In Hoi An, Vietnam, Bagan, Myanmar and Chiang Mai, Thailand, we found three awesome photographers and genuinely nice people to spend the day with. Each encounter shared the attribute of the unexpected, with the day unfolding organically, leading us to amazing sites, meeting with interesting people and connecting to local culture in a myriad of ways.

Étienne: Prince of Hoi An

Etienne Bossot, a French photographer living and shooting in Vietnam for over 5 years

Luckily, this young, bright guy is a good marketer, snagging us into this new activity with a well placed and designed sign out in front of his gallery down the lane from our hotel. Advertising a photo tour package to a local fishing village from dawn through lunch, we met Etienne and made plans to be picked up the next morning. His demeanor and graciousness as host to the 10 of us who accompanied him was evident from the moment he came to get us at our hotel gate. With a range of skill sets and cameras, he balanced his time perfectly with each of us, offering advice on equipment, lessons on some of the basics of manual photography, and personal guidance on getting “the shot.”

For me, the most fascinating part of the day revolved around how to take pictures of people, one of Etienne’s specialties. It never dawned on me how important the ability to make personal connection and exude an outgoing demeanor is to great photographers. In observing and listening to Etienne, I have a whole new respect for the broad range of interpersonal and technical skills that go into a memorable image.  Effortlessly navigating the docks and streets of this sleepy, tiny fishing village, his boy next door / comfortable-in-his-own-skin attitude won smiles, hugs and conversation with many of the locals. As we learned about the daily ritual of the fisherman coming home from the evening’s catch, navigated the impromptu market that sprung up around the docks, breathed in the pungent smells of a fish sauce producer, meandered through the back pathways between local houses, and rode bikes along the river back to Hoi An, we snapped to our hearts content and enjoyed the company of an interesting band of travelers.

Maung Maung: King of Bagan

Maung Maung is a local photographer who has achieved International acclaim

Credit for this whirl-wind day goes almost entirely to Etienne, having insisted that ProjectEquator would be incomplete without traveling to Myanmar. We had recently given up on obtaining visas, and had almost finalized new plane tickets to cut Myanmar from the itinerary; but after Etienne’s passionate plea, we realized our error and made a major overhaul to our plans to get us to Bagan via Bangkok and Mandalay.  After some research, we were connected with Maung Maung, a Myanmar citizen who has made an international name for himself for his outstanding images. It could not have been a more dissimilar experience and adventure than our day with Etienne, teaching Lisa and I about a completely different method of “getting the shot.”

Maung Maung is a master of light. He knows exactly where he needs to be at precisely the right time of day to create a moody, evocative image. Shooting in and around Bagan’s thousands of temples for decades, he has a network of friends and access to unreachable places that made us feel like we had a golden ticket for the day. Unlike almost any other photographer we’ve met, Maung Maung offers to recreate and teach you how to get some of the award winning images he’s taken over the years. In contrast to the documentary-style of Etienne’s photo essays of people, Maung Maung creates extremely deliberate shots that have been scouted, planned and rehearsed.

When in Bagan, surrounded by thousands of thousand year old temples, monks offer a wonderful subject to photograph. We had the opportunity to meet several as Maung Maung zoomed in and out of a few monasteries to pick up our own personal monk to accompany us to various locations. As bizarre as it sounds, these boys served as authentic models in elaborate, stunning locations. Maung Maung, like many people in Bagan, spent months in the monastery we kept returning to, so he knew everyone very well. Each monk barely spoke, and rarely smiled as Maung Maung would direct the scene for our awaiting lens. We zoomed precariously from place to place in his small car, tracking monks and nuns collecting daily offering of food from the locals, visiting a monastery at mealtime and entering many locked pagodas cracked open for our king, making the entire day action-packed and slightly overwhelming. He offers a private 15-day tour of Myanmar, and you can bet that Lisa and I are already scheming on when we return!

Ryan: Documentarian and Environmental Crusader of Chiang Mai

Ryan Libre lives in Chiang Mai and spends lots of time nurturing young documentary film makers and photographers

Joined by our very own Ryan Jones from Mercer Island, we decided the kids should jump in on the fun as we connected with another Ryan (Libre) who owns and curates the Documentary Arts Asia in Chiang Mai. When he is not documenting life in Kachin State in northern Burma, or on some assignment elsewhere in the world, Ryan teaches photography at Chiang Mai University and takes people like us around the countryside to practice photography. Like the other expeditions, we had no idea what to expect, except of course, the unexpected!

The morning started on an organic farm about an hour or so north of Chiang Mai. Amidst idyllic rice paddies and rolling mountains, this permaculture / sustainable living commune is owned and run by Thai folks, and offers wonderful views and whimsical adobe architecture. Ryan owns land between this farm and the next organic farm called The Panya Project, which is a school that teaches people from all over the world the arts of adobe construction, permaculture, organic farming and community development. We hiked both farms and got a taste for how flexible, sustainable and malleable adobe architecture can be.

While chatting with some folks at Panya, we learned that all of the students were in the village building a 2-story adobe house for a local resident who needed a house. Off we went into a traditional, rural Thai village, where Wescott, Ryan and Yve were invited to join the work crew and get covered in mud. They laid a row of adobe bricks for one of the walls and learned the basic principles of how easy, fun and environmental this construction can be.

For lunch, we dropped in on the village chief who owns a sprawling homestay that would give any Marin County artsy / organic / zen compound a run for its money. Tasty vegetarian fare in a spectacular setting gave us renewed energy for our afternoon, which included a visit to an enormous, almost never-visited temple complex. It was a great location to contrast Thailand’s elaborate, palatial Buddhist Wats to the more primitive, ancient style of Bagan’s pagodas.

The last part of the day took an even more unexpected turn, as Ryan was invited to interview a famous Swiss photographer named Rene Burri at one of Chiang Mai’s most exclusive resorts, Dhara Dhevi. Sending the kids home, Lisa and I accompanied the press corp, consisting of an entourage of several photographers and handlers. The whole thing was a bit surreal as we were ushered into a magnificent suite, greeting Rene who sat on an expansive veranda with his son and wife. For the next two and a half hours, we sat riveted like disciples as Rene waxed on about his experiences being invited to shoot the Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che’ Guevara, his friendship with Pablo Picasso, his thoughts on photography and many pearls of wisdom about an 80 year (and counting) life that has taken him to over 200 countries and in the middle of countless world events.  For photography collectors and enthusiasts like us, it was a very special surprise and a wonderful end to an unexpected day.

1) IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK! After living in Hanoi for 5 months in 2009, we feel like Vietnam is our second home. But because Jones and Tuck did not have passports back then, we were unable to travel within the country, thus we spent the entire 5 months in Hanoi. We never anticipated having to be in Hanoi for 5 months, 5 years ago, but we know it was a blessing in disguise. I guess the lesson we learned from that experience is to try and visit a place and stay a long time, rather than beebopping from destination to destination. When you hang out, you really do get to know a place and it feels like home!

One of our favorite old hangouts…Legends Beer which overlooks the Lake and a crazy traffic circle!

2) TRAVELING WITH FRIENDS IS SUPER FUN! We were so lucky to be able to spend a few weeks traveling with Mouni, Kim and the Roaming Jones! We were a serious gang…taking each destination by storm On a long trip like ours, we are all experiencing some serious togetherness. It is awesome but it is a lot. Imagine eating every meal, everyday, with your immediate family and nobody else for 1 year when you are 16?! Or the parent of a 16 year-old? It was nice to mix it up a bit and let the kids have kid time and parents have parents time.

The gang after an epic street food feast in Hoi An!

3) FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! When we sat down to brainstorm our lessons learned from Vietnam, almost 50% were about food! How much we love the Vietnamese food, which always comes piled high with tons of fresh herbs and veggies. How we love the street food scene and wish there was more of that in the US. We have decided when we get back, we are going to buy 100 of those short plastic stools and have a dinner party in our driveway where everyone sits on them  We also LOVE how everyone goes to the market to shop for fresh ingredients before cooking each meal. It is kind of like how we use the south end QFC on Mercer Island but more eclectic and a lot cheaper!

Getting a demonstration on how to make “bun cha” …one of our favorite dishes from Hanoi!

Even tomato and cucumber salad is prepared in an artful way!

4) STAY IN GROUND ZERO! If you are visiting a city, it is fun to stay at ground zero! In most cities, ground zero is usually the “old city” which is where all the action is. Yes, it is super touristy, but it also allows you to walk out your front door and jump right in! We have done this in almost every city we have been to and, when we don’t do it, we kind of regret our decision. Sometimes it is a little louder with garbage collection, mopeds, roosters and whatnot, but all, in all, you leave feeling like you really experienced that particular place!

Classic row of restaurants right near our hotel!

5) CAN’T GO TO ONE CITY AND THINK YOU KNOW THE COUNTRY. Just like it would be dangerous to draw conclusions about the US if you only visited NYC or LA, you have to travel around to experience the different facets of a particular country culture. We definitely saw this as we traveled around Vietnam. Yes, we knew Hanoi really well, but we didn’t really know Vietnam. The beaches, the countryside, tributes to the many wars, the Mekong River. It was really interesting to see new aspects of Vietnam. It also made me think about all those countries that I have visited over the years but never spent time in more than one place…..time to go back and soak more in!

Guy harvesting water plants on the Mekong Delta! We got to take a speedboat ride on the water for an hour and a half and it was really cool to see everyday life on the water

Like I said, Ho Chi Minh was more of a pit stop for our family, but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to lounge around and play Wii in our apartment; we wanted to squeeze as much out of this awesome city as possible. So we did 3 main activities when we weren’t eating great food: visited a Vietnam war museum, went to the Cu Chi tunnels, and paint-balled. You can probably guess which one I’m going to talk about judging by my title, so no more stalling, and let’s get to the good stuff.

Cruising up the Mekong Delta

We all made an effort to get up early to catch a boat to Cu Chi. The boat took about 1 hour to get there, which gave us just the right amount of time to find out that a bachelor party group was going to be somewhat obnoxious during the whole trip. We arrived at Cu Chi where our tour guide told us what the Cu Chi tunnels were all about.

Getting a history lesson on the resistance in South Vietnam from the Viet Cong’s stronghold in Cu Chi

The Cu Chi tunnels were used in the Vietnam war as a hideout/battlefield for the Viet Cong. The tunnels would make it ideal for gorilla warfare. Gorilla Warfare is a type of battling invented by the North Vietnamese and resistance fighters in the South.  The warfare involved  hiding in holes and popping out to shoot, stab or blow up somebody, or blending in with local farmers, making it hard to know who was a soldier or not.

Tunnel openings are all through the woods

We made our way out to a B5-2 bomb crater. The US military was frustrated with gorilla warfare and Operation Crimp kicked into gear. On January 7, 1966 the US military dropped 30 tons of explosives on Cu Chi attempting to destroy the tunnel system. They failed at their main objective but they sure did clear the region of Cu Chi of the color green.

Next we came to an actual tunnel entry point. A man demonstrated how to enter the tunnel, close the door and camouflage it. When I say “door” it’s more like a textbook size wooden block that only the ones who chow celery daily can fit into. The obnoxious bachelor party group all took their turns giggling and attempting to fit into the hole. Wescott and I took our turns, and as we closed the lid behind us we soon found that there was an aura of creep lurking under there and we popped back up right away.

Me as I descended into the tiny hole in the ground

Our guide led us to a station where someone demonstrated how the terrifying traps would kill you slowly and tear apart your flesh.

This is a nice trap door that impales you on sharpened bamboo poles

We finally came to a tunnel where we would go in. We stepped into the tunnel and as the tunnel got smaller and smaller, I adjusted my position to an uncomfortable, bent over stance.   Like a Hex bug, I occasionally bumped into the soft dirt wall in order to know where to turn. Finally after a minute of the hamstring straining walking, I was blinded by the light of day. Some who spent weeks in the tunnels would come out color blind.

The tunnels go down multiple levels, getting smaller and smaller, with less and less air

The tunnel we are in was made larger to accomodate tourists… originally, they were much narrower

We climbed out of the tunnel and headed over to the shooting range. It seemed slightly “jacked-up” to have a reenactment of the horrible blood bath of many soldiers with real guns that they used in the war, but we rolled with it. Wescott and dad shot AK47s while Yve, my mom, and I hung out while Tuck and Jones licked there drumstick ice creams.

Wescott shooting an AK47

After that we were done with our big tour and were ready to hit the road; or river in this case. My head was filled with new knowledge about the war and about how bachelor party groups should have their own tour group or just not come to these kind of things. We got on the boat and said good-bye to Cu Chi as it faded away in the pollution.

If you want to learn more about the Vietnam war check out Wescott’s enlightening movie timeline.

We have tried to post pics and videos of our more interesting accommodations but some folks have asked for details so we thought we should award a “BEST” to each place and also send direct links in case anyone wants to bookmark them.

Our goal on this trip has been to stay at least a week but preferably 2-3 weeks in each place. Our philosophy on accommodations has been to try and stay in apartments or houses when possible. It is more affordable and gives us a better feel for the culture and community. We can cook for ourselves, seek out the best bakery and grocery shop and tackle laundry like the locals

 *****

Florence, Italy

AWARD: Most Colorful Neighbor

View from our balcony in Florence.

We wrote about “cranky lady” in our blog but this really was a great neighborhood apartment. Three bedrooms, great proximity to all the sites and good value! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/933558

 *****

Oia, Santorini, Greece

AWARD: Best Sea View

When we got up in the morning for coffee, this was the view from the table!

It is hard for me to be objective, because Oia is still one of my favorite places on earth. Staying in a cave house was a dream of mine, so Lydia House was a dream come true! Definitely one of our splurge accommodations but worth every cent and comfortably fit all of us! Plus Manos, the owner, is so gracious and made our stay unforgettable! http://www.vrbo.com/357131

 *****

Athens, Greece

AWARD: Best Amenities For Free

We had a peek-a-boo view of the Acropolis from our balcony!

We picked AVA Hotel from TripAdvisor and we weren’t disappointed! Great location and great service.  Free breakfast, free candy, free movies, free slippers, etc. Definitely a good value for Athens. http://www.avahotel.gr

 *****

Pitsidia, Crete

AWARD: Best Place For Insanity

Wescott rates all accommodations on whether or not it has enough room to do the Insanity Workout indoors…our Villa Potamis in Pitsidia was very spacious and perfect….it also had a pool! Great kitchen too. It was a little too far from Matala but if you want to be off the beaten path, it is a great house for your $$! http://www.vacation-apartments.com/11533.htm

 *****

Barcelona, Spain

AWARD: Best Location

Tons of cool street art in our neighborhood in Barcelona!

Our Barcelona 4th floor walk up apt in the Barri Gotic district was so ubercool we felt like hipper humans simply walking in the front door. The neighborhood was unbeatable with El Salon, one of the best restaurants we have discovered on the whole trip, right across the alleyway…Laura Kelso, you would love it!! http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p970965?flspusage=fl

 *****

Seville, Spain

AWARD: Best Piazza & Worst Wifi

Tuck in courtyard of our apartment, eating a donut and looking for the resident Turtle (Tortuga)

We don’t want to make a habit out of awarding “worsts” but we had to do it here. The apartment was dynamite with a terrific roof deck and adjacent to a quaint piazza with several good restaurants. But the Santa Cruz neighborhood, while ground zero cool in terms of its location next to the cathedral, was also the worst part of the city for wifi. It was so bad we had to get an extra room 10 blocks away at a hostel just to do email and Skype calls….!!! http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p1004734

*****

Lisbon, Portugal

AWARD: Best Interior Decor

A machine gun box is in the hallway…the twins used it as a shoe holder

Our apartment in Lisbon was a three bedroom centrally located in the city.  But the best part was the decor! Frederico, the owner, is an interior designer and has created a uniquely eclectic vibe with use of local artists pieces mixed with antiques. It is awesome! We actually had the pleasure of staying in 2 of Frederico’s apartments because our stay in a Lisbon was extended and they were both amazing! Apt1:  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/991682 Apt2: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/823181

 *****

Marrakech, Morocco

AWARD: Best Urban Oasis

Killer lighting in the Riad!

Right in the heart of the old Medina, Riad Sekkat is a wonderfully zen escape in the heart of the Marrakesh chaos. And everyone who takes care of you at the Riad is amazing! We definitely had some of our best meals in Marrakesh at the Riad, and the cook, Raja, taught us some cooking techniques! Siham, the house manager, went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293734-d1389183-Reviews-Riad_Sekkat-Marrakech_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz_Region.html

 *****

Bwejuu Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania

AWARD: Best Unspoiled Beach To Get Away From It All

Bwejuu is definitely the most “off the beaten path” we have been so far on this trip. Most tourists go to the northern coast of Zanzibar rather than the east. We stayed for 3 weeks in two different hut-type accommodations. The first was Crazy Mzungos which was exactly what it sounds like…. A funky backpacker type place with a great sand floor bar and a good chef! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d1942330-Reviews-Crazy_Mzungo_s_Flashpackers-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html

This is the beach in front of Crazy Mzungos during Christmas week!!

The second was Pakacha run by a local man who has integrated the village into his establishment. More likely to see cows walking by on the beach than people  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d2374032-Reviews-Pakacha_Bungalows-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html

View from the bungalows at Pakacha

Both were fun and funky!

 *****

Arusha, Tanzania (on safari)

AWARD: Most Luxurious Tent & Best Organic Farm

We used safaris.com to book our entire expedition and were lucky enough to get matched up with Kibo…a very cool Tanzanian company! They owned both lodges we stayed in during our safari, Kitela and Lake Masek Tented Camp. Kitela has a gigantic organic farm on the property that grows food, not only for Kitela guests, but many other Kibo lodges. For those of you obsessed with gardening, it is worth the trip to Tanzania just to take a tour of the Kitela organic farm. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g790144-d3421174-Reviews-Kitela_Lodge-Karatu_Arusha_Region.html

Lake Masek is a tented camp right in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the edge of the Serengeti. The tents are the most luxurious tents known to mankind with footed bathtubs, flushing toilets and amazing outside showers. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g317085-d1547561-Reviews-Masek_Tented_Camp-Ngorongoro_Conservation_Area_Arusha_Region.html

 *****

Arusha, Tanzania (rental house)

AWARD: Best Mountain View

Mom and Cliff hang in gout in the Arusha House garden

With a sunset view of Mount Kilamanjaro from the swimming pool, dining room, and master bedroom, this house can not be beat on the Mountain View! Add monkeys swinging in the trees on most nights for an added bonus! Such a cool house and great place to chill after safari! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1669725?guests=7&s=h4cq

 *****

Bagamoyo, Tanzania

AWARD: Best Body Surfing

We changed places in Bagamoyo because the first place we stayed at was a nightmare. The Bagamoyo Country Club is probably the nicest place in Bagamoyo. It is on a spectacular stretch of beach and has a decent restaurant. But all in all, you should not travel to Bagamoyo if you want an outstanding beach experience. There are a ton of awesome reasons to visit Bagamoyo, but a great hotel is not on the list. If we had to do it over again, we would have tried a small guesthouse and skipped trying to be on the beach.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g678704-d1758132-Reviews-Bagamoyo_Country_Club-Bagamoyo_Pwani_Region.html

 *****

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

AWARD: Best hotel room with dining table for 8!

View of Dar Es Salaan from our hotel room balcony

We picked our hotel in Dar based on TripAdvisor reviews and we weren’t disappointed. Tanzanite Suites isn’t the most awesome hotel but it is a good value.  Plus we were able to get a 3 bedroom suite that had a dining room table for 8 which was an awesome hang out for all of us as we regrouped before headings to Asia. We visited some of the more expensive hotels in Dar but decided they weren’t worth the money. http://www.tanzaniteexecutivesuites.com

 *****

Hanoi, Vietnam

AWARD: Best, Best, Best! Value!! Service!!!

Tuck and Jones hanging out with Viet and his son at the front desk playing games on the iPad

Finnegan’s was so outstanding, we can’t decide on only one “BEST.” For $45/ night, we had a great room in a great location with an awesome breakfast included. But the best part was the service! Viet and his whole family took care of us and helped us get the most out of our 2 weeks in Hanoi! He even called Tuck and Jones orphanage on our behalf and set up our visit!!! Thank you Viet and everyone at Finnegan’s for making our visit unforgettable!! http://hanoifinneganshotel.com

 *****

Hoi An, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Home Base

At the Ha An they even put rose petals on your bed for check-in

What does “home base” mean? As we talked about it, we decided it meant a place that makes you feel at home! Ha An had a killer breakfast (included!) free bicycles, a pool table, a fruit basket in your room…everything! The bed and pillows were super comfy too! http://www.haanhotel.com

 *****

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Host…laundry room gets honorable mention

View from our HCMC apartment!

Our apartment in HCMC was gorgeous! Well decorated and had a killer view.  But it was our host who made our stay there so spectacular. Bach is so thoughtful and accommodating, he makes you want to stay and stay!!! He read our blog before our arrival and moved a Wii into the apartment just for our stay. He kept our baggage for us for 5 days while we went to the beach. He put extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, Oreos, coffee, snacks, water, laundry soap, everything in the apartment for us to use. This is the type of service you expect from a good hotel but you never get pampered like that in a rental apartment! It was awesome!!!! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1980685

 *****

Mui Ne, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Pool for Kids

Even though Mui Ne is on the beach in Vietnam, we didn’t spend anytime at the beach…that is because our pool was KILLER! It had a slide that was so fun, I spent as much time on it as the kids Roaming Jones kids and Sharples kids agree that what we will all remember about Mui Ne will be the epic Sea Links pool!!!  The house was decent.  In a golf resort where all the houses look exactly the same but the pool was unforgettable! http://www.agoda.com/sea-links-beach-resort-golf/hotel/phan-thiet-vn.html

*****

In the spirit of trying to keep a journal of accomodatons, restaurants, sites, etc. I have become an uber-reviewer on TripAdvisor.  Feel free to check out my profile and follow along on further details if you want  http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/misopiso88

Spending time in Vietnam emotionally tied me to the American War, as the Vietnamese refer to it, as opposed to being just another event in American history printed monochromatically on my textbook page.  I felt overwhelmed by all that I had learned over the course of our stay in Vietnam, but was hungry for more. This is why I wanted to learn exclusively about the Vietnam War and its impact on the world we live in today as I contemplated a project topic for my virtual high school’s world history. And this is what I learned:

jones and David being silly under water

me jones viv and maggie in the hot tub that isn’t hot

Otto going down the slid

Yve and Molly playing the slid game

David doing criss cross apple sauce

also viv, maggie, jones and me made a videeo with mom and it is riliy long but is is also sily so if you have time you shood wach it.

Every other storefront is a tailor or cobbler waiting and willing to make you ANYTHING you can dream up with a turnaround of 24 hours…what!?!

Mouni, Kim and The Roaming Jones had arrived in Hoi An a few days before us, so they quickly gave us the inside track with the best restaurants, hotel and, most importantly, tailor and cobbler. Armed with information, we surfed the web and sketched a few things, dreaming up the ultimate shoes and/or clothes…then we hit the streets.

We went to the shoe place first. It was hard to believe they could turn around 7 pairs of shoes in 24 hours but we decided to test the limits of their capacity. We ordered everything from red Ugg knockoffs with a pink star (Jones) to stylish suede high tops with a custom logo (Wescott) to metallic, open-toed, fringe boots (yours truly!)

Next we went to the tailor. Yve designed a cool dress with two different fabrics and cut outs on the sides. Tuck had a button down shirt made to fit perfectly. Otto ordered a funky striped shirt too! Cliff had them knock-off an über hip coat he had restrained himself from getting in Barcelona. Rather than paying $400+, he got a made-to-order version that was better for $40!!!

We sat down to dinner that night and guessed as to whether or not anything would actually be something we would wear. The next day we went for a fitting. EVERYTHING was awesome! So awesome, we ordered a few extra items  Not only did everything come out great but they boxed it all and shipped it for us! Full service!!!

What a crazy, whirlwind experience! It was so fun to see what each person decided to order, given a blank canvas!

I am putting Hoi An back on my MUST VISIT list, but next time I want to go with 4-6 adults and each of us bring $1000 on a mission to design a new wardrobe! We can go for a week, shop all day and meet for dinner each night to talk about what we have designed and ordered! How fun would that be?! Who’s in?

Jones getting measured by Sonny for his custom Alidaba pants!

The finished product!

Tuck and Sonny are practically the same size

Tuck with his finished shirt!

Yve describing the dress she wants to Sonny

Final fitting with Sonny for Yve’s dress she designed

The gang brainstorming on shoe ideas!

A close up of my new boots because they are SOOOOO UBERCOOOOL I can’t even stand it

This is the shoe maker The Roaming Jones recommended and we second that…they did an awesome job!

The outside of Sonny’s shop…she was also recommended by the Roaming Jones and she was definitely the best tailor in town!