Getting enlightened on the mountains

Docked the boat. Hiked up the mountain. It was insane with people everywhere selling food, wares, etc. Many people buy gifts to offer at the temple. Like all these gold trinkets and faux gold flowers.



We decided to visit the main "temple" called the Perfume Pagoda. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when we looked down, I was blown away at the THOUSANDS of people buzzing around this cave (YOU HAVE TO CLICK ON THE PIC BELOW TO SEE HOW ENORMOUS THIS THING WAS). People were chanting, praying, wailing, crying, speaking in tongues. It was ridiculously loud, noisy, pushy, unorganized, crazy.



People would leave their gifts and pray to rocks.



My favorite was this kid who had his little tray ready to offer up to the gods: incense, fake money and CHOCO-PIE to leave at one of the altars. My family got freaked out at the overcrowding and went somewhere else, but I stayed for a bit, turned up FLEET FOXES on my iPOD and had my own religious experience.