Man Playing Banjo at Hoàn Kiếm Lake

We were very lucky on our first day in Hanoi. The city is notorious for streets swarmed by motorcycles, a veritable river buzzing bikes that one must coss to get around town. But on Saturdays and Sundays the streets around Hoàn Kiếm Lake are closed, and there is music, dancing, games, and families and friends relaxing and enjoying the weekend. It was a great introduction to the city, and we spent most of the day—jet lagged and exhausted—milling around the lake, drinking egg coffee, and people watching. I saw this man with a mic’d up banjo playing near the lake.

Riding in Old Town Hanoi

I was constantly impressed not only by how well Vietnamese can operate motorcycles, but how comfortable and relaxed the passenger are. I was raised to be a bit terrified by them, but Vietnamese seem to grow up on them from a young age. I admit, the one ride I went on through Hanoi a blast and the best way to see the city.

The Huc Bridge on Hoàn Kiếm Lake

"Húc" means "Morning sunlight" in Vietnamese, and the Húc Bridge (Cầu Thê Húc) extends to an island in Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, Lake of the Returned Sword) where you will find the Ngoc Son temple. Although the temple is dedicated to Confucian and Taoist philosophers, it's website for the temple states that it is also used to worship the Buddha as an expression of the “the concept of the three religions of the Nguyen,” Vietnamese folk religion traditionally draws on these three religions. The temple was built in the 14th century, though I suspect the current bridge is newer. The style of bridge is considered distinctly Vietnamese.

Men Gambling on the Street

On our second day I became a lot comfortable taking pictures of people, and learned that people are generally comfortable having their picture taken. But not everyone. Before I took this, there was also a woman playing cards who made sure to let me know she did not want her picture taken while she was playing!

Man Playing Badminton in the Park, Hanoi

Many guide books talk about the fact that the residents in Hanoi love practicing Tai Chi in the parks. But what I did not read is that they just love morning sports! As well as dancing, martial arts, and meditation. I spent hours taking pictures of people early Sunday morning in Hanoi.

Man Playing Badminton in the Park, Hanoi

I took many pictures of this woman as she played badminton. I loved her smile between plays, and she finally caught me taking her picture. She didn't seem to mind.

Old Town Hanoi

Funny. Honey. Money. I could spend hours walking the streets of old town Hanoi.

Kids Playing in Old Town Hanoi

This photo was such a great surprise. I don't remember taking it but the expressions are priceless.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

The Tran Quoc Pagoda (Chùa Trấn Quốc)is a 6th Century Buddhist temple, the oldest in Hanoi. The stupa pictured here--which is believed to store remains of the Buddha--was built in 1988. In each story is a small statue of the Buddha. It is on the west lake, where John McCain famously parachuted into after being shot down over Hanoi in 1967.

Guillotine in Hỏa Lò Prison

I remember standing in the hallway of the museum that the Hỏa Lò prison had been turned into in the 1990s and framing this shot, trying to get just the right depth of field, the texture of brick and mortar walls. As i took the shot I had, momentarily, forgotten what I was really taking a picture of, and what it really meant. But as I began going through my photos back in the confines of my apartment, this photo hit me hard: can you imagine a more powerful symbol of oppression a than a guillotine? It is one thing to read history books and discuss colonialism, it is quite another see the instruments designed subdue the population and maximize human suffering.

The museum is designed to demonstrate the conditions under which those Vietnamese who resisted French colonialism were forced to live and die. Although the museum has an air of unapologetic propaganda--it specifically detailed the horrible treatment of Vietnamese dissenters against the French, while downplaying the horrible treatment of American prisoners in what they sarcastically called the Haoni Hilton during the America-Vietnam War were treated inside these same walls--it's impossible for me to look at this image without becoming overwhelmed with sadness about human being's penchant for cruelty to one another.

Freighter in Hạ Long Bay at Sunset

It's hard not to mention that Hạ Long Bay--arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth--is a bit of a tourist factory. I am using the word "factory" instead of trap, because the tour companies really have a conveyor down for getting tourists from Hanoi out for a pretty standard trip: pick you up in the morning at your hotel, drive a coupe hours, rest-stop at the same place where they conveniently sell souvenirs, get you on a boat, kayaking and swimming, drinking the night away, getting up and hiking in Sung Sot (surprise) Cave, and going back top Hanoi (stopping at the same rest stop on the way back). So there is something that for me broke the spell of tourism seeing these freighters cruising through the bay, which I also saw cruising up the Red River in Hanoi. I guess for me, the freighters situate the bay geographically, socially, and economically in way that is beyond and indifferent to the tourist gaze. And for all the money and time involved in global tourism, it's remind that for many people, this is just where life happens. Living in Washington State, I can see volcanoes, two mountain ranges, and two lakes from my desk, and it's easy, at any moment, to just not see any of it. And I wonder if for the people on this boat, Hạ Long Bay similarly fades away. My guess is: not completely.

It'shardnottopmentionthatHạLongBayargueablyoneofthemostbeautiful

Freighter in Hạ Long Bay at Sunset

I had to get another one. What a beautiful place.

Woman Selling Sticky Rice in Bac Ha

This woman sold what may have been our favorite food in Vietnam: tri-colored sticky rice wrapped in a palm leaf. We got every morning in Bac Ha. And we always ran out too fast!

Man and His Son on a Motorcycle in Bac Ha

While buying sticky rice, I took this photo. People were very open to having their photo taken all over Vietnam.

Still Life with Corn

On our second morning in Bac Ha, our guide met us in front of our hotel for a hike through the hills above Bac Ha. We booked this trip though Bac Ha Tourist , who run several treks in the region including homestays. As we hiked out of Bac Ha we passed many scenes such as the one above, where corn being separated and dried in a courtyard for later storage and the production of corn wine.

Flower Hmong Man

After a few hours of hiking above Bac Ha, we came to the house of this man and his wife, who are Flower Hmong. About one million Hmong live in Vietnam live in Vietnam a, with an additional five million spread throughout southeast China, Northern Laos and Thailand, and Burma. The Flower Hmong are a subgroup of Hmong living in and around Bac Ha. They are named "Flower" for the colorful clothes worn by the women. This man and his wife lived in this small house, with a small adjacent corn field. I think, our tour was part of a bit of a retirement plan, in addition to making corn wine -- which is what his wife was doing while he entertained us and gave us a few shots (at 10 am). I have a picture of her as well, working while her husband drank, but it didn't turn out as good due to the lack of light in the corner by the fire. So she worked while he drank. Things are the same everywhere.

Farmer Above Bac Ha

Terraced Rice Fields Above Bac Ha

Man Harvesting Rice

I had seen the machine he is using--I don't know what it's called--in the stores in the villages outside Bac Ha. I had been curious to see it in action. We ran into this man near

Devas at the Entrance to Ankor Thom, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Smash Cut to Cambodia! Yeah, it's an abrupt change, but it went like this: we flew into Hanoi, went to Ha Long Bay, then to the northern highlands., then back to Hanoi and flew out to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see the temples of Ankor Wat and the surrounding archaeological sites. Disclaimer: I am not going to go to heavy into explaining all there is to explain about these sites because, to be honest, it's overwhelming. But what I can say is it's fascinating, covering 8 hundred years of art, architecture wars, and shifts in religion and ideologies (between Hinduism and Buddhism--and shifts within those broad schools of thought and worship). Actually, considering that all of these temples are active religious sites, the history of these sites is still being written. In the words of the Faulkner: "The past isn't dead, it isn't even past." I tried to capture this in what follows.

Face of Jayavarman VII at Bayon

Bayon, i the center of Ankor Thom, is particularly known for the huge faces carved in to it. Who these faces are is not conclusively known, but many scholars believe they bear a strong resemblance to Jayavarman VII.

Terrace of the Leper King

Terrace of the Leper King

Angkor Wat

In case you were wondering, like I was: those spots are birds. I have been told by many people, and many blogs, that there are all of these strategies to avoid the crowds at Ankor Wat. Time it just right, come to in through the rear entrance at sun rise, so on and so forth. We didn't do any of that! It was probably out of laziness, mostly (our hotel had this AMAZING breakfast buffet, and the waiters were always trying to teach me Khmer) , but it was also because at the time we were there a Buddhist holiday was in progress, and for all the effort we could put in, it was pretty hard to entirely escape them altogether. But when it comes down to it, the crowds were a fascinating mix of people: Chinese, Korean, European, and Indian tourists, Cambodians (who are, now, largely Theravada, though the Buddhist-controlled governments during the Khmer period were Mahayana), and Hindu pilgrims. There were Buddhist and Hindu shrines everywhere, out in the open and tucked in space that you can only reach through a maze of tiny doorways and collapsed pillars. As much as I admit that the crowds (and probably more the humidity) were hard to deal with, the temples of Angkor are a living monument, an enduring symbol of Khmer identity, and a site of pilgrimage for religious people (even if that religion is Instagram) and not merely the ruins of a mysterious, lost empire.

Angkor Wat

Kbal Spean

Thirty kilometers north of Siam Reap is Kbal Spean, a small but fascinating ruin in the hills where Stung Kbal Spean River originates. While I was there, many Cambodians were picnicking at this waterfall below the carvings of lingas ans Vishnu carved into the river bed.

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is about 10km south of Kbal Spean. It's a small site, as far as Angkor goes, it incredibly detailed. It was certainly one of my favorite site in the area and, in those further out sites, a lot less busy than the central-Angkor temples. It was built in the 10th century and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei

Banteay Samré

Monk at Bakong

This monk was treated like a bit of a rock star. The temple of Bakong is built on a small, human-built island, which also encloses a small monastery. I was unclear on if he was practicing at this monastery or another one near by. But in any case, like Bayon, this temple was also built by Jayavarman VII, during the Buddhist period of the Khmer Empire, and this monk was wandering through the ruins like the rest of us, cell phone in hand, snapping pictures, as we took picture of him. The anthropologist in me loved the layers of reflexivity and metaculture . As I said, Angkor is remains a living, breathing, and integral part of Cambodian society.

The Ceiling in Lolei Temple

Right next the the Lolei ruins--which are in significant disrepair--is a small temple (above) and shrine, as well as a school. I loved the colorful painting in the temple, which seemed to have told the story of a woman monk. I haven't been able to find the story regarding the origin of the modern temple. The adjacent site is from the 9th century.

Preah Khan

Preah Khan was one of our favorite sites in Angkor, and the last one we went to. It was built, like Bayon and the Tomb-Raider famous Ta Prohm, by Jayavarman VII and thus contains Buddhist themes. It as filled with small shrines in ruined corners that could only be found by a local who was friendly enough to show us around. It's very similar to Ta Prohm in style and mystique, with many scenes like this of trees over taking the ruins. I am a huge fan of ruins that are being taken back by nature.

Preah Khan

Bayon

A parting shot of Bayon as we left Angkor.

The Moat Surrounding Angkor Thom

Sunset over Phnom Penh

We didn't have nearly enough time in Phnom Penh. Initially we had meant to spend two nights therm, but instead spent another night in Siem Reap and Angkr. Worth it. Buyt we did make it to Phnom Penh in time to take a sunset boat ride. Not pictured here is the shanty town on the other side of the Meknong River, where the boat lingered for some time. It was uncomfortable, really, and created what we were calling the "human zoo" effect: as we sat in our boat, we could observe people going about the their daily lives, without the physical and metaphorical freedom to move about and shift their gaze upon us. I took some pictures of them too, though I don't feel comfortable sharing those here.

Bitexco Financial Tower, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

After 5 days in Cambodia we flew Ho Chi Minh City, which is massive and full of all the amenities of any other major city in the worrl, including breweries with $7 beers. I took this shot from the Pasteur Street Brewing.

View from the Sheraton in HCMC

As I mentioned, Theresa was kind enough to use her hotel points to get us some great rooms in in Vietnam and Cambodia. So I was lucky to get to go up to the rooftop bar and get this shot. It's east to forget how huge HCMC really is: it has the population of New York but spanning a much bigger area. Even in the day the sprawl reaches the horizon.

Calmette Street, Ho Chi Minh City

I spent an hour taking photos at this spot, and I finally came out with this shot. i like ti, but it also convinced me I need to learn to use my camera and be prepared. But the spot was perfect: this huge puddle meant that people walking were sort of forced onto the street filled with motorcycles, and the puddle itself offered this disturbed reflection. The buildings behind it are older, but cheap and modern, a product of the urban sprawl of HCMC. The pedistrian looks so vulnerable in her flats and pollution mask with the motorcycles whizzing by. I felt it really captured the feeling of moving about the city on a busy, humid morning.

Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda

I just had to get a shot of these amazing mustaches on these fierce statues.

Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda

The Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda was a beautiful structure and actively religious. Unlike many religious sites in Iran and Morocco, I was surprised at how open Vietnamese and Cambodians were to having foreigners milling around.

Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda

The Ngọc Hoàng (Jade Emperor ) Pagoda is a Taoist temple built by the Chinese community there in 1909. It is also called the Tortoise Pagoda, though the tortoises I saw caged up didn't look too happy so I am not showing them here.

Love Locks at Namsan Park, Seoul, South Korea

A few years ago, the city of Paris began removing the locks from the Pont des Arts. But if you want to get your love locked, then might I recommend a hike to the top of Namsan Park? We had a 36-hour layover in Seoul, which was just enough to get a little taste of the city. Luckily, it was a Sunday and the locals were all taking a stroll up the mountain. It was a lovely, warm autumn day, and the views of the city are spectacular. And there is a mall at the top with a VR arcade. Because, Seoul.

Namdaemun (South Great Gate), Seoul, South Korea

Namdaemun is one of 8 gates along the ancient wall that, in the 14th century, surrounded the entire city of Seoul (known as Hanyang).

Children and Turtles, Downtown Seoul, South Korea

Much of downtown Seoul is connected by raised walkways with gardens, ponds, and (really) pianos. I as taking pictures of the turtles in this pond when some school children showed up to check them out.