Every Girly Girl's Dream Destination

After Ho Chi Minh City, the Turkish boys, Amy and I travelled to Central Vietnam and stopped in the lovely little city of Hoi An. Amy and I immediately fell in love with the charming old city and its colorful silk lanterns and amazing array of shops. The Turkish boys took the same quick look around and decided there wasn't much to do in Hoi An, so it'd be a one-night stop for them!! And I suppose it's fitting, as Hoi An is basically a shopping mecca.

Hoi An has countless tailors, jewelry makers, shoe cobblers and purse shops where you get to design your own pieces, select the materials, place an order, and return within 24 hours to pick up your custom-designed, tailor-made goods! Four nights, 1 suit, 2 dresses, 4 tops, 4 pants, 1 skirt, 3 necklaces and 4 pair of shoes later, I found myself at the post office standing in a long line of other female tourists shipping an 8 kg box home!

Between all the orders and fittings, Amy and I also expanded our group while in Hoi An! First, we met up with Laura and Michelle (Big thanks to Annie Linehan, a pal back in DC, who knew both Laura & I were travelling in SE Asia and put us in touch with one another via email!). Laura & Michelle are a ton of fun and we instantly made a great quad (that's Laura in the market photo with me). Then, on my last night in Hoi An, I ran into Olivia & Davina -- the two Irish girls I'd palled around with in Chaing Mai, Thailand. SE Asia is definitely a circuit, and if you're staying in the backpacker areas of the major cities & sights, you're bound to keep seeing the same faces. So much fun!

xoxo,
Mere

I love this photo of the Hoi An marketplace - the colors of the fresh fruits, veggies & flowers were a delight -- and the Vietnamese ladies really do wear the straw hats!