Day 9 - Vietnam Discovery from Hanoi to the Meekong Delta - 'Inside Vietnam' adventure with EXPLORE

Day 9 - Hoi An / My Son Archaeological Heritage site

We had a relatively short itinerary today, just over halfway through this exciting journey and nice to have a day with much less walking for sure.  We visited the My Son Archaeological site this morning.  It's a destination pretty heavy on the tourist footfall, unfortunately, we need to wait in queues for each entrance to each monument, just a bit too crowded for comfort.  I'd still recommend going, just bear in mind that it is an attraction for so many of the tour groups to visit.  And I think every tour group gets a guide, at least it seemed like it.

The daily downpour arrives as we walked up to the main monuments at this relatively small historical site.  Someone in the group kindly points out that the rather cheap pack-a-mac I’d been loaned was basically melting in the rain and I’m in danger of looking like a Smurf if the plastic sheet seeping blue ink is not removed immediately.  That could have caused me a problem or two at the airport tomorrow with facial recognition?

‘My Son’ site has a long history dating back from the 4th century up to the 13th century.  Its past being greatly tied in with Indian culture coming from the north and to the west.  It was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.

There's a small cultural show with dancers and music after the tour at the on site theatre, but that is sadly blighted by the obsession of people standing up all the time, getting in everyone’s view to get their ‘break the internet’ photos and videos without a care for others.  This is just way too common these days sadly.

Today it is again super humid and the plastic sheet I had on wasn't the only thing feeling like it was melting.  So when at the show an opportunity to stand near a giant fan arose it was not to be passed up lightly.

When we arrived back to Hoi An Morag, Graham, Nick and I stopped for a quick lunch.  We then walked back to the hotel.  It was as we approached our road that Nick was accosted by a lady who'd been touting massage services, to whom he'd said a few times in the last couple of days, that he'd 'get back to her on that'!  "You no come visit" she said more than once as she gently gave Nick a slap or two on the arms.  He made his excuses and swiftly aimed for the hotel.

We were back at our Hoi An hotel by one o'clock, as some of the group had a cycling tour at around two o'clock that Joseph had rearranged, being postponed from yesterday due to the downpours.  The weather has kindly brightened up a bit for them too.  It turned out that the cycling tour was pretty good and the reviews very positive about getting a bit out there into the countryside on two wheels.

For the rest of us it was a free afternoon to relax or explore some more.  As this is a 50/50, work/pleasure journey for me I used the time do some blog writing.  In the late afternoon the Whatsapp group popped up a message that some are out at the Tiger-Tiger pub on the main drag inviting the rest of the group along.

I popped on the walking boots and went down for a quick beer and a pizza with them, it was even busier on the strip than yesterday!  Thankfully we didn't hear the band from the previous evening’s entertainment.  Although on the walk back it did seem that every other bar had a house band plying their trade.  Plenty of choices of 70's, 80's & 90's Christmas hits for sure if 32c and humidity makes you think of Christmas.

I never sleep properly the night before a flight, but the alarm is set for 4am.  Backpack stuffed with some clothes and essentials as we're overnight tomorrow without our main cases at the island homestay, out on the Mekong Delta.  And apparently as it shockingly turns out, I am the only one excited by the prospect of hanging around plane spotting at an airport for 2 hours before the flight tomorrow!

The group is getting along great I think.  Everyone seems happy in their routines and I for one feel very comfortable with such a great group.  'Pre-Dinner drinks at 6' was established a few days into the trip, for those who wished to partake.  And from my point of view I've felt it would ever so rude not to join in the daily ritual.  Purely for research purposes you understand, isn't that right Nick?