Gallery 12
This gallery features Vietnam only, having been back and forth quite a few times recently.
1. Above: Hang Mua, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam
The climb to Hang Mua (Mua Caves) in Ninh Binh Province is a tough one. There are 500 steps to the top where you can make a wish next to the stone dragon. Depending on the weather and the crowds, it may prove to be a challenge (go early in the day), but the scenery is worth it. The jagged karst landscape, lotus filled lakes and sinuous rivers, make for truly postcard-esque views. One watchpoint: there are no handrails, and the steps are mightily steep and uneven so, step at a time. Take a tumble coming down and it would be Good Night Vietnam, or more likely, Goodbye World!
The climb to Hang Mua (Mua Caves) in Ninh Binh Province is a tough one. There are 500 steps to the top where you can make a wish next to the stone dragon. Depending on the weather and the crowds, it may prove to be a challenge (go early in the day), but the scenery is worth it. The jagged karst landscape, lotus filled lakes and sinuous rivers, make for truly postcard-esque views. One watchpoint: there are no handrails, and the steps are mightily steep and uneven so, step at a time. Take a tumble coming down and it would be Good Night Vietnam, or more likely, Goodbye World!
2. Above: Tam Coc, Ninh Binh Province
The set-piece trip at Tam Coc involves being rowed along the river which takes you under three caves, before turning round and returning by the same route. Keep right, obviously. The metal boats cruise along, being propelled by rowers of all ages and genders. It’s 1.5 hours of continuous rowing with no breaks. The secret? Sit back and control the oars with your feet. It sounds like a losing recipe but honestly, the rowers have complete control, being able to rotate the oars, steer and change speed, all while using their hands for something else, like holding a mini-fan or an umbrella. Impressive. Nice to see many of the ladies wearing jolly socks. For comfort or to keep the sun off their feet? Should've asked!
The set-piece trip at Tam Coc involves being rowed along the river which takes you under three caves, before turning round and returning by the same route. Keep right, obviously. The metal boats cruise along, being propelled by rowers of all ages and genders. It’s 1.5 hours of continuous rowing with no breaks. The secret? Sit back and control the oars with your feet. It sounds like a losing recipe but honestly, the rowers have complete control, being able to rotate the oars, steer and change speed, all while using their hands for something else, like holding a mini-fan or an umbrella. Impressive. Nice to see many of the ladies wearing jolly socks. For comfort or to keep the sun off their feet? Should've asked!
3. Above: Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital, Ninh Binh
The first capital city of Vietnam was in what it is now Ninh Binh Province. Hoa Lu village became the seat of power when the Dinh Dynasty was established in 968. Dinh Bo Linh (known as Dinh Tien Hoang), having vanquished 12 warlords, then had to contend with the usual plots and intrigues which seem to follow royal succession everywhere. He ended up being assassinated - stabbed by a eunuch while sleeping. Not how you want to go, really. Nowadays there is a 17th century temple built to honour him. It is in beautifully kept grounds, making for a tranquil visit. People go there to pray and seek favour and good fortune. Just like praying to St Matilda the Saxon Queen who died in the same year, 968, I suppose.
The first capital city of Vietnam was in what it is now Ninh Binh Province. Hoa Lu village became the seat of power when the Dinh Dynasty was established in 968. Dinh Bo Linh (known as Dinh Tien Hoang), having vanquished 12 warlords, then had to contend with the usual plots and intrigues which seem to follow royal succession everywhere. He ended up being assassinated - stabbed by a eunuch while sleeping. Not how you want to go, really. Nowadays there is a 17th century temple built to honour him. It is in beautifully kept grounds, making for a tranquil visit. People go there to pray and seek favour and good fortune. Just like praying to St Matilda the Saxon Queen who died in the same year, 968, I suppose.
4. Above: Ba Thien Hau, Cholon, HCMC
Ba Thien Hau Pagoda in Cholon was built by Chinese immigrants in 1760. Sitting on the main road behind green railings, you could be forgiven for walking straight past it, which is exactly what I did (a long way), with the bright sunshine obscuring my map-screen. Once inside you are stepping back in time as you criss-cross from the shadows to the striking reds and yellows in smoky sunbeams. Unique to the temple are the spiral pendants from which you hang your paper wish. Together with the incense this sure makes for a spiritual encounter. Some places just exude holiness, this being one of them.
Ba Thien Hau Pagoda in Cholon was built by Chinese immigrants in 1760. Sitting on the main road behind green railings, you could be forgiven for walking straight past it, which is exactly what I did (a long way), with the bright sunshine obscuring my map-screen. Once inside you are stepping back in time as you criss-cross from the shadows to the striking reds and yellows in smoky sunbeams. Unique to the temple are the spiral pendants from which you hang your paper wish. Together with the incense this sure makes for a spiritual encounter. Some places just exude holiness, this being one of them.
5. Above: Cho Binh Tay, Cholon, HCMC
Binh Tay market in Cholon was built in 1930 in similar style to Ben Thanh market in the centre of town. It was further expanded and refurbished in 1992. The similarities to Ben Thanh end there, with much of the produce on display given over to local market demand, rather than catering for a constant stream of visiting tourists. Navigating the narrow lanes between the stalls also sets it apart and marks it out as a very much working market crammed floor to ceiling with regular day-to-day community fare of all stripes. If you live in Cholon it is probably your go-to for clothing or most household things.
Binh Tay market in Cholon was built in 1930 in similar style to Ben Thanh market in the centre of town. It was further expanded and refurbished in 1992. The similarities to Ben Thanh end there, with much of the produce on display given over to local market demand, rather than catering for a constant stream of visiting tourists. Navigating the narrow lanes between the stalls also sets it apart and marks it out as a very much working market crammed floor to ceiling with regular day-to-day community fare of all stripes. If you live in Cholon it is probably your go-to for clothing or most household things.
6. Above: Book Street, Saigon
Book Street which is a small alley off Hai Ba Trung presents such a refreshing sight – people are standing around looking at books, rather than their phones. Whatever next! The twenty outlets plus the tables down the middle of the road offer mainly new editions, which far outnumber the second-hand books also on display. The majority of the books are in the Vietnamese language as you would expect, but there are also foreign titles for you to sit and thumb through at the various cafes lining the lane. As always when books are in abundance, calm is the order of the day as folks rediscover print.
Book Street which is a small alley off Hai Ba Trung presents such a refreshing sight – people are standing around looking at books, rather than their phones. Whatever next! The twenty outlets plus the tables down the middle of the road offer mainly new editions, which far outnumber the second-hand books also on display. The majority of the books are in the Vietnamese language as you would expect, but there are also foreign titles for you to sit and thumb through at the various cafes lining the lane. As always when books are in abundance, calm is the order of the day as folks rediscover print.
7. Bridges in Vietnam
When you fly into Saigon coming from the west, you are struck by what a watery world southern Vietnam is, as the sun reflects mirror-like off meandering loops and cut-offs. In your mind you are thinking ‘the mighty Mekong’ but there are countless other sinuous contenders for the top river slot. The Saigon River and the Dong Nai/Nha Be Rivers by HCMC are also huge; this leads to the practical necessity of the many bridges to cross as you go about your day. One huge one is the towering Phu My Bridge connecting District 7 (Phu My Hung) with the main highways to the north and south. The gradients up and down give you a solid work-out on a bicycle as you mix it in the motorbike lane at the sides. Great fun careering down as you top 50 kph freewheeling. This is your reward for having chugged up the other side.
8. Above: Cau The Huc, Hanoi
Cau The Huc is the red bridge leading to the island temple Den Ngoc Son in Hoan Kiem Lake. Being right next to the Old Quarter it is guaranteed a constant flow of visitors, during the day or at night time. It is also very photogenic regardless of the time of day; the dazzling evening illumination will present a challenge for your camera though. Built in 1865, the bridge has undergone two renovations since then. Besides the photographers and hawkers near the entrance are youngsters, also in hi-vis vests. Their purpose? To snare you in order to practise their English as they run through their script on a clipboard, catechism-like. What a lovely idea, and a small whoop of delight detected for bagging an actual English guy.
9. Above: Ta Hien (Beer St), Hanoi
‘Beer Street’ makes it sound like it is and endless succession of pubs and nothing else. The reality is that the four-way intersection and narrow roads leading away, offer food, drink and lashings of atmosphere. The reason the lanes are narrow is that each hostelry boasts three rows of protruding plastic tables and chairs, headed by lovelies trying to entice you in. The buzz certainly does draw you in, and without the go-go stuff and girly bars it is all completely wholesome, somewhere for your evening meal in fact. Pictured here: out for an early Sunday evening walkabout!
10. Above: Hao Sy Phung, Cholon, HCMC
In Vietnamese a ‘hẻm’ is an alley, pretty much like ‘soi’ in Thai. So, you can number alleys off a long main road like, Sukhumvit Soi 21, or Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Hẻm 100. In Cholon there is an old hẻm built in the 1910s where it is said that everyone knows everyone. That doesn’t come as a surprise once you step inside the tiered alley. It would be difficult for Hào Sĩ Phường residents not to know everyone, along with the contents of their last conversation as well as their laundry basket! Clearly privacy was never a thing. Standing there I was half expecting to be asked to help peg out some washing.
11. Above: Duong Phu Dinh, Cholon, HCMC
The Lover, a novel by Marguerite Dumas and said to be autobiographical, recounts the tale of a scandalous affair between a young French schoolgirl and a rich Chinese merchant in 1930s Vietnam. The graphic 1992 film raised pulses and questions such as, “Did they, or didn’t they?” and hung heavily over the career of Jane March and to a lesser extent, Tony Leung. In olden days wealthy bachelors in Vietnam had their town pad to which they could retreat for intimate privacy. In the film, the bolthole was in Phu Dinh Street in Cholon, with a busy backdrop of market folk going about their day just outside the shuttered windows. I eventually found the house that was used in the film - No.7 - not that anyone seemed interested.
12. Above: The Crescent, D7, Saigon
There is something both calming and cheering about the Crescent and its surroundings. Not the shopping mall, although that was a welcome addition to life in District 7, but the surroundings. You’ve got the promenade alongside the lake, good for a jog, or better still to sit in one of the bars or restaurants across the road to watch the world go by. You’ve got the Starlight Bridge twinkling in the distance. You’ve also got the buzz of the crowds at weekends, amplified during Tet where you are walking in a kind of springtime wonderland (photo above). The calming is the watching of so many people in such a carefree mode; the cheering is the sheer youth of it all, as folks just chill, seemingly without a care in the world.
13. Above: Traditional House, Hanoi
87 Ma May in Hanoi is a traditional house restored in a joint effort between the Hanoi and Toulouse local governments, which has given rise to a further four projects. The house, dating from the late 19th Century shows a traditional narrow façade with rooms and courtyards working their way backwards, away from the street. The layout is known as a ‘tube house’, and typical of the times. Behind the street shop are living quarters and the ancestral altar, set out on two floors. Visitors are treated to a guided tour and can watch careful calligraphy brush strokes or ladies making tea from lotus flowers.
14. Above: Vietnamese Commercial Nous
It’s the same up here in Hanoi as it is down south in Saigon. Walk along any street near the centre and every single frontage has some commercial function. Folks have such a strong sense of entrepreneurship in Vietnam and an urgency to match, that every shop, adjoining alley or kerbside gutter is given over to some enterprise or other. Whether you are proffering les must de Cartier behind a stylish counter or hauling your homemade cart along the pavement to show off your wares, it’s a dawn to dusk commitment. 'Work, work, work - it's the way we do things round here!'
15. Above: Ong Bon Pagoda, Cholon, HCMC
Ong Bon Pagoda in Cholon dates from 1730 when it was constructed by Chinese immigrants from Fujian Province. The pagoda is dedicated to the god, Ong Bon, who protects land and people. Walking around, it is clear that the architecture is very simple with wooden frames and tiled decoration on the roof and eaves. The pagoda presents as solemn and functional, being still very much a part of community life. Footsteps echoing in corridors sound purposeful, like they are running late on their way to some committee meeting or other - a scolding in the offing?
Ong Bon Pagoda in Cholon dates from 1730 when it was constructed by Chinese immigrants from Fujian Province. The pagoda is dedicated to the god, Ong Bon, who protects land and people. Walking around, it is clear that the architecture is very simple with wooden frames and tiled decoration on the roof and eaves. The pagoda presents as solemn and functional, being still very much a part of community life. Footsteps echoing in corridors sound purposeful, like they are running late on their way to some committee meeting or other - a scolding in the offing?
16. Above: Cafe Do Phu, Saigon
The café that has a history of clandestine intrigue during the war years is now a regular coffee-stop for a young crowd on a Saturday morning. Certainly, apart from me, nobody looked like they were scratching around in the past. Although the setting was personally evocative, with the Vietnam war being the drumbeat of my youth, most folks looked like they were concentrating on which of the 37 types of local coffee they felt like that morning. In reply to, ‘Have you got an Americano?’ the waiter said, ‘Kind of’. This, of course has two meanings, one is, ’Sort of’ and the other, as was the case this time is, ‘Not really’. One glass of bitter sludge and condensed milk coming up! I've never got on with Vietnamese coffee.
The café that has a history of clandestine intrigue during the war years is now a regular coffee-stop for a young crowd on a Saturday morning. Certainly, apart from me, nobody looked like they were scratching around in the past. Although the setting was personally evocative, with the Vietnam war being the drumbeat of my youth, most folks looked like they were concentrating on which of the 37 types of local coffee they felt like that morning. In reply to, ‘Have you got an Americano?’ the waiter said, ‘Kind of’. This, of course has two meanings, one is, ’Sort of’ and the other, as was the case this time is, ‘Not really’. One glass of bitter sludge and condensed milk coming up! I've never got on with Vietnamese coffee.
17. Above: Gia Dinh Special Forces Museum, Saigon
This little gem in District 3 is not the sort of place you will happen upon. You have to have read about it before setting out to nail down its location. In fact, its frontage looks identical to the shops either side of it, with seemingly no sure way to identify it, beyond the guy sitting outside watching me trying to cross the busy street. I obviously look the right age to be visiting, so was beckoned forward. Once inside via an old lift with a cage door, you are stepping into what looks like personal tableaux commemorating small contributions to the conflict. Small, but politically important at the time, no doubt.
This little gem in District 3 is not the sort of place you will happen upon. You have to have read about it before setting out to nail down its location. In fact, its frontage looks identical to the shops either side of it, with seemingly no sure way to identify it, beyond the guy sitting outside watching me trying to cross the busy street. I obviously look the right age to be visiting, so was beckoned forward. Once inside via an old lift with a cage door, you are stepping into what looks like personal tableaux commemorating small contributions to the conflict. Small, but politically important at the time, no doubt.
18. Above: The Starlight Crescent Bridge, D7, Saigon
The Starlight Crescent Bridge whose rainbow colours light the way as you amble across on your way to the Crescent is a favourite amongst younger folk. Courting couples descend at dusk and make the most of their precious time together. They used to congregate by the nearby river, but a police pick-up would cruise up and down broadcasting its buzzer at 6pm. ‘Oi, you behind the bushes, time to go home!’ the loudhailer was probably saying. Things appear to be a little more relaxed these days with everyone walking arm-in-arm, taking selfies, sampling the snack-carts and just generally hanging out.
The Starlight Crescent Bridge whose rainbow colours light the way as you amble across on your way to the Crescent is a favourite amongst younger folk. Courting couples descend at dusk and make the most of their precious time together. They used to congregate by the nearby river, but a police pick-up would cruise up and down broadcasting its buzzer at 6pm. ‘Oi, you behind the bushes, time to go home!’ the loudhailer was probably saying. Things appear to be a little more relaxed these days with everyone walking arm-in-arm, taking selfies, sampling the snack-carts and just generally hanging out.
19. Above: Cruising Halong Bay, Vietnam
You get the impression that Halong Bay cruises are big business. It’s not just the number of boats out there, it’s the lavish quality on show. However flash you think your boat is, there will be another hoving into view that puts yours in the shade (all built in Haiphong apparently). It did also seem that the high-end super-yachts were anchored in a rather exclusive looking bay. The everyday tubs seemed to be relegated to Cat Ba to jostle for a stretch of clear water. The Cap’n lamented that the older craft can’t easily trade now due to the demand for nouveau swish. Just 30 were on the boat being a Monday, but a quick calculation reckoned that it was bringing in over $12,000 for just a one-night stopover. Picture at dawn above.
You get the impression that Halong Bay cruises are big business. It’s not just the number of boats out there, it’s the lavish quality on show. However flash you think your boat is, there will be another hoving into view that puts yours in the shade (all built in Haiphong apparently). It did also seem that the high-end super-yachts were anchored in a rather exclusive looking bay. The everyday tubs seemed to be relegated to Cat Ba to jostle for a stretch of clear water. The Cap’n lamented that the older craft can’t easily trade now due to the demand for nouveau swish. Just 30 were on the boat being a Monday, but a quick calculation reckoned that it was bringing in over $12,000 for just a one-night stopover. Picture at dawn above.
20. Above: Train Street, Hanoi
If anybody carried out a risk assessment using standard western criteria, they’d close this place down immediately. In fact, the red pen would appear before even turning to page 2 of the checklist. The trains come through at set times, so café staff rope in as many patrons as they can to make a million or two dong in twenty minutes. They then repeatedly implore you to tuck your knees in as the behemoth approaches. And you do sit rigid! It’s not just the fact that you could reach out and touch the carriages as they pass, it’s the realisation the tons and tons of hulking great metal that would reduce you to a pulp, is grinding through your personal space. It’s like looking over a 20th Floor balcony while your brain processes the ‘What if?’ A death-wish just inches from your nose. No wonder everyone clapped once the 25 coaches had trundled by.
If anybody carried out a risk assessment using standard western criteria, they’d close this place down immediately. In fact, the red pen would appear before even turning to page 2 of the checklist. The trains come through at set times, so café staff rope in as many patrons as they can to make a million or two dong in twenty minutes. They then repeatedly implore you to tuck your knees in as the behemoth approaches. And you do sit rigid! It’s not just the fact that you could reach out and touch the carriages as they pass, it’s the realisation the tons and tons of hulking great metal that would reduce you to a pulp, is grinding through your personal space. It’s like looking over a 20th Floor balcony while your brain processes the ‘What if?’ A death-wish just inches from your nose. No wonder everyone clapped once the 25 coaches had trundled by.