Out of the Bubble: Again a Stranger…

After the rush of familiarity of the first codfish powered days, I wander into the “depths” of Macau. Some delicious ramblings through the Chinese districts. Temples, gardens and markets in a huge divergence with skyscrapers and cranes. A continuously growing city in fast forward mode, entangled in a junction… the persistence of tradition and the acceleration of modernity… Such a rush of contradiction I’ve only witnessed in Asia. So, once again I take 15 mins to order my meal. One more time I talk with smiles, getting lost and found in communication. Once more my presence triggers curiosity. A stranger again… truly…

Three Lantern Market

The Kun Iam Temple getting a different skyline background

These gentlemen tried to explain me how to play their game, but my Cantonese was really not good enough (non-existent?)… It was worth the good laughs we had while trying, though…

Floating down the Mekong Delta…

Close to Ho Chi Minh, the Mekong river spreads its arms towards the sea. It’s an immense area, fertile and rich in life. It’s actually responsible for half the production of rice in Vietnam. At first sight, it may look like a quiet, bucolic place, but it’s actually home to almost 18 million people… All revolving around the river… The source of life, the vehicle, the inspiration…

Father and son… another day of work…

Going to work…

Small distances are covered by these boats…

The Mekong water is used for everything… Vietnamese consider it a blessing…

Notre Dame and the Antennae

A rainy day in Saigon. Strolling around on a busy Monday. Lost in the rain, spirit as drenched as my T-Shirt, impatience rattling like little ants down my spine. That’s when I found a pearl of French colonial influence in Saigon, “La Notre Dame de Saigon.” I do love, diversity. Right on the next block was the People’s Central Committee Building and the Revolutionary Museum. Seconds later I had Notre Dame in front of me, not long after I passed by a KFC… All tendencies, all creeds in Ho Chi Minh..

We, the People: A Saigon Sunday…

I like Sundays in a strange place. I like to wander the streets and realize that, no matter where you go, people are different on that day of the week. You can see them engaging in casual get togethers… It’s also a family day. Under the “guidance” of Ho Chi Minh, with the Hammer and Sickle as a reference, Sunday is Sunday… No matter where you are…

Father and Daughter…

Street Food Blessing

Sundaying under Ho Chi MinhThe Chairman plays?

Vietnam… Good morning, good to meet you…

It was once Saigon, now it’s Ho Chi Minh City… Seen from the top of an overpass, hundreds of little busy bikes buzzing by like bees looking for the last drop of honey. First image, first sensation, first snapshot. I’m curious to see what this new photogram has to offer.

Lea Heuy Cambodia!

One more step, one more country. This personal and “extrospective” odyssey demands it. These moments, when you leave a country behind are, sometimes a bit nostalgic. It’s not about the amount of time, it’s about the intensity. A lot of trips are the fantastic and only a few days have passed. And that’s what happened in Cambodia. It’s people, all ages and creeds. It’s History and Culture. It’s delightful cultural shock that is offered in every corner…. All that makes Cambodia an intense travel destination. Lea Heuy Cambodia, Akun!

A different look at Angkor Wat…

A Cambodian I randomly met in Phnom Penh convinced me to go to Angkor Wat. Through him, I realized how important this monument was for his people. Truly a symbol of pride for the whole country. A really stunning building, a wonder of human genius in architecture… Today though, I bring a different look at the building. I bring you the life that inhabits it. I bring you the buddhist pilgrims that come from far away, the worker that has a sense of pride for being there every day, the people that live in small houses inside the temple, the prayers and the children that earn their living in Angkor Wat… I firmly believe that without people, even the most gorgeous accomplishments of architecture are just that, sterile and empty…

The rest…

They were pilgrim monks from Laos, visiting Angkor for the first time…

Childhood…

The load…

Phnom Penh: Spontaneous Shapes of Life…

It is my intention with this album, to leave it as a tribute to a city, to the people of a country. A country that has endured a lot and that seems to committed to put that shadow of a past behind its back. I intend to show its people moving on, engaged in living. I try to portray that life in the most spontaneous way I’m able. And also in the most truthful… Of course it’s just an impression… But it’s my impression…

Aftermath…

Moving on… 

Straight Ahead…

Street life…

A Cambodjan Roadside Snack…

Heading out of Phnom Penh, towards suburbia, I do a little stopover, for a little snack… I see a big line, a small crowd waiting for what seems a delicious treat… I decide to give it a go. To my surprise, the treat was actually deep fried cricket. Oh well, I bought a little bag and ate away, observed by the curious Cambodjan stares…

I have to say, it’s quite tasty, and it has a very crunchy texture… Nothing like I had ever eaten before… Deep fried, seasoned with chilly, I can’t really say I tasted the cricket… but it was quite the snack!

First hours in the land of Khmer

I had anticipated Phnom Penh to be more tranquil and less Westernized than Bangkok. I wasn’t wrong. Of course, the movement is still intense, the people are still busy with commerce and trade, minding their business. But the traveller’s first glimpse is of a more authentic Asian city. It’s only opening to tourism now, and a lot of it is still kept, untouched and done the Khmer way…

Observing monk…

Hapiness

A butcher at Khandal Market

Hectic…