I didn’t go crazy yesterday, but I lost my Marbles. But I found them again, and paid a second visit. Last year, I explored the Marble Mountain caves inside entrance #1. This year, we walked to entrance #2 and started our climb from there.
One of the mountains as seen from the Grab car we hired to bring us from Da Nang, a mere 8 kilometers away.The line to enter the most popular cave was very long, but I’d been there and done that, so I moved on.A statue garden we saw along the way.The second entrance on the other side of the mountain was much less crowded.Let the climbing commence. Uneven stair steps only enhance the joy of ascending.A quick stop to catch our breath.Yep, more shrines.A view from the top.And another one.Peace be unto you.You ain’t got nothin’ on me!Nobody rubbed my belly, though.Nice architecture.Hello, there!Inside the cave.Where have you been all my life?Oh, sorry. I didn’t know she was your girlfriend. Put the sword away!And then I saw the light.Is that you, God?Where’s that do-over life you promised me?
Swan captured the moment on video:
Wait a minute…is that what it looks like? You can see the ocean from here.The wheel in the sky keeps on turning.A tower on the mountain.A dragon lair.Thank you for the blessings.
After our walkabout on Marbles, we rolled back to town in a taxi. We planned to grab some lunch at Paradise, the beach resto-bar across the road from our hotel. They were busy, and after sitting for several minutes with no acknowledgement, Swan got up and asked the bartender for menus. They didn’t do us any good, because no one came to take our order. We got up and left. I kinda sorta remembered a place further up the beach, so off we went. Turns out, it was a lot further than I thought, but on we trudged. And so we came to enjoy our first experience at the Espo Beach restaurant/brewery.
They were also busy, but we managed to score a table with a beach view. And the service was prompt.I had to give the Philly cheesesteak a try, and I was not disappointed.
After lunch, we walked back to our hotel on the beach so Swan could get her toes-in-the-sand fix.
The Espo Beach as seen from the beach.Swan loves the sand, I toed you so.
Some rest and recuperation, then it was time to begin our evening exploration on the backstreets of Da Nang.
We laughed at the name of this place.
After wandering around and not finding the bar I was looking for, we stopped in at the previously visited Game On bar.
The first beer of the day is always the best one. So far.Our Game On view.
We were still in the mood to explore, so after our drinks we hit the streets again.
And lo and behold, I discovered another bar district I didn’t know existed. I took this photo from a place called Corner Pub. When we couldn’t find a server, we crossed the road and gave the 501 Bar a try instead.It turned out to be a good choice. As soon as we sat down, the owner came over to greet us.That’s Karl from the UK. We had a very nice chat. He’s been in Da Nang for 8 years and is also part-owner of another bar called Shamrock.This sign was on the restroom door. It’s a relief to know that strangulation is not allowed.
I’ll definitely try to find my way back to 501 before we depart. I’d promised Swan some birria tacos for dinner, so we said our goodbyes and headed out.
I’d asked Karl about girly bars in DaNang. He said there are some places where the girls sit with you and earn lady-drink commissions. This is one of them. No idea what goes on in the Black Hole.It was nice to read the story of how Adobo came to be.They seem to be doing well; all the tables were full, inside and out.Damn, those tacos were beefy and delicious. Poor Swan won’t be able to get her weekly fix in Barretto now that John’s place is closed.I don’t recall the last time I’ve had churro, but it was a sweet after-dinner treat.
And then we trudged back to our hotel and got some shut-eye.
It is now October 2016 in the LTG archives, and this post covers some work happenings and the usual other bullshit.
For today’s YouTube video, let’s do five minutes of the Marble Mountain experience.
Humor time:
Should be easier to stick with the diet from the hospital.Bounced it off of her, eh?I guess it must be nice to have a Big Brother looking out for you.
And now it is time to move on with my next-to-last day here. We’ve pretty much seen and done all there is that we want to do, so it’s time to begin with the routines, I suppose.
3 thoughts on “Day thirteen, sights unseen”
I liked the caves the last time you went in, and this time didn’t disappoint, either.
The wheel in the sky keeps on turning.
That’s the 8-spoked wheel of the dharma, symbolizing the 8-fold path that is the Buddha’s Fourth Noble Truth: right views, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
The Four Noble Truths are:
1. All life is characterized by dukkha (often translated as suffering, but the word covers everything from a faint twinge of annoyance to dying painfully on a cross; it’s more like “unsatisfactoriness”).
2. Dukkha is caused by tanha (desire, thirst, etc.).
3. Eliminating tanha eliminates dukkha (no desire, no suffering).
4. The way to eliminate tanha is via the Eightfold Path (described above).
This isn’t like commandments handed down in the spirit of “obey or else.” This is more of a “see for yourself” kind of thing. Live the path, and if it proves untrue for you, then seek another path. Buddhism doesn’t force or demand “conversion.” But if you live wrong, you can expect consequences—not because some god will punish you, but because the universe simply is this way. Action, consequences. Eat too much, get fat. Drink too much, lose brain cells faster. Be an asshole, lose friends and make enemies.
A tower on the mountain.
And again, you see all of those 8-spoked dharma wheels on the pagoda.
A dragon lair.
Those are likely Indian nagas which, through a Chinese lens, are made to look more like dragons. There’s a lot of naga imagery in places like Thailand, too. In Korea and Japan (and, I think, in China as well), you’re more likely to see out-and-out dragons. A naga is a snake divinity. I think the Buddha, after the day of his great enlightenment, was supposed to have been protected from rain by an umbrella of nagas as he continued to meditate. I don’t think this tableau is of that moment, though: I see at least eight dragon/serpent heads, and the nagas who had protected the Buddha belonged to a seven-headed god.
Thank you for the blessings.
Now, that’s the Buddha! Looks made of whipped cream, though. Is that what happens when you gain enlightenment? You turn into whipped cream?
Damn, now I’m hungry.
I had to give the Philly cheesesteak a try, and I was not disappointed.
Looks good, but small and stingy.
Damn, those tacos were beefy and delicious. Poor Swan won’t be able to get her weekly fix in Barretto now that John’s place is closed.
As I’ve said before: Learn to make them! Swan still sells meat from a distributor, doesn’t she? She should hook you up with a discount and buy a pile of good meat for birria. Personally, I’d get skirt steak, which is a beautiful cut, but I think traditionally (if you’re not using goat), the best beef cuts are chuck, oxtail, and short ribs (like galbi).
re: wiretap meme
Jesus, ain’t that the truth.
Kevin, thanks for the explanation of the dharma wheel. Fascinating. Although it makes me feel like I’m a failure on many levels.
I guess enlightenment brings about losing a fear of snakes. Funny how a snake played a completely different role in Christian/Jewish theology.
Swan said she plans to watch some YouTubes on making birria tacos!
I guess enlightenment brings about losing a fear of snakes. Funny how a snake played a completely different role in Christian/Jewish theology.
That’s a good point. I wonder what Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell would have to say about that.
I liked the caves the last time you went in, and this time didn’t disappoint, either.
The wheel in the sky keeps on turning.
That’s the 8-spoked wheel of the dharma, symbolizing the 8-fold path that is the Buddha’s Fourth Noble Truth: right views, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
The Four Noble Truths are:
1. All life is characterized by dukkha (often translated as suffering, but the word covers everything from a faint twinge of annoyance to dying painfully on a cross; it’s more like “unsatisfactoriness”).
2. Dukkha is caused by tanha (desire, thirst, etc.).
3. Eliminating tanha eliminates dukkha (no desire, no suffering).
4. The way to eliminate tanha is via the Eightfold Path (described above).
This isn’t like commandments handed down in the spirit of “obey or else.” This is more of a “see for yourself” kind of thing. Live the path, and if it proves untrue for you, then seek another path. Buddhism doesn’t force or demand “conversion.” But if you live wrong, you can expect consequences—not because some god will punish you, but because the universe simply is this way. Action, consequences. Eat too much, get fat. Drink too much, lose brain cells faster. Be an asshole, lose friends and make enemies.
A tower on the mountain.
And again, you see all of those 8-spoked dharma wheels on the pagoda.
A dragon lair.
Those are likely Indian nagas which, through a Chinese lens, are made to look more like dragons. There’s a lot of naga imagery in places like Thailand, too. In Korea and Japan (and, I think, in China as well), you’re more likely to see out-and-out dragons. A naga is a snake divinity. I think the Buddha, after the day of his great enlightenment, was supposed to have been protected from rain by an umbrella of nagas as he continued to meditate. I don’t think this tableau is of that moment, though: I see at least eight dragon/serpent heads, and the nagas who had protected the Buddha belonged to a seven-headed god.
Thank you for the blessings.
Now, that’s the Buddha! Looks made of whipped cream, though. Is that what happens when you gain enlightenment? You turn into whipped cream?
Damn, now I’m hungry.
I had to give the Philly cheesesteak a try, and I was not disappointed.
Looks good, but small and stingy.
Damn, those tacos were beefy and delicious. Poor Swan won’t be able to get her weekly fix in Barretto now that John’s place is closed.
As I’ve said before: Learn to make them! Swan still sells meat from a distributor, doesn’t she? She should hook you up with a discount and buy a pile of good meat for birria. Personally, I’d get skirt steak, which is a beautiful cut, but I think traditionally (if you’re not using goat), the best beef cuts are chuck, oxtail, and short ribs (like galbi).
re: wiretap meme
Jesus, ain’t that the truth.
Kevin, thanks for the explanation of the dharma wheel. Fascinating. Although it makes me feel like I’m a failure on many levels.
I guess enlightenment brings about losing a fear of snakes. Funny how a snake played a completely different role in Christian/Jewish theology.
Swan said she plans to watch some YouTubes on making birria tacos!
I guess enlightenment brings about losing a fear of snakes. Funny how a snake played a completely different role in Christian/Jewish theology.
That’s a good point. I wonder what Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell would have to say about that.