vietnam

The last few weeks have been filled with some of the most incredible experiences and scenery I have ever had. At times, I sit to write and I don't have the words to say or to even try to articulate what I have been seeing.

I arrived back early this morning from Vietnam, with a rush of feelings and images in my mind. After a long 7 hr bus ride, a gruelling 12 hr train ride, I made it back to Guangzhou. It all seemed liked such a blur. Part of the whole travelling experience in this side of the world, is that you can travel relatively cheaply and you get everything that comes with that. Long lines, people pushing to get on the train, children crying, but also the occassional friendly chat with a stranger. As my friends and I were literally sitting up for 12hrs on a train, I thought to myself, "There is no way that I am sitting up for 12 hrs again on a train in China." It was partly humourous: people were sleeping while standing, some where sleeping the bathroom, other would watch us foreigners play cards.

Vietnam has been one of these impressionable experiences. One of the luxuries about living in the south of China is that it is a bridge to so many other Asian countries. I remember crossing the border over a week ago, and seeing how the atmosphere seemed to immediately change. The rice fields accompanied the surprisingly bright, tall three short homes along the road. With the unusual mountains and the blue sky, I knew that Vietnam would be a place like none other.

Once arriving into Hanoi, I immediately noticed the presence of the motorbikes. They are everywhere. You almost need to hold your breath as your vehicle swirves to change lanes. Hanoi has so many small streets, filled with small shops, old restraunts and yes, more motorbikes. I guess, my only knowledge of Vietnam was the famous war that happened a number of years ago, but to arrive to booming, busy city was so refreshing. To see some of the modern touches of tourism, along with the traditional Vietnamese society still evident, makes for an interesting walk down the street. I regularly had to dodge grannies on motorbikes, as well as workers carrying rice on their shoulders.

With no specific agenda in mind, we made our way to our hotel, in the heart of the Old Quarter of the city, and then had a delicious meal of authentic Vietnamese food. The Old Quarter has over 36 streets all with different styles and atmosphere. One thing that perhaps made one of the most beautiful impressions, were peoples smiles. It seemed at ever corner or every shop, you would get a wave and a smile from someone.

One of the reasons many travellers go to Vietnam is for Halong Bay. A series of thousands of islands, and limestone mountains on water. My friends and I hopped on a junk boat for an over night trip. To our surprise, there was just 5 of us! We had an entire boat to ourselves that we could walk around around freely. Our guide took us to some famous caves, we swam in the ocean, jumped over the boat, kayaked, and soaked up the glorious sun. It was as if we entered another world. Only to be surrounded by water and thousands of tiny islands. As I looked across the water to see what I was seeing, I took a deep breath and listened to only the sound of the water. At night, went the boat was still, I sat on the top of the boat and looked up into the star-lit sky, surrounded by these islands. I felt free.

Once arriving back into Hanoi, I had no idea what other little adventures I would have. One of my friends and I actually hopped on a motorcycle to our new hotel. Seeing Hanoi again, but this time from a motorcycle was an even more surprising experience. Weaving through traffic, hearing the local people and smelling the local street vendors gave me a new perspective on the city. If this wasn't enough, I took a 12km cycling trip into the heart of Cam Troc, to see a couple villiages and temples, and to take in the amazing mountains Vietnam had to offer. My friend Eva and I also ended up on a small raft down a river in Hua Lu. We had a lovel old Vietnamese couple roe us own the vast expanse. At one point, I stretched out my hands and ran them along the water. It was so fresh. So cool. Vietnam has been one of the most incredible places for photography for me. My hands and my eyes actually began to hurt by the end of the trip. It seems as if my camera has helped me to capture the things I have been wanting to capture all my life.

Vietnam - the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people. It was also a sobering reminder that this world is such a spectacular place. And when you travel, you feel big and small at the same time. When you search for something or when you visit a place, it somehow leaves a mark on you. What a glorious feeling to touch and see a new place. The one danger though...it that it always leaves you hungry. You want more. You want to see more.

"The mountains are His, the valley's are His, the stars are His handiwork too..."