Crossing Bridges v3.0 2006 Sapa & Hanoi, Vietnam 27 Aug – 1 Sep

Welcome to Crossing Bridges v3.0 Sapa/Hanoi, Vietnam.

2004 saw Crossing Bridges v1.0 at Yogjakarta in Central Java
2005 saw Crossing Bridges v2.0 at Hong Kong and Macau

This is the 3rd annual trip organized to foster friendships amongst photographers from the various Asian photo forums in South East Asia. This year, 2006 will see Crossing Bridges in Sapa and Hanoi, Vietnam.

2006 participants will see photographers gather in Vietnam from photo forums in Indonesia (www.fotografer.net), Malaysia (www.photomalaysia.com), Vietnam (www.photo.com.vn) and Singapore (www.clubsnap.org)

The main aims of the trip are to

1. foster inter-forum friendships and understanding amongst the different online photo forums of SE Asia
2. foster personal friendships amongst photographers from different asian countries
3. learn from one another’s cultural background
4. have fun shooting at a new exciting location with like-minded photographers

About Sapa and Hanoi

Sapa is located in the high mountains of northern Vietnam and home to numerous ethnic hill tribes. It is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site and renowned for its weekend ethnic markets where hills people dressed in every tribal color imaginable descend onto the village to trade and barter essentials.

Nearby tribal mountain villages of Taphin and Laochai are still mostly untouched by the modern world retaining most of their traditional charms.

The mist shrouded mountains of Hamrong are profoundly beautiful in their own right

VERY unlike its southern commercial city, Hanoi is still very much the cultural capital of Vietnam with a pace very much slower than Ho Chih Min. Rivers of motorcycles and bicycles still swarm through its streets every morning and in the late afternoons. The French Quarter holds much of its colonial past close to its hearts while the Old Quarters with its unique layout of streets and crafts shops has retained its unique spirit for the past half century.

What activities are expected ?

Apart from shooting, a couple of evenings will be dedicated to photo talks and displaying of participants’ works from the trip’s shooting activities during the day.

Affordable shopping opportunities for modern art and tribal handicrafts is an activity that is hard to escape from either in the day or evening.

The organizers have put together a NON-TOURIST evening of authentic ethnic hilltribe dance festivities while we are in Sapa

Whats included in the price of the trip

Trip cost is S$600 per person twin sharing.

Trip includes

– Singapore – Hanoi – Singapore air ticket INCLUDING ALL airport taxes
– ALL Meals (no-pork)
– ALL Accomodations (twin sharing basis 3 star or equivalent quality)
– ALL Land Transportation Including Overnight Train Rides (and bunks)
– Photography guides

Who are the organizers?

The entire planning of the itinerary of the land arrangements in Sapa and Hanoi in Vietnam has been undertaken by a team of dedicated photographers from www.photo.com.vn led by Vietnamese photo forum founder Long PT. These photographers have had extensive experience shooting at these locales mentioned in the itinerary

They have constructed the itinerary as photographers that cater to the unique needs and timings of photographers.

The Vietnamese photographers are extremely fun folks and naturally very inquisitive about the latest photo developments outside.

Are there any prizes or competitions?

As in previous trips, we try to provide prizes for different ice-breaking competitions Eg most networked photographer, photographer using the simplest equiptment, most gung-ho photographer etc etc etc

Itinerary – Crossisng Bridges 2006 Sapa&Hanoi, Vietnam

26/08/06 4.30pm Evening to sundown 2 model half bikini shoot
Saturday Singapore Pre-trip Orientation, introductions and briefings

27/08/06 8.00am Morning walk-about breakfast shoot of Little India
Sunday 6.20pm Arrive in Hanoi Airport
S’pore & Hanoi Transfer to Train Station for overnight train to Sapa

28/08/06 5.00am Get off train
Mon 5 – 8am Bus to Cancau Market
1pm Leave Cancau
6pm Return to Sapa
Dinner and stay at Sapa

29/08/06 5 – 7am Take photo at Hamrong mountain
Tues 7 – 8am Have breakfast
8 – 11am Get off Sapa. Bus to Laochai, Tavan villages
11.30am Have luch
1pm Bus to Banho village
7pm Return to Sapa and have dinner
8.30 – 10pm Enjoin tradition ethnic music show

30/08/06: 7am Have breakfast
Wed 8 – 11am Take photos at Sapa market and the church
11.30am Have lunch
1 – 5pm Bus to Taphin village
5 pm Return to Laocai province and have dinner
8pm Get on train to Hanoi

31/08/06 6am Get off train and check in hotel
Thursday 8am Have breakfast and free shooting around Hanoi old quarter
11.30am Have lunch
1 – 3pm Free shooting around Hanoi old quarter
5 – 9pm Photography workshop

1/09/06:
Friday 6 – 12pm Bacninh province about ceramic villages (Thoha or
Phulang)
2 – 5pm Free shopping
5PM: Leave Hanoi
7pm Flight departs Hanoi

2/09/06 Whole Day Shopping in Singapore
Saturday – camera equiptment/gear
o general shopping and lazing around

Departure Point from Singapore???
Homework has been done on the cheapest route to fly to Hanoi. The conclusion is that it is best to depart for Hanoi from Singapore.

The departure date of 27 Aug (Sunday) has been picked to allow Indonesians and Malaysians to arrive in Singapore easily on Saturday or Sunday morning to make the Sunday afternoon departure for Hanoi

Likewise the return to Singapore on Friday 1 Sept is to allow time for Indonesians and Malaysians enough time to get home over the weekend.

Those who depart from Singapore will enjoy additional:

1. afternoon 2 model half bikini shoot on Saturday afternoon
2. Sunday morning breakfast shoot-about in Little India
3. Serious shopping time in Singapore both BEFORE and AFTER the trip

Can I change the dates of the trip?

YES if you want to stay longer beyond 1 September (no problem, just pay whatever the airline penalty is if any [normally extra s$30])

NO if you want to go to Hanoi earlier (too much risk of getting lost and out of touch for the organizers)

What should I bring for the trip?

1. An inquisitive and positive attitude
2. Hunger to make new friends
3. Your camera?
4. A warm smile

Closing Dates of Bookings

Crossing Bridges is planned with ONLY a maximum of 40 photographers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to join up with their Vietnamese counterparts in Hanoi so yes places ARE limited.

Those who are keen to participate in Crossing Bridges v3.0 Sapa& Hanoi, Vietnam should advise the representative below by NO LATER than next week Friday 24th June 2006.

A 1st deposit of S$250 should also be submitted with each name by 24th June. The balance of S$350 will be collected on the departure date itself.

For registrations and payments of deposits: please contact:

Eddie Ng
email: eddie@walkeast.com

Deposits to be made into Posbank Savings account 021-12076-6
(PLEASE send me an sms or email to register and then send in the initial S$250 deposit)
(SMS me asap once the deposit is made WITH your deposit confirmation number so that I know where/who the money is from, thanks.)

For more questions please post them below in this thread and I will try my best to reply them