Charlie Don't Surf

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The next day we figured we were due a little R&R, so took a short taxi ride to An Bang beach. It's a beautiful, secluded beach that looks like something off the front of a postcard. We didn't do much else that day other than head into town in the evening to grab a bite to eat. Deciding to sample something else from Hoi An's very international palette, we went to what is said to be the best Indian restaurant in town. Sadly without air conditioning in that temperature, the restaurant was so hot it made me feel a little ill, so we switched to a takeaway and ate back in our delightfully cool hotel room.

After checking out of Thanh Van 2 the next morning, we boarded a bus heading for a tour of the nearby Mỹ Sơn ruins. The ruins are a collection of Champa Hindu temples built between the 4th and 14th century AD. There used to be many more surviving temples, but the US bombing of a Vietcong position here in 1969 reduced a significant amount of the site to rubble. Evidence of the bombing can be seen in the form of several now grass-filled craters, and a couple of bomb shell casings from unexplained ordinance housed in a partially reconstructed former library. Despite that, and the oppressive 40 degree heat that was turning us entirely into sweat, it was a great place to explore, with the added bonus of our charismatic tour guide enthusiastically telling us about lingams and yonis.

Back in the mercifully cooler Hoi An, we had a relaxing afternoon seeing a couple more of the Old Town attractions and eating once again in Cargo Club. As yes, once again having Italian food... We also finally succumbed to a little Hoi An retail therapy, coming away with a few useful and less so useful souvenirs.

We arrived back at the hotel for a bit of time to relax and read, before we'd be taken back to Danang for our night train down to Nha Trang.

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