My Son

We were feeling pretty Hoi An'ed out after three days of site seeing, so we took a day trip out to My Son - a collection of ancient temple ruins from the Cham people, hidden in a wooded area not far outside of Hoi An. We got a tour through the trusty Sinh Tourist, because of their reputation, and their promises that their tour consisted of a limited amount of guests (no more than 25). Needless to say, just like most 'service' industry workers in Vietnam, they lied.

The bus picked us up outside our hotel just after breakfast. It was fairly empty, which was promising, however, as we continued meandering our way around Hoi An and collecting tourists from their various hotels, the tour group grew significantly.

The bus trip out to My Son was a pleasant one, and there were loads of rice paddies flanking the road as we drove past. We were lucky enough to see loads of farmers tending to their paddies, and some even ploughing with their water buffalos. The rain was coming and going in longish downpours, and we felt sorry for the farm workers who were knee deep in cold, squelchy mud and being slowly soaked through from above.

When we got nearer to My Son, the farms ended abruptly, and the landscape changed somewhat. There were clumps of trees, and as we drove on, walls containing different traditional gods/symbolic figures from various cultures around the world (e.g. the Sphinx's head from Egypt and some Hindu gods).

The bus stopped at a few little buildings which appeared to be the administrative entrance to the larger My Son area. We were all asked to climb off the bus, were pointed in the direction of the toilets and were asked to walk across a bridge up ahead in the road to meet the bus on the other side. We did so, trying to keep the steady rain at bay with our rain jackets and ponchos.

On the other side, we climbed back on the bus and were driven to a large parking area, where our (already bigger than promised) group joined a number of other tour groups, to form one bigger group, to be led around by one tour guide.

Off we set, making the short walk from the parking area to the temples. The group was now uncomfortably big, and we came to terms with the fact that we weren't going to hear much in terms of the information that the tour guide was going to share with us. So our (new) plan of attack - venture to the parts of the temples where the tour guide isn't talking about, and get some great shots with no other tourists in them. It was a solid plan, and (while we sadly missed almost all of the interesting history behind the temples) we managed to have a pleasant self tour of the temples and surrounding areas. We managed to get some nice pictures in peace, and possibly even explored areas which we may not have technically been allowed into (there wasn't a tour guide around to tell us otherwise).

The rain was relentless, and turned the already uneven ground around the temples into a slippery obstacle course which closely resembled the TV show 'Wipe Out'. It claimed a few victims, with some poor tourists getting muddy from falls, as well as wet from the rain.

The temples are really beautiful, and were a fantastic sight to see. The bits-and-pieces of stories that we heard about them were also very interesting, and we are really glad that we went to see them (good call Graeme!).

On the return leg of our tour, we decided to take a boat for part of the way. Fortunately the rain let off, and our clothes were able to even dry off a little in the wind on the boat. We chugged along, taking in the happenings around us - fishermen tending to their nets and other boats cruising the river - and enjoying the fresh air and lack of rain.

After a while, the river banks began to fill up with houses and other colourful buildings. There were a number of weddings on the go, and we could intermittently hear the talentless and obtrusive shrieks of 'singing' blaring from the marquees set up for the occasions.

The traffic on the river had increased significantly by this point, and we were clearly getting close to town once again. But before we made our final approach, the boat veered off course and took us to a little mystery island. On this island, we were told by the tour guide, was where various wooden crafts and furniture were made. As well as traditional, wooden boats. We were invited to walk around, and must say that we were very impressed by the workmanship of the men who were creating the pieces. Armed with chisels, hammers and sandpaper (at times connected to a drill for some turbo-sanding), these guys work individually and in small teams to create works of art.

The boat took us back to The Old Town, where we were taken to a little riverside restaurant and treated to a traditional dish from the area - mi quang noodles with quails egg and pork.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing (by most; Ross and Mike went for a little run). We then decided to just eat food from the hotel bar for dinner. Over dinner, it was decided that Hoi An had been comprehensively covered by the Goldstone/Dibben crew, so we would go to Hue the next day, to see what the old imperial capital had to offer.

The bus to Hue only left at 12:30, so we thought that we would walk the already over-walked streets of Hoi An and The Old Town one last time. The sun was intermittently peering its welcome face through the rain clouds throughout the morning. This, however, only gave us a false sense of hope that we might actually have a morning in beautiful Hoi An without the depressing rain dampening our mood.

We watched a cultural show consisting of stories told through traditional music and dances. It was very well done, and the sounds which the musicians were able to create with their instruments were truly incredible!

We also went into the Tran Family Chapel - a place in which the ancestors can be honoured. There were some interesting facts, and some really weird ones too - like all of the umbilical cords of the children from this family are buried in the back garden, to keep the children close in life.

We read about a really famous ice-cream shop in town, so we decided to find it (despite the cold and wet weather). Enjoy Restaurant & Ice Cream Bar didn't disappoint! They have a wide range of delicious flavours, and you get to dish your own - you pay per weight at the end. We all did a few laps around the room, scanning the freezers for the flavours which got us salivating the most. We then sat and demolished the contents of our cups in half the time it took us to fill them. We also had some panini's for lunch, before we needed to head off to the bus stop.

We had enjoyed our stay in beautiful Hoi An, but were ready to leave when it came time to. The lanterns are beautiful to see, and The Old Town is very interesting to explore. However, the amount of people hassling you at every turn is very tiring, as are the reckless motorbike drivers who should technically not be within the limits of The Old Town. Overall, Hoi An is definitely a town to have on your list if you are visiting Vietnam!