Day 3 started with a 2.3km cable car ride across a valley. The view from the heights is stunning.
It dropped us off on the other side at the Quang Trung Reservoir. The grounds above the reservoir house a pagoda, quarters for the monks and gardens. Again, it was a peaceful and beautiful walk through the area. The water was down a long hill, so we decided that it was lovely to look at from up above. Because, you know, if you go down a hill, you have to climb back up. My calves were stiff and sore from the previous day's walks.
The next stop was the elephants!
Molly rode an elephant!
She could have ridden an ostrich too, but Mommy is scared of those big birds. Plus, the saddle didn't look very safe.
After that we needed lunch and a nap, but we carried on in the afternoon. The first stop was a an embroidery house, which I have no pictures for, because cameras were not allowed. I had no idea what to expect - embroidered flowers on pillowcases? More handicraft shopping? No, there were works of art. Tapestries completely filled with thread, painting pictures of landscapes, people's faces, butterflies and flowers. The back-side of the embroidered cloth was as perfect as the front side. We wandered through 3 floors of work on display, then went out back of the building to see more. There were some artists working on pieces. I saw that the pictures were first hand-drawn on the cloth, then the stitches filled in the spaces. There were also some shops selling embroidered products, but they cost many millions of Vietnamese dong. Too expensive to consider. So, we left with no pictures or souvenirs, but wow, the art form is stunningly beautiful.
After that we needed lunch and a nap, but we carried on in the afternoon. The first stop was a an embroidery house, which I have no pictures for, because cameras were not allowed. I had no idea what to expect - embroidered flowers on pillowcases? More handicraft shopping? No, there were works of art. Tapestries completely filled with thread, painting pictures of landscapes, people's faces, butterflies and flowers. The back-side of the embroidered cloth was as perfect as the front side. We wandered through 3 floors of work on display, then went out back of the building to see more. There were some artists working on pieces. I saw that the pictures were first hand-drawn on the cloth, then the stitches filled in the spaces. There were also some shops selling embroidered products, but they cost many millions of Vietnamese dong. Too expensive to consider. So, we left with no pictures or souvenirs, but wow, the art form is stunningly beautiful.
2nd stop was at the Valley of Love. Another large property leading to a lake, but this one was like an amusement park. There were fake statues of animals dotting the landscape, interesting looking boats on the lake, and even some cowboys offering a horse ride around the lake. We declined, but Kinh and Ngoc decided to go for a bike ride.
A quick break for refreshments, and we were off again.
Last stop for the day was the Hang Nha Crazy House. Nga is a woman who studied architecture in Russia for 14 years, then came back and built this weird and crazy 'art-installation' guesthouse. The rooms are for rent, but it's just too kitchy. We took a quick tour, and called it quits for the day. We were exhausted. I ordered room service, put Molly to bed and I think the others went out to see the night life...
SO cool!! You and Molly are so lucky to be seeing such neat places! AND to ride an elephant?! Awesome! Enjoy your last few days there - see you soon...
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