Perfume Pagoda Sleeping on a night train, the 9 hour trip from Sapa - Hanoi passed quickly and at a mere $16, it cost the same as a hotel room for the night. Arriving at 5am, the central market was the only thing hopping. But it was a BUZZ. Motorbikes stacked 4 feet tall with freshly picked cauliflower, tomatoes, and eggs. Every food you could imagine. This is when the restaurants all buy their fresh ingredients for the day's menu. In the faint light of a bare bulb, the choice crops are selected by the chefs, restaurant owners and ever a few local women for their own pantries. Elena and I decided to walk in the dark morning air to Hanoi's Old Quarter past all the mysterious hustle and bustle of the wee hours of the morning, our path only lit by the small circle of amber that my flashlight provided. With only time for a quick stop to drop my bags at the hotel, I was off to the Perfume Pagoda. Boy can 2 hours on a mini-bus feel like an eternity when the near freezing weather of Sapa has left a lasting impression with the constant sneezing of a forming cold. But arriving in a sleepy little town with a winding river running through it, all that was soon forgotten. Waiting for us at the water were a slew of flat, shallow canoes, easily 50 of them, each captained by a Vietnamese woman, hiding her face under her traditional cone-shaped hat. We loaded in 1 boat, piling in person after person until the top of the vessel sunk right up to the water level. With half as many of us over sized tourists in a single boat as the boat normally holds full of Vietnamese, the strong arms of this petite woman rowed us up the river. The hour long trip was a taste of real life, with each pulse of the oars pushing the town behind us and exposing the farmlands just outside. Turning the bend, a large mountain greeted us, the overgrown vegetation concealing the sacred temple we had come to visit. The hike was uphill and with my tired legs still recovering from Sapa, my assent was slow, but steady. Reaching the top, I felt as though this climb was meant to serve a purpose. Those seeking the wisdom of Buddha would need to be strong. And I had made it tio the top. Rewarded each step of the way by the faint fragrance of the tree-lined path, stepping through the pillars framing the entrence to this holy land, the spiritual energy swelled. A long set of stairs lead down into a cave opening. Hidden inside were symbols of Buddha placed there by the monks who proclaimed this spot closest to Buddha and heaven. It was truly a place of clarity and spiritual strength.