Happy Year of the Snake!

The festive month of Tet, the Vietnamese lunar new year, is nearly over and Hanoi has been blessed with sunnier skies recently. Spring is here. As I write, I'm breathing fresh, cool air entering the open windows of a gorgeous French villa that has been styled into an elegantly hip art space and cafe called Manzi. The coffee they serve is good and strong. Yet another unexpected treat in this city of hidden treasures.

In many ways, it's hard to believe we've been in Hanoi for only two and a half months. The number of restaurants and bars we've been to, the neighborhoods we've explored and the number of Instagram pictures I've posted would suggest otherwise. This city feels comfortable and conquerable, and yet remains perfectly capable of eluding complete comprehension.

I'm glad we decided to stay in Hanoi during Tet. Despite warnings that the city would clear out and nothing would be open, to see the city in this way was refreshing. In the weeks leading up to the actual New Years' Eve (Feb. 9), the city was humming with energy. Kumquat trees and peach blossom branches were popping up everywhere, seen in transport from the Tet markets on the backs of motorbikes. The restaurant outside our building were making the traditional sticky rice and pork cakes, banh ch'ung, noon and night. The vats of sticky rice bubbled away every morning as I walked to work and by evening, towers of leaf-wrapped banh ch'ung waited on tables to be boiled for 8 straight hours, all through the night. One of the many labor intensive tasks families must finish before the official holidays. A day before actual New Years Day, the city began to empty. During this time, we welcomed Pem's parents from Singapore for a weekend visit. They enjoyed exploring a city that looked very different from the Hanoi they visited almost twenty years ago.

After New Years, the city was nearly silent. Even the constant lull of motorbikes had temporarily ceased. However, that didn't stop the occasional broadcast of ABBA's "Happy New Year" on Hanoi's antique public speaker system. Talk about a surreal experience - hearing this Europop from the 1970's echoing through the narrow lanes of this Asian city in the middle of the afternoon. As I drifted back into my afternoon nap, I could feel the fog of dreams begin to slowly curl around this city of surprises in a country of contradictions.

Sleep of the Beloved

"There is something that happens between men and women in the dark that 

seems to make everything else unimportant" - Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! This beautiful long exposure shot is from photographer Paul Schneggenburger, whose work "Sleep of the Beloved" began by posing the simple question, "What happens to lovers when they are sleeping?"

(found via sho & tell)

The City of Lanterns

On Boxing Day, we left the imperial city of Hue to head south by taxi to Hoi An - a small, charming town that was once a bustling hub for maritime trade and thus features Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architectural and cultural influences.

We requested our taxi driver to drive through the Hai Van pass - an opportunity to stretch our legs, buy some snacks (and pearls!) and take in the sweeping views of the East Vietnam Sea. After another stop in Danang for lunch at the chill, lounge-y Waterfront Restaurant, we continued south.

Not at all knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by the intimate feel of the town. Small winding lanes are banked by low, shuttered houses with beautiful wooden facades. Officially granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999, the old center of Hoi An retains a unique, and antique, charm. By night it is even more spectacular, as you explore the streets lit only by colorful lanterns hung outside every shophouse.

That night we headed out for dinner from our hotel, the sounds of Buddhist nuns chanting evening prayers while the distant beating of funeral drums added a dramatic touch to our stroll. We were wonderfully surprised to learn that our first night coincided with the full moon. Every month, Hoi An has a Full Moon Festival when the streets are completely closed to motorized vehicles. There are traditional cultural performances and the river is lined with vendors selling grilled rice cakes or candle-lit paper lanterns that you can place into the river to float your wishes and prayers to the gods. In the intimate and magical scene, you feel that at this time, in this place, the gods just might hear you.

Some photos below, with a post to follow on what we saw and where we ate (you didn't think I'd forget that did, you?).

Photographer Feature: Aaron Joel Santos

I first came across Santos' work in the Word Hanoi, an expat-oriented monthly that features some really great photography. Santos is a travel and documentary photographer based in Hanoi who is also Word's photo editor. His work, ranging from stunning portraits to sweeping landscapes of the Vietnamese people and countryside, really give you a sense of the country's complexity and beauty, both hidden and overt.

Check out his professional website here, or his personal blog here.

Beachy Business

I know I promised a post on Hoi An next, but since I'm still working on those photos I thought I would share a few iPhone pictures from my recent business trip to Nha Trang. This beach town on Southern Vietnam's coast facing the South China Sea is well known for its sun, sand and seafood. 

We stayed at the Vinpearl which was actually on Hon Tre Island off the coast of the main city. Cable cars connect the island to mainland and offer a fabulous view (if you're not scared of heights!). The Vinpearl itself seems better suited for family vacations with its amusement park, buffet meals and recreational activities but overall it was pleasant and it did have a nice private beach where you could enjoy a tasty and well-deserved margarita (after a long day in the conference room, of course!).

Below are a few more pictures from Nha Trang, which I look forward to visiting again!