The alleyways

I'm going to try to convey a sense of some of Ho Chi Minh's back alleys. This is a work in progress since I struggle with bringing out my camera in fear of irritating people. (Or getting my camera stolen.) My photos here also don't quite get at the calmness you find when you turn into one of these winding mazes off of the crazy, congested streets outside.

The alleys feel relatively quiet and still but there's an enormous amount of activity going on, starting at dawn and continuing well after dark. Every door is open, and people always seem to be hanging around in their front living rooms -- many of which have been turned into some kind of business, like a store, food stand, coffee place, Internet cafe, beauty salon, laundry service, tailor, etc. And people spill out of their homes into the alleys, squatting on these ubiquitous tiny plastic stools, eating and drinking and talking, or just sitting by themselves.

So these photos aren't too beautiful; I took them tonight hurriedly because I felt self-conscious, and at one point I was scolded, which made me feel horrible. A difficult task!