20231029 AAAA Trip - Chan May port, Hue Vietnam - Da Nang and China Beach

2023 Alaska, Asia, Australia, Arabian Peninsula Trip 
Day 43/105 - Chan May port, Hue, Vietnam - Da Nang and My Khe (China) Beach

This morning, we docked in Chan May, near Hue (pronounced "Way"), Vietnam, right about at the midpoint of the 2,000 mile Vietnam coastline.  Moving farther south towards the equator means more warmth, and we got that today.  Temps felt like the low 90s with very high humidity.  The forecast was for rain, but we got lucky once again and didn't get any when we were out.

Our excursion today was to Da Nang, about 1.5 hours south of Chan May by bus.  We had three stops today - Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, Tháp Xá Lợi pagoda and Lady Buddha, and then a refreshment stop at My Khe Beach, also known as China Beach.

Chan May is a container port, so not much to look at.  Viking let us know what to expect, so that was fine. Even with the working aspect of the port, it is surrounded by lush hills and was still attractive.

We could hear a rooster crowing on one of the working  boats

All of the tour buses that we've been on here in Vietnam have been elaborately finished inside with decorative valances, curtains, and seat covers.

This bus stood out because it added what I can only call party lighting to the equation.

An infinity ceiling and colored lights over the seats

It really came alive in a tunnel

The drive out and back was interesting as this is also a livestock area, apparently.  Wandering freely, pretty much everywhere including the middle of the road were cows, goats, chickens, and the occasional water buffalo.

We rode through Vietnam's longest tunnel - roughly four miles long.  After coming out, we could begin to see the skyline of Da Nang.

Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture

The Cham people were the inhabitants of the medieval Hindu kingdom of Champa, located on the coast of what is now central Vietnam.  Now principally Muslim, Cham is considered one of the 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Vietnamese government.  The museum houses the world's largest collection of Cham sculpture. The sculpture is mostly sandstone.

OK - does this design around the edge remind you of anything?

OK - it was what I was thinking, but 23?  Don't they usually travel in pairs?

We could see the ornate roof of a neighboring building through a window, but this was all we could see outside.

This guy was lurking inside the museum

It was perhaps two inches across - yikes

There are a couple of famous bridges near the museum, the Dragon Bridge and what our guide called the American Bridge.  Our driver stopped to give us a look at both. Both span the Hàn River.

We could see a portion of the Dragon Bridge from the museum parking lot

The Dragon Bridge was built in 2013 and is lit at night, plus it spits fire and water at 9 p.m. on weekend nights

The head

The tail

It is actually the Trần Thị Lý Bridge - not The American Bridge as our guide called it

It was built in 2013

Tháp Xá Lợi pagoda and Lady Buddah

This was an entire park setting with multiple buildings, shrines, a pagoda, several buddha, a ton of sculptures, and the 210-foor Lady Buddha.

The Bonsai cheat a little with hidden support structures

A massive pagoda

There were sculptures nearly everywhere in this park-like setting.  Everywhere you looked, you could find elaborately carved dragons as stair railing, buddhas, and other sculptures.

Our first view of the 210-foot Lady Buddha built between 2005 and 2010

I'm King of the world!

The staircase railing was amazing

The touching of the thumb to the ring finger expresses the gesture of good fortune

This area also offered sweeping panoramas of Da Nang’s skyline.

We walked back up to the main temple.

On the way back to the bus, we saw what appeared to be a Vietnam War-era Jeep

My Khe Beach

Our final stop was for refreshments at My Khe, or China Beach.  We could have a beer, soda, or fruit juice, and a small carrot cake or panna cotta.

This was across the street – not sure what Chicland is, but it must produce fertilizer

Our refreshment stop

Wow - that tasted good on a hot day

We wandered down the beach for a bit.

During the period when the French controlled Vietnam, they started taxing fishing boats.  The Vietnamese started crafting “baskets” out of bamboo, not boats.  The fact that someone could climb in, float, and fish was merely coincidental. No tax due.

Classic Vietnamese basket boats made from bamboo and can last five years

This little guy was half-buried

This looked like it washed up and didn’t make it

A face only a mother could love

The restroom

It turns out it isn’t just the men that need instructions on how to pee

As we walked down the stairs toward the restrooms, we could smell an unusual citrus/fruity aroma.

The air freshener

Slices of pineapple roasting over tealight candles

After about an hour, we got back in the bus for the ride back to the ship.  Our bus driver, Vietnamese Jeff Gordon / Mario Andretti, liberally used his horn, wove back and forth, and generally used the, “I’m bigger than you”, philosophy of motor vehicle guidance and obstacle avoidance.  Get out of my way!  Still, we arrived safely, albeit jostled.

We took advantage of the afternoon and got a load of laundry done and take a shower before our normal evening routine.

The skies were turning as we prepared to sail tonight.  

Ultimately, that manifested later in the evening with flashes galore as distant lightning lit up the sky.

We spent some time in the Explorers' Bar tonight.  We met a nice couple from Grand Rapids.  If you know we’re originally from Michigan, you might assume it’s that Grand Rapids, but they are from Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  We spent time getting to know them and had a wonderful time.  When we got to the World Café, we met up with friends from New Zealand and shared a nice evening over dinner.

There was a movie under the starts on the pool deck tonight (the third showing of Death on the Nile so far…), so that meant popcorn!  Arlona swiped some bags and we munched in our room.

Tomorrow is a sea day with limited activities so I might watch a recorded lecture or two on the TV before trivia at 12:15.

If you’re keeping track, it was another good day – this makes 43 in a row.