Hoi An and the Cham Temples

Hai Van Pass and fortifications
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Today is a change in transportation mode with a 4 to 5 hour bus trip ever further south to Hoi An. As usual we had off at about 8:30am with our first scheduled stop being the beaches north of Da Nang. We have a short break for a drinks etc and some of the girls take the opportunity for a quick swim. The beach is quite pleasant and much like ours in Australia, as yet development has not overwhelmed the seaside. We head on over the spectacular Hai Van pass, kilometeres of winding road as the bus grinds its way to the top of the Hai Van pass, where there are spectacular views of the coastline north and south. Its a place we would have liked to have more time as the photo oportunities were great. At the top there are bullet and shell marked French and US towers and bunkers from the Vietnam war still in evidence. this was a very important strategic position at the time. It also marks the natural divide between North and South Vietnam and was the northern most extent of the ancient Champa Kingdom. Descending from the pass we arrive in Da Nang, the fourth largest city in Vietnam where we pick up our rail tickets for our next train journey. Da Nang is a modern city and looks neat and tidy and for much of our route has underground power. We travel on and eventually reach Hoi An about 1pm, its hot! After checking in its of to buy our entry tickets for the Old Town, 75,000 dong each then lunch. It's even hotter! Unfortunately the swimming pool that was promised at the hotel has not eventuated as it is half empty and closed. So there goes a cooling dip.

Cham Temples
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Hoi An is all about shopping, there are over 400 tailor/clothing shops and all sorts of other shops as well. It is also an Historic town in the sense that many of the buildings are 200-300 years old and in good order. Our entry ticket allows us to visit various buildings, museums and meeting halls and the ones we visited were very interesting. They also control the street advertising and goods displayed on the streets so much of the nature of the Town remains in evidence. Carol heads for the tailors to get measured up and drags me along, eventually getting me to buy two shirts and a pair of trousers. She buys a suit and a numbers of pants, while she gets measured up I take a look at the markets. We eat well as usual in the evening when we celebrate one of the English girl's birthday.

Hai Van pass, where there are spectacular views of the coastline north and south

Someboy's cooking up something!!
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Today is cooking lesson day when we go to the markets in the morning to get our produce then in the evening we cook a five course meal and eat it. The meal consists of pumpkin soup, vegetable spring rolls, green papaya salad, steamed fish in banana leaves and fried spinach with garlic, plus steamed rice of course. Everybody agreed it was a great success and we all got a few tips on how to do things the right way. During the day we have to have a fitting for our clothes and we while away time down by the river with a few beers and a light lunch. It is stinking hot again today although after the evening cooking class a thunderstorm cools things down a little.

Hoi An Department for Managing and Gathering Swallows Nests
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Our third day in Hoi An and we are up very early to catch the bus at 6:00am to go to My Son the greatest concentration of Cham Temples in Vietnam, its about a 2 and a half hour trip. We go early to avoid the crowds and heat of the day. Along the way we see preparations for many weddings because as our guide informs us the day is particularly favourable. This visit is a highlight for us as we have wanted to visit the temples for some time and they will provide us with comparisons with Ankor Wat with which some of the Cham Temples have stylistic features in common. The temples generally date to before Ankor Wat. The remains are quite impressive and have some interesting carvings and construction techniques. Unfortunately the US bombed the temples during the war and there has been a large amout of destruction and damage. Bullet holes and bomb craters are still evident, it is still a site worth visiting and the Vietnamese are very proud of it and doing a great deal of restoration and protective work on the site. Back to town for a late breakfast/early lunch, a bit more shopping and sight seeing then in the evening we venture into town so I can get some night shots of the lanterns before we leave in the morning.