Xin Chào! My Journey to Vietnam

"A day of traveling will bring a basket full of learning." (Vietnamese proverb)

Wow - another year, another travel adventure! As I've done for the past four years now, I headed off for nearly a month to a far corner of the world with my "photo family" - a group of wonderful, talented inspiring artists, led by the one and only Ron Zak, a travel photography mentor like no other. This year, our destination was Vietnam. The group trip, coupled with my extension to neighboring Cambodia, really rounded out my exposure to the wonderful countries of Southeast Asia, and reconfirms in my mind that it's an incredible part of the world to visit. I'd go back again tomorrow (if only!).

We traveled the entire length of this long, narrow country, and if I had to sum up my impression of Vietnam succinctly, it would be this: Vietnam is a land of contrasts. Contrasts in weather: we went from the south where it was 90+ degrees with 90% humidity in Saigon, to the north where the temperatures approached freezing in Hanoi. Contrasts between the old world and modern life: the clash of withered old women with conical hats and baskets slung over their shoulders peddling their goods in front of sleek designer stores like Versace and Gucci. Contrasts between fast-paced city life and quiet village life. Contrasts between a war-torn country still recovering and a new economy that is bursting with enterprise. Contrasts between rugged mountains, thick jungles and sparkling white sand beaches. Contrasts between dirt roads traveled by bicycles and wide avenues traveled by thousands upon thousands of buzzing motorbikes. Contrast, contrast, contrast. You are constantly slammed between these contrasts at every turn, and it makes for quite an unforgettable experience.

In this blog, you'll see some photographic evidence of these contrasts. I keep my words to a minimum and just let the images do the talking. Use the "Blog Archive" links at the right hand side of the page to navigate. There is quite a lot to see, so humor me and at least click through to a few links that  sound interesting to you. I hope you find a few things that make you smile. Cam on!