{"id":290,"date":"2025-02-03T13:57:12","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T12:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/?p=290"},"modified":"2025-02-03T13:57:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T12:57:12","slug":"day-15-marble-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/03\/day-15-marble-madness\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 15: Marble Madness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019ll be a short one today because I\u2019m tired (reasons to become clear) and I have a relatively early start tomorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marble Mountains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What you should <\/em>know about the Marble Mountains is that they a cluster of five marble and limestone hills, named after the five elements: Kim (metal), Th\u1ee7y (water), M\u1ed9c (wood), H\u1ecfa (fire) and Th\u1ed5 (earth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Google reviews will tell you is 1) that the ticket sellers are rude, 2) that you have to buy separate tickets for entrance and (entirely optional<\/em>) use of the elevator, and 3) that there are a lot<\/em> of steps, very slippery when wet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, the ticket seller was as aloof as any other I\u2019ve interacted with thus far, but not actively rude. The ticket policy might be strange but you could have worked it out from earlier reviews, and in any case you might end up paying a total of 85,000VND \u2013 3.30\u20ac \u2013 so stop complaining. The only truly relevant part is about the steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking the elevator avoids only a small number of steps, there are many, many<\/em> more, hacked out of the rock and polished to a glassy finish by the flip-flops of thousands of tourists. For sure, they would be deadly when wet, so I was glad to visit on a cloudy but dry morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s to see? Various shrines, pagodas, caves and (if you look closely) some bats. There\u2019s a hint of a suggested route to follow, but to be fair the map doesn\u2019t quite reflect reality, and it would have been helpful if the numbers depicting each waypoint were actually written on the physical signs. No matter, it\u2019s not hard to follow the crowd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are lots, and lots, and lots of steps. I\u2019d hit my daily exercise total about 1\/6th of the way around, and significantly overshot my \u201caverage flights of stairs\u201d daily value. It was exhausting but interesting; I\u2019m just so glad it wasn\u2019t a hot and sunny day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laos tomorrow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s my last day in Vietnam. Tomorrow morning I\u2019ll fly to Luang Prabang in Laos, a country I hadn\u2019t intended to visit, but has been highly recommended. That\u2019s the great thing about no-plans travel, I can switch it up whenever I fancy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo Dump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I took a lot of photos on my Canon camera and that\u2019s charging right now so I\u2019ll create a separate gallery when I download them. For now, here\u2019s some from my phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Ch\u00f9a Tam Thai. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Th\u00e1p X\u00e1 L\u1ee3i.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A very small gap to squeeze through. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
To the other side. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\u201cSteps\u201d back down to the lower area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Me, exhausted, at the top of the highest peak.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
View of \u0110\u00e3 N\u1eb5ng from the mountain peak. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Light entering a cave from a high shaft. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Junonia lemonias<\/em>, the lemon pansy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
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It\u2019ll be a short one today because I\u2019m tired (reasons to become clear) and I have a relatively early start tomorrow. Marble Mountains What you should know about the Marble Mountains is that they a cluster of five marble and limestone hills, named after the five elements: Kim (metal), Th\u1ee7y (water), M\u1ed9c (wood), H\u1ecfa (fire) and Th\u1ed5 […]<\/p>\n

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