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This blog is an amateur photographer's attempt to show how beautiful the world really is. He is drawn to the colors of nature like a moth to a candle light. What are showcased here are nature's grand display of colors at sunrise and sunset, beautiful beaches and off-the-beaten track locations in his beloved Philippines, waterfalls and some of nature's great sculptures, architectural gems, and other views from around SE Asia that he was fortunate to see at one point.

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September 25, 2011

vietnam: vinh long public market


Lady Biker

A quick stop in the public market along the Mekong River presented an opportunity to check out the street scenes in Vinh Long and maybe buy some local fruits .

The town is the capital of the province of the same name and is still largely rural. Most visiting the Mekong Delta simply passes through this town on the way to Can Tho, or do a quick restroom stop.

"Thirty minutes, then we go", our Vietnamese guide reminded. While some of us were eager to get down, probably for different reasons, he seemed largely uninterested, he probably passed through this town a thousand times.

Young Policeman
too young?

While my companions wandered around, I kept to one side of the street, distancing myself from the market crowd. Its a good way to observe and not intimidate people when taking photos. On the other side a young policeman, too young in my opinion, kept a watchful eye. He probably is more bored than our tour guide.

Rambutan
rambutan lady

A friend who visited Vietnam before had this to say: "same same, but different". The scene is oddly familiar, but like the one I'm used to in Manila's Divisoria or Chinatown area. Everything seemed the same, from the good being hawked to the regular fruits and veggies. But the conical straw hats, the crazy stream of motorcycles, bikes, and scooters, and the signage I can't read tells me I'm in a different place.

Dragon Fruit
dragon fruits and guava

My wife took fancy on some dragon fruits and grenadine - uncommon fruits in the Philippines. A fellow tourist, a Vietnamese now living in Paris, bought quite a few dragon fruits, remarking how expensive these are back in France. He helped us haggle for a kilo of grenadine and dragon fruits, reminding us always that its a common practice in Vietnam.

Conversation
quiet conversations

We went inside the main building looking for some face masks that are quite common among the commuters here.  Inside are more stuff, a variety of merchandise from powdered soaps to brooms. Judging from the looks others in our group, this must have been an interesting sight, something new. I swore I did not feel like a foreigner in this place.

Beans Etc
beans

The Mekong Delta region is one of the fruit and vegetable baskets of Vietnam, and its quite evident here. They say if you want to know more about a place, then go to its market.

Veggies
veggies

Sweets and Stuff
afternoon snacks

One the way back to the bus I came across an interesting item: a big motorbike with a soldier's helmet hung over one end of its handle bar. I have not seen that much reminder of the old war in the country side and even in Saigon (expect probably in the War Museum in Saigon, if one wants to be reminded).

Joe's Ride
Joe's ride

They say that the Vietnamese did not choose to forget about the war, but more like they know nothing good can come out of dwelling in the past. They are not vindictive and do not display animosity towards the "Joes" who once leveled their country side (especially in the north). I could almost hear someone say to an American: "Hey you dropped tons of bombs, napalmed our forest, left countless land mines in our fields, and poisoned us with Agent Orange, but its all in the past. Now lets drink chả and cà phê đá".
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Lantaw
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5 comments:

bertN said...

I like your capture of the lady nonchalantly riding her bike.

sheng said...

I am impressed with the way you have captured those fresh veggies, now I want a carrot stick! Seriously, the picture speaks so richly about Vietnam! And they say it's really the cheapest place to go! i think I must visit Vietnam!

Lantaw said...

@Bert, she seemed annoyed when I took her photo :D

@Sheng, yes, Vietnam is really affordable. Here's a thought, if you can convince everyone in Gensan market to wear conical straw hats for 1 day, you got yourself your own Vietnam :D

Kat said...

very nice photos. one thing i find challenging is street photography. i always feel that i cannot take pictures of people without attracting their attention. i admire this set.

Lantaw said...

@Kat, thanks. A telephoto lens is very useful if you want to stay inconspicuous. Sniper mode :D

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