My Son Roadtrip

Our stay here in Hoi An is coming to an end. Tomorrow morning, we will continue southward.

Since riding the moped was quite an adventure, we decided to go all out one more time today. We saddled up the vehicle at 6:30 AM with the aim of visiting another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam. The temple city of My Son was our destination. As Nadi wanted to avoid major roads if possible, probably due to the traffic rule anecdotes from our scooter rental guy, I had Google Maps calculate a pedestrian route. Alright, so we were faced with 36 kilometers of quiet gravel paths. Safety is a concern for everyone!

The outbound journey was mostly uneventful. Except for the fact that Nadi, with her long, beautiful blonde hair, became a popular model for the villagers during our two short breaks. 'Photo, photo?' Sure, why not!

The route was actually pleasant to ride. It took us past green rice fields, dense tropical jungles, and rivers. A few barking dogs jumped onto the path, flocks of chickens fluttered in front of the moped, and here and there a cow stood in the way...nothing too exciting, really. ;-)

Upon arriving in My Son, we headed straight to the site and tried to work efficiently here as well; the heat just wouldn’t allow for more. It was impressive to admire the brick structures that were over 1600 years old in some cases. However, the architectural style wasn't quite to our taste... while we do have a certain fondness for industrial architecture, the unplastered brick buildings we encountered here felt a bit too open and exposed. ;-)

The return journey, however, held some surprises. First, I noticed a stand by the roadside with a grilled animal hanging. One might have thought it was a spit-roasted pig... upon closer inspection, we unfortunately had to realize that it was indeed a dog. I did some research afterward: Even today, about 5 million dogs are consumed in Vietnam each year, which pains me, especially as I count a fur baby as part of my family. Normally, I try everything offered for consumption abroad - but here I reached my personal limit. The research also revealed some shocking details regarding the treatment and 'processing'; I will refrain from passing judgment on that since there is a lot of 'trash' to clean up in many parts of the world regarding animal husbandry and meat supply.

After navigating some bumpy dirt paths, we reached a railway bridge that needed to be crossed on the scooter. Here, skill and a special sense of balance were necessary.

Some kilometers before our accommodation, we stopped at one of the many street food stalls. Porridge with duck was on the menu. The extremely friendly 'hostess' was once again particularly taken with Nadi. While I devoured my duck oat porridge with herbs and chili, the ladies communicated through a translator app. The friendly conversation peaked in an invitation to her home. We, of course, accepted the invitation from the lovely ladies and then got an exclusive tour of her house. These moments of connection make traveling once again something we do not want to miss. It is not a given and shows very well how friendly and open society is.

Back in Hoi An, I was in a hurry. My shirts and suits were ready for pickup. The second fitting went superbly; I am very pleased with the results. The fabrics, the cut...everything is perfect. A Dong Silk is truly worth recommending.

We then spent our last evening winding down with live music at one of the many beach bars. I will skip the details now; otherwise, we won’t reach the end today.

In this spirit: Southbound!