In a little break from the Indo-china dispatches - I thought I'd share some pictures I shot a few months in Bangalore. Not many words just pictures :)
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If you want to see more pictures - here is the full set.
Saigon wakes you up early, usually to sounds of scooter horns and roasting coffee beans. It is 6am and you walk enjoying the last wafts of cool breeze before the sun breaks you down into beads of sweat, only to be wiped away by an ice cold perfumed towel. In reminds me of home in Bombay - a chaotic mess of traffic-clogged streets and urban bustle, with a nary a green space in sight. It's a migrants city just like Bombay it pulls them in sweat filled embrace as they slowly fall prey to the hiddens charms of one of South East Asia's liveliest cities.
I start in Pham Ngu Lao, Saigon's backpacker district. A teeming area of colourful shops and backpacker cafes, the main road leading into a labrynthe of alleys that remind you Varanasi. I trade my greasy eggs and bacon for steaming bowl of pho (see last post) at Pho 2000. Who advertise with the slogan "Pho for the president" - probably referring to fact that Bill Clinton ate here on his visit to Saigon. Across the road is Ben Thanh Market, one of Saigon's main markets which is at its bustling best this morning.
Here are some pictures as always.
A short taxi ride away is Cholom.
Cholom is a jewellery box of Chinese style and bustle, an olfactory overload of traditional herb shops and burning incense. Here the streets are filled with amazing sights, sounds and most of all the rich herbal smells.
Saigon wakes up early to take advantage of the cool morning breeze before the sun breaks through the haze and invades the country with sweltering heat. Already 6 A.M and the people of Phnom Penh are rushing and bumping into each other on dusty, narrow side streets. Waiters and waitresses in the black-and-white uniforms swing open shop doors as the aroma of noodle soup greets waiting customers.Street vendors push food carts piled with steamed dumplings, smoked beek teriyaki sticks, and roasted peanuts along the sidewalk as they begin to set up for another day of business.Children in colourful t-shirts and shorts kick soccer balls barefoot ignoring the angry grunts of food cart owners. The wide French boulevards sing with the he buzz of motorcycle engines, squeaky bicycles, and small cars for those wealthy enough to afford them.
[here are some street scenes from Saigon]
Goodmorning Vietnam.
By midday, as temperatures soar, the streets go quiet again. People rush home to seek the relief from the heat, have lunch, take cold showers and enjoy an afternoon siesta before returning to work at 2 p.m. The humidity hangs low as your wet shirt sticks close to your shirt.
This morning like any other morning I've walked to a pho shop about a block away from my hotel.
Pho
The Vietnamese staple flat rice noodle soup, that is eated all through the
day (read vada pau meets dal chawal). Pho in the south come with a lot of DIY
herbs and spices - it is served in two varieties chicken and beef. It is yum !
The tiny confines of the shop come alive to the sound of the clang and clatter of spoons against the bottom of their large bowls, the slurping of hot tea and soup, the smell of garlic, cilantro, ginger and beef broth in the air make my stomach rumble in anticipation. Across from me, a man uses chopsticks to shovel noodles into is mouth. Next to him, a girl dips chicken into a small saucer of housin sauce while her mother cleans her teeth with a toothpick
Expect more posts !
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