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Note the squirrel wine to the left of this
countryside Pho stand. Here we found really the only decent pho outside Hanoi, where that
dish is to Hanoians what bagels are to New Yorkers.
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There are a few Catholic villages north of Hanoi, complete
with cathedrals.
You can order beef pho in Latin (maybe).
These cute girls are
in their school
uniforms. It's Easter.
I have a great series
from this village.
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A Jewish dude from New York
slinging racy Vietnamese puns from his motorbike is out of the ordinary in this remote
village, apparently. They were shouting, "Russian! Russian!" A variation
of that actually. |
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Our landlord and his family during Tet, 1999. Some are farmers from the countryside;
others are urbane. We enjoyed many good times with this family and miss them.
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Wasn't exactly sure what transaction was taking place here but I loved it. Count this guy
among those who absolutely live for the merry Tet season.
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Certain villages specialize in making bricks. The vehicles
of choice in such
places seem to be Russian and Chinese tractors and trucks
from the 1950s.
Lots of black smoke
but they do run.
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For Hanoians, religious practice partly translates into visiting various pagodas in
northern Vietnam at different times of year. During Tet Hanoians best not skip the
"Perfume Pagoda," reached exclusively via boat and then hike. To insure your
round-trip, you pay the boat lady
at the end.
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Nothing beats hanging
out in a Hanoi cafe. I
started many mornings at this one (Le Van Huu St.)
at around 7, before the day's boiling point. 2 coffees
and mango juice:
50 cents. It's in cafes, not offices, where most business
is conducted.
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The ability for Hanoians to chill out and relax is really precious. These old cats were
passing the time beside
Hoan Kiem Lake.
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Sapa is a mountain village on the Chinese border and one of our favorite places in
Vietnam. It got foggy there. This lady is a mountain villager, a Red Dzao. I met people
near Sapa who were so "isolated" that they didn't believe that you could not
comprehend
their languages.
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In this painted Hanoi
sign, a communist flag
mixes with peach
blossoms, which,
because their blossoming
coincides with Tet, are a symbol for
the Buddhist
New Year holiday.
Go figya.
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Another Hanoi pre-Tet photo, Orange trees are real crowd-pleasers. At right is evidence of
US entrepreneurism abroad, "USA Popcorn." Hang Buom St.
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Here's a pretty scene, it's the starting off point for the Perfume Pagoda trip mentioned
above. Just a week earlier, this area had been solid with boats and villagers wrangling
for passengers.
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For lots of Hanoians
it is a holiday every day. That's thanks to free government
housing (for those willing to live in
cramped villas, and
on the lucky
list). This contingency
is continuously
tempted by old men
selling balloons.
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A close look reveals a second policeman in the sidecar of this Eastern-Bloc (Czech,
maybe?) motorcycle, from the 40s or 50s.
Still a vital weapon in
the HPD's crime-fighting arsenal (can also carry 80 kilos of rice, a
basket of chickens
and a plant).
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