Day 5 - Hoi An: A Day with Monkeys, Unicorns, and Many Surprises

Today started again with the annoying sound of my alarm clock – at 6:45 am! But hey, anyone looking for adventure can’t expect long nights, right? After a gentle wake-up and the obligatory struggle with the backpack (what do I need to bring?), we boarded the travel bus at 7:30 am. Today's destination: Monkey Mountain and Marble Mountains.

Our small but fine multicultural group of 11 people arrived at Monkey Mountain. At the entrance, our guide Thuyen proudly explained that two Vietnamese unicorns would greet us there. Unicorns? My travel companion Ursula, the best unicorn in the world, immediately perked up. Full of anticipation, she galloped towards the entrance – then abruptly stopped. Her gaze flickered between the two stone creatures. “Those are supposed to be unicorns?” she blurted out, followed by a fit of laughter that could have woken the whole park. The Vietnamese unicorns look more like lions. Still, she proudly posed for a photo with her “exotic relatives.” Then we headed into the park, where the imposing 67-meter tall Lady Buddha statue and a beautiful temple awaited us. The park is not only impressively beautiful but, as the name of the mountain suggests, also full of monkeys. I believe they have a thing for tourists with snacks – so beware of the little thieves! Ursula was a bit scared of the monkeys; she said they look so mean, while I found them quite cute.

After this shock for Ursula, we got back on the bus and went to hell. Yes, you read that right. This refers to a cave in the Marble Mountains where, according to a legend, Buddhist sinners were judged. The cave was mystical, dark, and impressive – almost a bit eerie.

But the fun was not over yet: From hell, we went to heaven (well, not quite that high), but we did go to the summit. About 400 steps needed to be climbed, and let me tell you, my legs said after 200, you’ll thank me for this tomorrow with a sore muscle. Upon reaching the top, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view, and there were more caves to explore. Conclusion: Climbing stairs is worth it.

After a delicious Vietnamese lunch, we headed back to Hoi An, where Ursula and I set off on an exploration tour of the city. Among the many pretty shops, Ursula suddenly discovered a sign with a real unicorn on it. A real one! Not a lion-unicorn, but a completely normal, magical, Ursula-typical unicorn.

We followed the sign and ended up at “Unicorn Coffee,” a cute café full of unicorn decorations and magic. I tried the famous “Egg Coffee” there, although I’m not really a fan of coffee. But hey, if someone tells me it tastes like liquid tiramisu, I’m in. And what can I say? It was so good that I could have ordered a second one. Ursula, meanwhile, had the best day of her life – she instantly made friends with the other unicorns in the café. As we were leaving, she whispered in my ear: “This is the coolest café in the whole world!”

We spent the rest of the evening strolling through the colorful, glowing streets of Hoi An and enjoying the hustle and bustle of the night market. In the end, we fell into bed, tired but happy – after all, we have to get up early again tomorrow.

Stay tuned to find out where our next adventure leads us – perhaps Ursula will meet more ‘relatives’ after all.