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Archive: June, 2008



Vietnam Trip 2008 – Cholon

June 24th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Situated on the West bank of the Saigon River, Cholon is a Chinatown district in Ho Chi Minh City. On the last day in Vietnam, they decided to make a trip there. To be honest, they didn’t do much homework before reaching Cholon. The taxi dropped them at Binh Tay Market as requested, both the central market and a landmark of Cholon. They wrongly assumed that Binh Tay Market would be similar to the Ben Thanh Market (hey, they shared the same initials), with lots of cheap food and pretty goods to bargain for and a street full of hawkers to eat till they drop.

Salted Fish

Banan Seller

Instead it was more like a market for the locals to get their daily stuff like these.

As noon approached, they started to hunt for lunch, but with the blazing hot sun, they couldn’t traveled far. There were few visible hawkers nearby, but let’s just say, tourists were not their target customers.

Chicken Rice
Com= Rice, Ga= Chicken. Therefore Com Ga = Rice Chicken Chicken Rice.

She rejected the chicken rice shop. Ironically, they soon found themselves feasting on fried chicken in a nearby KFC. After the finger-lickin’ air-conditioned lunch, they braved the hot sun again for temples visit.
Donations

Incense

Incense

Incense



Vietnam Trip 2008 – Hoi An in Holga

June 19th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Using his beloved Holga, he consumed a roll of Fujichrome Provia 400X in Hoi An. It was also a rather pathetic excuse to let his shoulders relax for a short while. Out of the whole set, these are his favourites.

Working Life
Love the color.

Rickshaw Pullers
He already tried hard to get the horizon right, still…

Drifting Away
While waiting for the ladies to shop, the world drifted, slowly but surely.

Bird's nest extraction, Vietnam style
Bird’s nest extraction, Vietnam style.

Hats and Stars
The stars in Hoi An are not found in the sky, and they are mostly red.



Vietnam Trip 2008 – Hoi An

June 9th, 2008 | No Comments »

Yu Xin
Yu Xin by the Japanese Bridge with his brother-in-law’s beloved Canon A80. Unfortunately, the camera’s shutter stopped working the day after. =(

Sleepy cyclo driver
Hot and sleepy afternoon. No business.

Resting
Everyone was resting.

Ladies high tea
Even the ladies.

Old lady
But not her.



Vietnam Trip 2008 – Ho Chi Minh City

June 9th, 2008 | No Comments »

The last time they flew off Vietnam, they wouldn’t have imagined coming back in less than half a year’s time. Unlike the previous trip, however, they had a bigger company this time – her parents, her brother and her auntie. Surprisingly, finding a big taxi to fit all was not difficult.

With some elderly around, they figured it’s not a wise move to stay in Pham Ngu Lao area, which is cheaper but much further away from the central of the city. Therefore, they eventually settled down in a rather affordable hotel in Mac Thi Buoi Street.

The traffic is still as busy, but the motorcyclists are now wearing helmet as demanded by the law. As well as retracing some familiar locations in Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An, they also explored a few new places like Cholon and Hue.

Time to let the pictures tell the stories.

Feather Dust Seller
He wondered how many of those colorful feather duster he could buy for the price of a iRobot Roomba.

Hawker on their way
Hawkers beside Ben Thanh Market on their way to setup their stalls.

Trendy motorcyclist
It was only less than half a year since the compulsory helmet laws in Vietnam fully came into effect. Some were not hesitant to declare their fashion statements.

Four on a bike
In Singapore and Malaysia, it’s normal to see 2 people on 4 wheels. In Vietnam, it’s not uncommon to see 4 people on 2 wheels. Well, maybe we should ubah gaya hidup!

Coconut seller
It was hot. A coconut would do the job. He squatted down and took this shot. Suddenly, he wasn’t thirsty anymore. Next time, maybe.

Watcher
Just by staring at this picture, he felt depressed.

Monk crossing road
On the way. By the way. Anyway.



 
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