TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHIR

Hey Hanoi~

As someone who has lived in Singapore for the past twenty years, I am no stranger to heat and humidity.

Or so I thought, before landing in Hanoi, during one of her hottest summers yet.

Our first two days were planned for Halong Bay and we were driven there in a mini van. Sharing a tight space with 12 other backpackers under the blazing morning sun, is equivalent to sitting in a greenhouse. At 38ºC, I could literally feel my skin baking. It was an uncomfortable introduction to a city and its surrounding villages, and boy, were we surprised on the get-go.

The route to the habour was an eye-opener. The Vietnamese really do transport everything. From live hogs and dogs in bamboo baskets, to poultry and feather dusters, a million people weave through the streets daily on motorbikes, their purchases teetering. Just when we thought we have seen it all, the guide shouts, “Elephant!” And there it was, a mammoth of an animal tied to an old truck, casually sipping water from a canister.

Welcome to Hanoi.

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHIR

Hey Hanoi~

HALONG BAYOf skies and sea, and sun-kissed skin

Junk boats at the habour

The endless sea, and its settlers.

These were taken 20 seconds apart, from both sides of the junk boat.

Walk to the right, and one will see the perfect hue of blue. The left side, on the other hand, was drizzling, accompanied by a distinct drop in temperature.

The colors of dawn.

Stalactites and stalagmites, some of which looked eerily similar to H.R Giger’s creations for Alien.

BAC HÀ MARKETClutter, color, chaos

Swimming with people at the Bac Hà Market

A nine-hour train ride brought us to the town of Lào Cai. Another two hours uphill in a van, and it was the Bac Hà Market. The market overwhelms by just the sheer amount of people, livestock and activity. And the colors, oh, the colors.

It occured to us two days into visiting Hanoi, that the women are the bosses here. From taking charge of the household, to making a living lugging goods around the streets, the women do it all.

SAPACool air and paddy fields

Horse made out of grass, by a H’mong girl

House on terraced hills.

We were accompanied on the trek by the local H’mong ladies, who were acting as guides of the day. We were to understand later that in exchange for their guidance, it would be polite for us to purchase their hand-made belts and bracelets as a “tip”.

The valley bookending Lào Cai village. We were meant to descend to the village leisurely, but were treated to an exhilirating trek into rivers and eroded cliffs instead, because of heavy rain.

Views from our hotel room, aptly named The Summit Hotel. After days of scorching weather, we welcomed the scenery and fresh, cold air with open arms.

HANOI & ABOUT

One of the many shops selling sketches

A toy shop in Old Quarter.

Hand-carved stamps and belt buckles.

Photogenic walls near the hotel.

Wide open spaces.

PIgs on a bike and snake wine.

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY © SHIR September 2009