BSV. My Son

8 February 17:00

Still no connectivity.

Excellent day, just about perfect.

Weather was again sunny, not too hot, and no strong headwind. Off on rural roads, once we got off Hiway 1 (just the first 20 km). Then perfect roads both in quality, views and lack of trucks and horns.

Some minor rolling hills to break the flatness and then to My Son a UNESCO site.

The Cham people, one of the 54 ethnic minorites used to live in this area. Between the 6th and 10th century this was the center of Hinduism in Vietnam. Temples, what remains of them after we bombed them to oblivion as the VC were supposedly hiding here, are of three types.

Hindi - tall and windowless with Shiva and many other carvings

One old stone - sandstone - as the only Khmer (think angor wat ) remaining temple (ruins) left outside of Cambodia.

Viet with their typical square roofs.

The original stone work from the 10th century is evident. The restoration work is all erroding from the humidity. Modern concrete does not work. Not clear (asked twice and got different answers) if they ysed any mortor. My guess is that they did and once again the ancient recipie is lost.

Of the 70 structures only a handfull are still standing and only a few are not ruins. Walked into a few of them. The site is like a great park hidden in the hills and framed by the gates one sees "Lucky Mountain".

Later a ride along the beach - both directions and through a village. I think the proffered pens confused the children but they took them.

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