All Aboard the Languorous Train From Hanoi to Saigon
Friday, 26 November 2021. Written by Abdelaziz Ibrahim. Photos by Abdelaziz Ibrahim.
Darkroom is a Saigoneer photography series that documents the beauty and stories of Vietnam and beyond. The compelling images encourage one to reflect upon the complexity of the human condition and the world.
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.
Every time I take a train in a new country, I’m fascinated by the interactions and activities that occur within the carriages. Somehow, through all their quirks and oddities, they represent a microcosm of a nation’s wider culture.
Hanoi Central Train Station.
I Hear The Train A-Comin’; It’s Rollin’ ‘Round The Bend, Johnny Cash 1955.
You see people meeting for the first time and forming friendships, long-haul passengers relishing the ride, and families reuniting or saying farewell. You see kids playing with their toys beside old people passing the time. You see men drinking beer together after lunch.
None of these things would seem out of place in any Vietnamese city. Here, they are framed by the windows and aisles of a slow-moving train, adding color to days that would otherwise be mundane.
Take a ride below:
OOH – I’ll get by with a little help from my friends – Beatles / Joe Cocker 1969
Boarding.
Two men killing time.
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
Lunchtime in the restaurant carriage.
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Thuốc lào time.
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song
And I’ll try not to sing out of key
A staff member checks tickets.
Ticket to Ride – Beatles 1965
Sleeping, resting, playing on phones in the carriage.
I think I’m going to be sad, I think it’s today, yeah
The girl that’s driving me mad is going away
Kids playing together.
I can recall a time, when I wasn’t afraid to reach out for a friend. – Dusty Springfield 1979
A child plays with his toy on a window sill.
We’ll build a world of our own
That no one else can share! – Seekers – 1963
The conductor’s hat.
Wherever I lay my hat! That’s my home! Paul Young 1983
A young boy enjoying the view.
“Are we there yet?”
A Mosaic of Vietnam’s Landscapes Through the Windows of the North-South Train
On the Gentle Train Ride in a Myanmar From Another Era
And finally!
If you really love him
And there’s nothing I can do! The Walker Brothers 1965 – A well-to-do Father talking to his much loved daughter who’s in love with a boy, who’s parents live here!!!
And Relax
Why would any man who’s the head of the biggest country in the world want to start a war which will kill people – remember death does not have an ‘undo’ button! Just to get more land?
Love and peace John (confused on Phu Quoc Island)
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