Ecuador, Montecristi

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Where did you get that hat? Not Panama that's for sure, the name's a lie stemming from the days the hats were shipped that way on route to the rest of the world. If you want the creme de la creme of Panama Hats, Montecristi is the place to be. Handmade from the workshop of Jose Chavez Franco to be precise. We know, we did our research. Which may seem a little geeky but we wanted a very special hat for a very special person so only the best would do. Getting to Montecristi was an experience in itself. It's a long way off the beaten track and involved clinging on for dear life as we hung out the door of an overflowing bus that careered round cliff edges at death defying speeds. The hat buying was plainer sailing, though we did get a hell of a lot of looks as the only westerners in town. Jose's workshop was a higgle-de-piggle-de array of all things hat, most of which were plonked on our heads at some point during the visit. We were privileged to see Jose in weaving action even if it was only a demo model, the real hats take about three-months to make and are so finely strummed together they can be rolled up for easy transportation then popped back into shape as if new. Pretty impressive considering they're made from grass. [Clare]