I’m not a natural landscape photographer. I don’t have the patience, or the penchant for early mornings. Or a tripod. But Yuanyang, near the Vietnamese border in the far south of China, has some wonderful landscapes which it would be rude not to take pictures of. I even got up at dawn to take the one above.
Even when I’m trying to take landscape pictures, I can’t resist including people.
And now for something completely different.
Last Saturday, I went to watch my friends in Brian Wilson’s Brain practice for some upcoming gigs. The rehearsal room is a difficult place for photography as it’s pretty dim and crowded, but the yellow foam on the walls makes for a good background. I just managed to avoid stepping on any pedals, tripping over any cables and knocking over the drumkit, and came away with a handful of pictures that I like, as well as some which are too alarming to post here on a wholesome, family blog.
The band are (clockwise from top left) Ian, Hannah, Andrew and Rusty. They sound a little like the Velvet Underground fighting with the Pixies and flirting with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs during a tropical thunderstorm. If you’re in Saigon, you can see them play tomorrow, Saturday May 11th, at Bernie’s Irish Pub on Thai Van Lung. The band promise free strawberries for everyone, but they might not be telling the truth.
Last weekend, while visiting Hanoi for a few days, I took a short walk along the stretch of railway track that leads from Hanoi station, over Long Bien bridge and out to the north. I followed the tracks across the busy city streets near the station, then through a quiet neighbourhood, and above a local market. Space is tight; houses open directly onto the tracks. Trains are fairly infrequent so, as in any other Hanoi neighbourhood, people go about their everyday business in the streets outside their homes.
As the railway heads gently up and towards the bridge, there is little room for the market stalls underneath. Here, dog meat is being sold as a train passes overhead.
Wayne and Frank were out looking for trouble.
Other forms of transport are available.
I stopped for a cup of tea…
… which this nice man insisted on paying for.
Unfortunately, I was too late for lunch; the com binh dan was already closed.
Perhaps it’s just me, but when I see a street food seller from this angle, surrounded by baskets and bowls of food, I think of a 70s rock drummer, Neil Peart perhaps, surrounded by an elaborate collection of drums and cymbals. Anyone else see it? Oh, just me then.
Near Dong Xuan market, Hanoi, yesterday.
I’ve heard it said that women do all the hard work in Vietnam. There may be some truth in that; it certainly seems, sometimes, that men take a more – shall we say – relaxed approach. Here we have a cigarette seller, a repairman and a tailor, all seen hard at work over the last week.
Vietnamese markets are hot, noisy, crowded, exhausting places. No wonder these three had escaped to the shade of an alleyway for a sit-down and a chat.
Near Tan Dinh market, yesterday afternoon.
On Sunday, I made it back to Vietnam after four months back in the UK. I’m still adjusting to not being cold all the time. I’m used to life in Vietnam and I knew what to expect coming back, but I still felt a little odd and disconnected when I first got back. Things were familiar, yet strange. Was this just jet-lag, or was it a case of reverse reverse culture shock?
Anyway, yesterday, after a couple of days of sleeping at peculiar times and wondering at the strange feeling of warmth in the air, I went for a wander with my camera. I was a little apprehensive, having hardly taken any pictures at all while back at home, but after a slow start, I found myself getting back into my stride. I was a little slow to react at times, and more tentative than I would like, but I enjoyed myself and I came back with a few pictures that I like, one of which I’ve posted here.
I felt like I was racing against the rain all afternoon. There was that feeling that a downpour was imminent – all looming black clouds, swirling wind and fragile sunshine – but the rain, when it came, was late in the day and little more than a shower. The rainy season isn’t ready to arrive just yet.
Back in May last year, I spent a week in Hue, in central Vietnam. A lot of people tend to pass through Hue pretty quickly, or overlook it altogether in favour of Hoi An, which is a shame. Hue doesn’t seem to mind though; the city has a relaxed, pleasingly low-key feel. These pictures are from the countryside around the town and an early morning visit to a fishing village on the Perfume River.
After three and a half months in the UK, I will be heading back to Vietnam later this month, considerably later than planned. This blog – like the rest of my life – has lost some momentum over that time (I blame the unrelentingly awful weather) but I’m looking forward to getting both back on track and to posting some new pictures here soon. Some sunshine will be nice too.
Without an H 