Cham Island: A Day In Paradise

Follow these instructions for a flawless day in tropical paradise:

1. Get up crazy early. Hop on your motorbike and drive south out of Danang, past the Marble Mountains, down toward the sweet city of Hoi An.

2. Stop at the designated gathering place and meet up with your friends who have graciously planned all the logistical details of the day's outing. 

3. Give thanks for said friends. 

4. Travel on to a marina. Park your bike for the day and sail off across the Sourh China Sea. Don't mind the bumpy ride - the local skippers are just trying to have a little fun with their boatloads of tourists. 

5. Disembark at the first landing and step out into an uninhabited tropical paradise. 

6. Oops! Just kidding. Out first stop actually delivered us to a tiny fishing village where a group of women gathered in the shade at the shore to rig some bait pots. We watched in polite silence and I felt as intrusive as if I'd shown up uninvited in a stranger's kitchen. 

But we were accepted and mostly ignored.  Within a few minutes, we wandered back to the huge cement pier and waited for our boat to fetch us. 

7. Climb back in the boat as instructed and zip around a corner of the island. This time, we really were delivered straight into the arms of our very own private, secluded and utterly gorgeous paradise. 

Golden sands and clear blue waters greeted us,  lush green jungle lay all around. As far as I could tell, there are no inland roads on Cham Island. This cozy charmed spot was accessible to only us, and the other few boatloads of visitors who came and went during our day. 

8. Once settled on the island, relax and enjoy. 

Yes.

We swam.

We ate.  

We napped in the shade. 

We explored. 

We took a lot of photos. 

9. When day is almost done, gather up your gear, brush the sand off your sunburned skin, and venture back into the boat for the quick return trip. 

10. Drag your weary little self off the boat, up the stairs and back to your motorbike. Enjoy the sweet ocean breezes as you zoom back through the night to Danang, and treasure the golden memories of your day in tropical paradise. 

Pray For All

In the midst of my globe-trotting, mind-blowing Southeast Asian adventures,I have  been stopped in my tracks and dropped to my knees by events back home. What, you might ask, could possibly divert my attention in this way?

A mass shooting.

In my hometown of Seattle. 

On a college campus. 

Where my third-born has recently studied. 

One student died. 

Several others were wounded. 

Everyone on campus was terrorized.

The Seattle Pacific University community, as well as the greater city and the entire nation, are disturbed and distraught. 

In the midst of this tragedy, much prayer has broken out. SPU students are peacefully assembling to hold vigils for the victims. They are telling a beautiful story about Christian love and kindness. 

But sadly, theirs is only half the story. 

There is a young man sitting in jail right now, facing a dark future. If he is found guilty, as certainly seems likely, he must take responsibility for picking up a gun and shooting innocent humans. I don't excuse or glamorize his actions in any way. 

But here's the shocker. 

I know this young man.

His name is Aaron.

He grew up in our close-knit homeschooling community. 

He was a quiet, polite, well-liked young man, a little bit on the awkward side, who stuck close to his brother and stayed out of trouble. 

So how did this gentlle, unassuming boy choose to walk the path of murder?

I'll never understand. 

All I can do is pray for Aaron and his family his victims and their families, and all who are sucked down into the black vortex of this horrifying act. 

And I trust that even though this life holds no answers for us, on the other side of the veil, we will all find peace. 

Marble Mountains: The Merry Middle

Once we had explored the depths of the Marble Mountains' caves, and climbed to the steamy height of her summit, it seemed only reasonable to spend some time exploring the scenic wonders of her main base camp. 

Here are just a few of the beauties we beheld. 

Marble Mountains: The View From The Top

The Marble Mountains are a series of five limestone and - you guessed it - marble formations that jut up from the flat flood plains of Danang. 

The countryside is surrounded by more significant ranges so these so-called mountains are hardly worthy of the name. But they cast a commanding presence in the local topography, which earns them some bragging rights. 

On our day-long adventure to the Marbles, climbing to the summit was a given. I'm hardly a fierce hiker but as long as I'm not taking on a Himalayan-sized challenge, I'm always motivated to make the trek to the top. 

"The stairs are steep and treacherous," my third-born warned me before she and her Vietnamese boyfriend shot up the slope like a pair of well-acclimated tropical rockets. 

Well. Fair enough. My second-born and I gathered up our cameras and began a more leisurely ascent with plenty of rest stops and photo ops. 

Now, I don't want to complain or be a baby about this. But my third-born was not kidding. The trail to the top consisted of a twisting serpent of a staircase with rough hewn, uneven stairs that ranged from giant-sized boulders to teeny tiny ledges. The U.S. National Park Service would have cordoned this hazard off in a heartbeat. But on we trod, determined to reach the top. 

As we climbed higher, the trail got steeper. And hotter. The leafy vegetation of the lower elevation gave way to scrubby bushes and sparsely leafed mini-trees. I began to bake in the hot sun. 

When I finally dragged myself up the last step and stumbled out onto the ledge of the summit, I was a mess. My racing heat beat soon settled back to a manageable rhythm but my Northern European body simply wasn't built to handle that much heat. 

My face was bright red. 

My mouth craved water. 

My brain screamed for shade. 

And still my body could not sweat. All that heat was trapped inside me with no  mechanism for release. 

I'm kind of a freak that way. 

So I coped by huddling in the only shade available - a pathetic puddle of half-shadow cast by a feeble excuse for a bush. And I drank a few sips of water but mostly I splashed my face, neck, arms and wrists with that magical elixir. The simulated sweat gave release to my body heat and in time, I gradually came back to life. 

That's when I was finally able to enjoy the lovely Marble Mountaintop vistas 

And I even managed to pose for a semi-not-awful photo. 

So despite the heat and hardships, I'm glad I made the climb. Because nothing beats the glory of the view from the top. 

Marble Mountains: In The Spotlight

On a sunny Friday in Danang, Vietnam, I went exploring at the Marble Mountains.  

For starters, I rode my motorbike out of the narrow streets of the crowded city center and along the relatively peaceful beach road, about 20 minutes to the south. 

That was a novel and enjoyable experience. 

Then I parked my bike at the base of the largest Marble Mountain and climbed up maybe a hundred roughly hewn stairsteps in the hot tropical midday sun. 

That was a sweaty and annoying experience. 

Then I reached the main garden area. Elaborate gates, benches and temple buildings tempted me to explore but we started our day of adventure by heading into one of the nearby caves. And here is what we saw. 

Yes. I discovered flowers, statues, incense and glowing candles because the cave was in fact a Buddhist temple.  

That was an eerie and other-worldly experience. 

But the most interesting discovery of all was made when I gazed into the center of the cavern. 

A shaft of white sunlight entered from the apex of the ceiling and shone with a fierce glory, creating a dramatic circle on the stone floor below. 

The effect was breathtaking. 

I noticed that each visitor to the cave ambled over to the circle of light and ceremoniously took a turn standing at its center, bathed in the brilliant beam. When the time was right, I took my turn as well. 

That was a sublime and holy experience. 

For those few moments, I felt like God's love and favor were pouring down on me through that hole in the rock overhead. And though I'm not usually the type who enjoys special attention, this was one time when I felt good to be in the spotlight. 

Bunny Coffee Shop

The other day, my third-born took me to one of her favorite Danang hang out spots. It's called Bunny Coffee Shop, and in spite of the fact that I don't like coffee at all, I found several reasons to love this place. 

1. Adorable name. Come on, what could be cuter than a bunny??

2. Lots of green plants in Pinterest-worthy arrangements. So clever, quirky, and deliciously hipsterific. 

3. Teeny tiny wooden tables with even teenier and tinier wooden stools. The whole arrangement was ridiculously too small for my long American legs, but dang, that furniture looked good. 

4. Set against the industrial architecture of the ceiling and upper walls were a series of paperboard sculptures. Three-dimensional hot air balloons floated among their cloud counterparts and the effect was dreamy though deceptively difficult to capture in a photograph. In fact, the four of us held an impromptu contest to see who might find the best angles for a photographic composition. Our best efforts still fell short of the real thing. 

5. And if all of that isn't enough to pique your interest, try this on for size. At Bunny Coffee Shop, motorbikes are parked inside the restaurant. 

I'm not even kidding. 

We rode across the sidewalk, shot through the front door, zipped past several tables full of nonplussed patrons, and cruised up a small ramp into a back room which is used for parking. As weird as it was to drive in, going out was even trippier. Felt like I was in a very weird dream 

So if you happen to find yourself in Danang, do yourself a favor and hop in to Bunny for a fresh cup. I can't speak for  coffee but I promise that in every other way, you'll be charmed. 

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

Check out this massive Vietnamese feast. The menu included:

Stuffed squid

Grilled pork

Grilled fish

Beef stir fry

Sautéed morning glories

Fish soup

Steamed rice

Ice-cold Coca

Every delicious bite was lovingly prepared by my third-born's boyfriend's parents, and served to me in their beautiful home here in Danang. 

And if the sheer magnitude of soul-satisfying courses was not enough, their hospitality took this meal over the top. 

Despiite my unending appetite, my bowl remained full throughout the meal as my host quietly added one succulent morsel after the next, ensuring that I received a prime serving of each dish. Each sip of Coke was replaced with a fresh pour so that a full, frosty glass was always before me. 

And my hostess smiled and beamed at my enthusiasm for her handiwork, especially our shared love of the sautéed morning glories. Between the two of us, we surely polished off most of the huge plateful. 

In other words, I was treated just like a pampered American princess. And I must admit, I enjoyed every indulgent and incredibly yummy moment.