Kathleen Brown, her husband John and their two adopted children, Peter Quang and Claire Xuan, are touring around Vietnam during their Christmas holiday. Kathleen is a long-time television producer and /media consultant for humanitarian agencies and her husband, John, a professional photographer. Every couple of days, they will post a story along with photos on their travels and adventures.
Photo by David McKelvey
Hoi An is ancient town where everything seems to move at a languid pace compared to what we’ve encountered in the Mekong Delta and HCMC.
For the visitor it is a journey back in time to an age when many cultures– Vietnamese, Dutch, Japanese and Chinese inhabited the major port town and each left its imprint.
Lanterns, low-slung houses washed in mustard yellowpaint, ornate pagodas, wooden assembly halls, the “famous” Japanese bridge are just some of the remarkable legacy which earned this wonder of a place its UNESCO World Heritage designation.
Photo by Prashant Ram
It is a treasure box of a town full of silk products, woodcarvings, lanterns, paintingsand a story unlike any other.
First thing we notice – there are no horns blaring,it’s all bells, hushed tones and river breezes.
One can’t but help feeling a deep reverence for this ancient place where the ancestors created goods, traded them, and enriched the far-away world with silks, spices, wood, rice and metals.
And again, it all occurred because of the geography of place. It had water, boats, merchants and traders much like the Mekong region.
Photo by ebiggs vancouver
Central Vietnam continues to offer remarkable commerce, unique coastal destinations for historic and cultural touring of cities and preserved ancient ruins as well as a gracious and hospitable environment for rest and exploration.
It is here in HoiAn that we discover a shop called Metiseko. Described in its own literature as for an eco-chic lifestyle, it’s a fashion and home ware destination. But what does this mean?
Metiseko is a French word merge.”Metis,” means a mix of cultures and “eko”, suggests an ecological ethos. The company merges European and Vietnamese sensibilities honoring both Eastern and Western styles and designs.
Its clothing, bedding and home design products are 100% organic silk and cotton made in a sustainable and socially responsible fashion.
Prints on exquisite silk with original images, such as dragonflies, bamboo or Asian talismans reflect Vietnam’s unique stories, images and cultural touchstones.
Before departing my sister-in-law Anne selects two gorgeous silk infinity scarves intending them for gifts. On second thought— maybe one gift, one gift to self
Writer: Kathleen Brown
Other articles written by Kathleen:
Family trip in Vietnam - 1st episode: Enter the Dragon
Family trip in Vietnam - Episode 2: Cai Rang Water Opera
Family trip in Vietnam - episode 3: Hoi An ancient town
Family trip in Vietnam - episode 4: Hoi An Countryside
Family trip in Vietnam - episode 5: the LifeStart Foundation
Family trip in Vietnam - episode 6: Hoi An Cooking Class
Family trip in Vietnam - episode 7: Project Runway in Hoi An
Family trip in Vietnam - Episode 8: Water Puppets - Vietnam's Original Muppets
Family trip in Vietnam - Episode 9: Time to Cha Cha with the Chả Cá
Family trip in Vietnam - Episode 10: A Visit to the Hung Kings Citadel and Au Co Ancestral Site
Family trip in Vietnam - Episode 11: Our Visit to the Perfume Pagoda
Family trip in Vietnam - Episode 13: Saigon Street Eats
Family trip in Vietnam - Final Episode: An Afternoon in Cholon
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