In a rapidly developing city, the contrasts of sights on the streets are plain for all to see. Even the shiny red Louboutin shop is nestled between local craft shops and two street hawkers.
The chaotic overhead wires in this side street differ widely from the cable-free environs of the Opera House, only a few minutes walk away.
And then again, within close proximity is an alley which houses a tiny fraction of the city's millions of motorcycles.
The central tree-lined garden along Le Loi
shines anew compared to some of the older buildings, as yet unrestored, or awaiting demolition.
The new pyramidic tower of a bank, (what else?), overshadows an ochre colonial building
with its mildewed Empire gateposts.
An advert for a modern bath faces a rather unlikely setting.
And occasionally, as below, sights that have remained unchanged for decades.
8 comments:
So reminiscent of the derelict colonial buildings in Luanda in the early 90's, wonderful facades and collapsed floors within. In one such building an enterprising individual had installed a jazz bar on an upper storey establishing a trend across the city giving us a choice of secluded venues. Naturally they were eventually shut down by the economic police but it was fun while it lasted.
Attractive clientele at Louboutin's.
They do seem to be making a pretty good effort at restoration, amongst all the crappy new builds.
Yes, quite by accident did the young lady in the short shorts come into my frame. Perhaps Louboutin would appreciate my endeavours and request my services?
What are economic police? Those econonomical with the truth? That's part of the training, int it? Plebgate an' all.
Personally, I feel that photo would make an excellent and very tasteful advert for them.
Here we are blessed with a variety of police. Public order; traffic; intervention; rapid reaction; frontier; immigration; fiscal to name but a few and then the buggers that can really make the life of an honest businessman a misery, the economic police. I recall a typical incident in 1994 when my colleagues (the Reuters and BBC correspondents) and I having finished our meal paid the waitress in USD. The two gentlemen sat at the next table promptly stood up, pulled their Makarovs and arrested us all including the owner and waitress. Realising they were dealing with the international press (I hastily lumped myself into that group) it was relatively easy for us to buy our freedom but considerably more expensive for us to arrange the release of our host and his employee who, unfortunately, spent a night in gaol.
With her employer's restaurant shut down for currency violation, the waitress was unemployed so I took her on as my house keeper where she remained for many years until finally marrying. As I was forever travelling, I had paid for her to attend the local university to keep her occupied while I was away. Last time I saw her she was an accountant with the Ministry of Finance, no doubt processing all the fines issued by the Economic Police.
Let me give you a taste of what it is like doing business here. I recenlty applied for a bridging loan of $250k repayable over three years. It became clear that the loan would not be issued unless I transferred ten percent of the loan value to the bank employees approving the transaction. Then there was a stamp duty on the transaction. Even though I already had government approved plans drawn up for the project in order to get my building licence, I had to employ and pay for a bank approved architect to copy all those drawings, append his signature and charge me $5,000. Then, even though the land is supposedly mine, I had to pay Superficio da Terra so, as I understand, it belongs to me a little bit more. Now Marcia has just left for town to pay a 1% tax on the loan. All this up front, you understand.
Well, I'm sure there are many compensating factors to living in Luanda. We too have ways that surprise here, but I do not have any business endeavours in this country for that very reason. And tangled woven webs are by their nature too bleeding difficult for one who was previously a banker, (when that meant something quite different). Today I expect many bankers would feel quite at home in the business environment you describe.
Taipei has a similar mix of old and new, although the old is getting rarer. I often say that I like the mix, and sometimes I do, but it is usually the old survivals or traces thereof that really capture my interest.
I had not imagined Ho Chi Minh City with such wide boulevards, and certainly not with skyscrapers like that pyramid! Thanks for bringing me up to date, or perhaps I should say, up to speed.
Parnassus - I know what you mean, but I too think it's the old that allows you to relive history and what the place might have been when they were in their heyday.
Mark - these boulevards are not everywhere, but around the Opera House and opposite the former presidential palace. All of them a colonial legacy, which is rather a fine one.
Nip back to the Sonata post. There's a link to some photos in the Telegraph that are sure to get your heart racing.
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