An Afternoon in Hanoi's French Quarter

Profundo Journeys Vietnam 2017

Having arrived in Hanoi after many hours of air travel, sleep was definitely out of the question. We set out from our hotel to find Hanoi's French Quarter, home to many small shops, bird's nests of electric wires, street food vendors, and a cacaphony of sounds from motorcycles to canned music. To cross the street, one measures the traffic, and walks/wades through weaving motor scooters, taxis, bicycles and buses. To get away from this confusion, we took the first alley, and it was here that the French Quarter became more about the daily life of it's inhabitants and less about survival. in the quieter streets, it is so much easier to slow down and observe details, like this kettle on an equally rustic source of heat. I was drawn to the texture and diagonal play of light on the wall...even the stenciled lettering observed the slope of the shadow. And who was the proprietor of this outdoor cafe? The Quarter is full of little mysteries and touches of humanity like this. It was a great icebreaker to get a first taste of the city before the real itinerary of our photography workshop begins.