of trains and men
Photographic reportage by Bertrand RIEGER / hemis.fr
Feature
Vietnam :
Between Hanoi, the capital, and Lao Cai, on the Chinese border, the train is the main means of transport. Traveling by this train is a human adventure for unhurried travelers and it is a history Academy in itself. As the train chugs along, one has time to observe one’s fellow travelers, half-expecting a few hostile glances (after all the war must have left its mark). Instead there are only smiles and laughing kids shouting “Hello”, or youngsters trying out a “Bonjour”. Men, naked to the waist, offer a glass of rice liqueur and a handful of peanuts and students make room for you on the wooden bench. They want to know who you are, where you come from and what you have come to visit. Everyone eats and laughs loudly. You are offered a cigarette Vintaba and history is rewritten to the throbbing of the ventilators. Vendors come by with their load of daily Sports newspapers, their Almanachs of leap years from 1932 to 2050, hard-boiled eggs still warm, tea served in plastic bags with a straw, Chinese lanterns and sweet potato biscuits. In his compartment, the ticket inspector counts his notes crouched on the floor. In the kitchen, the cook is stretched out beside one of the huge cauldrons, fast asleep. We are served pork wrapped in a banana leaf and a merchant weighs out apples with his scales.
HEMIS_450641 : Vietnam, Hanoi, the train passes in the heart of the old town between the buildings Page 3 / 24
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Vietnam, Hanoi, Long Bien bridge former Paul Doumer bridge over the Red River, nowadays only for trains, motocycles, bicycles and pedestrians
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, we can't buy anything with a note of 1000 dong (5 cents of euro) aboard the train but it raises a magnificent portrait of Ho Chi Minh
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, a mother breast-feeds her child laying down on the bench
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, the wire nettings are there to protect the passengers from children's possible stones throw
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the railway agents have access to one of the rare not fenced windows that opens to be able to observe the proper functioning of the train
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat with climatisation, this girl takes advantage of the fact that the places of this class are more expensive and thus less occupied to lay down on the bench. The journey lasts about 11 hours for 300 km
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Vietnam, train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, it's 6:30 am, the passengers disembark from the night train in Lao Cai on the Chinese border after a journey of more then 8 hours for only 300km
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Vietnam, Hanoi, the train passes in the heart of the old town between the buildings, the authorities limit the passages of trains in the day not to worsen too much the traffic of vehicles because of the numerous level crossing
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Vietnam, day train from Haiphong to Hanoi along the highway. There is almost no more countryside along 100 km of the road
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station, motorcycles are embarked on a special car, with their reservoir emptied which gives rise to any sorts of traffics of gasoline in the station of arrival
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the train crosses ricefields and forests in the North of the country
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, to occupy the 11 hours of the some 300 km of the journey, a passenger family watches the landscape passing behind behind wire nettings that protect the passengers from children's possible stones throw
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Vietnam, Hanoi, Long Bien bridge former Paul Doumer bridge over the Red River, nowadays only for trains, motocycles, bicycles and pedestrians, part of the bridge rebuild after the american bombing during the Vietnam war
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Vietnam arrival of the train between Hanoi and Haiphong, Long Bien bridge formerly Paul Doumer bridge built between 1898 and 1902 at the time of French Indochina by the company DaydĂŠ and Pille, company acquired by the group since Eiffel, this part leasds to Hanoi
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Vietnam, Haiphong, the train station, one-way train ticket for Hanoi in first class for 40,000 Dong that is less than 2 euros for 100km
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HEMIS_450567 : Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, non officiel tea seller, we can buy nearly everything (or almost) to spend the time Page 8 / 24
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, three generations of a family
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station, night trains are set up on almost deserted platforms. It's 100째F under the pale light of streetlights
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Vietnam, train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, unloading of goods from the North in a city close to Hanoi
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Vietnam, train from Hanoi to Lao Cai at the chinese border, luxury car of the Victoria Express chartered by the hotel Victoria in Sapa take you back in the atmosphere of the old days trains, the restaurant car with a refined decoration and gastronomy
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, most of the passengers keep smiling despite the discomfort and the heat which reigns in the car
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Vietnam, train reserved for the traders and their goods between Hanoi and Along, the engine with initials DSVN meaning Railways of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
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Vietnam, train reserved for the traders and their goods between Hanoi and Along, shutters and wire nettings are there to protect the passengers from children's possible stones throw
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Vietnam, Haiphong, quiet cafe terrace in front of the train station dating from the French colonial time
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Vietnam, day train from Haiphong to Hanoi along the highway. There is almost no more countryside along 100 km of the road
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Vietnam, train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, it's 6:30 am, a mechanic inspects the night train at its arrival in Lao Cai on the Chinese border before its return to Hanoi
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Vietnam, Hanoi, Long Bien train station, arrival of passengers and ducks
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Vietnam, train from Hanoi to Lao Cai at the chinese border, the train arrives at Lao Cai at dawn by following the Red River
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat with climatisation, this man takes advantage of an empty car in the beginning of the journey to lay down on the bench. The places of this class are more expensive than those not air-conditioned and thus less occupied
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, fans allow to bear the 100째F in the car
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Vietnam, train from Hanoi to Lao Cai at the chinese border, luxury car of the Victoria Express chartered by the hotel Victoria in Sapa evoking the atmosphere of the old days trains : the sophisticated couchettes of the sleeping car
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, fans allow to bear the 100째F in the car
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HEMIS_450600 : Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, concupiscent side glance Page 13 / 24
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, most of the passengers keep smiling despite the discomfort and the heat in the car
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, the smile of an old woman with the lacquered teeth
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, an afternoon nap in the shelter of wire nettings that protect the passengers from children's possible stones throw
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the kitchen that we cross to reach the restaurant car
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the restaurant car and the kitchen in the back
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, a ticket inspector watches the boarding of the passengers
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the restaurant car, table with view
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class soft seat with climatisation, the most comfortable with headrest almost spotless
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, ticket inspectors take turns to sleep in their compartment
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, contemplating the landscape or sleeping helps to spend the 11 hours of the some 300 km of the journey
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, boarding of passengers in one of the numerous train stations along the journey
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, the wire nettings are there to protect the passengers from children's possible stones throw
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, an elegant old lady and an unofficial saleswoman of drinks
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the landscape alternates between factories, cities, cemeteries, cornfields and flooded ricefields
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, an agent of Vietnam Railways at the crossing of a bridge, he has to verify that the way is clear for the train
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, passengers exit at the Yen Bai train station
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HEMIS_450373 : Vietnam, train reserved for the traders and their goods between Hanoi and Along, the usage of the helmet of the viet-cong army (colonial style helmet but nowadays in plastic) continues in lower classes
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, Yen Bai train station, ticket inspectors watching the boarding of the passengers
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class soft seat with climatisation, protective masks against the polution, the sun and possibly the germs are very popular especially among the women
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, Yen Bai train station, motorcycles are embarked on a special car, with their reservoir emptied what gives rise to any sorts of traffics of gasoline in the station of arrival
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat with climatisation, the usage of the helmet of the viet-cong army (colonial style helmet but nowadays in plastic) continues in lower classes
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, loading of goods through the windows
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, the wire nettings are there to protect the passengers from children's possible stones throw but they spoil a little the view
Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the ticket inspector announces the stops by loudspeakers
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, to face the long durations of the journey, families re-appropriates the space and the atmosphere always remains good
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, class hard seat without climatisation, the variety of the encounters is part of the pleasures of the journey
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, sale of food at a stop, here pork in a banana tree leaf
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the restaurant car, the kitchen is convert into a rest room for the staff between two preparations of meal
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Vietnam, train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, exchange of flags signals at the arrival in station
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Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, the landscape alternates between factories, cities, cemeteries, cornfields and flooded ricefields, landscape of ricefields towards Hanoi
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station, the first passengers of the train for Ho Chi Minh city arrive on the platform, there is no need to hurry, the journey of the train Express of the Reunification will last from 30 to 41 hours
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station, Express train of the Reunification on platform 1 for Ho Chi Minh city, last outside drink before the journey which will last from 30 to 41 hours
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Vietnam, Hanoi, a still deserted platform of the central station a few hours before the departure of the night train
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HEMIS_450565 : Vietnam, day train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, departure under the rain of the early morning following the Red River around Lao Cai Page 23 / 24
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station, the old Czech locomotive of the 60s enters station to be hung on the cars of the train for Lao Cai
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Vietnam, Hanoi, the train passes in the heart of the old town between the buildings and stalls
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Vietnam, Hanoi, central train station, the locomotive hangs on the cars of the train Express of the Reunification for Ho Chi Minh city
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Vietnam, Hanoi, train crossing the Long Bien bridge former Paul Doumer bridge over the Red River, nowadays only for trains, motocycles, bicycles and pedestrians, part of the bridge rebuild after the american bombing during the Vietnam war
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