The Tailors of Hoi An

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Leaving the motorbikes behind we drove by bus through the stunning Hai Van mountain pass and down to our new home - Hoi An, a world heritage site. What you can have custom made by the extremely skilled artists and tradespeople is limited only by your imagination. One friend had a silver Tiffany design necklace crafted - overnight. I had a silk jacket and pants made to order.... Others had leather boots, business suits, cushion covers made.

Hoi An's economy is based on producing and selling goods to tourists. The narrow streets of the old city are lined with small shops, the displays of art, fabric, leather goods, silver and wood carvings creating a feast of color. Much of the work is exquisite and reasonable priced.

The tailor shop where I ordered my outfit was run by a dentist and his wife - half of the shop was filled with fabrics and sample designs, the other half (the less profitable side, I sensed) had a strange assortment of false teeth on display. Tailoring was the recent addition to their family income.

The ease of getting around a small city was quickly forgotten when we rolled into Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). I thought the traffic of Hanoi was crazy - it was a piece of cake in comparison to Saigon. And, as always within a few days it seemed very manageable. Traveling is such a good way of stretching what we think we can do!!

Next, exploring Saigon....

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