Goldman Photo Blog

Unexpectedly Being A Tourist

2010-11-20T12:00:00.001-06:00

I have been out and about in Barcelona pretty much since I got here. Out of the hotel in the morning and returning maybe for a quick change of clothes for dinner or maybe not. Finding myself being more of a tourist here. The first couple of meals here had me wondering what all the hype was about about Catalonian cuisine. But I am now way back on track. Not that I didn't have a few good things in those first couple of meals, but I have hit the mother lode recently. Had a great lunch in Sitges yesterday at a restaurant recommended by my friend and client Steve Wood, a Spanish wine fan, from a blog that I have referenced for a few of my other great meals, this meal was about paella. Seafood paella! I should mention that I was staring at the sea as at ate my seafood paella, and I should also mention that it was spectacular. Perfectly cooked rice, full of flavor and fresh seafood. A great salad, some croquettes and some mussels rounded out the meal as well as a little cava!

Sitges is a perfect little seaside village about 45 minutes by train south of Barcelona. A perfect day trip for many and I took a chance on it also. A cool and very cloudy day ended up providing me with some of my favorite images from the whole trip. Three of them are posted below. Spent the day walking around, enjoying the town and taking some pictures. Caught the train back in time for a late dinner.

Through Steve's recommended blog, and confirmation from the New York Times, we decided to hit a touch more upscale tapas bar called Tapas C24. Upscale only in food, it was a hoot to wait, watch and then eat. Packed till we left at about 11:30, this place provided the best food yet. Fresh fried sardines were great, the potatas bravas were amazing, the McFoie slider, hum, yeah that was great, a salad that was okay, and the best bite of the night was a mozzarella, jambon and truffle grilled sandwich. OMFG!!! Three more please...

We ended up sitting next to a gal from Boston and her Barcelonian boyfriend and got a great rec for lunch today. After dinner, and having watch from across the bar these two drunk guys hit on these two Scandanvian woman that we met while waiting, we got a drink with the two woman and had a great time at another place down the road and away from the obnoxious guys.

Today was my chance to finally hit the la Boccaria market. A marked change from the markets I saw in Vietnam, this one was clean and very easy to breath in. The seafood area was, well, very fresh and easy to breath in. We got a bite to eat at a tapas place in the market call El Quin. After we finally secured a seat, we had a delicious meal of roasted razor clams, shrimp in a ajuillo sauce, potatas bravas and fresh anchovies in vinegar. Awesome lunch. Spent the rest of the day walking the narrow walking streets of Barcelona. Headed to dinner soon. More tapas...

Sitges, Spain III

2010-11-20T11:57:00.000-06:00

Sitges, Spain II

2010-11-20T11:56:00.001-06:00

Sitges, Spain I

2010-11-20T11:56:00.000-06:00

It's A Small World After All

2010-11-17T13:56:00.001-06:00

Adjusting to life in Barcelona has been easy. I must say that a nice glass of wine and a small plate of olives and cheese is a good thing. Flying here made me think about how big this world is. And at the same time, how small it is. Leaving Saigon and flying over Cambodia, just out side of Pakistan and all the conflict past and present in both of those countries. Then over tigers and vegetarians while flying over India and up the Persian Gulf to Qatar. Leaving Qatar took me over the middle east, Turkey, Greece and Italy before landing in Barcelona. All the history of all those countries and yet I can fly over them all in a matter of hours. It made me wonder what was happening in daily life in each one of them. What do their markets look like. I guess a few more trips are in order.

First, I just walked around the city. Awesome! What a cool place. Soaking it all in not really taking that many pictures. Had dinner at a restaurant that was a mix of Catalonian, Cajun and, ready for this? Vietnamese. The history of this place is a weird story but the short of it is a teacher from Spain, teaching architecture at Tulane in New Orleans met a Vietnamese student there, who later became a chef. They kept in touch and when the professor moved back to Spain they opened this place called Me, Vietnamese for mother. Pretty good, green papaya salad rocked, fish croquettes were great. Steak was okay and the swordfish was good.

Today just brought being a tourist. Went to the Sagrada Familia church by Gaudi. Holy cow! What a place. I wasn't that psyched to go but I was soooo glad I waited in that line and saw it. Pictures do not do it justice. Then off to a late, for Americans, 2pm lunch of some tapas and wine down some back alley. Then hit up the Picasso Museum. Pretty cool also. Lots of his early work and a lot of history I didn't know about him. Did a little window shopping just wandering back to the hotel. It's 8:45 pm here and off to the Barcelona Jazz Festival and then a late, or normal here, dinner.

Maybe some pics tomorrow... Adios!

Final Day In Vietnam Pretty Close To Perfect

2010-11-14T07:55:00.000-06:00

Last night took us to a great noodle shop here in Duong Dong. So good in fact, that we asked about coming back today to photograph them making noodles. Finally, I get to shoot a real noodle maker. Dumpling making in Hoi An was okay, but this was looking picture perfect. We needed to be back at 4 in the afternoon. Done! I wasn't missing this.

That meant that Zoom and I were heading out early to get up to the north shore of the island. In all we put about 80km on the bike and I bet 75 of them were on pot hole laden dry dirt roads with wood bridges that had planks missing and no side rails. Just by riding I haven't been that dirty in a long time. Add the heat and humidity and I'm sure I was lookin' good! Followed the coast hugging road through the small town of Cua Can, home of the scary wooden bridge, and then on up the coast to Ganh Dau. Stopped for coffee in this cool one horse town and met the woman who owned the shop. She sat with us and of course Zoom and her hit it off. Next thing I know Zoom, this woman, her husband and I are headed down some sidewalk/trash chute through a bunch of lean to's, to look at a lot for sale for Zoom. The lot didn't pass the test and if Zoom would have thought it did, I was going to have to put an end to that one.

Next thing I know we are at the bottom of the hill in a home/restaurant that was owned by the couples parents, to check on their 7 month old son. Well the back of this place had a huge window and a table overlooking the water. In fact the house hung out over the water. Well, while looking out to the fishing boats, we noticed the next door neighbor was dumping out two or three 50, yes, 50 quart pots of steamed crabs onto his dock to cool. Can you see where this is going? Yes, an early lunch of fresh caught and just steamed crab. Just throw your shells out the window. Beer and rice completed the perfect, unexpected lunch. Oh yeah, only 180,000 dong, or about $9. Nice!

Great ride back. We were advised to go back the way we came because of construction on the mountain roads. They don't construct roads here like the US. Let's just leave it at that. Even Zoom, who rides her motorbike everywhere, vacations and all, was scared of the one bridge. I have some video of other bikes going across that that I will figure out how to post once I get back to St. Louis.

So after a coffee back in town, we headed to Van Ky's. A Chinese noodle shop that is considered the best noodles on the island, according to a few random locals. We arrived with a 9 kilogram well of flour on the back table and 40 duck eggs get mixed in. Some salt, some water and some secret water. We are off and running. This is a picture perfect back kitchen in a real Vietnamese restaurant catering to locals only. As the only foreigner, I was a bit of a novelty the night before. Anyway, with a lot of help from nieces and nephews, the noodles get kneaded, rolled and cut into three different shapes. Long flat noodles, long round noodles and 3"ish squares for wontons, homemade wontons. Loved shooting here! Loved it!!!! A few, very quick pics are below.

Not sure what tomorrow morning will bring photo wise, if anything. We checkout at 1pm for a 2:30pm flight that will take me to Saigon, where I will have to say goodbye to Zoom :-(, and then to Qatar, change planes and on to Barcelona. Hello Catalonia! Hello Jenny!

First Customer Of The Night At Van Ky

2010-11-14T06:47:00.000-06:00

Still Prepping Until Opening

2010-11-14T06:44:00.001-06:00

Everybody Makes Wontons

2010-11-14T06:43:00.001-06:00

Halfway There

2010-11-14T06:41:00.000-06:00

Family Affair

2010-11-14T06:39:00.001-06:00

Kneading Noodle Dough

2010-11-14T06:38:00.001-06:00

Movin' Through Town

2010-11-14T06:33:00.001-06:00

Great Young Family In Ganh Dau

2010-11-14T06:30:00.001-06:00

Mom Working, Drying Shrimp

2010-11-14T06:28:00.000-06:00

At Work With Mom Drying Shrimp

2010-11-14T06:27:00.000-06:00

Geography Wiz

2010-11-13T07:55:00.000-06:00

Home In Time For Dinner?

2010-11-13T05:51:00.000-06:00

Wine Barrel Or Fish Sauce?

2010-11-13T05:45:00.001-06:00

What Buddha?

2010-11-13T05:44:00.003-06:00

Put It Down, Actually Enjoy Yourself!

2010-11-13T05:44:00.000-06:00

The Real Work

2010-11-13T05:42:00.000-06:00

Is Zoom Stealing My Shot? Hah!

2010-11-13T05:40:00.001-06:00

It Just Sank In, One Full Day Left In Vietnam!

2010-11-13T05:23:00.001-06:00

I love this island! It has everything I was looking for on this trip and best of all, with great people. The beaches don't hurt either. Today started with the fish sauce factory and, well, they really weren't working much today either. It turns out they really aren't doing anything until late next week. But we did get a tour from the manager and were allowed to photograph what we wanted. The vats are pretty cool and everthing reminded me of a winery, except for the smell of course. How funny is that? Can anyone out there possibly imagine how bad I am jonzing for a glass of good wine? Even mediocre wine. This is quite possibly the longest I have gone without a taste of the grape since I started collecting the stuff about 20 years ago. Needless to say, I am looking forward to Spain, not that I'm not loving Vietnam. It has been a trip of a lifetime.

Oops, got sidetracked with the wine rant. After the fish sauce factory, we headed out for some coffee. Hit it off with the owner who lent Zoom some sunglasses for the day and off we went to the southern tip of the island to Sao Beach. 27 Km on the motorbike. Just sat at a table on the beach, had a few beers, took a few pictures, read a few pages and watched a few people. Few people on earth had a better day than me! Came back on the opposite side of island on a dirt road along the coast. Truly wonderful.

Heading out for noodles tonight. The seafood has been great but I need a change of proteins. Some pho bo or bun bo hue is in order for tonight. That's beef with noodles for those of you not keeping up.

It hit me today that there is only one full day left. Looks like we may take the bike up to the north part of the island tomorrow. 120 total km. Can't think of a better way to finish the trip, but you never know what else might come up. I'll just have to see what the morning brings...

The Amazing Zoom!

2010-11-12T18:42:00.001-06:00

The Amazing Zoom

2010-11-12T18:39:00.002-06:00

It 6:23pm as I start writing this entry. I'm at the Eden Resort on Long Beach in Duong Dong, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. I'm sitting by the pool and beach and listening to a horrendous mix of Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Richard Marx and Kansas(?) or maybe Chicago. The sunset finished about 20 minutes ago. This day did not go as planned.

We got an early jump on the day, rented a motorbike and found the fish sauce company. They were very nice but today was a day off for everyone, so we will head there tomorrow morning. We headed to the local market, surprise surprise! A more rural or small town kind of market right on the water. This market broughtna good mix of everything. Live chickens and ducks, eggs, beef, pork, vegetables, herbs and, of course, fresh seafood. Some seafood I hadn't seen yet anywhere else. Diver scallops, shark, conch and sea urchin. More on sea urchin later. In some regards I am really done with markets but the new items were cool to see. I did take many pictures but I feel like I have already posted enough detail shots from the market. I am not sure if I made any good portraits in the market yet or not.

Too early for lunch, so we headed across the island to a fishing town called Ham Ninh. We headed up and over a mountain or two and come into a great little fishing town. It has a pier about a half mile long out to sea. Head out and back and then we get some lunch. Fresh grilled prawns and sea urchin. Shrimp was great and the sea urchin was pretty good I thought and Zoom thought it didn't have much flavor. We finished everything and then headed down a side street that Zoom had found while I was on the pier, and we were welcomed to use some community hammocks right on the beach. We hung there talking to locals for a while and then headed back. We both had gotten enough sun, so when we got back to the hotel, we decided to push the fishing boat till tomorrow or Sunday. A good thing.

After heading back to the rooms, Zoom knocks on my door with itchy skin and hives. Too much sun? Reaction to the sunscreen? Seafood allergy? She decides to wait an hour and rest. About 30 minutes later Zoom knocks on my door again and says she had to go to the pharmacy. Here, that is kind of a quick care place. They said it was a reaction to the sea urchin, which she had never had, and sent her home loaded up with drugs and she took a nap. I can't tell you how worried I was. Well I checked on her a couple hours later and the hives and itching were gone. She actually wanted to head out for dinner. Night market, here we come...

We had another great meal of grilled seafood. We stayed with the safe stuff this time. Grilled prawns, scallops and squid. Some rice and cold cold beer and Zoom had sugar cane juice. I think we are both craving some spicy beef noodles soon.

Now I think I have talked about how great this trip is, but most of the "great" part is because of Zoom. Her easy way and jump right in attitude has gotten us into many things that I wanted to do but wasn't sure if it would, or could happen. So far, we have gotten to do anything I wished for or though about. The amazing Zoom!

Heading Out...

2010-11-12T03:38:00.001-06:00

Ham Ninh, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

2010-11-12T03:09:00.000-06:00

Arrival On Phu Quoc Island

2010-11-11T08:48:00.000-06:00

Got to Phu Quoc in 30 minutes from Can Tho. Although the floating markets and Qui's family were highlights of the trip, Can Tho itself was not. We got out a day early and happy that we have an extra day here on Phu Quoc. This is a resort island on the upswing. Lots of hype but it hasn't landed yet. There is a lot of construction and more resorts are on the way. I'm glad I'm here now before the eminent explosion of people.

Checked into the hotel and had a few beers by the pool and beach and then Zoom and I headed to the night market in the main town here. A lot of food vendors serving the freshest seafood around. Tonight we had grilled prawns, huge, head on and perfectly cooked, grilled diver scallops, grilled in the shell, awesome, grilled calamari, perfectly cooked and a seafood salad with carrot, taro, herbs, shrimp, calamari, lime juice and chili's. I'm sure there were some other thing in there too. All for 220,000 VN dongs, or about $11 including a few cold beers each. Delicious and stuffed.

Heading to bed soon. Fish sauce factory and fishing with a crab fisherman tomorrow. Can't wait!

My Serve

2010-11-11T08:34:00.001-06:00

Volleyball On Long Beach On Phu Quoc Island

2010-11-11T08:33:00.001-06:00

Just Hangin'

2010-11-10T23:17:00.000-06:00

Only Thing Missing? Puppy Dog Tails

2010-11-10T21:44:00.002-06:00

Got up very early to meet our boat for the ride up the Hau River, a finger of the Mekong River, to visit a few of the floating markets. Eight hours on the river was awesome. A small boat about the size of a John boat with a collapsable cover for the occasional drizzle. The markets were very cool. Different than my expectations, these vendors float out in the middle of the river and have a pole up in the air with what ever items they are selling hanging from it. We got up close and I was fascinated.

These are very small vendors getting by on on very little. Hard and long work are the norm. With all that, they are very hospitable. Many of the boats house entire families. Kids on board were more common than not. Laundry and dishes were being washed off the back of boats right in the river. I actually saw a man dipping his bowl in the river and drink. This river is also where toilet waste and trash are discarded. People think nothing of throwing their trash right in the river. As a whole the country is not the cleanest, but is one of the friendliest.

After the second market we headed down some canals, much narrower bodies of water, that brought us much closer to the real people living on them. We saw it all, kids, schools, workers, moms and infants, people washing in the water, clothes and themselves. Log bridges and pulley systems to move people and goods across the river. We stopped for an early lunch at a home stay house and cafe. Had some coffee and egg rolls and walked around the property. Fruit trees, farm animals and a woman making food in her rustic kitchen. All made for great images. It felt great to be making pictures again.

After the floating markets we had the opportunity to see my friend Qui Tran's (from Mai Lee Restaurant in STL) family here in Can Tho. Sorry to say it was a quick visit as Qui's grandmother was emitted to the hospital the night before. I hope she is doing well Qui. Although we didn't get to cook and share a meal, I did have a good time meeting aunts, uncles, cousins and taking a few pictures and especially talking with Qui's grandfather. What a great man! I even got a few hugs when I left.

That left dinner open and we jumped on the chance to try some Mekong Delta specialties at the best place in town to have them. So we dined on grilled snake and frog legs. Yep, that's what I said. Got to pick out our own snake, prepared and grilled whole and served to us in a coil on the plate, then cut into 2" pieces for eating. Although the flavor was very good, the amount of work involved for really so little meat, made it a dish that I don't want to have again. A funny aside, as the grilling was taking place, the server brought out the snake fat for Zoom because it is said to be good for a womans complextion and I got the raw pancreas as that is said to be good for back pain. Thankfully my back was doing just fine! Frog was good and the steak was, uhm, less than prime. The water spinach was great and the beer was cold.

Now off to the the airport for our final leg to Phu Quoc Island. More soon.

Bad Day To Be A Duck

2010-11-10T05:22:00.000-06:00

Dragon Fruit

2010-11-10T05:17:00.000-06:00

Home Cookin'

2010-11-10T05:15:00.000-06:00

Thinking About The Dentist After Market

2010-11-10T05:02:00.000-06:00

To Market

2010-11-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet...

2010-11-09T08:14:00.000-06:00

Wow! Triple Word Score...

2010-11-09T08:12:00.000-06:00

Aye Aye!

2010-11-09T08:09:00.001-06:00

Duck Duck Dinner

2010-11-09T08:07:00.001-06:00

Saigon Gets A Pass Despite Some Creative Lulls

2010-11-09T07:25:00.002-06:00

Okay, the Hotel Majestic was majestic. That and meeting Philippe were the highlights of Saigon. Well, the Lunch Lady also. Had a leisurely day yesterday with a great lunch at the Lunch Lady. Thai noodle soup day. Awesome! Then a walk around the park in front of Independence Palace. Then back to the hotel just I time to beat the afternoon rain. Off to have some duck for dinner and in the room early.

Took the bus to Can Tho today. About four and a half hours from Saigon. The rain held off today and the sun actually showed itself this afternoon. Seems like a cool town on the river. A big river. The Hau River, a finger of the Mekong. Took a walk around town and up the river. Kind of touristy, but nice people all around. Just finished dinner by the river from some street vendors of a pretty darn good seafood and mushroom hotpot.

Have chartered a boat tomorrow to take us to a few floating markets and a fruit orchard. Should be pretty cool. Can't wait! Hope the weather cooperates and yes, there are life jackets.

I Just Wanted To Lay Down On This Ice

2010-11-07T22:12:00.001-06:00

Hey Speck... They Have Heineken

2010-11-07T22:09:00.001-06:00

A True Alley... Vendors, Home And Playground

2010-11-07T22:08:00.001-06:00

Growing Saigon

2010-11-07T22:01:00.001-06:00

Saigon's Latest Greatest And Tallest. 68 Floors Complete With Heliport.

2010-11-07T22:00:00.001-06:00

Majestic Breakfast Pho

2010-11-07T21:57:00.000-06:00

Is The Market Tired Or Am I Tired Of The Market?

2010-11-07T04:52:00.001-06:00

Let's just say "snail street" rocks! So good we are heading back tonight. Zoom's friend is going to join us. Snails, two different ways, chili garlic sauce and tamarind sauce, sauteed butter crab and grilled fresh "live until we grilled them" shrimp. Bread for dunking and beer.

Got up this morning excited to shoot and head to the Binh Tay Market way out in District 6. The sun was out and I felt like it was going to be the best day yet in Saigon. The market is in the heart of Chinatown and according to Saveur Magazine, one of the 5 great markets in all of SE Asia. It is bustling. This is a working market, not a market for tourists. This place is moving and shaking. This place stinks and is filthy. Real business is being done here, and this translates to no patience for foreign photographers. Everyone is the same. The stares aren't the "go home Yankee" kind, but "the get out of my way, I don't have time for this" kind. This and the feeling of most all market stalls are starting to look the same. My thought? Let eat some breakfast.

We find the hot food stalls and settle in for some bun bo hue. Maybe the best bowl yet. So spicy though I sweated through my shirt. A tad embarrassing, but hey, I won't see any of these folks again. The man serving us was very friendly and his family too. We were eating at his place. Headed back via the travel office where we bought our bus tickets for Can Tho on Tuesday and then walked around Saigon trying to find my creative energy. I think I am looking forward to getting out of Saigon. It is a bit of another big city. The food has been good, but the city uninspiring. Loved Hanoi, Saigon is just okay.

Also had to change hotels this morning. Found a great deal online for the Hotel Majestic. The classic French Colonial hotel in Saigon. I just needed a few nights of great service and unlimited hot water. I am well aware that this doesn't fit the theme or budget for this trip, but it ain't happening in the Mekong Delta. I don't think Zoom is complaining either. I found out after the fact that her room at the last hotel had no windows.

For those keeping score and stats, sun this morning, rain this afternoon.

American SWM Requested By Lunch Lady

2010-11-07T04:17:00.001-06:00

The Lunch Lady Dishing Up Another Bowl

2010-11-07T04:15:00.001-06:00

Sup Canh Cua From The Lunch Lady. Trust Me, You Want Some!

2010-11-07T04:13:00.001-06:00

Tall Tail Tales...

2010-11-07T04:11:00.001-06:00

Bun For Breakfast At Ben Thanh Market

2010-11-07T01:23:00.001-06:00

Today On The Travel Channel... No Reservations And Boatbuilding With Noah

2010-11-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

Hey, anybody know what that big ball of bright light hanging in the sky is? Cancelled my ticket with Noah.

Arrived in Saigon last night and headed out for dinner as soon as possible as it was already 8:45. We decided to walk a few blocks up to the big Ben Thanh Market because It was close and Zoom had been there before and knew there were a lot of good food options. When we got to the market we walked along one of the outside rows that had a lot of food stalls and very crowded. As we stopped to look and evaluate the overwhelming amount of choices, Zoom hits me in the arm and says "Isn't that the guy from the Anthony Bourdain show you had me watch?". We were pretty sure, and he was eating alone, so we sat down a few seats away at a long table and started to order some food. I wasn't going to say anything but Zoom started right in, god bless her! A minute later we had all moved together and spent the next hour and a half talking about St. Louis, Vietnamese politics, Tony, and how the health department in the US cities actually make our food worse. Incredibly interesting and exciting dinner. What are the odds of a chance encounter like that halfway around the globe? Random luck has found you again Goldman!

Now a brief explanation, for the non foodies reading this, the gentleman is Philippe Lajaunie, owner of Brasserie Les Halles in NY, and Anthony Bourdains ex boss and current friend. He lives in NY, is French American with a heavy French accent and is passionate about all things SE Asian, especially Vietnam, among many other things. So when Bourdain wanted to come back to tape a show in Vietnam, one of his favorite places in the world, he asked Philippe to accompany him along the way. It is this single episode that had me planning a photo trip to Vietnam.

Now I know a few of you have warned me to be brief, but there is another quick amazing part to today, at least for me. We had lunch with the Lunch Lady! This woman can make soup!!! A street vendor off the beaten path, amazing vat of goodness, picturesque corner and very nice woman. Heading back there on Monday without a doubt. Now everyone needs to go to iTunes and download No Reservations, Season 6, Vietnam: There's No Place Like Home episode. In this episode, you will find out about the Lunch Lady. You can also meet Philippe and experience my banh mi in Hoi An. Tonight, at Bourdain's suggestion, we are headed to "snail street" for dinner. I have certainly done more than try and recreate that show on this trip but I'm glad I included them.

Can we talk about the rain again? Chased us back inside this afternoon. Gotta run and see if Noah still has room for me!

Quit Yappin', Back To Work

2010-11-05T12:45:00.001-05:00

Noodles... Sells, And Is

2010-11-05T12:44:00.001-05:00

Vietnamese Luge Course, Narrower Track

2010-11-05T12:41:00.001-05:00

A Good Manicure Equals Flavor

2010-11-05T12:39:00.001-05:00

Rain Wins, Gregg Out

2010-11-05T05:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, I blinked! Rain scores TKO. As beautiful as Hoi An is, and it is, I can't take the rain any longer. I'm not talking about any sissy drizzle either. I'm talking the constant, driving, heavy shit. The kind that turned me into the worlds largest raisin! And yes, I was wearing a raincoat, a good one. The kind of rain that brought the river up over the banks by this morning, flooding one of the main walking streets. As Zoom and I sat in a cafe on the banks of that river last night, I can tell you that the river, although high, was a foot below the bank at least.

Another minor factor that might have played into the decision? Well... It was my worst hotel choice in a long time, maybe ever. What was I thinking I would get for $13? The $18 hotel in Hue was great. In Hoi An, the hotel staff was great but the rooms were, well, not! How about a bottom sheet and no other covers? There was that blanket in the bottom of the closet, but based on the bathroom, I wasn't taking my socks off, so I certainly wasn't using the blanket. So, I slept with a bath towel as my blanket. And there was that hole in my bathroom wall to the outside, taped over with a sheet of newspaper. It wasn't yesterdays newspaper either. I think the headline was "Americans Leave Saigon". We won't talk about the bugs crawling around the room, I mean they were small ones.

So I am writing this post from the Danang airport on my way to Saigon. A change of plans that I am not sure will bring sun but I know for a fact that it wasn't rainy there today. More later tonight.

Kitchen In Hue

2010-11-04T05:27:00.001-05:00

Vietnamese Bobsled Run

2010-11-04T05:21:00.001-05:00

THE Sandwich

2010-11-04T05:18:00.001-05:00

Construction Of Perfection

2010-11-04T05:17:00.001-05:00

Banh Mi Heaven And The Rain From Hell

2010-11-04T05:03:00.000-05:00

I will leave Vietnam a happy man. I have eaten the best sandwich ever made. Sorry Qui. The banh mi from Phuong's in Hoi An. A little stand on the edge of the market near the bridge on a very rainy day sitting on the sidewalk barely under the awning. "Everything please!" came with pate, roast pork, some kind of pressed meat sausage stuff on a not too crusty in just the right way baguette slathered with some secret sauce, mayo, chilis, cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon and cilantro. Sooo good!what balance! You could taste each ingredient. I am sure I will be back there tomorrow.

Now to get to this sandwich today we started with an early morning bowl of bun bo hue and then hopped a bus from Hue to Hoi An. And I thought a motorbike ride was an adventure! Well those are nothing compared to a bus ride through the countryside and over a few mountain passes. Going around a broken down truck in the only uphill lane on a mountain pass while an SUV has to slide to a stop to let you around, pushing motorbikes and bicycles off onto the shoulder, honking constantly, mandatory 1/2 hour stop at some store the bus company has to have a deal with and generally just not staying in the correct lane. 4 1/2 hours later we arrived safely in Hoi An.

This rain is making me nuts. Because of the weather, we will not be able to go over to Cham Island. Way too rough. So if it doesn't let up we may look to move on sooner than later. Hoi An is the most picture perfect town so far, but also one of the most touristy. The throngs of European, American and Australian tourists is astounding. I just don't want to be around them. I am shooting tomorrow in the morning rain or shine. A portion of the market is covered and today when we got there they were mostly closed up. Hopefully I will have better luck tomorrow.

Rain, rain go away.
Come again some other day.
Let's let Gregg find his way!
Rain, rain go away.

Maybe banh mi for dinner?

Snake Rice Wine and Spicy Bun Bo Hue

2010-11-03T06:14:00.000-05:00

Wow! A much better day than yesterday! Let's see... No rain, still cloudy but no rain, Montazuma must have headed back to Mexico and more confirmation the Vietnamese people are amazing! I'm starting to like this town of Hue.

I thought I would start the day off with a great test for my stomach. We headed out for some Bun Bo Hue. Now this dish is named after this town and it is a spicy broth with noodles and meat. Essentially it is a spicy version of Pho. My version came with beef, pork meatballs and the last piece of pork skin and Zoom had the beef, pork meatballs and the last blood cake. Yes, it's made from pigs blood, very common here and no, I haven't personally tried it yet, but I will. Delicious and my stomach passed the test.

Today we walked everywhere and headed towards the Forbidden City. We wandered around shooting at the Hue market on the way. What a pleasant surprise. Not only a large market, but amazing in it's structure and layout. Not an architectural masterpiece, but lots of narrow alleyways, makeshift roofs, loud, aromatic. It hit all your senses, especially the visual one for me. Pictures below.

Then to the Forbidden City. Once in the gate, we headed to a street vendor to get some water, ended up sitting and having coffee and green tea, talking to a cyclo driver and the owner, a former policeman. Very nice people. The owner said if we returned, drinks were on him. Well, we walked around, shot a bunch of stuff and stopped back at the stand on our way out a few hours later. The owner went and got us some chicken and rice and some tea and then, here it comes... Rice wine fermented with snake. Rob and Deanna, that bottle is real I'm afraid. I don't ever want that sh!+ again, but just by drinking the two shots I feel the new strenghth and testosterone pumping through my body. Yee Haw! Met his wife, had a couple more beers and conversation, then headed back across the bridge to get ready for dinner. That brings us to this moment in the story. I'll write the next chapter soon.

Relaxing Tea Under The Guard Tower...

2010-11-03T05:38:00.000-05:00

Rice Flour Covered Peanuts... Sweet! Too Sweet For Me.

2010-11-03T05:37:00.001-05:00

The Meat Department... Always Fresh, Never Frozen!

2010-11-03T05:35:00.000-05:00

You'd Buy Fish Too, Even If You Didn't Need It...

2010-11-03T05:33:00.001-05:00

Best Lit Fish Market Ever

2010-11-03T05:31:00.000-05:00

Canasta Between Fishmongers...

2010-11-03T05:30:00.001-05:00

Wednesday Breakfast, Bun Bo Hue With Beef And Pig Skin, Very Spicy

2010-11-03T05:28:00.001-05:00

Cartoons Are Better Than Me

2010-11-03T05:25:00.001-05:00

Zoom's Father

2010-11-02T19:12:00.001-05:00

Rainy Days And Mondays...

2010-11-02T18:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in a new update! Who new Montazuma had a place in Vietnam also? Well, it has laid me up for most of the day Tuesday. Since I slept a good chunk of the day away, I am now up at 4:45 am on Wednesday. Feeling better and looking froward to shooting a lot today, if it will stop raining...

Let me backtrack to Monday. It was my last day in Hanoi, and Zoom and I had some traditional pho for breakfast. Really good. Maybe the single dish that made me want to come to Vietnam. A great little open storefront of a place and crowded, always a good sign. I did get a couple pictures up from that breakfast. From there we went a little out of town to the silk market. A very interesting ride through very busy roads on the back of a motorbike. The shops of silk were very nice but I was drawn to the food stalls behind the market, surprise, surprise! I met and photographed egg vendors, fish vendors, pork vendors and more. A very real market catering to only the locals. This was not a tourist area at all. I loved it.

From there we headed back into Hanoi and stopped on food street, famous for black chicken. I'm not sure of the history of black chicken yet but it is considered a local favorite. Zoom and I had some regular chicken in the same Chinese herbal broth as the black chicken. The broth was unlike anything I have ever had. Very dark, herbal, bitter and supposedly very good for you. It was not my favorite and I suspect the cause of my being laid up for a bit. The street and that shop were very picturesque though and the kids working there were great about letting me take pictures. When we left, those kids all wanted their picture with me. Very funny. We walked the rest of food street and finished with some coffee at a very western expat coffee shop. An interesting contrast to the other places I have been so far.

A quick ride around West Lake and then back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Dinner was great even though Zoom found it hard to believe, because we went to Zoom's house for dinner with her parents. A real traditional family dinner. Fried spring rolls (I could have eaten 50 of them), sauteed water spinach and taro root. With beer and green tea. I really enjoyed myself. After a quick chat after dinner about filmmaking (Zoom's dad is a documentary filmmaker for the government) and travel in Vietnam with while Zoom translated, it was back to the hotel to sleep.

Up at 4am Tuesday to head to the airport to fly to Hue. Hue is in Central Vietnam and was home to the Emperors for centuries. There is a great ancient walled city here and people still live in certain parts of it.

After arriving we checked into our hotel and I needed a nap. All my energy had been sucked out and my stomach was a mess. This in addition to pouring rain made that decision to spend the day recovering easy. I did manage to get out for lunch for some local specialties of rice cakes with different fillings. Thankfully for my stomach they were pretty bland. Since it was still raining we went for some coffee and after coffee were headed back to the hotel when the rain let up and we decided to go ride around the walled city to get our bearings for tomorrow. As we slowed down to make a turn, BOOM! Another motorbike plowed right into us. I got hit pretty good but was okay but the other biker face planted into the pavement and we helped him up and took him to pharmacy to get some stuff to clean up his face and hand. Total cost? 170,000 dong, or about $7.50. He was on his way and we had to get our bike fixed as the tailpipe had been push way out. As luck would have it, there was a repair shop a few houses away. We pulled into his garage, which was a tarp over the front door to his house. He kicked it back in and off we went. He wouldn't take any money. The Vietnamese are so gracious and kind.

We headed back to the hotel from there and I crawled in bed at 4 pm and woke up about 4:30 this morning. Feeling better and looking forward to a good photo day, even with the rain. I hope you didn't find this one too boring. Thanks for the comments and emails. More soon.

I Don't Care About Your Wedding, I Have To Catch A Fish

2010-11-01T04:54:00.000-05:00

Young Ladies Serving Our Lunch

2010-11-01T04:52:00.000-05:00

All Her Friends Wanted Me To Take Her On A Date

2010-11-01T04:51:00.000-05:00

Gotta Eat

2010-11-01T04:46:00.000-05:00

Very Shy Pork Vendor

2010-11-01T04:45:00.001-05:00

Egg Vendor

2010-11-01T04:44:00.001-05:00

Quail Eggs

2010-11-01T04:43:00.001-05:00

The Kitchen Of My Breakfast Pho

2010-11-01T04:42:00.001-05:00

Monday's Breakfast? Hanoian Pho Bo (Noodles With Beef, Raw and Well Done)

2010-11-01T04:31:00.001-05:00

Chicken Feet, Grilled Bread and Beer...Perfect

2010-10-31T21:00:00.000-05:00

It is 8:15 Monday morning, and I am having a a coffee in the hotel lobby. Last night Zoom had arranged for me to photograph the Restaurant Chim Sáo, so after a short nap, needed from the rice wine incident, we headed there about 5:30. This is a restaurant on a side street and very well decorated with older furnishings and art. On the first floor you have traditional tables and upstairs you eat on the floor, Japanese style. Aunt Hoan was not there last night, fortunately for my liver, but I did miss her. That smile and laugh is contagious. I had a great time shooting in the kitchen. A miniscule kitchen had 5 very busy cooks and a chef. No room to move, greasy floor, sharp cleavers and hot oil was not the perfect combination of graceful photography but I did have a blast. I'm not sure the vent worked very well and I am sure there is no health department inspection. Chest freezers left open all night for easier access and colanders of "washed" produce sitting on the filthy floor, but I got the sense that is just how it works in Vietnam. I got the sense of what I don't know won't hurt me. I shot the exterior, the packed dining rooms, details and the food. Then, we got to eat. The steamed rice cakes with peanuts we dipped in a thin spicy peanut sauce and I found it a bit to sweet overall. Not my favorite. Next, we had these deep fried miniature crabs, a little bigger than a quarter. Now these were pretty tasty but you had to be careful the first bite or two so the claws didn't stab your gums or tongue. They nice a nice crunch and were salty and spicy and came without any dipping sauce. Next was a dish of fried small freshwater fish. I can't remember the name but they are considered a delicacy here. These got dipped into a little fish sauce and chilis. Pretty mild, nice texture but not really a whole lot of flavor.

Then came another bottle of rice wine. Oh no! Well these we got to pour ourselves and did a couple shots with the manager and we were done. Partly because of the smell in the kitchen and partly because the food was just okay, Zoom and I tasted everything but finished nothing and were still very hungery when we left. The answer? Chicken feet!

Zoom knew just the spot across Hanoi. A short motorbike ride later we were down some backstreet sitting on short stools at a short table on the side of the street with 250 other folks craving the same thing. Grilled chicken feet, grilled chicken legs and beer with ice and I was in heaven. Incredible. The location, the ambiance, the smoking grill, the chatter of Vietnamese, the finger licking good chicken, beer with ice and amazing grilled bread with a light honey glaze. Not to sweet and just the right amount of char from the grill... Awesome!

Fried Quail, I Mean Fried Pigeon

2010-10-31T10:24:00.001-05:00

Restaurant Chim Sáo

2010-10-31T10:21:00.001-05:00

THE Place For Chicken Feet, And They Were Good!

2010-10-31T10:18:00.000-05:00

Quick Lunchtime Post

2010-10-31T04:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's noon here and I'm a little buzzed. I met my guide Zoom for breakfast and we headed for a bowl of bun oc or bowl of snails with noodles. By far, the best thing I have eaten in Hanoi. From there we went to talk to a restaurant that I want to photograph, and with Zoom's help we were in like Flynn. The restaurant called Chim Sao is a traditional Franco Vietnamese place owned by a Frenchmen and his Vietnamese wife and the wife's aunt is the woman running the show when we get there. Zoom explains what we are looking to do and she happily agrees. Without hesitation she gives us some tea and cucumbers with some dipping salt. Then after a quick tour of the kitchen and dining rooms we are standing at the service station when I ask about a lot of very phallic bottles on the shelf. Aunt Xian (sp?) smiles and next thing I know Zoom and I each have shot of homemade apple rice wine. Next thing I know, I have another shot poured. Not wanting to insult her, down the hatch it goes. Four more times and she and Zoom are laughing. Then Xian gets a bottle of unflavored rice wine. Three shots of that jet fuel and then, when I think I'm done, she pulls out the Mum flower flavored rice wine. Not sure how to describe that one and hope I never have too again. One final shot of the Mum and we are finally done. All of that in twenty minutes while Xian and Zoom are laughing the whole time. I need a Vietnamese ice coffee...

The Woman Who Gave Me Ten Shots Of Homemade Rice Wine Before Lunch, For Real!

2010-10-31T04:11:00.000-05:00

My Guide Zoom

2010-10-31T04:08:00.001-05:00

Bowl Of Noodles With Snails, Fishcakes, Tofu And Pork For Breakfast

2010-10-31T04:04:00.001-05:00

I'll Take Two

2010-10-31T04:00:00.000-05:00

Early Morning Street To Yourself

2010-10-31T03:57:00.001-05:00

New York, New York by Frank... Really

2010-10-31T03:54:00.001-05:00

Red Bridge, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi, 6:45AM

2010-10-31T03:53:00.001-05:00

And Then This Spaceship Landed...

2010-10-31T03:49:00.000-05:00

Starting The Day With A Good Conversation

2010-10-31T03:47:00.000-05:00