I went to Vietnam with the primary focus of riding my bicycle - It was supposed to be 4 days of challenging rides and epic views. Instead, everything that could have gone wrong, did, both leading up to the trip and during my trip.
The short version - I crashed my bike hard at the start of day two of riding (taken out by a dog that run into the road) and broke my collarbone, along side other injuries. I was taken to a hospital in Hanoi, had surgery within ~28 hours and my vacation turned into predominantly a hospital stay.
You should read the long version below ⤵️
Noa Deutsch
I arrived in Hanoi two days days before the cycling trip started, and planned for another six days afterwards. After the accident and subsequent hospital stay, I was only left with 2.5 days in Hanoi before flying home.
Pain levels were noticeable but manageable, and while I wanted more time to visit other areas, I did what I could while in a sling - I grabbed my camera and explored the city a bit. Here are some of my favorite shots. There are a lot of them, and believe it or not, there are more!
It has been a while since I have been to South East Asia - The last time was my back to back trip to Myanmar and Bali in the fall/winter of 2017. I was excited to visit Vietnam and while I did not get to do what I had planned, I did get to enjoy the unique smells, sounds and general chaos of Hanoi - I am very grateful for that.
I am also grateful I did not get hit by a car or a motorbike as they will not stop for you (especially the cars). The motorbikes will drive (and park) on sidewalks, and on the wrong side of the road and simply go around you when crossing the road. It takes a minute to get used to it all, but you do fairly fast, mostly because you have no choice.
This was a great chance to practice my street photography skills. This kind of photography does not come naturally to me and in my experience, it requires a fair bit of practice, both in getting comfortable shooting out and about, and in post processing. It takes skill to convey the scene in a way that resonates, a way that tells a story, a way that draws you in.
Like any other skill, progress comes from practice, and I usually only have small 'pocket's of time to practice it, typically while I am away travelling. I should make some time to wander around Vancouver with my camera, but I rarely do.
Despite the chaos all around, it felt like life was not rushed in Hanoi, which I thought was a great thing from a photography point of view, both because it was easier to capture and also because I felt less rushed myself and could pause a bit more, something that does not happen often in my day to day life.
I feel like I missed out on so much since I was not able to complete this trip as planned. At the same time, I did manage to get a bit of a feel for what Hanoi is like.
When I travel, I like spending a bit more time in one or two places around a particular country instead of trying to cram all the things in one trip. This allows me to slow down a bit, explore with a bit more intension and decide if this is a place I want to revisit and see more of.
After I visit a country, I place it under one of three main categories: 1) Not planning on revisiting. 2) Will visit again if resources allow. 3) Really want to go back and explore further.
To be honest, most places fall under category 2, mostly because I do not have unlimited resources and there are still so many places I haven't been to yet. Needless to say, Vietnam is firmly in category 3. I am not sure when I will take the time to revisit, but I definitely will! I guess the bigger question is - Will I bring my bike again?
I hope the photos transported you to the streets of Hanoi. I will link the full gallery shortly, for those interested.
Noa
