Apr 272017
 

The first time we went on the food tour in Marrakesh we discovered that they had a few surprises up their sleeves. Like this neighborhood bakery where they prepared everything from bread to whatever the local residents brought in to bake for the day. There were a lot of trays of sardines about.

I looked into a back room and this guy was in there eager to demonstrate how they form the small loves of bread I’d been eating with every meal.

man making bread in marrakesh morrocco

Apr 042017
 

This picture is a little blurry but I like it anyway. On my second day in Vietnam we went on a boat tour of the Mekong Delta. We had to get up early so we could make it in time to see the floating markets in action. Despite out early departure the river was already buzzing with activity. We weren’t far into our journey when we came across this man checking his fishing nets.

fishing in vietnam with box shaped net

Mar 052017
 

I’ve posted this picture before with a different crop, but I like these two so much I’m posting this version as well. This one is a bit wider so you can see more of their traditional robes.

two men playing asian board game Xiangqi in traditional dress by candlelight

Mar 022017
 

Before I was able to take this photo, my friend Shannon and I, following a decision to rent a kayak, had navigated through rough waters and squeezed ourselves through a narrow gap in the rocks to find safe harbor. Following that drama, we got to glide past the floating villages that surround Cat Ba Island.

We came across this fisherman towards the end of our trip and I asked if I could take a photo. He was kind enough to slow down as he pulled his nets to pose!

Fisherman using net trap, Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

 

Feb 212017
 

When we arrived in the Mekong Delta it was late evening. There was an old lady sat in our lobby who offered to arrange a guide for us in the morning. I was a little suspicious of this seemingly too convenient option, particularly as a guy who had been on our bus repeatedly tried to direct us to the wrong hotel just before our arrival.

But, it was late and we knew we needed an early start to get to the markets so we decided to go for it. She didn’t let us down as she escorted us to meet our guide who would take us out for the day. She picked up a load of reeds on the way and spent most of the day making little handicrafts for us as she meandered through the markets and streams that make up the Mekong.

vietnamese mekong delta guide woman in conical hat

Feb 092017
 

While on a boat tour of the Mekong delta, we stopped for a coffee in a small waterside guesthouse before visiting a rice paper factory. Upon returning to our boat, we came across another boat guide deftly dissecting a pineapple with a big knife. After exchanging what seemed like some cheeky comments with our guide, he finished removing every ounce of skin from the pineapple, while seeming to preserve 99% of the fruit. Then he handed us half, which we gladly accepted.

vietnamese asian man preparing pineapple in mekong delta

Feb 072017
 

Wandering through the market in Marrakesh we came across two guys in a shop taking turns working on a bow lathe. It is operated by using one hand to draw the bow back and forth, spinning the wood. And then a hand and a foot were used to carefully move the gouge to carve out intricate little designs. It was mesmerizing and I stood and watched for a while. I’ve taken two photos so you can see a close up of how it works.

wood turning in marrakech souk on a bow lathe

close up of bow laithe in use in marrakech souk