My Son

My motorbike driver and I get to My Son too early, so I have coffee and some chicken with noodles for breakfast at a restaurant that was really out in the country (dogs frolicking in fields, chickens running around), because the Cham temple ruins of My Son are really out in the country. The original buildings were constructed sometime in the 4th century and then added onto continuously up until the 13th century AD.

The architecture of My Son resembles the Khmer style most famously displayed in the temples at Angkor in Cambodia. The friezes on the buildings featured Hindu deities sculpted out of the stone and the Buddha as well, abnd some of the buildings were preserved well enough to actually walk into. The interiors of the couple of buildings had reservoirs on raised platforms that were probably for sacrifices, since there were drainage pipes leading from the reservoirs to troughs below. A lot of the ruins were overgrown with greenery; one of the buildings had a young tree growing out of a large crack in the facade.

The objective I had hoped to achieve by leaving at 4:30 in the morning was accomplished; I had the ruins all to myself for the most part, except for a couple of friendly Australians. They pointed me to a wonderful tailor in Hoi An where I got two pairs of perfectly fitted trousers made for $35. The shopping here is excellent, but I would have to ship some stuff back if I bought everything that I had the urge to buy. I can't promise I won't cave in later in the trip.