hoi an

Yet another UNESCO world heritage site but one of the more exceptional ones I have had the pleasure of seeing. Hoi An is a well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences of the Chinese, Japanese and European traders. It is like stepping back in time. A very quaint and tranquil place that stole my heart.

It's a small place too. All the main sights can be seen easily in a day. Any spare time is devoted to relaxing and goofing at locals going about their daily lives. The town is known for its tailors who offer inexpensive but good quality clothing. One guy I met had designed his own runners, all in white, with his name written across it in gold lettering! Not my kind of thing but for $15 but it's quite a bargain. The Vietnamese are a very creative, innovative people. Show them a picture from a catalogue and they'll duplicate it perfectly within 24 hours. I was content to buy some fake dockers shorts at $2. Good quality ones too!

During my lounging period, I noticed a orphanage so I enquired as to how I could make a donation. The orphange stands beside a Catholic church so I thought it may be run by the them. In fact, it is a government-run orphanage with 80 young children. I asked a local about it and he offered to take me there but couldn't advise me as to whether a cash donation or a material donation (rice, clothes, etc) would be more appropriate. I figured he might want a little kickback too but it soon became apparent that he wasn't after anything. Being a good Buddist, he was doing his good deed.

Many of the children were abandoned by their parents because of the kids are disabled. Many have disabilities as a result of the chemical weapons used by good old Uncle Sam. It was gut wretching being shown around by one of the staff. At one point I had to fight to keep my eyes dry. I had gone there with the express intention of donating 200 euro. But I was mindful that cash donations may not make it to the intended destination. But the people who run the orphange seemed honest so I made my donation. Maybe I was trying to appease some of the guilt I feel as a 'lucky westerner' world tourist type. Whatever the motivation was, I am glad I did it. I just hope it will be used for the kids.

I asked the local who accompanied to the orphanage whether he would like to earn a few quid by taking me to the Cham ruins the next day. We set off at 6am the next morning with me riding pillion for the 35km journey to the Cham ruins. It was beautiful at dawn to travel through the lush countryside even if my drivers speed was unsettling in terms of my unprotected head. But we arrived safely. The Cham people were once a powerful force in the area. The strong Hindu influence is evident in many of the friezes. Most of the site is reasonably well-preserved but yet again, it was a battle scene during the war when the Viet Cong took refuge in the area. The Yanks bombed it good and proper. The bomb craters are still sizeable now. Work has been ongoing for a number of years by a team of Italians to restore the site. It's still impressive though.

Hoi An was a lovely place to pass a few days. But some little niggles were settling in about the Vietnamese. My hotel boss was all laughs and greetings initially but on check out he added a whole range of things I hadn't used. This is not uncommon. Nearly everywhere I eat they add on items I never had or ordered. I suppose they gamble on the punter not checking the addition or whatever. But it gets annoying when it happens all the time. I have also noted that it is always the blokes who try it on. The trouble is that these widespread little cheats will do nothing to help Vietnam reach its goal of being the next Thailand in tourism terms. As soon as it is realised that tourists are not just 'dollars with legs' the better for all concerned.

hue

Vietnam has a suprisingly well organised tourist infrastructure. A great deal is the 'Open Tour' bus ticket. It's a 'hop on-hop off ' service that allows passengers to jump off at a number of locations on the journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. All for $22! I decided to stop off at four locations en route. The rub is that the operator hopes to accommodate the passengers in an affiliated guesthouse. But the sales method isn't over overbearing.

So after a 12 hour overnight bus ride (on jolting, squeaky, f*cking annoying seat that I wanted to kick to pieces!), I found myself in Hue. It is the ancient capital of the country and considered to be a national treasure of history and heritage. It becomes yet another UNESCO site on my travels. It's a city that is easily covered on foot although hard going in the intense heat. The shade isn't much of a comfort here. Oh, and there's another issue for the walker; the endless sales patter of motorbike and rickshaw drivers. Every damn minute of the day! But I accept that it is their livelihood after all and I smile as I decline the service each time.

The centre of the historic city is the Citadel. All the other important monuments, temples, and pagodas are found here too. In truth, it was all a bit of a disappointment though. The 'purple forbidden city' is a poor, scaled down version of the original forbidden city in Beijing. I suppose it does have two elephants roaming around without much purpose. Beat that Beijing! But that's not to say that it has always been unimpresssive. It was probably quite a sight in its day but forty percent of it was destroyed in the war.

In the Tet Offensive of 1968, the city suffered at the hands of the Americans during one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war. If one looks closely, the battle damage is still evident; bullet holes, fire damage and shell craters. The most apparent piece of evidence is the crumbling, concrete pill box that stills sits awardly on top of one of the ancient city gates. It's a great pity really and compounded by years of neglect ever since. The communists regarded the site as a relic of feudal times.

But on the plus side Hue is also famous for the girls in their white Áo Dài - Vietnamese national dress. The outfit is mandatory for school girls and some government workers. The sight of them cycling along is pure poetry in motion. Although I didn't test it, it is said some wear their conical straw hat with a poem written inside that can only be read when held up to the light. I have heard much about the beauty of Vietnamese women and I am inclined to agree that they are certainly one of the most beautiful of all Asian women.