Vietnam

---

The weather has been quite changeable here in Da Nang. We decided to walk along the beach and stopped to have a lounge with a coconut drink when it started raining then it was quite wet for a few hours but still in the mid 20's. On Sunday the sun was out and it was in the high 20's. Mr Tai picked us up at midday and first of all took us to Marble Mountain. Having dodged the sales pitch in the marble workshop, where there were statues and souvenirs of all shapes and sizes, we explored the caves in the mountain which all have shrines and statues inside. There was also an impressive pagoda and lots of steps which felt like hard work in the heat.

Our next stop was further into the countryside at the ruins of a collection of Cham temples called My Son. They were situated in a valley at the foot of some mountains in very lush vegetation. As we arrived at the site there was a traditional dance performance which was very colourful but we weren't sure why the lead dancer had a candle on her headgear. The temple ruins were very evocative and it certainly felt as though we had taken a step back in time.

From there we drove back through some very rural areas where everybody seemed to be working with their hands, either making something or working the land, many of them planting or gathering rice. We arrived back in Hoi An in the early evening and went for a meal in a restaurant by the river. The old town is lit up in the evenings and closed to traffic and visitors are charged an entrance fee although this is applied in a very haphazard way. It has a great atmosphere in the evening and we were pleased that we had returned.

Next stop Ho Chi Minh City - I'm really pleased we are flying this time.

---