At the end of September a series of photos by Tarica resurfaced on some historical archives online.
Vietnam was part of his 1995 itinerary across East Asia. He spent two months in the country, traveling from HCMC and the Mekong Delta to Hanoi and the northern mountains.
A bun cha (grilled pork noodle) stall on a Hanoi sidewalk seen through Tarica’s lens. He said he loved the street life in the capital and the eateries with small plastic chairs.
Trang Tien Street leading to the Hanoi Opera House.
The photographer said Hanoi was one of the most beautiful cities he had visited, impressed by its architecture, alleys, bridges over rivers, and children by the lakes.
He enjoyed fishing and met people with the same hobby in Sa Pa City (now Sa Pa Ward), Ba Be Lake in Bac Kan Province (now part of Thai Nguyen Province) and Hoi An City (now part of Da Nang City).
He often walked through local markets and spoke with fishmongers.
A street in Sa Pa City 30 years ago.
During his trips to the northern mountains, Tarica said taking local buses was a memorable experience. He was charmed by the hospitality of the Vietnamese.
“I was on my way to Ba Be Lake to fish. The trip was long and tiring, and every pothole on the road shook me to my core. When we reached Bac Kan at midnight, the bus driver took a detour to find me a hotel. After making sure I had a room and was safe, he returned to the bus and continued the route. People on the crowded bus waved goodbye to me. It was an incident I could not forget.”
Andy Tarica’s photograph titled Saigon Flood depicts people moving through a flooded street after a rain in HCMC.
The Phu Dong roundabout in HCMC.
The photographer has not returned to Vietnam since the trip, but said he was glad to see in the news that the country has developed greatly in the last 30 years.
