Rio de Vietnam

A follow up to my adventure in Vung Tau!

While we spent a good part of the weekend bumming around on the beach, we also went on an adventure.

There is a huge statue of Jesus, reminiscent of the one in Rio de Janeiro, on the highest hill in Vung Tau. Of course, I had to climb the hill to see him up close. It turns out that on the climb up to Jesus there are small terraces with marble statues of bible stories. You start at the bottom of the hill, and as you make your way up to the top, you view some of the most famous Christian stories all described in engraved Vietnamese placards.

Abraham taking Isaac to the mountain

the 12 apostles

Jesus preaching on the mountain

Jesus and the woman at the well

the last supper

All of this culminates in a huge grand stairway to an 8 story tall Jesus. I can’t make this stuff up. You can climb all 8 stories in Jesus and sit on his shoulders to look out over the South China Sea.

 

I have minimal words to describe this experience. An accidental pilgrimage perhaps, I spent well over 3 hours at this spot, marveling over the incredible strangeness of the situation