We were picked up at our hotel in the pre-dawn darkness. We had booked a photography workshop led by an ex-pat Frenchman. The shoot-location was a fishing village on the Thu Bon River outside of Hoi An; this meant getting there early enough to catch the activities.
About to board the ferry to the fishing village, near Hoi An.
Our river ferry is loaded, near Hoi An.
Fishers in the pre-dawn light, near Hoi An.
Commuters waiting for the ferry to Hoi An.
Rice paddies outside of fishing village, near Hoi An.
Flags in dawn breeze, near Hoi An.
Anchored vessels, fishing village near Hoi An.
Tattered, wind-ripped flag, fishing village near Hoi An.
Wind-blown vessels, fishing village near Hoi An.
Wind-blown vessels 02, fishing village near Hoi An.
Sorting prawns, fishing village near Hoi An.
Fisherman, fishing village near Hoi An.
Wind-blown vessels 03, fishing village near Hoi An.
A traditional round row-boat, fishing village near Hoi An.
Old dock and boats, fishing village near Hoi An.
Using a traditional round row-boat, fishing village near Hoi An.
Part of the fishing village, near Hoi An.
Beach pooch, fishing village near Hoi An.
The town-drunk, fishing village near Hoi An.
Old woman, fishing village near Hoi An.
Old man, fishing village near Hoi An.
Getting ready to roll, fishing village near Hoi An.
Kids, fishing village near Hoi An.
Playing cards, fishing village near Hoi An.
Tough-guy, fishing village near Hoi An.
Net mending, fishing village near Hoi An.
Net mending 02, fishing village near Hoi An.
The net-mender, fishing village near Hoi An.
Serving shrimp-sauce on rice rolls, fishing village near Hoi An.
The market, fishing village near Hoi An.
Meat seller at the market, fishing village near Hoi An.
Shy kids, fishing village near Hoi An.
Elderly woman, fishing village near Hoi An.
Elderly woman 02, fishing village near Hoi An.
Fisher, fishing village near Hoi An.
Biere delivery “truck”, fishing village near Hoi An.
Suspicious kid, fishing village near Hoi An.
Residue from straining Fish Sauce, fishing village near Hoi An.
Fish Sauce straining baskets, fishing village near Hoi An.
Fish Sauce “goop” used as pig-slop, fishing village near Hoi An.
Fish Sauce fermenting casks, fishing village near Hoi An.
Every town has to have a Karaoke Bar, fishing village near Hoi An.
Two shy girls, fishing village near Hoi An.
Local boat-builder, fishing village near Hoi An.
Local boat-builder 02, fishing village near Hoi An.
Another Fisherman, fishing village near Hoi An.
Busy at the dock, fishing village near Hoi An.
Riot of colours, fishing village near Hoi An.
Sorting crabs, fishing village near Hoi An.
More rice paddies surrounding the fishing village, near Hoi An.
Boats in dry-dock, fishing village near Hoi An.
He’s never lonely at lunch-time, fishing village near Hoi An.
The ferry takes us back across to the Hoi An side of the river.
After we got off the ferry, we rode back to Hoi An on bicycles. We took the road (path?) that ran along the Thu Bon River and eventually finished up in Old Town. While the shoot-location was great, our workshop leader was more interested in his own photographic opportunities than actually providing an educational experience. However, just being able to see and photograph this little slice of Vietnamese life was worth the price of admission.
Just a couple of minutes walk from our hotel is the “Café 43” (http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g298082-d1121819-Reviews-Cafe_43-Hoi_An_Quang_Nam_Province.html). This is a family-run, open-air (though covered mostly by tarp) restaurant featuring decent Vietnamese and western cuisine at very affordable prices. The food was good, the service quick and friendly, the prices cheap, and they even welcomed my after-meal cigars… ya gotta love these folks! As we were just finishing lunch, a truck pulled up to deliver a load of the local draft bia. It was light, refreshing… and about 15 cents USD for a 300ml glass mug!
Tapping a fresh keg of local bia at Café 43, Hoi An.
And just down the street… a full-service barber.
Full-service barber, Hoi An.
East to Hedon
East to Hedon 