This is the view from the boat that we took from the shore. In the old days (a few years ago) people had to walk around the undergrowth to get to the mountains where the pagoda is set. Now you can hire a boat across a lake where there are many white Peking ducks (which are raised on land to be eaten and "pasture" happily out on the lake), freshwater turtles (sold on the land), dragonflies of all sizes, and the odd freshwater snail bobbing in the water.
After braving a few stairs downwards, there is a temple grotto filled with offerings and statues. It's a lot cooler inside the cave, where most of the light comes from the lit statues of various Buddhist deities and Vietnamese ancestral figures. 
Many of the outer pagodas were constructed during Chinese occupation under the Ming and bear Hanzi characters and reflect the Ming aesthetic. But the cavern temple is something that I've only encountered here in Vietnam. There's something about going underground that's both spooky and mystical. 
Ha, I didn't realize you were going to be gone for so long! I did have a lovely conversation with you dad when I called to wish you happy birthday, however.
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