January 26, 2015.  This morning, we went to see My Son temple.  It's a Hindu temple that dates from the 13th century,  A lot is in ruins but they are working to restore it.  We bombed it, apparently because it was on the Ho Chi Minh trail.  Yesterday, on the bus ride to Hoi An, our guide gave a history of the war here from 1945 until the U.S. pulled out in 1973.  Talked for 45 minutes without stopping.  There were more dates than I could remember if I was paid to do it.  It was an interesting history of what Vietnam went through prior to 1963.

The U.S. has spent 30 billion dollars cleaning up unexploded ordinance (land mines) and between 500-1200 people die each year from them.  He also said that so much chemical was used during the war that researchers estimate it will take from 4 to 7 generations for it not to show up in their system. Very sad.

We are seeing and hearing birds since we came over the pass.  Lots of egrets in the rice paddies.  The ever present pigeons are here, a variety of kingfisher, some sparrows, and butterflies.  There was a big frog hopping in the grass by the swimming pool last night.