Truly Vietnam?

Street vendors and cyclos... A bit cliche I now, but you will find these sights from another time in the Old Quarter, which is the most touristy part of the city. Everywhere else? Street vendors and... motorbikes! ;)

Hide and seek

[in the Temple of Literature]

Breakfast time

Want some bánh mì? This lady has plenty in her hands... And I sure could use a couple of those for my breakfast.

Coal seller

I already mentioned it last year, and it's time for a second take! You will find those 'coal-cycles' around town, selling the black blocks to the street restaurants. It probably is something that you will no longer be able to see in just a few years from now as Vietnam is growing relentlessly in spite of the global downturn, so enjoy it while you can!

Watching over

[next to the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum]

'The' junction

This probably is one of the most famous junctions in Hanoi. Why? Well, the photo probably doesn't manage to give you the same feeling a video would do, but trust me - this is often where the tourists visiting Hanoi go take the 'I can cross a vietnamese street' test!

Shop-house

Once more, not technically Hanoi, but not very far - this is Nam Định. Couldn't resist the sight of this cute little shop, which apparently surprised the lady in there!

The balloon boy

[somewhere near Hồ Hoàn Kiếm]

The stream

For some reason this road seems to have a never-ending flow of motorbikes, bicycles, cars and such. Suffice to say that crossing it is not for the faint-hearted!

Lost in thoughts - 2

[somewhere in the outskirts of Hanoi]

Face à face

As you know by now, the Temple of Literature is one of my favourite spots in Hanoi. Why? Just because when I bring my visitors there (it's one of the 'must see' in the city), I like to look around at the variety of people who gather there. It's not only a touristic landmark, no; it's also a place where students meet for class photos, where families bring their children for a stroll in the park... All in all, a pretty fascinating place.

I saw this lady resting on the steps of the temple, seemingly exhausted after a day walking around in the city. Apparently she found inner peace!

Hyper

Bikes of burden, take two.

Old friendship

I like how those two exhale such a sense of tranquility in their conversation... Don't you think?

Walking by

[somewhere in the Old Quarter]

Green paddies

Sometimes you just need a short break from the city, its traffic and its noise. You won't need to go very far from the center - but what a break it is!

Vintage

I'm a sucker for nice Vespas - no matter what generation!

Bikes of burden

One of my favorite activities now is to just stand by the road side or at a junction and wait for this kind of shot to present itself. Fellow photographer Hans Kemp even published an entire book about it - Bikes of Burden. A highly recommended and fun read, especially for those of you who have spent some time in Vietnam, whether a few days or several years!

Bus stop

[somewhere on the other side of the West Lake]

Hard workers

Something I find quite striking in Vietnam is the proportion of women involved in the 'tough' jobs which, by most of western standards, are traditionally handled by men. You will find those courageous women doing road works (as you can see above), digging, collecting garbage - while, at the same time, handling the family duties... No wonder why many people say Vietnamese ladies have the strongest character! Kudos, mesdames.

Fruits and booze

Whether you are craving for fruits or just wanting to stock up your bar, this 'convenience store' will cater to your needs. Tangerines, mangos, dragon fruits, apples, oranges, pomelos, and Vodka Hà Nội: everything's there!

Lost in thoughts

[at the temple of Literature]

Al fresco

This is one of the hundreds - what am I saying, thousands - of street restaurants you will find in Hanoi. Not only will they be very inexpensive; they will also probably serve the yummiest Vietnamese traditional dishes! For this particular one, you can read from the signboard that they offer different kinds of noodles (phở, bún, mỳ) cooked in different styles.

Meditation

[somewhere on the banks of Trúc Bạch lake]

You may now kiss the bride

I quite like the idea of wedding photos in the middle of the crazy traffic from the Opera roundabout!

P/s: the pictures will now appear smaller on the site, but they are available in high resolution on Flickr (click on the image).

We've got a winner...

... and no sore losers.

Street smoking

Worry not, this is tobacco. This kind of pipes is very popular both among the old and the young generations in Vietnam. Some models are much bigger than this one, and do a whistling noise that is unmistakable!

No trespassing

That's a pretty subtle way of saying 'I dare you'.

Generations

I usually have a hard time to take portrait photographs of people when I'm in Hanoi; a number of them will simply refuse. So imagine my surprise when this happy grandfather asked me to take a picture of him and his granddaughter! I hope you like it as much as I do.

The departure

[waiting for the train bound to Hanoi]

Chopsticks & spoons

[in a restaurant near Hanoi]