At the Marble Mountains the first time we visited, there was a crane at the side of the main tourist mountain; a great orange behemoth. It was an eyesore, and we wondered what on earth the authorities were doing; what it was about. Some months later, we passed again, on the way to Hoi An. A gleaming stainless-steel and glass edifice had grown in its place, linking ground to the top of the mountain. Of all places, it was standing right adjacent to one of the photographic highlights which was visible from ground level, a many-sided pagoda. No longer is it a beauty, able to be photographed unimpeded, standing high above the plain. This is a shot of the lift, somewhat obscured by the base of the cliff. From the highway, it's a monstrosity. I despair of Vietnamese aesthetic sensitivities. My only consolation is that the environment is very salty, maybe this thing will rust in a few years, and hopefully by then its ugliness will have been recognised and the chance will be taken to dismantle it. In the meantime, it's like putting a stainless-steel lift at some point within the most beautiful part of the Grand Canyon.