On the way to Halong Bay, a photo from Quang Ninh, North East

Photographer's Note

One of the highlights of a visit to northern Vietnam is an excursion to Halong Bay, several hours' journey east of the capital Hanoi. Naturally I made such an excursion on my first journey to Vietnam in November 1993. It was one of the few times I decided to go on an organized tour. It's a way of travelling that I usually hate and try to avoid, but it would have been infinitely more complicated – and slower – to arrange it on my own by local transports.

I will show three photos from the bay, famous for its steep rocky islands, some of them containing large caves, in my next upload. But I will start by showing three pictures taken during the journey to the sea.

All the time I spent in the north the sky was grey and on and off it was raining. The washed out sky didn't matter so much for the photos I took in the streets of Hanoi, but in the countryside the dull weather really bothered me.

So apart from showing nothing special at all, today's photos are all impaired by the grey sky and bad light.

Close enough to be seen in the haze of the main photo are various means of travelling the country roads of northern Vietnam. You can use an ox cart if you have things to deliver, go by bicycle if you're not heading too far, or you can travel by bus if you're going to Hà Nội.

Here is a larger version.

In a WS is a crowded ferry, in another you can see a farmer loading his ox cart.

All photos were scanned from Kodachrome slides, using the new scan I recently bought. Their shortcomings can't be blamed on the scanner or the software I use, perhaps not even on my own lack of competence. I solely blame the North Vietnamese autumn weather.

pajaran, Fis2, jean113, pierrefonds, Ilonka1974, jhm, ikeharel, dale54, PaulVDV, PiotrF, papagolf21, CLODO, Royaldevon, alvaraalto, clic, macjake, ChrisJ, adramad, mcmtanyel, fotka has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pajaran (103725) 2019-08-14 0:40

Pozdrav.
Interesantani pogledi i trenuci, dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad sa lepim fotografijama u radionici.
lepo pokazano, dobar kontrast, lepe boje, dobro uhvaceni trenuci.
Poljoprivrednik radi svoj posao. Lepe fotografije i secanje.
Zelim vam sve najbolje.
Paja.

Greeting.
Interesting views and moments, good text ...
Good work with nice photos in the workshop.
well shown, good contrast, nice colors, well captured moments.
The farmer does his job. Nice photos and memories.
I wish you all the best.

Fis2 (156802) 2019-08-14 1:01

Witaj Gert!
Wonderful scene from daily life.
Interesting contrast.
Good framing and colors.
Well done.
Nice day.
Krzysztof

Silvio1953 (207069) 2019-08-14 1:17

Ciao Gert, lovely composition with fascinating carriage and old bus, excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

drt100 (4038) 2019-08-14 1:18

Just a few months ago I visited the bay and Hanoi, There is a new 4 lane freeway between them now. Nothing like this is allowed / even a slow moving bus. There are rest stops and snacks available along the way. 21st century arrived. Very glad to see a view of how it was. Thanks for the historic perspective. BTW the bus we used had TV/AC/and free water, and made its way at about 65mph. drt100 David

Tue (83062) 2019-08-14 1:22

Hej Gert,
Et godt billede med det grå og tomme landskab i baggrunden og vejen med de to forskellige transportmåder foran, den ene mere moderne end den anden, selv om bussen ser også ret gammelt ud og desuden propfyldt med mennesker. Kvinden på vognen synes ikke at have særligt travlt med bussen bag sig.
Lars

GyurMaster (21759) 2019-08-14 1:35

Dear Gert,

I would have claimed the bad weather to resign immediately! :) Joking apart, its a nice reportage from the Vietnamese country-side of the era. Maybe not much changed since then except that nowadays the driver of the ox-drawn carriage would look at his cellphone instead of you. To be honest, when I first saw the thumbnail, I expected the bus to be drawn by the ox. :)
The WS photos are nice too!
Best Wishes,
Gy.

Nicou (193806) 2019-08-14 2:06

Hello

quel contraste entre le bœuf qui tire la charrette et le bus motorisé en fond quelle image fantastique ensemble de deux sortes de transport un polluant l'autre moins quelle belle bête et cet homme sur la charrette et ce bus puer charger plein de monde fantastique
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

Gerrit (59968) 2019-08-14 2:13

Hi Gert,
interesting view over this flat fertil land. I like the old bus and the ox-car just behind each other.
Thanks and regards,
Gerrit

jean113 (22617) 2019-08-14 2:55

Hello Gert, all three shots are very interesting, different modes of travel. Indeed in the main post there are three.
You can’t do anything about the weather, it is how it is!
It would be interesting for you to return to see if anything has changed.
26 years have gone by, so perhaps we would expect some change.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards Jean.

pierrefonds (104510) 2019-08-14 4:41

Hi Gert,

You have captured well a daily life scene. The point of view is showing the details of the bus, of the cart and of the ox. The farmer is probably wondering why you are taking is picture. Have a nice day.

Pierre

Ilonka1974 (9619) 2019-08-14 5:24

Hi Gert,
Great view of daily life scene from Vietnam,
Lovely composition and very good presentation .
Well done
Best regards
Janusz

jhm (204025) 2019-08-14 7:55

Hello Gert,

One of your most beautiful pictures out of Vietnam.
lso, yur two additional picture are both a value if main picture.
An excellent panorama image.
Nice composition good presentation too.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

rbassin (27472) 2019-08-14 8:20

Hello Gert
C'est une superbe composition, bons contrastes entre les deux moyens de transport.
Bonne soirée
Roland

kasianowak (15984) 2019-08-14 9:21

Hi Gert
So... I've just crossed Vietnam off my list of countries to travel to in November... ;-)
But, really, this overcast light is not that bad for the subjects in the main shot. In dull light, with not much contrast, we can clearly see the cyclist dressed in dark clothes and the (once) white shirt of the man on the cart. The image is in fact similar to the street shots from Hanoi, only taken in the open countryside.
I like the fact that the slower means of transport are shown before the fastest (at least in theory) on. It's not any quicker to travel by bus... :-)
Best wishes
Kasia
Ps. I'm also reading Deep South by Paul Theroux (with photos by Steve McCurry). And that after just having finished Blood on the Tracks... Why am I reading all these books about the USA? I have no intention to ever travel there...

COSTANTINO (105037) 2019-08-14 10:07

Hello dear Gert and have a nice evening
many years ago I used to go on organized tour
but the latest years I prefer to travel with my wife
here we can see both the old bus and the fascinating
carriage
scenes from the past but always have their
own interest
regards
Costantino

dale54 (17456) 2019-08-14 11:18

good evening and hello gert..excellent scanned shot from years gone by,this man looks like he is posing for the shot! tfs dale

jmdias (103950) 2019-08-14 12:13

gert

the hat is from colonial times. the ox looks indian zebu. nice details of the rural landscape and the cart. the bus is so old, I guess it was similar those we had here in the 1950, even in my town.

take care

jorge

Miguel82 (47110) 2019-08-14 12:26

Gert, this means of transport becomes more and more rare nowadays even in developing countries. Such bull cart is replaced by trucks not eco-friendly like it. The man is carrying soil in his cart. It slows down the traffic i see a bus waiting to overtake it. Authentic rural scene captured on the way to the famous Halong bay.

lousat (130655) 2019-08-14 13:12

Hi Gert,organized trips aren't the best way to live the local world,but surely are most comfortable and useful to who haven't a lot of time as me..ehehe.. i like a lot this post,your impression during the road to Halong Bay are truly beautiful,in effect the most curious is the WS with the boat full of camions but as you wrote the quality is a bit poor. Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

PaulVDV (55551) 2019-08-14 15:05

Hello Gert,
I'm very curious about your further experiences in Halong bay.
In the meantime, you present us three fantastic daily life-views from Vietnam in 1993.
It's difficult to have a preference for one of them. All three show beautifully something about the living conditions in those years.
The dull sky is very recognizable to me :)
Best regards, Paul

PiotrF (52330) 2019-08-14 15:20

Hello Gert,
Interesting scene from daily life.
Wonderful next photos in WS.
Fine presentation
Regards
Piotr

bukitgolfb301 (53894) 2019-08-14 19:06

Hi dear Gert

So Idyllic and calm image, just 26 years ago!, that is rather new for you, compared with your archive images.
I rember I went to Halong Bay in 2008, the surrounding were chnaged to modern. The bus is so calssical type and I am surprised that the caw is not a water-buffleor.

All the best and have a good day! Takero

rychem (72179) 2019-08-14 21:01

A very nice series of reportage photos, I like the main photo, it is a big contrast between the old two-wheeled cart and a modern (for those times) bus. And the bus must go with the speed of an ox :)
regards Ryszard

papagolf21 (152603) 2019-08-14 23:13

Bonjour, cher Gert,
Et dire que nous nous plaignons de la circulation automobile en Europe et ailleurs.
Mais là, il faut prendre son temps, et le chauffeur du car semble prend son mal en patience !
Amitiés.
Philippe

CLODO (45094) 2019-08-15 0:54

Hi gert

Your hard disk is full of old pictures describing the life 30 years ago and we can see the differences. Nothing special but this world is gone (I suppose), life is now different, and speed is the king word!
Cheers
CLODO

Royaldevon (76786) 2019-08-15 2:20

Hello Gert,

Three very interesting photographs from Vietnam, showing the variety of modes of travel. I really like your main shot, not only because it is nicely angled but because it shows the farmer and his cart taking precedence over the bus! I wonder how frustrated the bus drivers become or whether they just accept this as a natural part of life on the roads.
The ferry looks extremely loaded! The ferry doesn't seem big enough to accommodate so much heavy traffic! I think it would have worked fine as a main upload but there is nothing wrong with the one you chose.

I was surprised by the hats of the farmers. Are these traditional or are they bits of dress left over from the war?

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

alvaraalto (42410) 2019-08-15 3:51

Hello Gert,
Although of course we prefer a clear blue sky or nice white clouds in front of the blue, this gray weather is also part of our daily reality.
Perhaps less successful as a vacation snapshot, but it does provide a better and more intrusive image of daily reality and is therefore perhaps more valuable.
Excellent presentation
Have a nice day, groet Rob

dkmurphys (78032) 2019-08-15 9:42

Hello,
Nice authentic road scene, very common here too in the '90's. Well taken.

Daniel

emka (153356) 2019-08-15 13:02

Hello Gert, yes, Ha Long bay is a highlight of the visit to Vietnam. near my home was a long time ago the restaurant called Ha Long and it was my dream to see the bay. I was also on an organized tour. I do not know how it could be made otherwise. nice scene from the road. Now probably the traffic is much higher. In Vietnam, I probably didn't see so much ox cart, but I saw a lot of them in Myanmar and I always was very happy. I loved them. Nice bus, looks quite "civilized". I do not remember how I moved around. I remember the train. I had even worse weather.
Kind regrads MAlgo

mesutilgim (0) 2019-08-16 12:00

Hello dear Gert,
Another topclass "oldie" in your gallery from Vietnam taken with perfect pov.
Many interesting and usefull notes makes it a perfect TE job.
TFS and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

ikeharel (106421) 2019-08-17 0:43

Thanks for your supporting critique today, Gert, appreciated.
The Halong bay area mostly remembered where the Vietnam War began, yet, a place not many were traveling there back in the 90th.
The bus surely tell where it was riding, no doubt about, but most attention is for the ox and cart, face expression of the carter, and the wide field as a background.
A fine three posts, superbly scanned.
Wish you a nice weekend,
Ike

clic (23956) 2019-08-18 7:47

Hallo Gert In the course of time I saw people leading horses by means of reins gently attached around the beast's head, and not so cruelly inserted inside the nose! Those three modes of transportation gathered in the same picture for information purposes are beautifully arranged along a diagonal line from corner to corner for a much attractive setup. Halsningar

macjake (96367) 2019-08-18 23:32

Hi Gert
doesn't matter how touristy Halong Bay is today, i'd still go and explore as much of it as possible. I wonder what it was like back in 1993, probably not as touristy. As for that bus in the photo, I wouldn't be surprised if its STILL running and in service today (scary as that is), as Asian countries seem to do this on a regular basis. The man's hat in the fg, looks like he stole it from an Army soldier hahaha. its a great looking shot, great subject content all around. cheers
Craig

ChrisJ (161190) 2019-08-19 10:08

Hej Gert

At least in Vietnam it is possible to read the place names. In China I had to ask where I was or consult a map. A fantastic contrast here between the age old ox and cart and the newer tour bus behind it. The diagonal axis adds dynamism and sharpness is flawless. Tfs!

carlo62 (81265) 2019-08-22 1:18

Ciao Gert
sono i casi in cui non si può incolpare nessuno, la natura fa quello che vuole e quando vuole. In ogni caso anche questo fa parte del paesaggio e della stagione, per cui amplia sempre le nostre conoscenze su questa terra.
Saluti

adramad (67604) 2019-08-23 10:01

Hi Gert.
Sensational image with this great contrast of the cart pulled by an ox and the bus behind it, the road looks like a horror, as if to take hours on the road. Great perspective of the immense plain.
Good POV, very nice to look at.
Colorful, sharpness and luminosity are captured effectively.
Very good composition, great presentation.
Have a good weekend.
Warm greetings.
Luis.

BennyV (32612) 2019-08-28 1:08

Hi Gert

It's great following your time machine pictures. We just got back from Vietnam and, even though it has changed so much, we still love the country a lot.

This is my favourite from your Vietnam time machine, mainly because of the bus. I remember those oldtimers still going in 1999-2001. These days lots of transport is hyper-aircon-luxury-limousine-style. Less character, sure, but at least traffic has become a lot safer compared to 10, 20 years ago. Still room for improvement, though :)

Lovely dent in the roof of the bus. I wonder what happened...

Benny

mcmtanyel (58882) 2019-08-30 22:11

Hello Gert,
Three very nice photos from the 90's in Vietnam. It looks like the 60's elsewhere. 👍🏻👍🏻
Regards,
MT

fotka (7633) 2019-09-24 5:51

Hello Gert,
Another fantastic historical picture from the past.
I don't know if these days we can see ox carts on the roads in Vietnam.
Great diagonal composition and superb quality of scanned photo.
Best regards,
Zbigniew