After a couple of hours of travel, the minivan driver leaves me with a smile at a sunny crossroad, wishing me good luck.
A few meters away a motorcyclist, who must have understood everything, catches my attention and points towards the mountain I'm headed to, ready to take me to my destination. Suddenly, stories of travelers and malefactors come to my mind. I politely decline, mimicking my other desire to have lunch.
A number of uninviting options convince me to skip the meal and resort to my trusted app. I want to get as soon as possible to my destination. After a few attempts, I realize I'm in a too remote area for these kind of solutions to work.
Raising my gaze, I find a woman cooking something behind her mobile stall. It intrigues me, and through gestures, she communicates me that she has two types of vegetarian fritters. I decide to reward her kindness and enjoy her food so that I can up hike up the mountain. It can only make me feel good after several days in the frenetic and unbreathable Saigon.
Armed with two heavy backpacks, I gladly accept the relief offered by the shade of the trees and let myself be cheered up by the few other souls along the way. About a kilometer from the destination, while enjoying the sight of the sea in the distance, a motorcycle overtakes me. It must have read my mind because, after a few seconds, it turns back and gestures for me to get on. My stubbornness doesn't give in to temptation: at this point, I want to reach the pagoda on foot.
My expectations of catching a glimpse of it are betrayed after every curve until a couple of dogs surprise me by barking guardedly. A loud "welcome" silences them and my fears. The climb is over, now there are countless steps to descend. The treasure hunt is resolved in a large clearing dominated by a huge Buddha statue among the mountains. This must be the place, I say to myself.
A monk from afar points out a couple of women timidly approaching me. They seem surprised by my arrival and want to know how I came across their reality. I mention the two intrepid travelers I met in Laos who had recommended me this pagoda as a magical place. I hadn't wanted to know more.
They offer me ice cream, a refreshing shower, and the opportunity to choose two of the clothes made by the people living in the pagoda. That evening the master would have given a speech on the concept of "right mind" in front of hundreds of people physically present in the pagoda. Other Vietnamese pagodas would have been remotely connected, and I had to be dressed according to their canons.
They tell me I'm lucky because that day the Master was supposed to be elsewhere and instead, I had the opportunity to experience his presence. I sense a deep admiration and respect from everyone towards him.
I know very little about him, and I don´t understand yet why I have decided to spend a few days in the pagoda, but my curiosity is growing. What about yours?
Check my next post for the continuation of the story!
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