One of the areas I visited in Vietnam that I enjoyed most was Hoi An. It's a small city known for its ancient quarter of narrow streets lined with tailoring shops and colorful Chinese-style lanterns. There is also a lovely beach nearby. Visiting Hoi An can do serious damage to your pockets. I had 2 Chinese-print silk tops and 1 dress made there, as well as a pair of sandals. Total price for everything: $29. Not expensive, but I spent more money here than I had in the other places we visited. The tops I had made are kind of cheapy, as they are not lined, but I'm happy with everything and wish I had some pants made as well.
Nearby Hoi An our group went to see the Hindu temple ruins at My Son, a UNESCO world heritage site that is considered to be the holy land of the Cham people, who worshiped Shiva.
Cham statue
The ruins were pretty cool and there were many pretty butterflies flitting around. I was surprised to learn that there were Hindus in Vietnam, but it is a very diverse country with a rich history. The Cham people still exist today as one of Vietnam's 54 ethnic minorities.
One of my best memories from Hoi An was making friends with a friendly waitress named Suong at the cafe near our hotel. Many young people in Vietnam are eager to learn English and enjoy practicing with foreigners. She saw me writing in my journal and shyly but curiously asked what I was writing. We talked for a while and she made me an origami heart from a 500-dong bill. We plan to keep in touch via e-mail.
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