I’ve been in Hoi An for a couple of days and have so far been enjoying myself. When it comes to the photography pipeline I feel like I am back in the saddle and have since gotten past the creative block I was having. Before I get into the photos though I have some story line rants I’d like to clean up – from the past and present that for whatever reason I haven’t posted.
Firstly I’ll take things back to my second visit to Hanoi and a little blurb about travel in Vietnam (at least my experiences).
I returned to Hanoi from Cat ba about 4 days ago and I knew from having already been there what to expect for prices. I also knew that just about everyone will jerk you around and try to milk every cent they can. With this knowledge in hand, and a couple of German green horns in tow, I was up for a little sport jockeying right as we got off the bus.
I knew the taxi ride was 60,000 dong. I wasn’t planning on showing my hand so with an audience of greedy asshole taxi drivers (maybe 20 strong) swarming us I baited them with some Vietnamese for a price. I could be wrong but I believe I heard 220,000 and I know I heard 150,000. Just so everyone has some idea… they pull this kind of crap off all the time. Instead of asking for 60, I went for 50 and started walking away. They kept going lower and lower – hang the 50 out there so they can see it… walk some more, and finally they’ll bite – even though it’s what they are supposed to charge in the first place.
Some might say – well just have them use the meter. Well, my experiences with Vietnamese taxi drivers just about always ends up with them being “lost” when the meter is running. You would be amazed how quick they can get you someplace on a fixed price.
There are people that actually enjoy the sport of talking a price down… but after awhile it gets real old, especially when you already know what the price is and you just want to get what it is and be onto better things.
I had an experience in Cat Ba where I bought a simple ice cream bar for 6,000 dong – a fair price from a fair guy that didn’t require any jockeying. The next day I went to the same place to get another ice cream bar… and a lady decides it’s 10,000. I gave her 6,000 and walked away. It actually gets to the point where even 4,000 dong (22 cents roughly) makes you angry. I don’t think the people realize and/or care that scamming tourists gives their country a bad name. It’s a slippery slope that then makes tourists even more irritable and scammers even more aggressive. Here’s a note to anyone with family overseas – encourage them not to scam foreigners, it makes the experience so much more enjoyable when you can relax and not have to worry about people constantly trying to rob you. Personally I am more inclined to spend money when I know that I’m not getting screwed.
Don’t let me misrepresent Vietnam – it is well worth traveling to, just be prepared.
I’ll tell one more story from Hanoi – a good one.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/20 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 1000
Date Taken: Oct 27, 2009, 8:55:39 PM
When I went back to Hanoi I had decided ahead of time I was going to stay in a different part of the city to switch things up. I started walking in the neighborhood I wanted to stay in and it wasn’t long before I had hawkers trailing me (the backpacks are a giant fleece me billboard). After about two blocks seeing three hotels and several back-and-forths with one particularly aggressive hawker I decided I’d take a look at his place just for the sheer determination.
Prior to me caving in I had simultaneously been sport bidding with him on his hotel price. By the time I caved I had him to $8 a night – not a bad price for Hanoi. When I got to the place the lady at the desk tried to charge me $10 – I had the guy come back in and slashed it to $9. During this whole process I thought I was bidding on a bare bones fan room. Turns out I was bidding on a deluxe room with all the bells and whistles.
It was a pleasant surprise, the room could have easily gone for $20 a night if you just walked in and took what they offered. The picture above is a shot from the room. Bells and whistles usually includes; a fridge, good air-conditioning, spotless bedding, clean walls/floors, hot water, included breakfast, artwork, quiet, nice bathroom, and a few others. It varies from city to city.
Anyways, back to the main story.
I arrived in Hoi An two days ago via sleeper train from Hanoi. The train was worth the experience. I’m not sure that it is for everyone, especially if you have trouble sleeping. On the other hand it seemed a lot faster then the bus and much safer. I think the most enjoyable part of the trip was the absence of the constant honking every bus driver seems to be fond of.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/80 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 1250
Date Taken: Oct 28, 2009, 6:06:27 PM
This is what the four person sleeper looks like. This is actually the premium. I had asked for the hard sleeper, luckily this train didn’t have them because I think I would have been in a lot of pain if I actually got what I asked for.
I’ve added in the next part of the travel itinerary that involves me passing through Ho Chi Minh City and into Cambodia for Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat – then onto Thailand.
Oh, and I have a couple more scams.
Before I traveled to Hoi An I read up on travel accommodations. One of the posts I came across was the online Lonely Planet page saying that it is 8000 dong via local bus to get to Hoi An from Da Nang. There are several ways to get there but usually avoiding taxies and motorbikes will save you a lot of hassle and money. Well, I had this grand scheme to get my bearings ahead of time by looking at google earth. Sometimes it works, in this case it didn’t – remembering directions only works when you come out of the train station the exact way you planned, otherwise everything is backwards – and you don’t realize it.
The usual swarm was waiting outside of the train station – one guy spoke enough English to tell me that the bus station was 7 kilometers away and “good luck” walking there “to far”. I got turned around walking out of the train station and after him saying it was 7 kilos I thought maybe I was in the wrong place. So I decide to take a taxi that defaults to 10k for the base cost. The taxi drives me 2 blocks to an in-between bus station (not the main station but a stop) So at this point I am out 10k because the taxi driver isn’t nice enough to tell me it is just two blocks down the road.
Well one thing everyone should know, and something I already knew, is that if you get on a bus at any place other then the main station (and you’re a foreigner) expect to be ripped off. At this point I just wanted to get to Hoi An so whatever. I got on and of course he charges me 10k – 2k more then he was supposed to, oh well. Then the ass comes back 5 minutes later and wants another 10k because my “bag” is like one Vietnamese person. I have never been charged for a bag anywhere in the world with the exception of planes. At this point I know he is screwing me, so I write the total price (20,000 dong) on a piece of paper in big letters and show it to everyone pointing and making a scene. I was pissed. He decided he would drop it down 5k for my bag, whatever – just another ass. I found out later when checking to see where I screwed up that the main bus station was right around the corner from where the taxi driver dropped me off – congratulations.
Then I get off this same bus in Hoi An and into another swarm of motorbike scammers. Fortunately for me this is the first station in all my travels that has a big map of the city. I walk right past them to the map and start writing the directions down while side bidding the guys that followed me. I can’t remember what the highest price was but I do remember 40k. Once I figure out my bearings I realize the place is 4 blocks away – a fare on a motorbike for that distance would be around 1 or 2k if you’re interested.
During this whole process I am asking for some directions from the scammers, of course they just keep repeating their prices and scams. I leave once I get some idea where to go and realize as I cross the street I should take a photo of the map incase I get lost. So I go back, and all the sudden the scammers decide they’ll tell me which direction and how far it is. Something I pushed for right when I got off the bus and they refused to tell me…. for obvious reasons.
Back to reality, we are talking about maybe 3 dollars total for all the scams. The point however is that scamming is what bottom feeders do and it isn’t morally right no matter what the cost; be it 10 cents or 10,000 dollars – just be honest.
I have plenty more where this came from.
To counter the bad with good;
I just got back from breakfast and remembered I should mention something about the food in Hoi An. So far it has been superb. The prices are very reasonable; the quality and spins they put on the traditional and staple dishes are unique and original. I have eaten tons of Phở while in Vietnam and I have a running tally on quality. I kind of use it as my base line for food standards. I had two decent Phở dishes in Hanoi and the one I ate last night is the current leader. Anyone contemplating Vietnam should read the wiki on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F it’s a good read actually. FYI a dish of Phở is 20,000 dong for the most part it’s the same everywhere – that’s a little over $1.
I’m not sure if this is coincidental but the two best places for food have also had a plethora of cooking classes in their restaurants. The two best food places – via my own opinion – have been Chang Mia, Thailand and now Hoi An, Vietnam.
For Hoi An I’ll start with the people (lots of hats):
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1000 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:32:16 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/250 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:43:09 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/800 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:39:14 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1000 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:39:50 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1250 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:20:03 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1250 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:20:54 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1600 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:45:26 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1250 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:44:39 PM
This guy was awesome – to bad I bombed every shot but this one.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/2000 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:45:41 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/160 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:54:34 PM
After seeing this wedding shot in Hoi An I can say that it’s probably a good idea not to shoot your wedding photos there. The scene looked like a tourist feeding frenzy, everyone standing around taking photos of the bride and groom… briefly including myself. I can’t imagine the photographer was able to get any clean shots as they were completely surrounded by gawkers.
Boats and Architecture:
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1250 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:23:47 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/800 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 130 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:24:50 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/800 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:25:28 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/800 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 170 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:31:57 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1600 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:37:32 PM
Miscellaneous:
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/250 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 1:01:34 PM
The popularity this image has garnered is amusing.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/4000 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:36:04 PM
So this photo isn’t exactly anything I would print. When I was proofing it however I was rather impressed by the 100% view as seen below. I should mention that there is an incredible amount of detail that doesn’t transcribe onto the web. I’d try to put a number on it but I’m not sure what it would be. The image comes out of the camera as a 16 bit raw file that is 240 dpi and roughly 6000×3600 pixels wide (about 25″x15″) I compress the images for web to 800 pixels wide at 72 dpi at 8bit depth then save it down even lower in the jpg panel. The D3X delivers is what I am trying to say. I can’t wait to print this stuff large scale.
I’ll say it once more but this is a 100% crop – meaning if I printed the image out to the exact dimensions the camera ratio sets it at this is the scale the image would be. Also keep in mind that this is still 8 bit depth and 72 dpi – If I was sending it to the printer I’d send it at 16 bit and 240 dpi… the image in theory would blow your mind.
Also keep in mind that I shot this roughly 50 feet away without a tripod and without a macro lens – if you know anything about photography (especially digital) you’ll know how impressive this is. I can’t even begin to imagine what a macro lens shot would look like – it’s my next purchase, I know that much.
The D3X is disgusting isn’t it?
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1600 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:33:28 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/500 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 190 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:21:05 PM
These dresses are tourist kitsch.. I like them though, (maybe not the one on the far right) – they also make really cool wool jackets for women and men that would blow away a lot of the stuff I’ve seen in San Francisco.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/80 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 1:41:08 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/800 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 1:28:23 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/640 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:39:38 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/25 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 1:23:26 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/400 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:35:20 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/640 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:19:04 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/320 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:43:30 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/500 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 170 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:42:48 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/3200 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 1:04:32 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1600 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 1:36:27 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/200 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 29, 2009, 4:50:08 PM
This is just a random shot I’m throwing in.
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3X
Shutter Speed: 1/1000 second
Aperture: F/2.8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Date Taken: Oct 30, 2009, 12:57:51 PM
I’ll end on this image. It’s one of my favorites that I snagged way out in the sticks. I was completely lost and just going by shadows and intuition. Somehow I managed to get back to the city without having to backtrack.
The plan right now is to shoot the beach today – then either take tomorrow off or travel to Ho Chi Minh. It depends on how motivated I am.
