We hired a car to take us at 5:30 AM from Hoi An to the Hindu temple complex of My Son. We arrived in such good time that the ticket office had yet to open. We spent the time having coffee with our driver and talking about recent history in that area. His personal story, probably shared by many there, included a father who was a cook for the south Vietnamese government and was then killed by the northern Vietnamese, leaving his mother with 5 children. Due to being on a black list because of the father's alliance, the family was sent to a remote mountain area where other people associated with the southern government were sent. About a decade ago, he was able to move to Hoi An and work as a driver. He had had a difficult life, but was not resentful - he was genuinely thankful to have a job and seemed squarely focused on the present and the future.
Read more about a personal story at My Son.
