Below you will find pages that utilize the taxonomy term “Photographs”
102 Days Nepal
May 23, 2016
The old lady horks forcefully and then spits a ball of phlegm unerringly into the gutter a few steps away. It is one of the many sights and sounds I had to get used to in Nepal, the country of mountains and endless dust.
Life in Nepal is not comfortable, it is a developing country. And even among those, it ranks low. Electricity is only available for a few hours each day, and mains water supply comes once a week for half an hour.
North of Bhaktapur
May 18, 2016
Impressions from an afternoon walk in an area that is mixed agricultural and early industrial.
Music and Dance
April 16, 2016
It’s the last day of Bisket Jatra today. Or second to last, I lost track.
In comparison to huge chariots, even bigger poles and pools of chicken blood, today was almost mundane. Devotees of the various gods and goddesses walked through the streets, visiting their favourite temples. Many of them were wearing traditional Newari dresses and most groups had a couple of musicians as well.
Given that there are countless temples and even more groups of devotees roaming the streets, it’s fairly easy to see a part of the action.
Morituri in Bhaktapur
April 13, 2016
Happy Nepali New Year, everybody! Around here, the first day of the new year is not greeted by littered streets and hungover masses. Instead, people flock to the holy places to bring offerings.
I joined my guest family on their visit to the chariot, where they wanted to offer rice, fruits and a chicken. The latter had been sitting around the house since yesterday and the other volunteer and I simply referred to it as “tomorrow’s dinner” or just “tomorrow”.
Yoshin Pole
April 12, 2016
It’s New Year’s eve today (in the local calendar) and as part of the celebrations, a huge pole was erected on Bhaktapur’s pottery square.
The small square was jam-packed with locals and a couple of visitors.
More than a hundred people were working on erecting the pole with ropes and supporting tree trunk constructions.
Even with all the manpower, it took about two hours until the pole was upright. Or upright-ish.
Bhaktapur Bricks
April 6, 2016
During my stay in Bhaktapur, I’d like to volunteer with a local organisation that needs support with their online systems. The main project coordinator wasn’t around today, but one of the staff members gave me a first briefing. It didn’t take too much time, so I had ample opportunity to roam around the old part of town.
From what I’ve been told, the 2015 earthquake destroyed 6000 out of 17,000 buildings (sic!
Shivaratri
March 8, 2016
“Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival of Nepal and India celebrated annually in reverence of the God Shiva” (wikipedia). The guys at the house had gotten pretty excited about it, as it’s the one day were one can smoke excessive amounts of weed in the streets without being considered a lowlife.
Yesterday it was that day of the year and I had considered paying the Pashupatinath temple a visit. It is one of the holiest places of Hinduism and people flock from all over Nepal and India for the festival.
Every Saturday
March 5, 2016
In the Streets of Patan
February 15, 2016
[caption id=“attachment_4050” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] Washing Day[/caption]
[caption id=“attachment_4043” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] So yummy[/caption]
[caption id=“attachment_4047” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] Yep, that’s my knee[/caption]
Kathmandu
February 13, 2016
Started the day with a walk into Thamel (after breakfast that is) to have a look for some warmer clothing. Pretty much straight after entering the touristy area, I was frequently approached by trekking guides and others, who hope to make a few dollars.
One of the guys seemed nice enough and I followed him for a tour around the area. He seemed pretty knowledgeable (should be, as a trekking guide) and told me, that the number of overseas visitors had dropped from hundreds of thousands per year to less than a quarter of that after the 2015 earthquake.
SIN to KTM
February 12, 2016
Approaching Singapore by means of air transport is quite a sight. Coming in over the sea, one looks down on an endless amount of cargo ships and, if sitting on the right side of the plane, the CBD. Looks especially pretty at night.
All that is nothing compared to the approach on Kathmandu though. Descending into the mountains, close-by peaks on eye-level and finally arriving in pretty much the middle of the city was the most breathtaking landing I’ve ever witnessed.
Cockfight
December 26, 2015
According to common folklore, baby Jesus was born some 2000 years ago. Considering how Christianity has brought two millennia of terror and suffering onto the world, why not celebrate the anniversary with a little bloodshed. Stage free for cock-fighting in the village down the road.
Just as on the Philippines, the cocks have a single blade tied to one of their feet.
Betting is a big thing and from what I’ve gathered, one can either simply bet on a winner or on how many cuts the loser will suffer.
Dust
December 1, 2015
Bagan is a dusty place - and this is just the end of the rainy season! Under the shower the water quickly turns brown and when I open the computer, I have to give it a quick wipe first. During sunset the haze does add to the spectacle though.
I’ve started the day with another sunrise, don’t know the last time I got up at 5:00 twice in a row. Might be a lifetime first!
Sunrise in Pagoda Land
November 30, 2015
5:00 am, my alarm pulls me out of sleep with gentle melodies. Too early, no way I’m getting out of bed just to see the sun rise! Torn, I rest for another minute or two. Then my roomate’s alarm makes a noise you could hear aboard a nuclear submarine during critical reactor failure. Alright, I’m awake now!
We grab our gear, put on a jumper and head across the road to hire ebikes.
Tazaungdaing Festival
November 27, 2015
The Tazaungdaing Festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, held on the full moon day of Tazaungmon, the eighth month of the Burmese calendar, is celebrated as a national holiday in Burma (Myanmar) and marks the end of the rainy season. It also marks the end of the Kathina season, during which monks are offered new robes and alms.
So much from Wikipedia. The area I’m staying at in Yangon (Sanchaung) is a little better off, people living here work as merchants or have their own business.
Yangon first Impressions
November 18, 2015
Looking for a taxi at the airport on Monday, another backpacker approached me and asked whether I’d be up for sharing a taxi. I certainly was and on the way into town I learned that my newly found companion had already spent time in Yangon in the past. Perfect - local advice!
Today we met up for a little tour around downtown and Yangon looks a fair bit like other Southeast Asian cities.
Silom and Chinatown
November 17, 2015
During the day, Silom is a business district with office workers filling the streets. At night it’s still a business district but the industries have changed. One of the sois is home to the infamous Pat Pong sex tourist haven and the whole main road is lined with small shops selling… pretty much everything. Souvenir t-shirts, fake Rolex, dildos, knuckle-dusters, hand-carved soap, …
I had to ply through there every time I wanted to catch the skytrain (BTS) - which basically means a couple of times a day/night.
Climb that Hill!
September 12, 2015
Time to lace the boots and get some dirt on them. Heading out of the old town I followed the familiar track up the hills, past the Spanish mosque and onwards into steeper terrain.
Coming my way were a couple of older women, heading for the market in town to sell their goods. The path winded through the countryside and then opened up to a dirt road.
About an hour total into the adventure, the road met a mountainside and the directions I received told me to head up a goat path.
Tangier
September 9, 2015
The place I’m staying at is an old, rather tiny building with doors a head shorter than me. It’s narrow stairways and colourful interior seem oddly familiar but I can’t quite put my finger on where I’d have seen something similar before.
A rooftop terrace is overlooking the neighbourhood maze and on a clear day one can see the coast of Spain at the horizon.
Exploring the Medina (old city) is an interesting experience with lots of things to see.
Kotor
August 27, 2015
“It’s incredible”, “I’m lost for words”, that’s the kind of descriptions other travellers gave of Kotor, a small town at the Adriatic coast. It does have a touristy reputation as well though. Cruise liners drop off their cargo for the day, flooding the old town with holidayers on a spending frenzy.
Regardless of that, I wanted to have a look and took the bus over there on Tuesday. It’s a 2.5 hour drive and most of it leads through mountainous terrain. Once the coast was reached, I got an idea of what people were talking about.
The town itself, specifically the old town, has a nice flair to it. Most of the buildings are kept in good shape, the area is clean and the towering mountains
Belgrade at Night
August 16, 2015
The local government doesn’t shy away from spending a few tax dollars on illuminating the city’s shiniest buildings. Good reason to grab the camera and head out for an evening/night walk.
Both of the above buildings are about three minutes walking distance from the hostel. The church below about 15-20 minutes.
Beautiful Budapest
August 8, 2015
This city has some seriously good looking buildings. Seeing the parliament for the first time is a true “Neat!” moment.
It should be mentioned though that not every building looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale. The subway that took me into the city (M3) had a distinct Soviet flair.
Of course no visit to Budapest would be complete without
Nablus
June 10, 2015
Time for a delayed trip report! On Monday I followed Hiba’s invitation for a tour around Nablus. The town is about an hour from Ramallah on the shared taxi. I managed to arrive half an hour late by first forgetting my passport (had to return to get it) and then taking the one taxi that got rear-ended on the way.
Hiba showed understanding though and we jumped right into the tour with a visit to an old soap factory right next to the bus station. In Palestine, fresh olive oil is used for food and the old (after a year) left-overs are turned into soap. It’s a handicraft.
We continued with a visit of the old city, which is much bigger and charming than that of Ramallah. It has a lot of
Palestine Impressions
June 9, 2015
Great Day in Nablus yesterday, short trip to Bethlehem today. Too tired to write more at the moment.
Pictures say more than words anyway.
[caption id=“attachment_3056” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] Graffiti in Nablus[/caption]
[caption id=“attachment_3063” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] Herbs and Spices at a Shop in Nablus[/caption]
[caption id=“attachment_3057” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] Something very sweet and yummy - forgot the name[/caption]
[caption id=“attachment_3058” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”] Fit Guy in Bethlehem[/caption]
[caption id=“attachment_3059” align=“aligncenter” width=“450”] Landscape east of Jerusalem[/caption]
Last Day: Chinatown
March 26, 2014
Something a lot of people recommend as a Manila activity is a visit to Chinatown. It is supposed to be an interesting sight and a feast for the palate. The latter was my main motivation for going.
Getting there took a while but in the end was quite easy, thanks to good directions by the hostel staff. Trains were a bit on the crowded site. Being at least a head taller than anybody else, I was the only one with fresh air in there.
More Diving?
March 15, 2014
Much to my own surprise, I did some more diving today. This time it wasn’t wrecks but reefs instead. Not too bad for a change.
Tomorrow I’m leaving on a five day cruise with Tao Philippines. Just had the briefing and it seems to be an interesting group of 14 people on the boat.
No updates for the next days, where I go they don’t have reception.
Wrecks, Wrecks, Wrecks
March 14, 2014
If, from reading this blog, you got the idea that I do little more than diving and eating, then that is not too far from the truth. The occasional hour is spent at a massage or with walking around of course.
Other than that it is reading philosophy books and thinking about how simply by chance I ended up being born in a western country and not a dodgy neighborhood in SEA.
Coron
March 13, 2014
Waking up to the sound of Whitney Houston and the smell of frying garlic - could life get any better? My accommodation is located smack in the middle of a Philippino neighborhood. And I mean RIGHT in the middle. When the guy next door farts, I will know about it.
Being on vacation and not on a long travel, I could afford to go some place more fancy but this is what I am used to and I also like the intensity of the experience.
Wreck Diving
March 12, 2014
Another first! This time it was wreck diving, something I had had on my list for quite a while. As already mentioned, Coron is a great place for this as the surrounding waters feature more than a dozen wrecks, most of them 100+ meter long ships in good condition.
Today it took us more than an hour to get to the first dive site. With the sun shining and marvelous scenery around, not really an issue.
Abu Dhabi Impressions
March 7, 2014
Going through the memory cards before meeting a local food blogger for lunch.
More Abu Dhabi
March 4, 2014
With Abu Dhabi being oil sheik country, I expected my stay to be somewhat pricey. A quick glance at the hotel restaurant’s menu confirmed that and had me crunching numbers.
Fortunately a stroll through the neighborhood revealed that even in Abu Dhabi there is street food. A local bakery produces some cheese filled pide bread in their tandoori style oven and with 3 Dh a fix it costs less than a tenth of what the hotel charges for a basic meal.
Up and Down
November 13, 2011
Getting to sleep the other night proved a bit difficult. There was a lot of unfamiliar noises from the pigs and dogs around the house and in addition the villagers had a bar playing music till the early night. The village has a water-powered generator that provides a bit of light after sunset but they still try to utilize as much of the daylight as possible. Thus they get up early, the roosters start their concert before the sun is even up.
Afternoon Exertion
November 12, 2011
The meal was good and the rain had stopped, so everybody was ready to tackle the second half of the day. Back into the jungle.
Walking got considerably harder. The path was still muddy and now constantly lead up and down, sometimes just inches from a slope down to the river. The guides were doing fine, one of them even in flip-flops, but the American couple was on hands and feet more than once.
Going remote
November 11, 2011
In Thailand the usual treks to hill tribe villages go along a well beaten path. The country sees a massive amount of visitors and the locals have adjusted to that. Far fewer people visit Laos and even fewer take it on them to walk for hours through the jungle to reach a remote village. We were among these few.
Our group was completed by Phil and Christy from California and our two Lao guides.
Bangkok's buzzing
September 9, 2011
It’s business as usual. Bangkok is smelly, smoggy, crowded, hot and humid. In the beginning I always wonder why I’m staying here again and again but the answer comes with the first stroll through the streets: It’s interesting. Getting bored in Bangkok is almost impossible.
I started yesterday evening with a massage. There isn’t any places around the guest house but the lady at the reception recommended to take the subway to Silom Road.
Walking and Whisky
August 22, 2011
Most tourists come to Islay either by car or with their bicycles which is not the worst idea as public transportation is rather scarce. I don’t have either and using a bicycle on a windy island for hours wouldn’t be to my taste anyway.
For Sunday I planned a visit to the Bowmore distillery which is about 11 miles from Port Charlotte where I’m staying.
As I had to learn, there is no bus services on Sunday.
Sightseeing
June 30, 2011
Yesterday I hired a tuk-tuk to have a look at same places near Battambang. I went with an ‘independent’ driver who was recommended to me by the French expats. Independent means that he’s working in the streets like you would expect it and doesn’t hang out in front of the tourist hotels hoping for big money.
From what the guy told me he used to run into trouble with the ‘hotel drivers’ as they followed him and beat him up after he ‘stole’ one of their customers.
First Angkor Impressions
June 24, 2011
When I woke up this morning I realized that I slept 12 hours straight. Feeling much better now. I got myself some breakfast and then went back to the computer to take care of some stuff for Andy. His webhosting company is still incapable of unblocking some IPs so after waiting for an hour I decided that it was time to see some temples.
The guest house organized a tuk-tuk for me and off we went.