In many ways this journey we are taking through Vietnam is indescribable. Today, you could simply say wet, wet, and wetter. Our journey is captured here but what is missing from all the data that is captured on our sports tracker page is the rainfall. Lets just say there was lots today. We cycled through a monsoon and observed how life goes on as normal here, rain or shine. Interestingly, the Vietnamese smiles also continue. There's no dampening of optimism here.

The day began in the beautiful town of Hoi An, and it began with the wet. We had an hour or two this morning to explore the town and delight in the rising tide lapping at the shop doors and the rain filling the streets just as dramatically. Later in the day we cycled along the main highway in the pouring rain where we encountered sights such as a scooter piled high with dozens of (live) ducks, scooter riders driving right alongside us (sometimes uncomfortably close) and many many locals also on bikes - but without the lycra, crash helmets and the gears that we enjoyed. We continue to cause a commotion (and giggles) wherever we go, it feels like we are the circus coming to town!

The end point of our ride today was an emotional one. We visited the village of My Son where we learned in detail about the 1968 brutal massacre by American troops on the little village of My Lai. The stories were very moving. 504 people were basically slaughtered early one morning as they innocently went about their business. All becasue the Americans were convinced they were key communists who need to be annihalated. They weren't; they were just ordinary people going about their lives. One brave soldier protested against what he saw by rescuing some villagers and threatening to turn against his own comrades in order to stop further murders (and other atrocities). A truly brave act.

With such a sorrowful finish to our day, the rain seemed fitting.