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.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vietnam - Some Souvenirs

Image
Vietnam is a prime exporter of agricultural products, like rice, rubber,coffee and pepper, but to individual visitors, what comes across remarkably are lacquered products , embroidery, pottery, silk fabrics, weaved craft, stone carvings, bamboo and rattan articles, ceramic, wooden contraptions and paintings.  This is a result of long established cultural traditions and a developing economy.  The majority of the current population is under 30 years old, laden with the enthusiasm, agility and promise of youth.  The centre of handicraft is still central Vietnam, with the hub around Hue and Hoi An. You can see many water colours offered by local artists in shops, markets and pavement stalls.  I was more fascinated by origami-like paper cuts which you can come across being sold by vendors all over the place.  Best of all are the hang lanterns, available in all sizes, which are made from varying qualities of Vietnamese silk fabric, the best of which are found in Hoi An.   Th
Read more

Aunty Gaik Lian's - Straits Chinese, Georgetown, Penang

Image
A simple but appetising egg omelette as starters. Gulai Ikan Tumis or sour and spicy fish curry. The previous long standing branch of jewellers B.P De Silva, almost at the corner of Bishop and Beach streets in the old quarter of Georgetown, has a few months ago been transformed into a hub of Straits Chinese cuisine. Straddling two shop lots, located in an evening quiet location but near to the banking district on  business days, Aunty Gaik Lian's provides a refreshing change to the Nyonya food landscape on Penang island.  I have always found that the best Straits Chinese food is found in homes in Penang, like what my Mum dishes out, and it has been exasperating to be really satisfied with commercial outlets in this cuisine.  The Penang variation of such Peranakan food tends to be more influenced by ingredients and cooking styles from Thailand and the Malayan peninsular , when compared to the Malacca version (with more of stronger Indonesian influences and the use of the
Read more

85 Degrees Bakery Cafe Hurstville NSW

Image
There are several outlets of this bakery cafe for several years now in Australia.  Did they coem from the USA? Each franchised outlet is in a busy area, often in suburbs so-called by a diverse Asian demographic.   The one in Hurstville is rather roomy and lots of baked stuff on its shelves.   The base of Sydney operations is in Chester Hill, a suburb south-west of the Sydney city centre. Some of the cake creations would be viewed as rather leaning on the East Asian dimension  - Strawberry Angel (with chocolate base and top) and Mango Cheese ( with yoghurt).   However, to counter this perspective, there are also Death by Chocolate, US Cheesecake, Coffee Brulee and Blueberry Marble options.     The pastries are definitely filled with ingredients more suited to perhaps  Anime loving fans and non-mainstream cultures - for example, garlic, pork, tuna, green tea, red bean, shallots, pork floss, coconut, Hokkaido butter cream and Boroh or pineapple buns.    Sung
Read more