After saying goodbye, we walked through parts of downtown Hoi An, until Meg and Anna found Louise & Sarah,,, and the girls went off to conquer the shopping world, shuttling between endless rows of shops & tailors they had visited yesterday to have clothes & shoes made. (=

That was my cue to find a scooter for rent ($6 for the day) & drive out to a few cultural sites. My plan was to start with My Son (“mee son”: an ancient Champa temple complex dating to the 7th century), and then move up the coast to Marble Mountain and Da Nang. That’s when the good-old language barrier factored in. (=

I went over a map with Yuum at the front desk of the hotel, and got myself pointed in the right direction from the scooter rental ladies,,, who all nodded “yes. My Son that way…”
15 minutes down the road, I pulled over, just to check that I was still on the right path.
“My Son? No no! that far away in other direction! You almost to mable mountain.”

Huh. So much for directions (= Since I was already half-way to my 2nd destination, I pressed on with a smile. There are a few interesting vehicles, unique in their vintage & common to the roads of Hoi An; namely the panel-less truck. A loud & clackety truck engine, strapped to an open chasis with wheels attached. I like the absence of windows or doors of any kind, and the fact that you can see how all the moving parts fit together from across the street, including the steering column. (=
Bicycles are much more common here as well, particularly as a second person sits perched on a wheel rack in back, and often helps pedal. It’s charmingly common.