Los Angeles give me some of you!
Los Angeles come to me the way I came to you! – John Fante
During the four hour bus ride from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Halong Bay, I glimpsed remnants of the Tet Festival whizz by and was reminded of a delightful blog post by kimi about Chinese New Year celebrations in Los Angeles. I especially found her blog post refreshing because I was reading Ask the Dust by John Fante, who portrays LA in a somber way. Of course, this is understandable because this semi-autobiographical tale is about a struggling writer living in LA during the Great Depression era. I should have realized Ask the Dust would be a morose story because it was praised by Charles Bukowski whose writings aren’t exactly merry.
However among the gloominess, there was humor…
Almighty god, I am sorry I am now an atheist, but have you read Nietzsche?
…and bright spots of romance
You are nobody, and I might have been somebody, and the road to each of us is love.
-What does love mean to you Camilla?
-That you can fall in love with whoever you want to and not be ashamed of it.
Similarly, dotted along the industrial, bumpy road to Halong Bay were intervals of beauty: Rice paddies, bright pink lotus flower decorations draped along power lines, and children playing.
From a steady cruise ship to a tumultuous speed boat, I tend to get drowsy riding the sea (the reason why I have not pursued my lifelong dream of sailing lessons). Luckily, my frequent drinking of iced cafe sua da kept me awake during the five hour boat trip. Therefore, I didn’t miss any sights:
Although the last segment of the voyage was seeing
(Neptuno’s grotto is better) …the true climax of the trip was disembarking at the floating village to take a smaller row boat navigated by a tiny, surprisingly strong Vietnamese woman. It is then I felt miniscule among the imposing limestone formations:
In my opinion, the Vietnam government needs to pay more attention to the decline of this UNESCO sight. Perhaps the Ministry of Tourism should tack on a “preservation fee” for Halong.
This is my second blog post via the WordPress app! On the four hour night bus ride back to Hanoi, I had to keep my eyes distracted from the constant oncoming headlights of trucks and buses due to the erratic traffic of Vietnam. Try not to sit in the very front of the bus.
Beaaaaaaaaaautiful photos! 🙂
Thaaaaaaank you!!!!!
Lovely photos, I particularly like the ones of the limestone formations!
I need to research as to how these were formed. The guide didn’t speak much English and was not able to give me this information. Perhaps it is why the limestone formations were part of the “7 wonders of the world-2012”.
Awesome photos!
Thank you for complimenting in true Southern Californian lingo, hehe : D
Great pictures!!
Many thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
These photos are amazing. AMAZING! 🙂 Thank you for sharing them!
Let me get this straight…amazing?!?! Lol, the views were definitely amazing …and humbling because I felt so small against the backdrop.
This makes me finally want to return to Vietnam to visit my homeland. I have heard many stories about the traffic in Vietnam especially in the cities. Thanks for sharing your photos and thoughts.
The traffic here is an organized ball of disarray…even the industrial roads are erratic. In Nha Trang however, the pace is more relaxed so driving a scooter there is better. I just spent a sweltering day in the Cu Chi region really learning about the destruction and Vietcong tactics used during the American War (that’s what it’s called here). I’ve only been a frequenter of Vietnamese food at friends’ homes, but the history is really interesting. Visit Vietnam !!
Someday, hopefully. Meanwhile, I visit vicariously through fellow bloggers. 🙂
Incredibly, Frances, I began reading Ask the Dust for the first time just last night. How weird is that. The Viet Nam pictures are beautiful…as is the Disney Concert Hall that begins the series.
Thank you.
That is a strange coincidence! How do you like the book so far?
I have about 30 pages left. It feels somewhat dated–which it is. I expect Bogart or Robert Mitchum to come walking through the fog at any moment. I like his descriptions of the act of writing–something that is not easy to do and rarely successful. I find the sad/masochistic relationship between Camilla and him odd, but then he himself seems so full of self-hatred. My paperback copy says “Now a major motion picture.” I hadn’t heard about it, so we’ll see if it makes it out to the East Coast.
Yes, after I finished the book a friend told me that it was made into a movie. This story is tragic and I, too, did not quite understand the relationship between Bandini and Camila— it seemed too twisted for me to understand, but I suppose such relationships between people do occur today.
These are incredible! I have got to go! I want to cave dive…#maybenotsafe #totallyawesome
Well, I am not sure there are cave diving opportunities at the site, but even if so I wouldn’t pursue them. I’m not fearless like that!
Love all those captures! 🙂 Have you tried riding a scooter there?
I’ve only driven a scooter in France in the countryside. . . Ummm, definitely the polar opposite of scooter / motorbike experiences in Vietnam!! The erratic traffic at the roundabouts of the city are the worst. Even the taxi drivers are scary to ride because they sometimes do a U-turn right in the middle of a 2-way street full of traffic. Lastly, crossing the streets as a pedestrian is another feat!
that awesome huh? LOL
Just like in my home country Indonesia 🙂
I have not been to Indonesia yet but I was surprised to hear from a tourist who just came back from your homeland that there are a lot if motorbikes as well.
These are really well shot pictures, amazing scenery and locations. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful experience.
Thank you very much for visiting…it was a beautiful experience, but I hope that the pollution cleans up over the years — then there would be no more beauty to admire!
But I heard that the air quality in California has gotten better over these past few years and is moving to be one of the cleanest states as far as that issue is concerned, is that true?
Well, all of California does not have poor air quality relative to other states. I think the worst air quality is in the Central Valley or San Gabriel valley. I think there are some factories, oil fields, and much commuting of big rigs in the area. On top of that, the ocean winds push the smog towards the valleys and the smog becomes trapped by the mountains. As for any improvement. . . I am not quite sure. The last time was in the area was a year ago and I felt the air quality to still be the same poor quality.
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it 🙂
Reblogged this on Infernal Deity of a Psychotic Mind.
That cave photo is inspiring. Well all of them are fabulous, but that cave I love that cave. I believe I am going to have to add Vietnam to my bucket list.
Yes, Vietnam is a great place to visit and there is flexibility in which one can enjoy the country. There are beaches, spas, trekking for the adventurous, museums, and cafe culture.
Fabulous shots Frances – isn’t Halong Bay just stunning? Where are you off to next, can’t wait for the next instalment! Best wishes
After Halong Bay, is the return back to HCMC to visit a few friends. Upon arrival in HCMC recently, I learned that there is another Halong Bay near Hanoi that takes less hours by bus and is less touristic. Eh well, next time!
I love the quotations from Ask the Dust! And the photographs are just beautiful!
Thank you for visiting….the Fante book was not the most uplifting book, but I’m travelling near a lot of natural beauty so my mood was not affected by the story.
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Stunning photos. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for visiting! Being at this UNESCO sight was humbling.
L.A. Frank Gehry museum metal architecture – better than the cloud gate sculpture in Chicago? At least better weather in L.A. than in Chicago? 🙂
greetings by
While there is no doubt that Los Angeles has better weather. . . The bean of Chicago is more original than the Gehry Concert Hall of LA.