marble carving and wood carving are amazing!! Anyhow, they are pricey too where one small marble bowl might cost you few hundred USD, wow!! I'm obsessed with those marble telephone set.... but yet, nice to see, nice to hold... blah blah blah.... no money, better don't touch. End up I bought two littel little little marble fishermen sculpture for 10USD, argh..... *money money money money.... money*

Oh ya, there is a legend about this cluster of mountains, that the sea dragon came onto the shore and laid an egg. After  one thousand days and nights, the egg hatched and out stepped a beautiful young lady. The broken shell fragments grew larger until they were transformed into five separate mounts that was named after each of the essential elements constituting the universe by a king of the Nguyen Dynasty, and here they are, the five elements as mentioned above.

Anyhow, I hope that there won't be huge destruction here.... I hope not to see such a beautiful natural land-form transformed into scattered stones few hundred years later.

Caffe-Sua-Da

Caffe-Sua-Da, means Iced Milk Coffee in Vietnamese.

It is a famous or so-called common drink in Vietnam, and you can find many coffee shops in every single province in Vietnam no matter how rural the province is. There is a wide range of coffee shop as well, from those rows of chairs along the dusty road *ya.. yam cha while yam-ing dust*, or medium-class coffee shop in residential houses, or up to grand coffee house with car-parking service.



Instead of coffee, they serve Cha-Nong (Hot Tea) or Cha Da (Cold Tea) as well, but coffee is an unique thing that you can't find in any other country (maybe) where the "method" that they use to serve you is really different. A small drip filter with coffee powder to be brewed on top of a cup with condensed milk inside. You have to wait until all of the brewed coffee flowing into the cup, then gotta manually remove the filter and then only put ice into the cup to make an icy drink.



I have no comment of the erm... EFFECT of the "method", but well, at least you can curi tulang a bit while having a coffee break on working day. ;p

Had been very busy for these few days, hopefully can take a chance to taste the famous coffee in Vietnam - Weasel Coffee in this few weeks. Waiting waiting, hehe....

Hanoi

Finally, I reached Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam. Once I stepped on this land, I feel peace... ya, it's a peaceful place for me... and it's more or less like a developed version of Cambodia, with the continuous car honks, the incredible traffic where thousands of motorbikes, lotsa pedestrians and some cars move on the road regardless of traffic rules or traffic light.

We're here to settle some urgent issues of operator, and because of that, lotsa Malaysians are being assigned to be here.... and that's great!! We had our luxury dinner at one famous local restaurant which serves great and famous local cuisine. We had the famous spring roll, their specially-made pork, beef, "bon cha" (Mihun soup), and some special prawn roll with mint leaves.... their foods are always decorated or come with mint.... ya, they like mint.

Along the way walking back to hotel, it's considered quite safe, but still have to watch out for some stalker.... not sure what's their motive but just have to keep an eye on them.

Tomorrow I'll be flying to Danang - the 3rd biggest city in Vietnam, hopefully I can find another story there, ciao.