Glass windows

Shisha pipe at Warda

Specializing in boats, plant, motorcycle and mickey mouse

I love these type of stores that sell seemingly unrelated goods. I would love to know how they decided on each

Working at height

It is good to see safety improving on construction sites here. Of the 20 odd workers in this photo, only one is not wearing a hard hat. Although those in the know will probably point to the fact most of them will be wearing some form of plastic open-toed footwear

The Rex Hotel

District 7 and Phu My Hung

The new urban developments such as Phu My Hung in District 7 make HCMC look so organised from the air. Canals, green space, wide roads - its enough to make you want to live there, as opposed to somewhere down in here

Yum Cha at Shang Palace

Halloween in Saigon

There are parts of Saigon that go to extraordinary lengths for Halloween. Our kids went trick or treating on Saturday night and came across a few houses where people had set up more than just pumpkins and lanterns. These guys had trucked a graveyard and smoke machine all the way from the US. Impressive dedication

November Monthly Theme Day - Doorways

A day late as we did not have any access to the internet over the weekend. This is a photo of a gate to a rather large house around the corner from us.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Snacks on the move

Overloaded vehicles are common around the city. This one is a motorbike with a trailer attached to the back

Vinashin "Hoa Sen" in Cam Ranh bay

I do not know much about boats, but I do know that Vinashin is one of Vietnam's largest companies. I took this while coming into land at Cam Ranh airport, which services Nha Trang. Any ideas on what the boat is used for?

Office with a view

Our project partners at the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang do it pretty tough, having to stare out at the ocean all day. The Pasteur Institute is part of a global network of 24 foreign institutes devoted to medical research in developing countries

Lunchtime siesta

Roadside mechanic

Phu Tho racecourse

Most forms of gambling are illegal in Vietnam. Locals can participate in a myriad of lotteries or they can head out to the race track and bet on little horses ridden by what seem to be 25 kg teenagers. However betting on the ponies is only allowed on weekends, so there will be no Melbourne Cup actually at the racetrack this year.

Weekend BBQ

Notre Dame Cathedral

I really like the view of the rear of the cathedral, the series of cloisters and plenty of down pipes give the church an antique yet patched together feel

Various salted fish

You can pick up all manner of salted or cured fish and shrimp in Ben Thanh market. Although the thermonuclear glaze and questionable hygiene may put off a purchase for some

Mouth of the Saigon river

Lao Cai beer

Lao Cai is the capital city of Lao Cai province, in the north east of Vietnam and bordering China. It is home to Vietnam's highest mountain, Mt Fansipan, the mountain town of Sapa and some notable ethnic minorities such as the Hmong, Tay and Dao. It is a place definitely worth checking out, and the beer is OK too

Sapa graffiti

Hmong man and buffalo

Silver Waterfall

Outside of Sapa near the Tram Ton pass is Thác Bạc (Silver waterfall). For a Vietnamese waterfall it is relatively undefiled.

Hmong women

The mountain town of Sa Pa is home to ethnic minorities such as Hmong, Tay and Dao (pronounced Dzao). The black Hmong, so called because of their dark indigo dress, populate the market and streets of the town, flogging their wares to the tourists

Black Hmong on the streets of Sapa