It is all about rules and laws in the USA

There is an island in Vietnam called Cat Ba...

Known for its beautiful and secluded beaches... Here is what you find after the 4pm. Just before the sun sets and locals literally invade the nearest two beaches to Cat Ba town. I wish Martin Parr would come here and take a few shots.

Markets and more markets

Bac Ha market and Cat Ba Town market are the two most authentic markets I have visited in Vietnam. No tourists, just locals buying what they need and going on and about their lives.

Green rice fields, Bac Ha, Vietnam du Nord

Across the mountains of North Vietnam, indigenous populations – authentic and in great number – plant rice, and more rice, and more rice in perfect symmetry. Rice fields are lush and many Vietnamese rely on these fertile plantations to earn their living, and most importantly, to get their daily food.

Everyone is asleep

On a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, Northern Vietnam, everyone slept, everywhere: on the bench, on the floor, standing, in the toilet, by the door. People slept alone, in groups, with their babies or water bottles. We were with Vietnamese people on the hard seat wagon, and I could not prevent myself from taking this shots, which make me laugh each time I look at them.

Motorbikes are everywhere in Vietnam

1, 2, 3, 50, 100, 2.000, 5.000, thousands, millions. On each street, sidewalk, corner, avenue, road. On each village, town and city. All over Vietnam, be it on the beach, in the mountain, inside or outside the rivers. Motorbikes are everywhere and take up to 6 people on board.

Life in Vietnam is set by the pace of the motorbikes. The motorbike is used as a seat to date. It is used as a table when it comes the time to eat. It is a means of transportation for everything: clothes, tables, chickens, cupboards, bicycles, whatever. Everyone has one, everyone wants one, everyone rides a motorbike: women, elders, children.

Motorbikes are everywhere in Vietnam

1, 2, 3, 50, 100, 2.000, 5.000, thousands, millions. On each street, sidewalk, corner, avenue, road. On each village, town and city. All over Vietnam, be it on the beach, in the mountain, inside or outside the rivers. Motorbikes are everywhere and take up to 6 people on board.

Life in Vietnam is set by the pace of the motorbikes. The motorbike is used as a seat to date. It is used as a table when it comes the time to eat. It is a means of transportation for everything: clothes, tables, chickens, cupboards, bicycles, whatever. Everyone has one, everyone wants one, everyone rides a motorbike: women, elders, children.

Thanh Ha, a fishing village just outside Hoi-An, Vietnam

Fluctuating Market on Mekong river, Vietnam

In the South of Vietnam life revolves around the Mekong river, where families live inside boats and sell day to day things at markets which are literally fluctuating.

Can-Tho is a huge market selling mostly fruits and vegetables. Though you can find anything you may be looking for: clothes, electronic equipment, plastic containers.

For the real experience take a small rowing boat before the sun rises (and the tourists arrive) and embark on a 7-hour journey through rivers and channels, full of energy and people doing mundane stuff just before and after going to the daily market.