Moments

We are often unaware of ourselves. Our body language and expressions give us away. It is those moments that a single picture means more than anything we could ever say.

It is early Saturday morning here.  Now that I have erased my earlier thoughts maybe I can finally get some sleep.

Just Goofing

The raspy buzzing from hundreds of motor scooters begins around 6 a.m. Just about bed time for me. 

But I can't sleep until I have walked the streets one more time.  I will pick a street corner maybe up by the Starbucks and grab some morning pics.

Not everyone is sleepy or hungover.  Some are into the morning.  Maybe a bit too much.

Area 51 - The After Dark Tour

Phnom Penh

For Cambodia, Visa on arrival is about as easy as it gets.  You arrive with a U.S. passport have your photo taken pay $20 and you are in.  Oh, fingerprints are electronically scanned.

A cab into town starts at seven dollars in the airport.  That is what the sign said.  By the time I exited the airport and flagged a cab it was now $9 dollars.  You gotta love capitalism.  Here it has a few rules in small type you will want to be aware of. I pay the cabby, make sure I throw in a couple of extra dollars and bid him fair well.

My night time tour is first to dinner for a little food poisoning which I found out later and off for a tour of the real nightlife in Cambodia.  You have heard it all, but you really have to see it to understand what its like.
 A Tuk Tuk here will try to charge you 3 or 4 dollars.  But $2 is all you really need.  There will be plenty of takers for that $2 even at 3 a.m.

Sushi is cheap. Pho is do it yourself from a conveyor belt assortment of chicken skin, liver and a lot of other stuff I passed on.  I sat next someone who could have been right off the set of a Mad Max movie.  Actually truth be told a nice guy.  But I would not test the observation.

Local beer is a buck with the local entertainment running you about $50 if that is what you need.  Yes, don't forget to pay the extra $50 or so to the house.

Looking through Trip Advisor I found the White Mansion Hotel which is the former U.S. consulate and a gem of a building with huge rooms and a very decent all day breakfast for about $100.  Price wise you can do a lot cheaper.  However, the place is clean and comfortable with a Tuk Tuk always just outside.

The local tourist shops seem to be owned by retired Aussies.  There are quilts, jewelery and organic restaurants with many of them set up as shelters or places for women to escape some of the harsh realities that is often life in Asia.  These are worthy causes and worth a visit.

Apocalypse Then and Now

Welcome to the Apocalypse.  Bar, tourist attraction and now an institution.  Unless you are a prude this is a stop you must make.  They have the best T-Shirts!  Okay that is not why you go.

My first description of Apocalypse came from the book "In Country" by Nelson Desmille.  From that description you would have thought the place had managed to hang on to the 70's or was it the 60's.  Either case I missed that part of the drug culture.  Probably a good thing as I was incredibly naive at that age.

By Viet standards, the drinks are outrageously expensive.  By Chicago standards, drinks are cheap.  But if you are into people watching you will not be disappointed no matter what you think of the drink prices.  Atmosphere and or decor is slightly seedy.  But it is the perfect backdrop for drunken tour groups dancing on the tables.  Young and not so young "ladies" looking for a free drink or whatever else you might be interested in sprinkled generously with western men of a certain age.

On my first trip "C" took me there as I was collecting T-Shirts and based on Mr. DesMille I had to see this place.  That is just in case it became my only trip. I was given the tour, told of the rules and pretty much dared to be bad.  It was fun to watch and It must have taken six beers to get me to the point that I had enough entertainment for one night.  At least at the bar.  That dare had teeth and I didn't want to mess with "C".

Evening became morning as we spent the rest of the night on a motor scooter just cruising with the rest  of  the never do wells of the the third world.

In 2013 I of course paid homage to AN to watch the world at play.  It is still fun to watch, I remember the rules and if I should be tempted otherwise my tour guide is still there to remind me to behave.

If this well seasoned institution is not quite to your liking, I would suggest Blanchy's  It is about 100 yards from my hotel in the Japanese zone the drinks are expensive by anyone's standards but so is the entertainment.  It is small and crowded. The bar keeps will try to collect on your tab at least twice for each round of drinks you get.  Ah just like home.

Cheers and maybe I will see you there.

BLANCHY'S TASH

ADDRESS: 95 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam [Xem bản đồ]

PHONE: (+84) 909 028 293;
(+84) 907 242 757
E-MAIL: info@blanchystash.com

WEBSITE: www.blanchystash.com

HOURS: 5pm - 3am

Cold Hands

While the heating system here at work continues to turn my fingers to ice I am thinking of summer which is at least six weeks away.  Just to remind myself summer will come I found this.

Lincoln Park Conservatory mid summer.  Finding a place to park at the park would be impossible except that I have the bike.  I slide into a space next to a well used Vespa scooter.

This is taken with my Sony RX100. 
For whatever reason, I am in this fuzzy warm good mood having nothing to do with maintenance screwing with temperature. :)

Dream Land

Hanoi equivalent to a 7/11.  Being able to zone out and find some place more interesting while waiting for mom to return with groceries.  I caught this shot just as he became aware of the camera.    I show him the shots I have taken. He smiles.  Yet he was more than ready to get back to whatever place he was. 

Motorcycle Diaries

“The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn't any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it's right. If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.”
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Black and Grey Day

Cancun Mexico  Stormy overcast day. Waves 1-2 feet and perfect for swimming.  Apparently not.  I am kicked out twice by the hotel guards so I grab my camera.  Black and grey photo fits the day and my mood.

Home Brew

With dinner and a birthday celebration winding down I am offered a little something in the way of an adult beverage.  It looked like kerosene, smelled like kerosene....  yep pretty much went down the throat about the same way.

Still if you don't try it, then who are you really?

Personal Space

It is early evening in Hanoi.  Walking through the park I happen on a wedding shoot and notice the couple was really having fun.  I lean in and start picking up some shots I like.  Better yet, not only am I allowed to do this, I have the bride and groom playing along.

In the U.S. about now I would probably spending 3 to 5 at some state prison.

In Vietnam maybe joy is celebrated even shared with strangers. 

Dancing Barefoot

Tuk-Tuk stuck in traffic I look around to take my mind off the heat.  Twirling around in the street no toys, friends or even vigilant adult for an audience. Innocence defined.

A Place Called Home

It doesn't seem to be much.  A bicycle weighted with 60 or so pounds of promise. Up at dawn the owner will push, peddle and tow into the morning traffic on Le Loi street.  What would be a good day for this person is beyond me.  To sell something or just survive the process I am not sure.

It is a reality show without the TV commercials this life in Ho Chi Minh City.  A place that reminds me of how grateful I should feel for my luck and how I feel so much apart of life in VN.  Home, a place where being who you are is not just okay; you feel good.

FeedSpot? Do Blogs Really Matter?

Dear Anuj of FeedSpot

Having no commercial goals for my blog I may not be the right person to ask about  features that would be most useful.  I enjoy photography.  Yet there are hundreds of websites and blogs that offer technical and inspiration guidance.  There is PinInterest which allows me to "Pin" and "Like" "Share" or "Follow".  All with slick commercial links so I can buy stuff.

In the end, the sole purpose of my blog is find others in the world like me.  Those who see what I see.  Not for agreement, just have a sense of what I am embracing. 

I don't have a Facebook account because Mark Zuckerberg has already made enough money from peoples lives. 

Advance data searches and face matching algorithms are features that I will not be embracing.  To me forcing disclosure of the details of our lives can be left to the NSA . Maybe a little anonymity is what we are really lacking in a full disclosure environment.

The picture is Saigon 2010 late summer.  Temperature is about mid 90's.  You can actually see the water dripping off his left hand.  It is a little reprieve from my rant and one of the reasons I can't get enough of Vietnam.

Starting Small in 2014

Yes, it has been awhile.  I wonder if blogs are even relevant in an age of numerous forums  leaving tweets as so yesterday.

When I am here, it is generally because I am stressed and need an outlet.

So, first a little re-induction.  Crazy Talk is an unstructured forum.  To make observations about life, people and friends and all the things that seem to be kicking us in the ass these days.

Quotes, cartoons and  pics from my travels become expression or inspiration.

The quote is so very true of my life.  There have been one or two times when I wish I had been stronger.  It is not about regrets but wondering how different my life may have been.

One little thing.  I wonder if CP ever found this place.  Or ever cared to try. ;)