Overloaded motorbikes

The guy on the left has so much stuff on his bike that he is basically sitting under the handle bars, the couple on the right are transporting a 2m x 1m picture frame. Not sure on the legalities of this but it seems everyone with something to transport does it. The best one I have seen are guys on two motorbikes transporting large sheets of glass, with each side held by a guy on the back of each motorbike. I wish I could get a photo of that one day.

TV cable guy

How the different communications companies go about there business is relatively impressive. This guy has to work around electricity, telephone and internet cabling to add the TV lines.

Marble statutes

Real looking lions, Chinese guardian lions, various Buddha styles, Jesus and even the Virgin Mary are available at this roadside shop

Blue Sky Blue this morning

A very blue sky this morning. The logical theory behind why the sky is blue can be found here, but this does not explain why it was so blue in the morning. At both sunrise and sunset the sky should have more reds and oranges. Any theories?

Hoa Viên Brauhaus

Hoa Viên is a Czech style beer house that seems incredibly popular both in Hanoi and HCMC. They brew pilsner style beers onsite in large brass kettles and have the option of both dark and gold varieties. This brewery restaurant style has since been copied throughout Vietnam and can be found in most larger cities. The beer is quite tasty but the food, unless you like German stodge, can be hit or miss. This place seems a favourite of my work colleagues.

Photography exhibition at L’en Tête

Oranges, mangoes, pomelo and flowers

Dogma

Dogma is an urban clothing label that utilises the propaganda materials favoured by the north Vietnamese during the war. The propaganda posters are hugely popular with both locals and expats alike. I really like their slogan Culture, Literature and Art are also a battlefront and you are all fighters on that front

Beauty and the Beast

Stagemagic, a performing arts group for young people, finally put on their performance of Beauty and the Beast last weekend. The show was delayed from its original date by the death of an ex-Prime Minister. The photo above is of the entire cast during the curtain call

Yesterdays Melbourne Cup at the BoatHouse

For non-Australians who do not know about the Melbourne Cup, click here. People are always amazed that some parts of Australia have a public holiday for a horse race. Australians expatriates in Vietnam are more than happy to take the day off as well

Imitation soldiers

Near the mouth of the Sài Gòn river

A view down Lê Lợi st

Theme Day: Book ... of matches

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Rural school

Rain and gloom outside city hall

What is basically the Saigon town hall, the HCMC People's Committee Building is a spectacular example of French colonial architecture and was originally built as a hotel in the early 1900's.

Flooding again last night

Still dark and stormy

The wash out from a tropical storm has been hanging over Saigon since last Friday bringing continual dark clouds and rain. This picture was taken around 11:30 am

Phú Quốc #1

Looking west at about 5:40 pm

More information on Phú Quốc island can be found here

Phú Quốc #2

Looking east at around 5:40 pm

Phú Quốc #3

Phú Quốc #4

Sunset at La Veranda

Phú Quốc #5

A very stormy departure

Never ending construction on Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh st

Vietnam House

Reviews of the restaurant here