Through the hot, stifling night the temple gongs boomed and the conchs roared.

Before dawn along the Perfume River in Hue, and in countless other places, the only sounds are those of temple gongs or church bells.

In the early morning, when temple gongs and roosters are the only sounds to be heard on this side of the Mekong, Laos seems to be living in a timeless world of its own.

Bean filling sandwiched between two round pancakes - said to resemble temple gongs (in Japanese, dora) - are a specialty of an Asakusa shop called Ogawa.

Even worse are the Web sites and books filled with inspirational tips on how to keep from feeling lonely when you are by yourself in an exotic locale, surrounded by staggeringly beautiful architecture, delicious aromas of local food and the tinkle of distant temple gongs.

The musical fabric of "Juan Darien" includes Japanese taiko drums, African shakers and slit drums, Indian temple gongs, Mayan clay flutes and death whistles and an Australian aborigine didjeridu.

Across the city the temple gongs were being sounded.

Fourteen temple gongs are required to add some local coloration.