Hoi An used to be an important trading centre until the Thu Bon river silted up, now it is mainly a tourist centre. Lots of shopping and great restaurants. You could easily eat your way through Vietnam as each area has it's local specialties, all very tasty!
We have had a couple of days to settle and relax after a very hectic time in Saigon. Hoi An is still busy but much less so than Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City (as no one calls it). Scooters are still he main type of transport, but more bicycles and the drivers are not as crazy. There are no rules of the road, just go when there is a space.
We visited My Son which was the spiritual centre of the Cham Empire from the 7th to 11th century. They were Indian people and lived in what is now southern Vietnam. My son was a spiritual place and one of the oldest monuments left in Vietnam. Unfortunately, it was a Viet Cong stronghold, so it was bombed during the American war (there were many wars in Vietnam). The temples are made of brick and natural glue, no mortar. Siva was one of the many gods worshiped here. The heads of all the statues of Siva have been cut off as the Vietnamese (and Chinese) wanted to destroy his power. We have not seen one statue of Siva with the head still on it, only the body. The buildings have survived many centuries, like the Incas. Some of the temples were rebuilt in the 20th century, but the brick is already decaying and the buildings falling apart. They have them covered to help protect them from the elements, but the original Cham buildings survive without decay. If the area had not been bombed, they would have all survived.
It was a very mystical place, with the old temples, misty hills and forest. It was a very peaceful place, but you cannot wander off the paths, as there are likely still unexploded bombs in the area.
We had a display of traditional Cham dancing and music, it is very Indian and the costumes reminded us of Thailand. The Cham kingdom was eradicated in the late 1400's and now they are one of Vietnam's 54 ethnic minorities.
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| A newer reconstructed building, which had to be protected from the elements as the brick is decaying and the mortar is failing, unlike the original structures which still stand intact |
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| The countryside-no area is left unused. Rice fields are abundant and surround all buildings including homes and graveyards. |
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| traditional Cham costumes and dance, Indian and Thai influence |
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| Surviving Cham temple |
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| sculpture on corner of a Cham temple |
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