Vietnam Loop

Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site Vietnam Loop Mon, 15 Jun 2020 21:27:32 +0000 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site en Home https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/Home Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:47 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/Home About https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/About Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:47 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/About Vietnam Loop: About the Portfolio Vietnam Loop is a novel and a photography project created by Francisco Espregueira, blending  two motorcycle trips through the mythical Ho Chi Minh Road that connects Saigon to Hanoi, in Vietnam - in 2014 from the South to the North and in 2018 from the North  to the South, completing a cycle in his personal life, fictionalized in the book. After the war with the U.S.A. the Ho Chi Minh Road was built parallel to the Ho Chi Minh Trail, used by North Vietnamese troops during the conflict that profoundly marked the country.The Ho Chi Minh Road is a special and scenic route that runs along the mountainous spine of Vietnam, known as the Trường Sơn Range. This portfolio of photography encompasses the highlights of his project, featuring twenty black and white photgraphs that represent the creator’s outlook and experience. Vietnam Loop is divided in two series of ten photographs. The Lost Faces Series focuses on circumstantial encounters with locals, portraying singular moments of their daily lives. The On The Road Series  is the result of intentional encounters with loneliness, rendering special places throughout the roads of Vietnam. The main camera used in this project is a Pentax Spotmatic from the ‘60s, similar to the ones used in the Vietnam War. Some shots were taken with a DSLR, the Canon 300D.  The films used in the Pentax Spotmatic were the HP5 Plus 400  and the XP2 Super 400. Both made by Ilford. Both black and white. Based in Porto, Francisco is a Law graduate from the Catholic University of Porto. Subsequently he specialized in Strategic Communication through ISCSP in the University of Lisbon, having worked as Marketing & Communications Specialist in the tech sector. Like many young people of his generation, Francisco enjoyed the opportunity that his parents did not have: backpacking through different countries, different continents over the years, developing his art as a photographer and as a writer.He’s also the creator of the platform O Sótão (osotao.com), presenting on a daily basis new artists /  projects that stand out in the world of underground music - with special focus on the genres of jazz, electronic and hip hop. General enquiries: f.espregueira@gmail.com O Sótão Facebook Youtube Soundcloud Address: Avenida do Brasil, 312, 1º Esq, 4150-152, Porto, Portugal Book https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/Book Mon, 15 Jun 2020 21:27:32 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/Book Vietnam Loop: About the Book Vietnam Loop is a novel and a photography project created by Francisco Espregueira, blending  two motorcycle trips through the mythical Ho Chi Minh Road that connects Saigon to Hanoi, in Vietnam - in 2014 from the South to the North and in 2018 from the North  to the South, completing a cycle in his personal life, fictionalized in the book.Leaving an unspoken past behind, the narrator progressively gets involved in a challenge that was randomly proposed to him. From the ecstasy of an empty road to the emptiness of a full hostel, the protagonist itself splits in two, revisiting memories and addictions that haunt him, intoxicated by some of the most beautiful places that the vast Asian continent can provide. Vietnam Loop is a Coming of Age narrative for a generation. A story about being in the road... about what it is like to travel with 25 years of age nowadays: the occasional encounters with locals and other travelers; the day-to-day experiences in infamous hostels; ephemeral friendships; and absolute solitude. Cover designed by João Brandão The  Vietnam Loop novel is a 222-page long book, including some of the photos presented in this Portfolio. The book is available to be edited by the right Publisher. General enquiries: f.espregueira@gmail.com Address:Avenida do Brasil, 312, 1º Esq, 4150-152, Porto, Portugal <img width="659" height="553" width_o="659" height_o="553" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ed4b79d0147fca211753bad87878fe4c5327f1e208402702eec163dec1f9e0bb/livro-1.jpg" data-mid="78456114" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/659/i/ed4b79d0147fca211753bad87878fe4c5327f1e208402702eec163dec1f9e0bb/livro-1.jpg" /><img width="868" height="573" width_o="868" height_o="573" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/87598836892918db99cc1e2a4b28204fd0ca7cf9de8b39ad5aae63f1c3867f33/livro-4.jpg" data-mid="78456115" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/868/i/87598836892918db99cc1e2a4b28204fd0ca7cf9de8b39ad5aae63f1c3867f33/livro-4.jpg" /> <img width="956" height="643" width_o="956" height_o="643" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f713835a0cabb47c0b4d063e4283690c5eb0e30ebcb08d5d2ed4e44e7e6d2314/capa-livro-vietnam-loop.jpg" data-mid="78456325" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/956/i/f713835a0cabb47c0b4d063e4283690c5eb0e30ebcb08d5d2ed4e44e7e6d2314/capa-livro-vietnam-loop.jpg" /> 1 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/1 Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:48 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/1 <img width="3072" height="2048" width_o="3072" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6eafaa7b76918963216ec709aa4c7f436a4eeece4ed6e87a351f5f47469036f6/1.JPG" data-mid="74672261" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6eafaa7b76918963216ec709aa4c7f436a4eeece4ed6e87a351f5f47469036f6/1.JPG" /> “Nostalgia”, Hanoi, Vietnam Bún Cha Dac Kim is one of the best places to eat a Bún Cha in Hanoi. The typical dish from Northern Vietnam is served with grilled fatty pork (chả) over a plate of white rice noodle (bún) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. This frame, with the opaque windows at its center, portrays the nostalgia of one of the cooks counting the money from that afternoon, while looking at the ever-busy street outside.  2 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/2 Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:49 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/2 <img width="2205" height="1470" width_o="2205" height_o="1470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/443a98f802f131cd1e4c3e08237f552b0a33523fdd156f66d0fa7061110e81fd/2.jpg" data-mid="74672300" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/443a98f802f131cd1e4c3e08237f552b0a33523fdd156f66d0fa7061110e81fd/2.jpg" />  “Colors Without Colors”, Saigon, Vietnam In one of the corners of the September 23rd Park in Saigon,  the Thai Bin Market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam. Here, the vendors outside show their enormous stock of colors and smells on a regular thursday morning. 3 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/3 Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:50 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/3 <img width="2205" height="1470" width_o="2205" height_o="1470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f5a3ac8599fdf891a1322741be6db0c0dae6c58b76b7c7b02338a956eaf0d71b/3.jpg" data-mid="74672047" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f5a3ac8599fdf891a1322741be6db0c0dae6c58b76b7c7b02338a956eaf0d71b/3.jpg" /> “Tropical Hammock”, QL 14E, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam From the Ho Chi Minh Road to get to the ancient town of Hoi An, turning on the QL 14E, one can feel the air getting heavier and damper as  the road snakes inside the jungles of Quang Nam province. Little villages appear on both sides of the tarmac. In its restaurants, around the time lunch is over, tranquility reigns. 4 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/4 Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:51 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/4 <img width="2205" height="1470" width_o="2205" height_o="1470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/86e9e534313facb0ed5df9b9beb1b1548d0403f648257fda468e325e2fa5249b/4.jpg" data-mid="74672444" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/86e9e534313facb0ed5df9b9beb1b1548d0403f648257fda468e325e2fa5249b/4.jpg" />“Rain Interludes”, Hoi An, Vietnam Places where people live with their houses “open” to the public are extremely interesting to me.  It’s just another day for this man, turning the TV on and laying back in his wooden backrest. Time moves slow when it rains in Hoi An. 5 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/5 Mon, 15 Jun 2020 21:21:18 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/5 <img width="2205" height="1470" width_o="2205" height_o="1470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0f666ee8a3d0a747daea2e648f93e3aaf5d8019e6cda071a2e84e6fbb54736ba/5.jpg" data-mid="74672806" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0f666ee8a3d0a747daea2e648f93e3aaf5d8019e6cda071a2e84e6fbb54736ba/5.jpg" /> “Hoi An Smile”, Hoi An, Vietnam Reaching the idyllic riverside of Thu Bon River, in the acient town of Hoi An, this is the photograph everyone will take home. The rise of tourism changed the business for many of the locals. This sweet old lady comes in and out of her boat with fresh fruit to sell it on the streets. If you buy more bananas than what you really need you might end up with pictures similar to the ones once popularized by Rehahn. Despite that, the Hoi An smile is always so sincere...  6 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/6 Mon, 15 Jun 2020 21:21:26 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/6 <img width="2205" height="1470" width_o="2205" height_o="1470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2b134dcfcef393cd7711c40f32ba72974db20511081ac556a5f93c153a67962/6.jpg" data-mid="74672859" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c2b134dcfcef393cd7711c40f32ba72974db20511081ac556a5f93c153a67962/6.jpg" /> “Untying Meditations”, An Bang Beach, Vietnam It takes around five minutes by motorbike to get from Hoi An to An Bang  Beach. The weather, in this part of Vietnam, reminded me of a girl I once knew. Grey clouds and strong rains could suddenly end a perfect beach day.  It comes and goes, you know... in the midst of all that there’s a man trying to untie an infinite number of ropes in his round basket boat. They would tie to each other again, eventually. 7 https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/7 Mon, 15 Jun 2020 21:21:32 +0000 Vietnam Loop https://vietnamloop.cargo.site/7 <img width="2205" height="1470" width_o="2205" height_o="1470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/806476da4498d2830fde1794f10b040d509d6f2750ba75ebda05dd535a278af1/7.jpg" data-mid="74672918" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/806476da4498d2830fde1794f10b040d509d6f2750ba75ebda05dd535a278af1/7.jpg" /> “Coconut Sadness pt. 1”, Mui Ne, Vietnam Mui Ne, in Southern Vietnam, is a small fishing village, growing through the road that leads to it, accomodating tourists and expats, mainly from Western Europe and Russia. Little paths from that road lead to a thin and long stretch of sand. This coconut vendor passed by me a couple of times before I raised a finger up to the sky. She kneeled and, with a couple of accurate strokes, cutted the top of a coconut. There was a silence to it, so i pointed to my camera, for permission.  