Vietnam Impressions



The photographs captured in this blog entry have already been posted by me for my Facebook friends last week, but they do encapsulate what I like best about Vietnam from my recent sojourn there.  Above, sitting together with hawkers on the street pavement in Hoi An, central Vietnam, a tourist enjoys the simple life of tasty skewered meats, cooked over charcoal, with the dash of greens common in Viet food servings.



Above, walking around the Cantonese Assembly Hall in the old quarter of Hoi An, I came across a dog, a mannequin and sea coconuts.  Below, Austrian Dopplemyer made cable car systems in operation over a fascinating landscape on the way to a temple cave south-east of Ha Noi, in a region labelled popularly as the Perfumed Pagodas.






A contrast of lifestyles - boat women paddle life jacketed tourists across the placid waters of Ha Long Bay in north-eastern Vietnam (above) whilst (below) a betrothed couple take pre-wedding day photo shots in front of the Sofitel Metropole Hotel in the so-called French quarter of Ha Noi.







The two sides of Nha Trang, in south-eastern Vietnam, can be echoed by the commercialisation of its beach fronts (picture above, as underlined by the tourist runner and the local construction man) and the serenity of the giant sitting Buddha atop a hill  (the San Long Pagoda temple) in the photo below.







Above, the romance, charm and uniqueness of Hoi An's old quarter on a November evening is enhanced by lit lanterns, a not uncommon scene along its narrow lanes lined by antiquated house and shop fronts, in a historical hub influenced by Japanese, Vietnamese, French and Chinese traditions and heritage.  Below, a winding road near Da Nang near the infamous DMZ.







Bicycles are a popular way of moving about in Hoi An, which also boasts excellent tailoring, selling of wares and trinkets, unique street scenes and many cafe restaurants which attract backpackers and other visitors in an ambient environment.


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