People of Vietnam: A Photo Series

The thin long South East Asian nation of Vietnam is not only known for its astonishing landscapes, cheap beer, delicious food, extremely cheap shopping avenues, but also for its gorgeous people, who I feel are very photogenic. Right from the tropical Mekong river delta to the cooler climes of the North, these beautiful people are fantastic subjects for people, street and travel photography. Their conical hats, their tribal cultures and their day-to-day lifestyle all make for stunning frames. Here are some photographs from my collection on the ‘People of Vietnam’. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed interacting with them in person and actually clicking the pictures.

Above Photo: Hoi An river side is an action packed street with many colorful shops. This is one such shop at Hoi An’s old quarter.



Like most of South East Asia, Vietnam too grows a lot of rice. And these paddy fields can be seen all around the countryside especially if you are exploring the country on a bicycle or a motorcycle. I clicked this picture somewhere near My Son.



Selling fruits and vegetables, this Vietnamese lady was all smiles when I asked her if I could take her photo. The location is Hoin An riverside.



Vietnam is a country where the women work all kinds of jobs. In fact, when you explore the country as a tourist you will come across a lot of working women especially at restaurants, shops, mobile street shops and at many other places.



A local Vietnamese lady is seen cycling the streets of Hoi An in Central Vietnam. She is wearing the iconic Vietnamese hat to beat the tropical heat.



Blessed with umpteen rivers, Vietnam enjoys a strong river based economy. Fishing and boating go hand in hand.



Did you know that Hinduism spread its wings to as far away as Central Vietnam. This is a Vietnamese version of the apsara dance. I clicked this photo at My Son, the ruins of the Hindu kingdom.



Gorgeous landscapes and lush green paddy fields make for great photographs. This lady on the boat is all ready with her camera to help the tourists capture their best moment of their holiday.



One of the few male rowers at Tam Coc village, the getaway to the amazing cave systems, limestone karsts and stunning natural beauty.



Tam Coc and Ninh Binh region is famous for people who row their boats with their feet. Rowing with your hands is already quite a difficult task. Rowing with one’s feet is in a different league altogether.



The mountainous region of Sa Pa in north western Vietnam is known for its different tribal cultures. In this photo, you can see 2 such tribal women dressed in traditional attire and carrying a woven basket like a backpack (this is something pretty common in the mountains here).



This final picture is of a group of elderly Vietnamese gentleman who are sitting under the shade of a tree in Old Hanoi and are playing a game of chinese checkers while a local cop intently watches them play. This picture kind of depicts the laidback lifestyle of the people of Vietnam, especially the men.

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Insane Hip Hop Dance Moves from New York City

There are many instances during my travels that I am totally blown away by the people I come in contact with. This was one such instance. I have seen many top class dance performances on TV and on the internet, but this street hip hop dance performance has to be right at the top in terms of flexibility, totally rad moves and amazing body strength. It has to be one of the top street performances that I have seen in my travels. You should watch the video first and then read the paragraph below the video where I give details about these street artists.
 


I saw this performance at the battery park, a popular zone in downtown New York city. This area which has the local ferries, the popular tourist ferry to the Statue of Liberty and a memorial for the marines who died while serving their country attracts a lot of locals and tourists alike. Basically, it is a great platform if you wish to show your talent. These street artists use this area to showcase their talent and also to make some money for themselves. They definitely are great artists, but in addition, they are great performers too. They egg the crowd to join in and finally pull in some members from the crowd (I got pulled in too as you would have realized at the end of the video) to perform a super high and long jump over them. Unfortunately, I could not see the jump as I had to keep my head down to facilitate the jump. But, I totally loved their performance. Their energy was so infectious that it lasted me the next couple of days while I was exploring the rest of NYC.

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Street Photo: Boys of Fethiye!

During our travels, we meet lots of people. Some remain etched in memory. Some get lost in the dark tunnels of the brain. But, thanks to photographs, we can now bring back those memories from the deepest corners of the brain. Here is one such photograph of a group of young boys who I met while walking the quiet streets of Fethiye. They seemed to be enjoying their weekend before I walked in front of them. For a moment, they seemed stunned on seeing a big, bald, dark guy with a big beard. But, the moment, they saw the DSLR, dangling from the side of my shoulder, they were all smiles.


They didn’t speak a word of English, but these kids were keen on posing and insisted that I take their photograph. And this is the end result of their pose. All they wanted was for me to take their picture. And off they went. Just like that. It was one of those awkward street moments, but it was fun even if it were for a fleeting bit.

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Nepal’s Bhaktapur in Street Moments

The heritage old town of Bhaktapur (an hour away from Kathmandu, Nepal) is quite a vibrant place with a lot of street action, performances, cultural exchanges, history, architecture, archaic setting and more. All this provide great frames for the street photographer. If you are a street photographer who loves cultural or historical places, then this should be right up your alley. Here are some of my street moments from Bhaktapur. I hope you can feel the place through these photographs.


Like with most of the heritage zones of Nepal, Bhaktapur too has a large Durbar square. This used to be the place where the king gave speeches and sermons and all the locals used to gather. Today, if you stand in this Durbar square, you will see temples, statues, museums, palaces and much more. Basically, it is is the heart of the heritage site.


Bhaktapur used to be a lively kingdom in ancient times. Today, the locals live off agriculture and tourism. But, still follow an easy lifestyle. On a hot afternoon, you will see lots of such sights where people rest in the shade of the old buildings and gaze into the distance.


These fruit sellers are typically from India, especially the state of Bihar. They migrate here to make use of the high movement of tourists here and setup snack stalls or fruit stalls.


Bhaktapur clay is pretty famous in Nepal for its quality. It used to be a pottery center in the earlier days and today too ensures that this ancient art is well preserved through its pottery square. It is here in this pottery square that you can see pottery workers playing their magic with their hands and the clay.


Bhaktapur is a tourist hub and hence it is not surprising to find souvenir stores all around. These stores, which stock colorful souvenirs make for great sights and some of them will get you great deals too.


While I was in Bhaktapur, I noticed a lot of musical performances. Locals, would simply form groups, play their musical instruments, sing, dance and make merry. This is one such moment. And you would find more of this especially on festival days.

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Board Game at Bhaktapur

It was a warm and humid day. I had just had a carb heavy rice lunch after an entire morning of exploring the heritage zone of Bhaktapur. I was visibly slow and not in the mood for more sightseeing. Instead, I wanted to talk to someone while sipping some water or cold juice. With this thought in mind, I kept ambling trying to find an interesting street scene in Bhaktapur and that’s when I chanced these locals playing a board game.


The game looked similar to the game of Ludo, but it came with its own set of rules. I tried understanding the game, but may be it was the heat, that I gave up too soon. But, the people playing the game noticed my interest in them and their game. They offered me a seat and that’s how we began talking. I found out that the heat was getting to them too and that is why they were trying to add some entertainment through the board game. After basic introductions, they asked me questions about India, about how I liked their town and more. After an hour or so, the effects of the food and the heat began to abate and I said my byes and went back to exploring the heritage town. This time, I made my way to Changgu Narayan.

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