Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda is a couple of hours by bus south from Hanoi, then an hour by rowing boat and a steep climb up a mountain. With friends visiting you get to do a lot of those touristy things you would never do otherwise... Fortunately they just installed a cable car a la Swiss ski resort, which at least makes the last part easier.

The Pagoda itself is in a huge cave, but I liked the kind of pre-Pagoda at the entrance - just where the climbing part (or now the cable car entrance) starts - more. From Tet and during three months ahead millions of Vietnamese visit the Pagoda, and there are about 5,000 rowing boats constantly going back and forth the river, the cave itself packed to the limit.

There were also a lot of extremely kitch souvenirs for sale.