{"id":4914,"date":"2016-11-15T09:00:05","date_gmt":"2016-11-15T14:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=4914"},"modified":"2016-11-18T12:48:11","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T17:48:11","slug":"my-son-my-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=4914","title":{"rendered":"My Son…My Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n

Last year, Angkor Wat. \u00a0This year, My Son.<\/p>\n

Always having been a dream of mine to visit Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, I was finally afforded the opportunity last year. \u00a0Having seen the “City of Temples” constructed during the 12th century, I thought that it was one of the oldest in that part of Asia.<\/p>\n

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While cruising the waters of the Thu Bon river with Mr. Seo, he asked me if I had planned to visit the ruins of My Son. \u00a0Did I misunderstand him…there were ruins near Hoi An?<\/p>\n

Seo, offered a plan. \u00a0He could take me to My Son the next day on the back of his motorbike…about an hour’s ride outside of Hoi An towards the mountainous region. \u00a0After quoting a price, he waited for an answer. \u00a0Although I was really interested in these ruins, I knew nothing about them nor did I know what the going rate was. \u00a0And…on a motorbike? \u00a0With a guy I hardly knew? \u00a0I needed to think on this one. \u00a0I would text him later.<\/p>\n

As I lounged at the beach that afternoon, I surfed the internet for information about My Son. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, the ruins are located about 45 kilometers from Hoi An and were built between the 4th and 14th centuries, making them older than Angkor Wat. \u00a0I found tours ranging from $16-$40 per person and group sizes ranging from five persons\u00a0to busloads. \u00a0Seo had quoted a price of $35 and we would leave extremely early to avoid the crowds and traffic which would allow me the rest of the day to spend exploring the parts of Hoi An that I had not yet seen. \u00a0Not sure if I was making the right decision, I texted Seo and negotiated a lower price. \u00a0We agreed on the terms and I planned for my early departure the next day.<\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a>Seo arrived right on time at 7:15 a.m. and we were on our way, me sitting behind him. \u00a0It was a long, sometimes scary and sometimes thrilling ride and I was starting to feeling the effects on my lower back when I saw the first signs for My Son. \u00a0Seo parked his motorbike and we crossed the tall bridge to the ticket counter. \u00a0After paying my entrance fee, we boarded the tram for the winding trip around the mountain to My Son’s grounds.<\/p>\n

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Extremely hot, even for nine\u00a0in the morning, I made my way, sweating profusely, toward the main buildings in the middle of the site. My first impression was that of peacefulness. \u00a0There were hardly any tourists on the grounds and I had the crumbling buildings all to myself. The temples had beautifully intricate details that were lost to the eye at first glance, however, came to life the more they were studied. \u00a0The area was green and fertile and provided a beautiful backdrop \u00a0for the structures. \u00a0Needless to say, my camera was put to very good use.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"<\/a>Surrounded by high mountains and situated in the heart of a beautiful valley, these buildings were originally built from wood but were destroyed by fire in the 6th century. \u00a0During the 7th century, they were rebuilt with bricks and by the 13th century, more than 70 similar buildings had been built. \u00a0A sanctuary of Hinduism, the buildings of the complex were used to worship and make offerings to the Hindu gods.<\/p>\n

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Many of the buildings’ entrances were open to enter and some displayed statues and other artwork. \u00a0There are four separate areas that were\u00a0open to visitors and all were connected by paved pathways.<\/p>\n

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After finishing my walk through all areas of the complex and noticing that more tourists were present, I made my way to the Arts Pavilion where Aspara dancers were performing. \u00a0Beautifully choreographed, it was a nice end to my visit at My Son.<\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a>Rejoining Seo, he and I made our way toward the tram, marveling at the number of tourists arriving and traveling down the wooded path. \u00a0After the long ride on the back of Seo’s motorbike, I wondered if I had made the right decision. \u00a0Had I paid too much? \u00a0Maybe I did for a motorbike tour, but watching the busloads of tourists arriving, made me remember how much I dislike tour groups. \u00a0The fact that we were able to set our own schedule and arrive earlier than everyone else was worth the price. \u00a0I had been able to capture beautifully, unobstructed pictures of the site and well before the hottest temperatures of the day.<\/p>\n

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As the wind blew around me on our return trip, I was happy that I had done My Son…my way.<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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My Son\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n