April 2 2012

Enjoyed a relatively quiet day today. After breakfast in the hotel we were picked up by our guide and driven the hour or so to a World Heritage site at a place called My Son. In 1901 a Frenchman wandering through the hills stumbled across a bunch of seventh century temples which had been built by the Champa people, who at that time were indigenous to what is now the southern half of Vietnam. They were prosperous people who it is thought accumulated their wealth through trade in sandalwood and, probably, piracy. The My Son site is today regarded as the holiest of all by the remnants of the Champa people.

Part of the Champa temple ruins at My Son

Sadly, what you see today, although impressive, is a pale shadow of what you would have seen had you come here prior to 1968. That was the year that the US Air Force obliterated much of the area because they were told by their collaborators in the south that the Viet Cong were using the site. Some of the bomb craters have been left in place, and the people here are slowly but surely working to reconstruct some of the buildings from the rubble.

Found this fellow lurking in the ruins. He has about a 5cm legspan, so not too scary!

We returned to Hoi An (the nearest small town to our hotel) at lunchtime and spent a couple of hours wandering around. This is another World Heritage site, but we felt that it was simply a tourist trap. We did get taken around a house built by a Chinese merchant in 1780, which would have been interesting had the visit not been spoiled by the guide trying to sell you all sorts of trinkets along the way. We had similar experiences all through the town. You can visit one place to see how silk is made, right through from the silkworm to the finished article. The trouble is, you are then hassled into buying the finished product!

Anyway, we had a pleasant enough afternoon, finishing with entertainment from a group of musicians and dancers performing traditional Vietnamese music and dance. Here are a few more photos...

At the entrance to a 200-year-old covered bridge, built by the Japanese.

The covered bridge, from another angle.

A common sight as she sells fruit to tourists

A bit blurred, because I quickly snapped this highly-decorated truck as it sped past, but then our guide explained that this is the vehicle they use to cart coffins around at funerals!

Finally, we don't know what the Chinese have done to upset people here! (Sign outside yet another Chinese temple in Hoi An)

Got back to the hotel about 4pm and although it continues to be overcast we went down to the gorgeous main pool for a swim. Can't be bothered to trek into town tonight, so we'll just have to put up with a drink in the hotel's beautiful main bar, followed by supper in one of the three fabulous restaurants. It's tough, but someone's got to do it.

Good night!

Jennys bit:  Unable to contribute last night as I was busy soaking in the sunken bath. I'm now fully used to all this luxury and was very tempted tonight to call room service and ask for some asses milk to bathe in together with a nice young man to peel me a grape or two! Maybe its a good thing we are on the move again tomorrow... Jx