Huong Son Travel Guide

 bpacker Says:  Needless to say, our boat journey on the Yen river to Perfume Pagoda was the highlight of our trip. For about 60 minutes, we meandered along silhouettes of tall mountains and watched as the mountains framed the rising sun and the reflection danced on the Yen river. Surely an... 

 bpacker Says:  Well, we found out the the Kitchen Temple wasn't the only temple around, in fact there are other temples strung like pearls high up in the mountain! The most famous one was Huong Tich Grotto which needed a 'short' 2.5km uphill climb. Well, you don't say... 

 bpacker Says:  When we arrived our destination, we took a short, albeit steep walk to the entrance of Perfume Pagoda. The first shrine that we saw was Den Trinh or registration shrine. Apparently, all visitors to this area must first "trinh" or register at the shrine and to announce their... 

 bpacker Says:  Our journey started at some Godforsaken hour in the morning since we had to take a bum-rotting-two hour ride to travel 50 miles from Hanoi to a pier in Ben Duc. Along the way, the bus made its way through Ha Dong city, Van Dinh township and passed through rice fields and... 

 bpacker Says:  Upon arriving at Huong Tich grotto, 120 more descending steps await you as the temple lies deep within the grotto. The entrance to those steps is aptly called "hell's gate" . Where: Huong Tich Grotto, Perfume Pagoda, North Vietnam 

 bpacker Says:  Within Huong Tich grotto at Perfume Pagoda, you'll find stalagmites and stalactites in a variety of forms and shapes . As with the caves in Halong Bay, the locals can see trees, goddesses, couples, and even nine dragons within. Hmm, a case of too much moonshine again, I... 

 bpacker Says:  At the bottom of 120 steps, lies a little shrine that has been used for worship since the 1520's. Well, when I was there, there were crowds of insensitive backpackers who wandered really close to the locals as they worshipped.. 

 bpacker Says:  Along the way, you'll also find rest houses along the way. A lot of entrepreneurial folks will try to sell you coke and other American tidbits. Well, my travel gp ( which consisted mainly of Danes ) were young and energectic so they only paused for shots to be taken. 

 bpacker Says:  The walk, though long was peppered with beautiful scenic views. 

 bpacker Says:  We also saw lots of petite rowers in peak-coned hats perched on a wall by Yen river, patiently waiting for customers. Apparently, these folks are a privileged lot. Every year, lots are drawn for this sought-after job since it pays quite well and tourists are known to give... 

 bpacker Says:  After like what seemed like an eternity on the road from Hanoi to Huong Son, we finally reached the pier ( Ben Duc ) at Yen Vi river. We saw lots of burgundy-red metal boats clustered at the mouth of the pier. Later, we would sit on one of these boats on a scenic journey to... 

 bpacker Says:  Beyound the shrine lies the next point of interest, Thien Tru temple which was built in the 18th century. Interestingly, "Thien Tru" means heavenly kitchen. Supposedly, the rock formations in this area look like chefs busily working in the kitchen thus the name. Note: I... 

 bpacker Says:  And we, in turn, captured our guide in a victorious pose on our cameras 

 bpacker Says:  For a while, I thought that our rower would be one of those petite frail-looking ladies. To my relief, our guide chose a straping young lad. We climbed gingerly unto the boat and since it was so rickety, it shifted each time we moved our bums. Well, this really tickled us... 

 bpacker Says:  Hubby and I signed up for a trip to Perfume Pagoda while we were in Hanoi since we heard that it was the "Ha Long Bay of the Paddy Fields" Admitedly, having the ODC travel agent at our hotel lobby in Phan Thai Hotel did us no justice, we just kept signing up for their trips,... 

 bpacker Says:  Ever notice how the kids are often dolled and pampered in Vietnam? The rural kids are no exception. Cute Vietnamese children dolled up and bundled in colourful clothing against the cold.Photo Note: Taken enroute to Perfume Pagoda, in Huong Son province. Ordinarily, the bus... 

 bpacker Says:  Just before we arrived at the Yen River that would take us to Perfume Pagoda, we saw an open market and lots of street vendors.A local lady sells her wares on the streets of Huong Son. She squats and waits patiently for her customers, completely unfazed by the noise of... 

 bpacker Says:  The older the face, the longer a story it tells. These are the faces who have seen the American War. Wizened and a little weary, they are the ones who built modern day Vietnam. I call them the real survivors of reality, minus the TVPhoto Note: Taken enroute to Perfume...