Chapter 24: Natalia in Backlight (Vietnam, a journey of finding many faces one by one—a haphazard, wandering travelogue of Vietnam)

The small boat carrying us is passing through a rocky cave.
Sitting in front of me is Natalia, a Spaniard.
She is tall, glamorous, and has rose tattoos on both her arms and thighs.
Behind me, a Vietnamese woman is rowing the boat with her feet.

It is dark inside the cave.
From beyond that darkness, a strong light shines through.

I said,
"Natalia, look back. Look at me."
Natalia turns around.
I press the shutter.
"Good!"

I press the shutter again.
In the backlight, Natalia is smiling.

Every time I press the shutter, the light changes.
The contours of her face emerge and then vanish.
It was as if the light itself was painting her expression.

I asked Natalia if I could use her smartphone to
take her portrait.

It has been twenty years since I last took a portrait of a beautiful woman.
I used to take photographs for Elle Japon magazine back in the day.
Though, I wasn't in the fashion department,
but rather doing editorial photography for film directors like the Coen brothers
and various actors.

I asked, "Are you an artist?"
She shook her head,
"No. A social worker."

I see, I think to myself.
She has dignity.
She possessed the kind of composure that only someone who works for the sake of others has.

When I showed her the photo I took, she smiled and said, "Oh."
That was all, though.
It didn't lead to us becoming close.
Once we got off the boat, we were just separate travelers again.

The Vietnamese woman rowing with her feet kept complimenting Natalia. "Beautiful!"
She travels back and forth on this river every day with tourists.
She rows the boat with her feet and lives on a meager income.
On the other hand, we tourists are carefree.
We are moved by the beautiful scenery, take photos, and eventually leave.
I felt a slight sense of guilt.
The light on the water's surface is shimmering.

Tam Coc apparently means "three caves."
Lakes, strange rock formations, limestone caves, temples.
It is a place that takes the landscape that was already there,
and packages it as a single tourist experience.

I liked it.
It is not a tourist city built by anticipating the future like Da Nang.
The scenery itself is the main attraction.
There are many Western tourists as well.
Outside of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,
this was the first time I had seen so many Westerners.
They are truly good at finding beautiful scenery.

At SEN THAI VI TEMPLE,
I listened to a performance of a mysterious traditional instrument that reminded me of a theremin.

Then, we headed to the cave temple, Linh Coc.
It is a dark, narrow, and long limestone cave.
If I slipped, it looked like it would be trouble.
Before I knew it, I felt a strange sense of solidarity
with the two young French men walking in front of me.
That was probably the primitive sense of camaraderie
that men share in dangerous places.

Eventually, we emerged from the cave.
Outside, the cicadas were buzzing.

I let out a sigh of relief.
I felt a little bit grateful
that I had made it back to the world of the living.

To be continued

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