‘Daily Catch’, Vietnam, Mui Ne, Fisherman
Traveling to undeveloped or developing countries is an eye opening for a number of reasons. Most of the former socialist country’s rural economies are still fledgling by western standards and give you an insight into life that existed in 50-100 years ago in the America’s and Europe. For the people of these former socialist societies, meeting someone who is 27 years old and traveling the world is somewhat puzzling. Why do I not have a wife and family? Why am I not working on farm or small family business? Who... Read The Rest →
‘Rice Paddy’, Vietnam, Ham Thuan Bac District, Binh Thuan
Rice paddies are iconic when it comes to Vietnam. Perhaps even more iconic is the conical rice paddy hat, or coolie hat worn on the tops of the rice field workers’ heads to keep cool. I love it how each place has its own unique fashion. I find it annoying to see Gucci or Burberry stores in cities such as Ho Chi Minh or Bogota, Colombia. I suppose that’s globalization at work. I always enjoy purchasing some local and authentic piece of clothing while visiting a far off place. One... Read The Rest →
‘Muddy Waters’, Vietnam, Dak Lak Provence, Krong Kno River
The weather patterns in Vietnam are the same almost every day of the year. Mornings are pleasant, sunny and bright. As the heat builds up around noon, the clouds begin to come together, exploding upwards. Just when the heat becomes unbearable, the rain falls in a torrential downpour and small run off streams form everywhere. The temperature cools after the rainstorm, the clouds begin to break (as shown above) and the sun starts to dry everything out as evening approaches. The river shown above is the Krong Kno river. Like... Read The Rest →
‘Chopsticks!’, Vietnam, Binh Thuan, Da Mi Chopstick Factory
I was surfing through some of my photos last night and came across my chopstick factory photos in Vietnam. Have you ever thought about where your chopsticks come from? More than likely they came from the heart of Vietnam. I’ve never seen so many chopsticks in my entire life. I’ve been extremely busy these last few weeks. I’m working on a side project which has picked up some steam lately. Does anyone know of a programmer? By programmer, I mean someone who knows how to program platforms (Iphone Applicatons, Websites,... Read The Rest →
‘Curious Little Fella’, Vietnam, Dak Lak Province, Ho Lak
It’s sobering to think that many of the houses in rural Vietnam don’t have any running water, air conditioning or cement foundations. The craftsmanship on these houses is superb however. I marveled over the intricate weaving done on the thatched houses of the Dak Lak region of Vietnam. This young child in front of the camera had never seen a digital camera before and was fascinated by her own image on the screen after I had taken her photo. This little girl’s future might be in front of the camera. ... Read The Rest →
‘Goodbye Vietnam’, Vietnam, Mui Ne
My last night in Vietnam was spent on the beach of Mui Ne. This coastal city is rapidly changing into a vacation spot due to its proximity to Saigon. The town has always served as a fishing village making for some interesting photos. The juxtaposition between the long-establishe small fishing industry and the scenic beach backdrop adds an interesting dynamic to this town. The locals every night head out to the ocean and light up the horizon like stars in the sky. Every boat illuminates a bright light to attract... Read The Rest →
‘A Sea of Sand’, Vietnam, Mui Ne, Sand Dunes
I’ve never been to a desert before, at least not one where the sand dunes roll up and down as far as the eye can see. On top of never experiencing this before, the last place I expected to first encounter this is in Vietnam. My last stop in this amazing country was the coast. One of the nicer beach resorts is called Mui Ne. Here you have beautiful beaches but also beautiful golden colored sand dunes. It’s interesting because as you drive closer to the coast the landscape abruptly... Read The Rest →
‘Sand Dune Helpers’, Vietnam, Mui Ne, Sand Dunes
I found some ‘helpers’ deep within the sand dunes. These girls, named Kim and Anh, rent out sheets of plastic to the tourists around the roadside. The sheets of plastic are used like sleds to ride on down the steep slopes of the sand dunes. I’m not sure why they were a couple of hundred meters out in the sweltering hot desert. They could speak excellent English and were very excited to help me take photographs. Kim, the girl shown here shooting photos with my camera, had an excellent eye... Read The Rest →
‘Patterns’, Vietnam, Mui Ne
The sand dunes at Mui Ne make the most interesting patterns. They run into the horizon untouched or disturbed by anyone. It really is a sight to see. To me, the dark hue of the blue sky complemented by the orangish color of the sand is one of nicest color combinations. Share → Tweet
‘Tea Time’, Vietnam, Lam Dong Provence
This poor woman had no idea what was going on this day. She works in the tea fields in the Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Most likely she’s been doing this for many years, waking up coming to the tea fields on the mountainside and cutting the ripe tea leaves so that they can be taken to the local tea processing plant. Working high up on the mountainside, it’s one of the more peaceful, uneventful places on Earth. Only the wind causes any disturbance up here. Now imagine some tall American... Read The Rest →