Day 302 - Bus tour to My Son Sanctuary - Boat Ride to Hoi An - Date Night
Sunday, May 5th, 2019.
Today was a long day. We started the day early because we took a tour to go to My Son Sanctuary and a boat cruise (please check the deluxe cruise photos).
Anyway, the taxi was late to pick us up to take us to the bus station. The bus filled up with many tourists and it took about an hour before we reached our destination.
We felt the hot air hitting our faces the moment we got out but it was after we walked ten minutes to the ruins that I wanted to die. The temperature was 90 but it felt like 100! When I first saw the ruins of the temples, I thought, OK, I've seen it, let's go back to the bus with AC but it was only the beginning of the tour.
We walked for another hour in the heat, looking at ancient Hindu temples and statues of Hindu gods and remembering the pagodas in Bagan, Myanmar. Also, the temples in My Son are in really bad shape due to the war. The guide explained that they were bombarded by the Americans because the communist Vietnamese were hiding there, figuring the Americans would never bomb a world heritage site. [Gregory's note: ha ha, we showed them, huh?]
Was it worth seeing? Maybe, but I'm starting to question why we have to see the "must-see" sites in each place. Or maybe we are just tired of sightseeing. [Gregory's note: umm, yeah I've felt like that since the Vatican Museum catastrophe.] I was just happy that Daniel stayed at the hotel. I told him he could order pizza for lunch!
We stopped for a while to have a drink and cool down but we were happier when we finally made it back to the bus and air conditioning. [Gregory's note: it was hot. Everyone felt the heat. The thing is, Lili was the only one spouting her opinion loudly and frequently. And guess what? It didn't cool her down.]
Our guide, Yop, was super funny, the way he spoke dramatically and repeated certain words, like lava or linga [phallus]. He had us laughing until we made it back to the city. Those who were going to take the boat ride got off the bus at the river. I almost regretted paying the extra $3 for a boat instead of the air-conditioned bus, but it sounded great: lunch and a boat ride!
Well, the boat wasn't exactly a luxury boat. It was a rusty old boat. [Gregory's note: no it wasn't.] It reminded me the ones they use to sell at the fair when I was little, that you light it with a match and would go tuk tuk and slowly move around the bathtub! Anyway, it was a pleasant ride. When we got in, they had a dish of white rice with fried vegetables on the side. Not bad. Of course, they sold drinks first and then, when we were done with the food and paid for the drinks, they gave us a free bottle of water!
After crossing the river, the boat dropped us near the Japanese Bridge in the old town. We could have walked and wandered through the streets, but it was too hot to be outside. We bought watermelon at a street stand and ordered a car to our hotel. I didn't even want to go in the pool, I just wanted the AC. I went to check on Daniel who was having pizza in the comfort of his bed! The lady who runs the hotel had brought the pizza to his room when he didn't come down for lunch.
Later we swam in the small pool and at night Gregory and I went to town for dinner and drinks.
For pictures please click here
Today was a long day. We started the day early because we took a tour to go to My Son Sanctuary and a boat cruise (please check the deluxe cruise photos).
Anyway, the taxi was late to pick us up to take us to the bus station. The bus filled up with many tourists and it took about an hour before we reached our destination.
We felt the hot air hitting our faces the moment we got out but it was after we walked ten minutes to the ruins that I wanted to die. The temperature was 90 but it felt like 100! When I first saw the ruins of the temples, I thought, OK, I've seen it, let's go back to the bus with AC but it was only the beginning of the tour.
We walked for another hour in the heat, looking at ancient Hindu temples and statues of Hindu gods and remembering the pagodas in Bagan, Myanmar. Also, the temples in My Son are in really bad shape due to the war. The guide explained that they were bombarded by the Americans because the communist Vietnamese were hiding there, figuring the Americans would never bomb a world heritage site. [Gregory's note: ha ha, we showed them, huh?]
Was it worth seeing? Maybe, but I'm starting to question why we have to see the "must-see" sites in each place. Or maybe we are just tired of sightseeing. [Gregory's note: umm, yeah I've felt like that since the Vatican Museum catastrophe.] I was just happy that Daniel stayed at the hotel. I told him he could order pizza for lunch!
We stopped for a while to have a drink and cool down but we were happier when we finally made it back to the bus and air conditioning. [Gregory's note: it was hot. Everyone felt the heat. The thing is, Lili was the only one spouting her opinion loudly and frequently. And guess what? It didn't cool her down.]
Our guide, Yop, was super funny, the way he spoke dramatically and repeated certain words, like lava or linga [phallus]. He had us laughing until we made it back to the city. Those who were going to take the boat ride got off the bus at the river. I almost regretted paying the extra $3 for a boat instead of the air-conditioned bus, but it sounded great: lunch and a boat ride!
Well, the boat wasn't exactly a luxury boat. It was a rusty old boat. [Gregory's note: no it wasn't.] It reminded me the ones they use to sell at the fair when I was little, that you light it with a match and would go tuk tuk and slowly move around the bathtub! Anyway, it was a pleasant ride. When we got in, they had a dish of white rice with fried vegetables on the side. Not bad. Of course, they sold drinks first and then, when we were done with the food and paid for the drinks, they gave us a free bottle of water!
After crossing the river, the boat dropped us near the Japanese Bridge in the old town. We could have walked and wandered through the streets, but it was too hot to be outside. We bought watermelon at a street stand and ordered a car to our hotel. I didn't even want to go in the pool, I just wanted the AC. I went to check on Daniel who was having pizza in the comfort of his bed! The lady who runs the hotel had brought the pizza to his room when he didn't come down for lunch.
Later we swam in the small pool and at night Gregory and I went to town for dinner and drinks.
For pictures please click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6XsNjjSUrgmmcxPi8
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