The Streets of Hanoi

WEEKEND, MAY 9-10, 2009

I am leaving Hanoi and headed south to the central coast town of Nha Trang, In addition to some pool time and relaxation, there are salt fields, a boat-making yard and a fishing village that I want to photograph.

I have said goodbye to my friend Long Ly, who has been traveling with me since Monday. Long has been a good friend and is also a great photographer. He was very generous and has made a very valuable contribution to my work by traveling with me through the north to some very remote outposts that I would have had difficulty navigating on my own.

Long also was instrumental in helping me get some of the great images I will be bringing home. He was able to chat up locals, recruit models on location and generally make things happen. I am very grateful for his good work and friendship. If you want to see some of his outstanding images, check out his web site at www.lylongphoto.com.

I find that I have allowed myself too little time in Hanoi. The capital city of Vietnam has a vibrant but lower key beat than its brash, noisy and flashy sister, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 

Hanoi has many older buildings, including many that line the streets of the old quarter. Shade trees break the intense sun as thousands of merchants sell everything that can be imagined. A steady and relentless stream of motorbikes surge through every street, keeping the area in a loud rumble of noise from engines and constantly beeping horns. Peasant women carry baskets of produce, meats and fish that they sell along the streets.

I shot some images at a restaurant and then talked to the man and wife owners, who were cleaning a duck and a hen in pots on the sidewalk. I noted that the duck looked good and meaty. The woman said her husband is a good cook, and so I said I would come back my next trip and have him cook me duck.

On the next trip, I will spend more time in Hanoi. There is a huge bird market and a small suburban town where they make porcelin. And, of course, I have a standing invitation for a duck dinner.