Hanoi | Report Three | The People of Tay Bac

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The current high humidity prompted me to set aside our Hanoi street photography program, and flee with the group to the equally humid (but less crowded) village of Tho Ha village, about 45 kilometers from the capital city. Tha Ho village's claim to relative fame is in it's specialization of producing rice paper, used for spring rolls and other Vietnamese culinary dishes.

Serendipity played its role in us passing by a row of old houses, and meeting Việt. Our minder, Huyen, asked permission to enter his house where he welcomed us with remarkable hospitality, offering us rice wine in small goblets... quite potent at this time of the day.

Seeing a collection of traditional instruments on his living room's walls, I asked if he played them...and he said yes. Being encouraged to play, he grabbed one these stringed instruments and started singing a number of traditional Vietnamese songs, and entertained us for over an hour. Naturally, we whipped out our cameras and audio recorders.

As soon as I realized Việt's talents, I thought I'd suggest him as being the subject of the group's first multimedia assignment. Ten photographs and a snippet of his music playing in a short multimedia project would be the group's initial homework.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

What other news? Well, I was asked by the owner of the Golden Silk Boutique Hotel (a lovely hotel perfectly located in Hang Gai) to make some photographs of her at the hotel...a request that I jumped at. I didn't expect any, but she gifted me a lovely scarf in return. She probably realized my affinity to scarves, and chose one that is really luxurious. It'll certainly not be used during my photographic travels.

Oh, and by the way...the best Pho Bo I've ever had (and this is shared by the rest of my group) is at a modern restaurant on Ly Quoc Su...a short walk from the hotel.

Tomorrow, we travel to Sa Pa and it was with considerable relief that we received confirmation that there's a newly constructed road linking Hanoi to Sa Pa. No trucks are allowed so the travel time has been cut from 10-12 hours to a mere 5.

Tour Mekong Delta VietNam - VietNam Tour

The Mekong Delta is the summit of the extraordinary Mekong waterway's voyage through south east Asia from the mountains of Tibet. The waterway is the world's twelfth biggest regarding length and tenth biggest by volume emptying a territory of 795,000 km². In the middle of Cambodia and the Vietnamese fringe close Chau Doc the Mekong parts into two and the Bassac River runs parallel to the principle waterway as they enter Vietnam.

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Once into the Mekong Delta zone of Vietnam the waterway parts further into a complex arrangement of little channels and waterways where residue from the stream has been kept and transformed the area into an amazingly prolific rural zone. This zone is vigorously developed and the rich soil empowers enough rice to be created to nourish the entire nation. The brilliant towns and skimming markets are one of Vietnam's most vital vacation spots.

Generally the locale was piece of the Khmer kingdom and right up 'til the present time is still called 'Lower Cambodia' by neighboring Cambodians. Emulating endeavors by the Khmer Rouge to take control of the district the Vietnamese attacked Cambodia in 1979 and launched out the Khmer Rouge from force.

Topographically, the Mekong Delta is the aftereffect of the development of sediment stored by the Mekong stream which expands the shoreline at the mouth of the waterway by around 80 meters for every year. The result is an exceptionally prolific territory where serious cultivating produces endless amounts of rice, sugarcane and apples and oranges. On account of this richness Vietnam is not just independent in rice generation, the country's staple sustenance, however is likewise the world's second biggest exporter after Thailand.

Most guests to the Mekong Delta land on planned visits from Ho Chi Minh City (see Mekong Delta Tours ). Some such visits are only for one day which scarcely begins to expose what's underneath of this immeasurable region whilst others incorporate overnight stays which permit you to go deeper into the district.

Voyaging autonomously of these planned visits is the best way to truly get profound into the Mekong Delta and truly encounter every day life off the traveler circuit. Alternatives incorporate leasing a motorbike to get around or enlisting a private vehicle with aide from HCMC.

A well known course nowadays is to use a couple of days going around the Mekong Delta then proceed into Cambodia through the waterway outskirt crossing at Vinh Xuong close Chau Do

Everest 2009: ExWeb Posts Expedition List

A month from now the already bustling streets of Kathmandu will become even more hectic, as teams of climbers from around the world descend on the city in preparation for their various climbs throughout the Himalaya. Most will be headed to Everest, where they'll be spending several weeks acclimatizing and eventually, if all goes according to plan, making an attempt on the summit.

As is typical for this time of year, Explorers Web has released their definitive list of Everest Expeditions for the Spring of 2009, as well as other peaks in the region that will be seeing some traffic as well. All told, there are more than 40 expeditions on the South Side of the mountain alone, while on the North, 8 optimistic teams hold out hope for access to the mountain from that side. Those plans all hinge on what happens in Tibet this month.

Some of the more interesting stories include David Liaño's attempt at a South-North-South double traverse, as well as American Bill Burke's attempt at a South to North traverse at the age of 67. Of course we also have the Sherpas attempting to stay on the summit for 24 hours straight, as well as a variety of attempts sans supplemental oxygen, and the news that I reported earlier today that Ed Viesturs will be returning for another go, climbing with Dave Hahn and Peter Whittaker.

Everest is never short on stories or drama. The mountain just attracts attention of course, but it isn't the only game in town when it comes to spring climbing in the Himalaya. The expedition list also has the scoop on the teams headed to Kangchenjunga, Annapurna, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Lhotse, Shisha Pangma, and Cho Oyu. I also personally have a friend headed to Island Peak for a climb of his own, which I'm looking forward to following as well.

Only a few more weeks before things get really interesting. Looks to be another wild year in the Himalaya.

3 day in HoChiMinh city - Holiday in VietNam

ietnam's biggest city has sprawled from the little Khmer town of Prey Nokor, once encompassed by lurking tigers, during a time of opium-raddled French pioneerism, to today's manic, cutting edge city stalked by shiny high rises – a voracious industrialist machine driving an one-gathering communist republic.

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When you've accommodated the tropical high temperature with a city for all time garlanded in Christmas pixie lights, and comprehended how to wade through the streams of motorbikes moving through the city's avenues (simply dispatch into the movement and don't stop or waver), grasp the addictive frenzy in one of south-east Asia's most energizing urban areas.

Morning 

The French put their new capital of Cochin China once again on the staging phase. Either side are the Hotel Continental, acclaimed as Graham Greene's bolthole (this is the place he considered The Quiet American), and the towering Hotel Caravelle, where outside reporters would sink drinks at the tenth floor bar amid the Vietnam War. Disregarding the basilica is the Saigon Central Post Office, adorned with Khmer and French stresses, and commanded inside its extraordinary corridor by a tremendous representation of Vietnam's socialist pioneer Ho Chi Minh.

Break for espresso, or a cooling squeeze in La Fenêtre Soleil (44 Ly Tu Trong, corner of Pasteur, +84 8 3824 5994), a shabby-chic French hideout, before investigating the boutiques of Dong Khoi and District 1: adornments, style and collectibles at L'usine, French earthenware and strings at pretty Liti, and the exceptional Saigon Socialite cut shoes of reasonable exchange Fashion4freedom at the House of Saigon. Post-buys, lunch on Vietnamese caramelized pork greens and mango, and energy products of the soil smoothie in L'usine's modern chic encompasses, which are overflowed with light.

Evening 

At Le Duan's eastern end, by the herbal arrangements, is the exquisite Museum of Vietnamese History. Near the Reunification Palace, is the War Remnants Museum, showing all the repulsions of Vietnam's war. Authoritative opinion's promulgation prints and T-shirts are presently on special here.

Fascinating, and minimal known, is the Weapons Store, a mystery fortification in an unassuming house that was stashed with weapons and fighters to get ready for the 1968 Tet Offensive. Veteran Nguyen Quang Vinh guides guests through the floor portal to the dugout in the occupied fix (rear way) at 287/70 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 3.

Evening 

Vietnamese – and universal – cooking compliments HCMC's culinary notoriety. For more brilliant encompasses (and shaking porch parties), the jamón ibérico from oak seed sustained, dark footed pigs at Pacharan will submerge you in Hispanic terroir in downtown. Practically around the bend is Blanchy's Tash for Djs and mixed drinks in smooth encompasses. End the night finally Call Saigon with an exploratory mixed drink in this louche, downtown drinking lair – attempt the Mekong mojito or the U M

Travel DongXuan Market in tour VietNam Travel

With the playing point of having long history of Culture, customs and being placed in the group of old quarter of Hanoi, Dong Xuan Market is one of appealing vacationer ends of the line of capital.

This is likewise the greatest exchanging focuses of the North, having focal points of shabby and different items to pull in visitors.according to the detail of the vacationer office of Dong Xuan (Dong Xuan Travel, fitting in with Dong Xuan JSC, by and large for every month, Dong Xuan business gets 7.600 turns of remote guests. Essentially guests originating from Thailand, China, France, England; Japan… … .

To promote the picture of Dong Xuan business, making positive conditions for subjects to offer and purchase items ( purchaser items and crafted works), Dong Xuan JSC is presently arranging to adventure visits at the business sector. As of now, Dong Xuan travel is presently making visits to endeavor possibilities of tourism of the business to create the tourism of society, examination for improvement of visitor products.dong Xuan Travel has elevated to connection up visits with travel executors and is evaluated to put into operation in the soonest time.

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The third floor of the business sector is currently being repaired to develop lodging and for unwinding for guests. Some retail chains in the business will be made in contract to develop as standard retail establishments to pull in guests. The organization is presently modifying the history by building books, Cds to acquaint with visitors.from 2010 on wards, the organization will develop Dong Xuan business to file the benchmarks of visitor end of the line of the city; research advancement of administrations and facilities of gue

Theyyam: Incarnate Deities | Maptia

I'm very pleased that Theyyam: Incarnate Deities, one of my most colorful photo essays, is now featured on Maptia.

A beautiful way to tell stories about places, Maptia is a new platform designed for thoughtful, inspiring stories that make us want to get out there and explore the world, and each story has its own unique map.

It's different from the crop of photo/storytelling platforms that have recently appeared, inasmuch as it makes easy for people and story tellers to share long-form stories about the places that matter to them, and by creating unique, visual maps of these stories.

In an interview with WIRED some 6 months ago, Maptia's founders indicated that the platform already had a community of 10,000 bloggers, photographers, and writers.

Theyyam is a popular ritual form of worship of North Malabar in the state of Kerala (India), and is essentially a living cult with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. 

In his book, Nine Lives, William Dalrymple wrote about the Theyyam. One of the stories, "The Dancer of Kannur", is of one of the Theyyam performers who's quoted as saying:

"...during the theyyam season, from December to February. We give up our jobs and become theyyam artists. For those months, we become gods. Though we are all Dalits (untouchables) even the most bigoted and casteist Namboodiri Brahmins worship us, and queue up to touch our feet."

The Theyyam prepares for his performance by meditating while his make up is applied, which usually takes a few hours. When it's ready and totally dry, he views himself in a hand mirror, and then enters in a sort of a trance, whereupon he walks (aided by assistants) over to the temple's shrine and gradually morphs into the shrine's deity. The Theyyam dances to the accompanying drum beat,  and goes deeper into his trance. At the appropriate time, the Theyyam is seated on a stool and devotees approach him with donations and solicit advice, which he provides in a raspy voice. I was also told that the Theyyams' advice is provided in a mixture of Sanskrit, Old Malayalam and Tamil. Both Theyyams and Kathakali performers use similar eye movements to convey emotions.

Nice Climbing Video

This video made it's way through the Twitterverse this morning. Apparently it's about a year old or so, but it's still beautifully shot and great to watch. It shows climber Natalija Gros working a wall with grace and skill. The music is a perfect accompaniment too. Enjoy!



Natalija Gros from Jure Breceljnik on Vimeo.

Welcome to Hanoi - Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital

11 days endeavor takes you off the beaten track, yet the trek is not troublesome. The neighborhood individuals you meet at their home and their ranch, the landscape, and the mixture of societies make this the get-away of a lifetime...

Welcome to Hanoi: Vietnam's clamoring pilgrim capital. Your aide and driver will reach you outside the stuff case of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your inn in the downtown area. Toward the evening, go out for a stroll around the inside, going to some of Hanoi's fundamental attractions: the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. At night delight in a customary Water Puppet Performance – an extraordinary Vietnamese Art structure hailing from Southeast Asia's wet-rice society – emulated by a welcome supper at one of Hanoi's finest restaurants.

After breakfast at the inn, your aide and driver will reach you at the lodging and exchange you to Ha Giang through Tuyen Quang territory. Land in Ha Giang in the early evening and weigh in the inn. At that point take a short stroll around the city or take a delicate trek to some Tay towns in Ha Giang city. Eat and overnight lodging in Ha Giang.

Stop at Yen Minh for lunch then keep heading to an old popular house Pao's House. At that point visit the home of the Vuong family (Palace of Hmong King). What's more keep taking a drive to Dong Van town. Visit aged houses, takeoff for Lo minority town, trekking to Flag tower on the highest point of Lung Cu mountain around 1km, perspective antiquated valley from the top.

After breakfast, we visit the Dong Van Old quarter, lined with places of one or two hundred years of age, delight in a greater amount of the old air of Dong Van

Whatever remains of the day is through remote and excellent field of Dong Van where we pass through a few towns along tracks utilized by the nearby individuals.

We are compensated with a splendid setting of pleasant valleys secured in rice paddies. The H'mong and Hoa individuals, who are the nearby ethnic minorities, show their kind disposition through their beautiful garments and warm cordiality.

After breakfast, begin an outing again to Ha Giang town on an alternate way. The van will stop at Ma Pi Leng Pass* for taking photographs – the deepest valley in Vietnam and also in South East Asia. Visit Meo Vac market and return to Ha Giang through Bao Lam, Bao Lac and Bac Me. Stop for lunch on the way and land in Ha Giang in the late evening. Weigh in the lodging and you are free at relaxation to investigate the town or recuperate your wellbeing for the following day.

The unpleasant yet beautiful course crosses a thick wilderness before traverse a pass and dropping down to Sin Man. This day is a genuine test for our driver as we go by slowing down with a lot of people tough and downhill drives. Along the way we may experience the Nung Ing, Tay, Red Dao, Dao Ao Dai, La Chi and Co Lao, only a percentage of the numerous slope tribe bunches who have settled there.

Today you will drive to Bac Ha, the capital of the district of the Flower Hmong, a loose base to investigate the northern high countries and slope tribe towns. Eat on the way. Touch base in Bac Ha, weigh in inn and you are allowed to investigate the town all alone premiums. This is a lengthy drive from Ha Giang to Sapa (around 6 - 7 hours on in excess of 230km rocky street), however there's no time to get exhausted as the view is really amazing.

Delight in breakfast at the inn, before setting out on a full day's trek to investigate Sapa's social differing qualities and frequenting regular excellence. Take a guided climb through yawning valleys embellished with terraced rice fields and pass through remote slope tribe towns. You have three trekking alternatives to browse: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~ 12km). Trekking is an incredible approach to investigate the day by day life and acquaint yourself with the societies of the H'mong, Dzao and Dzay individuals who populate the locale. Eat at a slope tribe town then investigate the town by our own. Eating with a neighborhood family and getting a charge out of a homestay in their long house.

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After breakfast at homestay, your driver will exchange you once more to Sapa Town. At that point you are free at your recreation. Toward the evening, take a drive over to Laocai to get your return night train to Hanoi.

You can procure a motorbike; try for a long ride to visit the Silver Waterfall, O Quy Ho Pass and Xeo towns (excluded – please let us know whether you need to take this administration)

As Close As We Are Far

As close, as we are far

My heart just skips, the beat for you dove,

She grimaced, I faced, our worlds that had raced

Contours that were drawn, our nuptials and beyond,

And the shapes they took, for the wise and the crook

The happiness beyond, the guest and the horn,

The bond that we share, for remorse and the fair

Days may look routine, but life is still full of sheen,

Look at shine of photo frame, still worth its fame.

She looked, as she cooked, with a snook half way,

The clouds I admired, that feeling no more wired

Te'me how far would you go, to empathize my woe,

To get closer to the love, can we fly the sky above ?

Then the tale began, while holding her hand,

The world apart, flew vignette on that land

Of the dream we sew, through our love sinew,

Can still hold your hands, while I run the errands

Through the wheels I move, my heart just grew,

To tell my feelings, will you move these ceilings

Then cut ajar, that rainbow ain't far,

Just see through the dust, for the pelmet you must

There's a world that's dear, as far as it's near,

That tap when it flows, there are mornings that it glows

The box that I take, it's a life full of cake,

The noon in that hall, your delicacies enthrall

The call that I make, for the rail and the rake,

Let's run along the rhyme, to close the time

The guest when he rings, my heart then sings,

The tea that will come will make us hum

In the jousts and hurdles, in the worlds that we lived,

Did we forget to just cuddle, and the fun that we killed ?

If that would be so, for not the desert and the snow,

My heart, let's travel, for the hearts to unravel

Look, there is a world along the ‘Thames’,

Let's pack our bags, on its bank for the games

To discover our life, forget dough and the knife,

Just run along, to listen to the song

Song that chimes, in the background of our times,

Just mute the world, and its pebbles that are hurled

The music is still dear, sounds of the stream still clear,

The twists that it takes, the nature that it makes

Learn from its form, to mix along,

yet remain a stream, for this London theme

Let's fly 'British', for skit and the skittish,

Our love would rejoice, find back its voice

Our travel for the soul, alike  for the diamond and the coal,
As close as we are far, my queen I’m and will be, your Czar

This poem won a prize in the contest - Details here.

Tour Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi in VietNam travel

Vietnam tops rundown of the most alluring objectives and voyages through Vietnam are broadened. Besides, your go in Vietnam composed by Vivutravel, will certainly be the best occasion ever. Touch base at Tan Son Nhat airplane terminal, welcome by our private Vietnam visit guide and driver and exchange to you inn for weigh in. Ho Chi Minh, the most energizing city of Vietnam, a mecca of trade, additionally a city with a checkered history and a rich society, its pagodas, exhibition halls, open structures, parks and lanes make it a standout amongst the most delightful Vietnam Tours and urban communities to visit in Vietnam. Available time at relaxation.

At Tay Ninh visit the unfathomable Cao Dai Great Temple, with structural engineering that could have come straight from a Walt Disney dream and where all the significant religions of the world mix together in an one of a kind religious mixed drink. Toward the evening, visit the popular Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground passage system developed by Vietnamese safety warriors amid the long battle for autonomy where you will see all the more about the Vietnam War or American War, an unquestionable requirement see Vietnam Tour for any voyagers to research Vietnam at various times days.

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Leave for Cai Be by private ca, stop to take photographs in Tan A town ignoring the beautiful level rice fields. On landing in Cai Be, set off by speedboat to visit the Cai Be skimming market and watch local people exchanging products of the soil different items ready for vessels. At that point meander into the little towns to visit the plantation and products of the soil manor. Continue cruising to Vinh Long through an arrangement of little waterways to encounter the charms of the Upper Mekong Delta. Visit a little family business to perceive how coconut treat and fresh rice popcorn are made. Appreciate a lunch of crisp stream sustenance served in the heart of the enclosure joined by customary southern Vietnamese society music. Take a delightful stroll through the bonsai arrangement. Meet the auto/van in Vinh Long. Come back to HCMC. Land once again at your lodging at around 5pm.

Nha Trang is Vietnam's best-known Vietnam shoreline terminus, an immaculate break amid or your Vietnam Tours with miles of white sandy shorelines, influencing coconut palms and sublime new fish restaurants. Day free at recreation, water games flourish including parasailing, plane skiing, water skiing and unwinding watercraft excursions to the distant islands.

First Ascent Team Talks Base Camp Logistics

By now you may be tired of hearing about the First Ascent Team. They certainly don't lack for publicity, that much is for sure. However, they are doing an excellent job of blogging and capturing video from their climb, which makes them a great resource for sharing what is going on on the mountain at any given time.

Take this video for instance, which has the support crew in BC talking about everything that is required to make sure the team is happy, comfortable, warm, and well fed. It puts into persecutive everything that goes into these expeditions, and reminds us all that these climbers are on the mountain for weeks at a time.

Customs - Habits - VietNam travel

In general, the Vietnamese are astoundingly agreeable and friendly. Be arranged for some individual inquiries and remarks with respect to your age, conjugal status, and weight. Nice individuals may put these sorts of inquiries. Despite the fact that this may make you accept that the Vietnamese are open individuals, don't commit the error of asking an excess of individual inquiries. Let the individual you are chatting with aide the discussion. Actually, in light of rumored accommodation, they are warm, useful and effectively overlook botches when your conduct doesn't have any significant bearing to their standard. Most importantly, they likewise know much about the western society.

The Vietnamese get extremely humiliated by presentations of outrage. Their common response is to giggle. This is not on the grounds that they don't consider the circumstances important, but since they don't know by what other method to react. It is not a decent thought to reprimand an individual before others. This is a society influenced firmly by the ideas of pride and "face". Luckily, there are no one of a kind signals that will get you in a bad position.

The Vietnamese dietary pattern tends towards vegetarianism. Rice and vegetables are the principle course of the supper that may be enhanced by amphibian items. Bubbling is an unique method for cooking of the Vietnamese individuals. Vietnamese individuals like an engineered sustenance handling style that includes numerous materials and fixings. Today, despite the fact that meat and fish are the primary dishes of the feast, the Vietnamese remember cured egg-plant.

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Vietnamese individuals are exceptionally useful. In addition, they are great at outside dialects, so its an extraordinary playing point to outsiders. In the event that you have any inconveniences, don't falter to approach them for a more agreeable remain.