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The Streets of Hanoi, Vietnam
There's no metaphor up to the task of describing the amount of activity on the streets of Hanoi.
Perhaps they are ablaze - from impromptu street-side soup restaurants outfitted with miniature plastic stools to improvised street barbers offering hair cuts with what look like grandma's hedge clippers.
Right-of-way for pedestrians is eschewed, if not unknown, as sidewalks serve as an alternative route to the ever-growing sea of motorbikes.
Shutterbugs beware. Hanoi provides endless visual temptation and will likely absorb all of your digital camera's memory cards.
More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Photo Sets
Traditional China in Pingyao
18 Pictures
Visiting the Warriors in Xi'an, China
18 Pictures
A Tibetan Pilgrimage - Xiahe, China
27 Pictures
Central Asia - Landscapes and Cityscapes
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People of Central Asia
30 Pictures
Dusk at St. Joseph's
We stayed in the quarter near St. Joseph's Cathedral for most of our time in Hanoi. It was a great neighborhood, but the 5 AM bells were difficult before we discovered the wonders of ear plugs. The neighborhood was an interesting blend of Vietnamese street action with Western restaurants and independent designers' boutiques. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Ngoc Son Pagoda
A peaceful pagoda on a small island on Hanoi's Hoan Kiem lake offers a respite from the bustle of the surrounding streets. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Hanoi Architecture
Hanoi's old town is marked by French architecture including exceptionally slender buildings storefronts on the ground floor and apartments above. Rumor has it that taxes were once levied by how wide the storefront was.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Roses on the Move - Hanoi
Perfect roses make their way down Hanoi's streets on the back of a bicycle. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Fruit Traffic Circle - Hanoi
Who says you need concrete to make a traffic circle? These fruit vendors take things into their own hands and create one with their baskets of fruit. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Fresh Loaves of Bread - Hanoi
Thanks to Vietnam's French colonial history, there is a steady supply of fresh and tasty French-style bread available on Hanoi's streets.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Typical Sidewalk Scene - Hanoi
The sidewalks of Hanoi are full of people, food, motorbikes, stools and anything else that prevents pedestrians from passing. This squatting vendor reviews her goods while balancing delicately one inch above the ground.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Cowboy Scissorhands - Hanoi
Street hair cuts (with an added ear cleaning bonus) are a common offer. This cowboy was the most stylish of the bunch. Public hair cuts only seem to be for men, as women get their locks chopped indoors at more traditional hair salons. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Afternoon Chat on the Street - Hanoi
Notice the tiny plastic stools. These little stools, ubiquitous in Vietnam, allow people to create impromptu gatherings and restaurants on the sidewalk. Communist propaganda painted on the building completes the scene.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Checking Freshness - Hanoi
The owner of this food stall samples her food to make sure everything is still fresh and tasty. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Flaky Pastries for a Good Cause
Le Croissant bakery serves up almond croissants and pain au chocolats that melt in your mouth. This bakery is run by the Hoa Sua school whose profits support restaurant and hotel training for disadvantaged youth. This place became easily incorporated into our morning routine.Read about Hanoi's Social Enterprises.
Smile Cafe's Smiley Staff - Hanoi
Smile Cafe is another restaurant in the Hoa Sua school portfolio. All profits go to support training underprivileged youth and students work in the cafes to get on-the-job experience. In addition to its great food and Vietnamese coffee, the staff at Smile Cafe were some of the friendliest we've met. And, there's free wifi to boot.Read about Hanoi's Social Enterprises.
Roses and Transactions - Hanoi
More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Mobile Florist - Hanoi
Who needs to go to a florist when the florist can come to you?More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Young Rider - Hanoi
Typical Vietnamese motorbike configuration: father on front, holding son, mother on the back holding daughter, large kitchen appliance and pig carcass strapped on the back. Given how comfortable this little guy is, it's likely he's been riding since he was born.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Determined to Sell - Hanoi
This woman, like so many of her counterparts on the streets of Hanoi, looks decidedly focused on making the next sale.This is the face of Vietnam's heavily capitalist-informed style of Communism, particularly in northern Vietnam.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Offering at the Pagoda - Hanoi
Fruit and incense are offered for blessings of success and good health.Visits to temples like this provide a welcome respite from the frenetic activity of Hanoi's streets.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
A Bride Racing Through Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) - Hanoi
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Hoop Skirts and Slicked Hair - Wedding Photos, Hanoi Style
We followed these newlyweds around while their photographer put them in various poses and gave them cues on the mood and look he was going for. This one must have been part of the Fred and Ginger series.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
An Intimate Moment, Ear Cleaning - Hanoi
We found this scenes of a husband and wife - ear cleaning!? - in a bonsai tree near the Temple of Literature. The carefully manicured trees were dotted with scenes from village life. More reading: Hanoi under the skin
A Mask for Every Mood - Hanoi
Rows of Tet (Vietnamese lunar new year) festival masks on offer in Hanoi.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Head to Head - Cock Fighting in Hanoi
When we came across a group of men squatting with their bottoms only 2 inches off the ground (how can they hold that position so long?!) and cheering heartily at a bunch of chickens, we took a closer look. We saw these two cocks going head to head, circling around and locking necks from time to time. The lack of feathers on their necks showed that they were veterans of the ring.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Cock Fighting, Between Rounds - Hanoi
After a few minutes of the cocks locking necks and bumping heads, they started to tire. As if some signal was given that we missed, the two owners of the cocks jumped onto the grass and took them back to separate corners to prepare them for the next round, much like a boxing match.During the break, their owners cooled their birds down and re-hydrated them by squeezing water from a rag and letting it run down their necks. The care didn't end there - the break continued as the owners pet their cocks and made re-assuring cooing noises to calm them down before the next round.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
Typical Street Vendor - Hanoi
These street vendors are on the move for most of the day selling their goods and trading for new ones. It's not an easy job, as their baskets look heavy. You have to admire the foot-shuffling technique the women use to walk with a bounce and the stamina required to carry their loads all day.A common trick is for a vendor to corner a tourist and place the wooden beam on her shoulder and the hat on her head. As you are still trying to figure out what happened, the vendor asks for money for a photo.More reading: Hanoi under the skin
