Friendships, culture, feelings, experiences and memories are all carved deep in this photograph, although they can not necessarily be seen

Image taken on the river in Hoi An chosen by Sophie Lipman as special to her from the trip



Sophie writes:


Many memories in one photo

This photo, to me, has many memories that come with it. This picture was taken in Hoi An, in central Vietnam.

It was the afternoon, the weather was warm and beautiful, the smells of coconut water, fresh warm meats and moist rubbish all mixed in one.

This afternoon, Martin took us on a stroll around the provincial town. Although it is not captured in this photo, the constant rushing feeling of possibly being hit by a cyclo (a Vietnamese 3-wheel bicycle taxi) was always present.

Seconds after this photo was taken, the lady in the burgundy shirt walked up to me, said “Xin Chao” and instantly put her fruit carrier on my shoulders. At first I was unsure but passed the initial feeling and smiled at her. A few minutes later, she retrieved it back and made persistent hand signals as if to ask for money. I explained that I did not intend to buy anything, but soon figured that since she let me have a go at holding the carrier, I was to pay her. That is how she earned her money every day.

The yellow building at the back of the photograph was where we all sat multiple hours later, eating our Banh Mi and drinking our sugarcane juice with only the streetlights and lanterns as our brightness. We sat there for quite some time, talking about the names of our dogs and what type of mosquito spray we use. We all also wandered this street after dinner, resulting in some people purchasing goodies, others getting lost.

It is amazing how many memories this simple picture holds in my heart. Friendships, culture, feelings, experiences and memories are all carved deep in this photograph, although they can not necessarily be seen.

This trip was life changing for me. I learnt so much not only about the country itself, but about the people there, their habits, culture, the war, traditions and Bob’s stories and life mottos. I made lifelong friendships on the trip and it was undoubtedly the best thing I have ever done in my life.

Thank you for the good times, the days you filled with pleasure. Thank you for fond memories, and for feelings I’ll always treasure.