Another classic from the Việt Nam News

The journos in Hanoi like this type of humour, as can be seen from this doozy last year

Rain over the river

Saigon Pearl under construction

3 wheeled transportation

Rivers and canals

White man on public bus

It is always a rarity to see foreigners on public transport, most have access to their own means of transportation or fork out the fare for a motorcycle or car taxi. I have only caught public transport a couple of times, and that was over 4 years ago. And for nothing more than the novelty of having the experience. There are plans to increase the amount of public transport with a metro network zigzagging across the city. You can read all about this massive project here

Polishing?

I am not sure what this guy is doing. Any ideas?

Mobile shop

There are mobile stores on almost every street corner, usually selling food, beverage and cigarettes. The stalls are on wheels and the owner just pushes them into place every morning and then takes the trolley home every night. They are incredibly convenient

Public toilet

There are many spots around HCMC where men just pull over and go in a corner, occasionally women too. But there is a spot on Hai Bà Trưng st in District 1 opposite the hospital and international post office that is piss central. The stench is difficult to avoid if you are on foot. The reason is that there are no shop fronts along this little stretch, just one (rarely used) bus stop

Sink shop

Nothing but construction on Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh st.

Taking a break

Most people would probably take a break on the side of the road in the shade, no idea why these guys are sitting in the middle of the road

Salt and Pepper - Muối và Tiêu

Shell decorations

Dawn on Pasteur st

Early dinner at Au Parc

The Hà Nội gloom

I took this while driving into Hà Nội from their airport last week. Classic Hà Nội grey which I seem to see every second time I go there. Hà Nội Daily Photo does a good job of showing the more colourful side of the city.

Dawn over Saigon

I love this view of the city - the airport at the top, the roads that act as arteries bringing people into the city centre, the under-construction east-west highway running straight through the middle of the picture, the lack of development across the river from downtown, the river and canals, the more organised urban areas at the bottom of the picture. For those who know the city, there is a lot to digest. This picture needs to be enlarged

Roadside fish sale

Occasionally you see the goldfish guys on the side of the road. There is generally a group of them around the corner of Đinh Tiên Hoàng and Phan Đăng Lưu streets in Bình Thanh district. I would love to know how many fish causalities there are daily from sitting out in this heat.

Phú Mỹ bridge nearing completion

3 months on from the last post, the Phú Mỹ bridge is getting close to being ready for traffic. it just looks like the onramps need a lot more time as seen here. There will be a "Phun Run" over the bridge on 6 September to commemorate the opening of the bridge for those living in HCMC

Graves in the crop fields

All over Vietnam you will see tombs in rice paddies. This lot look like they are surrounded by sugarcane.

Downtown in shade

More Occ Health and Safety

Following on from our painter and sign writer, these guys are decked out in hardhats and plastic sandals - the right gear for any construction site

Better workplace health and safety

Compared to a few days ago, this guy is actually wearing a harness while working at height.

Dried squid

Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh st

Localised flooding, construction, driving the wrong way, truck driver asleep in the cab - all standard on the cities worst road, Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh st.

Painter

The lack (but improving) occupational health and safety standards always scares you the first time you see it. This painter is at the third level of a building, with his leg wrapped around the rung as his only means of holding on. The ladder is actually two bamboo ladders tied together, and the ladder is secured only to a railing on the roof. The scariest part for me is that this guy probably does this everyday. The other issue is that they never use a drip sheet, so even as they start at the top and work their way down, there are paint drips all over things (like the shingle roof tiles here), that end up covered in paint.

Hauling goods

Obligatory empty bottle

July Theme Day - Empty

I found this theme day quite difficult. I wanted to shy away from empty buildings or restaurants, an empty park or grandstand, empty bottles or beaches. So I thought a image of the back of a camera with no pictures in it would be most appropriate.

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