Elizabeth Weintraub • Sacramento Short Sale Agent • Land Park

When I take photographs, whether it's homes in Land Park or my Sacramento short sale listings, I like to show close-up and personal aspects that one might otherwise not notice. There is generally a texture, a sub-layer, a fine nuance, which can be easily overlooked by viewers, especially online when it's so easy to just click on the next link.

It could be fine detailing in a vintage light fixture, an ornate cornice or the curve of a 1930's fireplace. The small yet important appointments. After all, it's the individual elements that comprise the whole, which are part of the big picture.

For that reason, I thought you may be interested in viewing the color, texture and fabrics of life in Viet Nam. Below is a photo gallery I shot during our December vacation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

The absolute highlight of my trip to Viet Nam was spending 2 days on a Chinese junk in Ha Long Bay. This area is designated as an  UNESCO World Heritage site and has been nominated as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, as well as the 8th Wonder of the World. Ha Long Bay is simply stunning. There are more than 1900 islands, mostly made from limestone, emerging hundreds of feet high from the sea, exploding in spectacular glory.

Most of the islands are uninhabitable and contain caves and lakes. The Vietnamese government prohibits occupation of the islands, but you will find floating fishing villages near some of the larger islands. Some fishing villages raise pigs, so it's sort of weird to see a floating structure with a pig on it. Other villagers eke out a living by rowing around the waters to sell supplies to visitors on junks.

The water is serene, and even though we were warned to wear warm clothing, it wasn't really cold in December and I didn't need my jacket. Our boat held 9 cabins, which didn't leave room for our guide, so he had to spend the night on some other boat.

When we arrived, we were promptly served lunch on the junk in a formal dining room. Giant shrimp cocktails, clams in juice, fish in tomato sauce, salads, spring rolls, fresh fruit and custards, yum. The first deck contained the kitchen, a dining room and a bridge where passengers could shoot photos or simply sit around and enjoy cocktails and the view. The bottom deck had cabins with windows, and the walls, floors and ceilings were covered with glossy wood.

Here are some photos of Ha Long Bay:

This is the view after leaving the harbor. It was a party cloudy day in early December, but I was still able to capture the magnificence of the limestone islands.

Our boat was the Huong Hai junk, very similar to the junk you can see in the distance here. The bay is so huge that you can float along and not spot any other boats until you reach a harbor.

This is a protected area where many boats dock, just around the corner from a floating fishing village. We stopped here to tour Sung Sot, which is nicknamed Surprise Cave.

OK, the colors are caused by reflections from colored lights set up around the cave, but isn't this spectacular? There is also a lake inside Sung Sot. It contains several gigantic chambers.

This makes you feel like you are in another world. There are crystals, rock formations, stalagmites and stalactites. The stalactites grow from the top and the stalagmites form from the bottom, and are generally found in caves with limestone.

Isn't this like being on Mars? There were a lot of tourists in Surprise Cave when we were there, many with foreign-speaking guides who pointed out images in the limestone. Tons of tourists crowded the steps to each new chamber. But most of the travel destinations in the world are flooded with tourists; it doesn't matter where you go, you end up standing in line.

My husband said since I snapped this vendor's photo, I had to buy something from her. I didn't. I mean, what am I going to do with a box of Ritz crackers? But tourists must buy them or she wouldn't stock them.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

As we toured the Ho Chi Minh complex in Ha Noi, I shot many photographs. One of which involved trying to capture the grill of a vehicle through a glass window. In doing so, I found myself with too many things in my hands, so I stuck the marketing brochure I was handed at the gate into my mouth. Here's my tip: don't ever press coated paper between your lips, let it sit and then rip it off.

Yup, I tore off the interior of my bottom lip. The paper had stuck. Here is a photo of me standing in front of the presidential palace, with my bottom lip stinging and bleeding, yet I managed to eek out a smile.

You may note I am wearing my Active Rain Localism shirt, which I received as a gift for supporting communities in Sacramento. It wasn't the right thing to wear, in hindsight, as many tourists gawked at the GUN pictured on the front! I had overlooked the image and chosen the shirt because it had long sleeves, which was appropriate attire for the situation. Generally speaking, long sleeves and long pants should be worn inside holy places in Asia and Europe. Fortunately, I wasn't arrested.

We were snubbed at the entrance to the complex because a group of preferred visitors arrived after us. They were very important members of the Communist party. As a result, our group was separated, and we missed the briefing from the tour guide about etiquette for viewing the mausoleum. In fact, I had forgotten that Ho Chi Minh was even in the mausoleum, but then I recalled the controversy surrounding his remains. Apparently, Uncle Ho -- as he's affectionately called by the Vietnamese people who supported him -- left a will, designating cremation and asking that his ashes be sent elsewhere in Viet Nam. However, in the "best interest" of the people, the government put him on display.

Guards stood at the entrance. My husband was ordered to drop his arms to his sides as we walked up the steps. It was a solemn and silent procession of people. It dawned on me at that point that we were actually going to view his body. He is embalmed, lying under low light in a separate room. Out of respect, of course, we did not attempt to shoot any photos. Whether a Vietnamese person politically supported the beliefs of Ho Chi Minh is not relevant. Even those who opposed him still show respect when speaking of him.

Although Viet Nam is a communist country, its economics seem to be based on capitalism. Vietnamese people are also free to choose their religion. Many people own a business, and the streets are dotted with gift shops, store fronts and services. Above is a gift shop at the Ho Chi Minh complex. You may note the Barbie on a bicycle at the bottom -- she zoomed around in circles.

We toured the usual tourist stuff, including the One-Pillar Pagoda. This is an ancient Buddhist temple that sits on a stilt over a lake, supported by one lone pillar that is supposed to resemble the lotus flower. I can envision that, can't you?

Above is a photo that shows how many structures in Viet Nam allow for incorporation of nature. Instead of cutting down trees that grow too close to a building, like we do in Sacramento, the trees are embraced. That's pretty cool, don't you think?

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub