Adriana is a South African artist with degrees in Journalism and Languages. Along with being a seasoned traveler, she is also an award-winning photographer, with a passion for seeing the world through new eyes.
Introduce yourself!
My name is Adriana Roos. I’m from South Africa, and currently live in Cape Town. I’ve lived in the UK for 2 years, followed by Mexico for 2 years. Extreme opposites in many ways. What interests me the most about travelling is the process of learning. The questioning and discovery. The anthropological insight into the norms and values of cultures, The customs, habits, okays and not-okays. And then of course there’s the intriguing people you meet along the way – from hippie experiential travellers to groups of tourists in busses with cameras.
How does photography influence the way you travel and see the world around you?
For me photography has opened a lot of doors, even literally. I’ve found that people are generally more open to talk to me if I explain that I’m a photographer. The camera has become a ticket into people’s lives and their homes. Somehow people trust me more when I’m wearing my camera.
What sparked your interest to travel to throughout Vietnam? Which cities did you visit?
I’ve travelled extensively through Europe, North, Central and South America and the UK, and have accumulated a lot of air miles, which I had to redeem. I literally sat with the travel agent and asked her the check the furthest destination I could go with my miles. It happened to be Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve never been to the East, and decided to take this opportunity. I visited Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay.
Did you have any expectations or preconceived notions about the culture you would be exposed to? How did they differ from the way the culture actually was?
I try not too have too many preconceived ideas when traveling, but I always find that both the stereotypical things you would read about in travel guides, and the exact opposite is true in any culture. It really depends on your own worldview, your attitude, your openness and willingness to see any different when traveling. Marcel Proust said it beautifully – ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.’
What was your experience with transportation? How did you navigate between each city?
I just booked my ticket to and from Ho Chi Minh City, but didn’t plan any internal transport – I decided to make those decisions once I was there and I could ask other travellers for tips. I took 2 overnight buses, 1 plane, and taxi’s and boats where I could. My experience was mostly great, safe, and affordable – but as a white girl I experienced a lot of cheating and anger from local taxi drivers (mostly).
What are the most important items you carry with you on while traveling?
Without saying my camera, a notebook and an open heart.
How did this trip differ from trips you’ve taken in the past?
This trip was different as I travelled by myself and I didn’t plan anything in advance, except the first night’s accommodation.
What were some of your favorite travel experiences while traveling throughout Vietnam?
I loved Vietnam - the overcrowded streets in Ho Chi Minh City, the street markets and street food, and the beautiful landscapes. I was well received as a visitor in most places, but as in a lot of other third world countries I also experienced a lot of unnecessary attention and interaction from locals who wanted to ‘help’ me in order to get money from me.
The Vietnamese Pho was incredible every time. My tastiest meals were all on some street corner where locals gathered and I didn’t know exactly what I was eating. Vietnamese cuisine is incredible; fresh and affordable. Try everything would be my recommendation. Look for crowded street stalls, see where the locals eat, and eat there. One of my tastiest meals cost me less than 50 cents!
I encountered a lot of different people travelling in Vietnam – the British sex tourist, young Australians backpacking for 3 months through South East Asia, a German photographer, Russian sunbathers and Danish youngsters. Vietnam has become a very popular backpacking destination.
Vietnam is easy to navigate, just ask questions.
How did this trip differ from trips you’ve taken in the past?
This trip was different as I travelled by myself and I didn’t plan anything in advance, except the first night’s accommodation.
Travel has a tendency to look very glamourous, though that is not always the case. What types of challenges have you had during your life on the road as a long term traveler and how did you overcome them?
I highly value family and relationships. The hardest part of travelling for me has been being away from family on those special days – birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries. Loneliness and isolation has been my hardest challenges – not the times when I ate potatoes for days, slept on mud floors or had no toilet or shower facilities. Staying in touch with the important people at home can be challenging, but I made an effort to include them in my travels. Skype, letters, gifts. And to bring my travels ‘home’ when I visited home. I remember stuffing my suitcase with tacos, refried beans and mole when I can home from Mexico. Sharing my experiences has also been an important part of the ‘coming home’ phase for me.
What I’ve also learned is to never think of travel as superior to staying at home. This is the biggest faulty way of thinking I’ve encountered amongst young travellers and it creates a unnecessary barrier between the traveller and the non-traveller. A recipe for ruining good relationships with family and friends who doesn’t necessarily value travel. Human connection is what we all seek – and that’s often the most rewarding parts of travelling for me : connecting with someone that’s so vastly different from me. Value people, not places. This is the most important thing to remember.
What is your favorite memory from your trip? Is there a particular moment you would relive given the opportunity?
My favourite moment has been on the back of a scooter crossing the bridge to Thu Thiem. I’ve heard about the story of redevelopment in this specific area – and wanted to meet a family who’s suffering because of this. It was my favourite moment, probably because I felt like it was a part of Ho Chi Minh City that a few people see, know about, or even visits. No other tourists in sight, even though it’s so close to the bustling tourist areas. You can read the whole story here.
On the last night of my stay in Vietnam. I asked the hostel where I spent my first night to reserve a bed for me on my last night. As I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City after a flight from Hanoi, I got to the hostel, and was ready to just rest. As I enquired about my booking, the elderly man could not find it and said they were fully booked. Late and tired, I did not have anything in me to go and find another place, and asked if there weren’t any other space available, pointing to the small sofa in the reception. Wait, wait he said, and up and up we walked to the top floor. There we climb up a small ladder unto the rooftop, where he sleeps in the midst of the laundry. Incredible views and an incredible atmosphere – he offered his sleeping space to me for half of the price. I accepted, we carried a mattress up (as he sleeps on a thin carpet only), and that’s how my time in Vietnam ended. On top of a 9-storey building in Ho Chi Minh City, with the most incredible views.
Please pick and note your favorite picture you have captured during a trip and share the story behind it. Why it is your favorite?
My film camera leaked light, and consequently a role of my Vietnam pictures all came out with this natural Instagram effect. I love this shot as it captures Ho Chi Minh City so well - the moments of calm and quiet in the little alleys, just steps away from the chaotic main roads. There’s no real story here (see image below), I simply walked past this man and captures his quiet moment of eating.
What advice do you have for individuals that travel in a similar way, but don’t know how to start?
Do research. Read up on the history and politics of where you’re going. Talk to people who’ve been there. Avoid travel guides. Work out why you want to travel. Is it to rest, to experience, to take or to give? The best advice I ever received was: go as a learner – never as a judge. Collect memories and friendships. Be wiling to change your plans and your opinion.
What’s next for you?
There’s always a tension between going back to the places that I’ve loved or visiting somewhere I have never been. I went to India in 2015 and absolutely loved it. I’d love to go back there. And then there’s Russia and the Middle East too where I’ve never been. I have no travel plans yet, only dreams and a savings plan.
To see more of Adriana's writing and photography, visit her website here.
Images courtesy of Adriana Roos
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