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Vietnam is a photographer’s heaven. A beautiful country with lots of photo opportunities.
This second trip was even better than the first one, I saw so much more, I took even more photos this time.
The negative side of a trip like this is that sometimes you don’t have the time to think about the best camera settings and the best way to take the shot, as you are always on the move from one location to another.
In my backpack, a Lowepro Flipside 400AW I carried a Nikon D800 with MBD12 battery grip, Nikkors 14-24 2.8, 35mm 1.4G, 85mm 1.4G, 70-200 2.8 VRII, Nikon GPS-1, a netbook, two 400GBs external hard drives, tripod, about 300Gbs of CF and SD cards, a 77mm CPL filter, a ND filter, two batteries, rechargeable eneloop batteries , my point and shoot Nikon Coolpix AW100 and a few accessories more.
I flew from Bangkok to Hanoi, a less than two hours flight.
Thankfully I booked an extra day to stay in Hanoi. This is rainy season and in two occasions I had to stay in the hotel for a few hours due to the heavy rain. 
Hanoi is changing rapidly, there are more cars an also many of the old and traditional shops and houses have been replaced with hotels, travel agencies, souvenir shops, modern pubs. It is a shame that these services have been mostly located in the heart of the Old Quarter.
Pedestrians quickly get used to the chaotic traffic, just walk slowly… one step, two bikes, another step and more bikes… thankfully the old streets are quite narrow. Ho Chi Minh City is a different story, though.
Motorbikes and bicycles still are mostly used but slowly cars are invading the old city.
These improvised restaurants always amaze me. Let me tell you, Vietnamese food is my favourite Asian food.
Hang out places where one can have some tea or any other drink with sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf.
There are always people cooking and improvised kitchens everywhere.
Dog is on the menu too. Just look for the words ‘Thit Cho’ (Dog Meat).
Every day I had a few French baguettes with my meals. A must eat for a Portuguese guy like me.
There are all kind of shops with all sorts of things.
In need of a hair cut?
Balloons are a best seller in the main square.
Street vendors… how they carry those loads? That would have killed me!
killing time playing games can be seen almost everywhere.
The import and sale of foreign cigarettes and cigars is illegal in Vietnam!
Hanoi is always hot, thankfully I am used to the weather of Bangkok, I didn’t feel much of a difference.
I love to photograph heavily loaded bikes!
I had the chance to try one of these pipes… maybe next time.
The Old Quarter in Hanoi is always a fascinating place that I really recommend to go to.
Hanoi and then the train to Lao Cai and car to get to Xin Cheng Market but I will leave that for my next post.
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