Ambassadeur Everlasting
Double Prayers
I think this speaks for itself,-- at the Hanuman (monkey god) temple at the lake in Bundi. I like the juxtaposition of man and monkey, the monkey himself looking as if in prayer
Casting the last net
It was a perfect end to a beautiful day in Mandu watching two fishermen hoping to attract the fish in the last rays of the sun. it is worthwhile opening this, I think
One-way traffic
Brahmin houses in Rajasthan are often painted blue but also many are more intricately painted. This one-way traffic scene caught my eye in one of Bundi's alley-ways.
Talks on the trap
In between religous studies and school, the young novices find time to catch up with each other and exchange news. All young boys spend at least three months as a novice before the age of 15, many spend longer being the best way to attain an education.
Waiting in the shade
At a morning market in Rakhine a rickshaw driver waits in the shade for his passengers. In these sleepy-villages this is the busiest time of the day, Note the absence of any mororized traffic.
Good Morning good...m
While cycling around the countryside in Rakhine we were invited to drink tea with this eldery man, he spoke English very well. We were surprised to experience in some remote places that we visited in Burma. The influence of the British Empire is not so evident as in India.
Colour My World
As the three women admired the impressive view through the open window at Kumbalgarh Fort, in western Rajasthan. I was atracted by the vibrant colours of the scene.
Quaking in Kosak Boot
A very different post from what I am used to today. You may think this is Russia but in fact it is Nederland. Last Janaury the Moscow Don Kosak Choir gave a performance in Gouda. The conductor is a friend of a friend and I was invited to the perfromance. Just before I left home my friend called and said bring your camera, the conductor would like you to photograph the Kosaks. At the time I thought this could be nice, but when I realised that I was expected to photograph for their new brouchure on stage with the choir, under the theatre lights, with instructions being continuously given, "now the soloist, now with movement, now.......", both I and my D90 felt very inexperienced. I was so glad that the D90 shoots at high ISO and more so that I had VR on my lens.:)
Alone in Mandu
Of the several abandoned cities that I have visited in India, the one that left the strongest impression on me was Mandu. Located 100 km southwest of Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Mandu was the capital city of a northern Indian Muslim state between 1401 and 1561. It has lain abandoned for over 400 years and is now the site of a tiny village and an expanse of farmers’ fields. Much of the charm of Mandu lies in its outlying buildings, many of which can be reached by foot or by bike. Another nice aspects of Mandu is the almost total absence of Western tourists. Most sites are left entirely to a few pilgrims or the individual traveller, especially early in the morning or at sunset, an all-too-rare occurrence elsewhere in India.
Charmed
First of all - thank everyone for their kind words and congratulations with my rode ster. And although I held my head high, I blushed a little:). I wondered what foto to upload in thanks and decided these two sisters whom I met in Khumbalgahr fort depicted my feelings well. the eldest - stripped her jumper off showing her new t-shirt and proudly posed for the foto the youngest blushed a littlle and wasnt too sure how to react to the attention. Thank you!
The legend of the...e
A young Yao (I think) girl sitting on the botom of the 330 steps of the temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. According to legend, a Buddha relic, which some say glowed, magically replicated just before it was about to be enshrined in the big chedi at Wat Suan Dok. The "cloned" relic was placed on the back of a sacred white elephant, which was allowed to roam where-ever it wanted. The elephant eventually climbed to the top of Suthep Mountain, trumpeted three times, turned around three times, knelt down and died. . What ever the legend, she doesnt seem to be impresed too busy playing with her coins
Cauliflower Time
This is an upload for Rein (pensionado) Mrauk U - it was the bloemkool season, almost every evening bloemkool arrived on our plates in the guesthouse in some form, curry, stir fried, fried in batter, (pakora) steamed, I like bloemkool but............... On her way to the morning market with her harvest, she looked so small under her basket
In the picture
No prizes for guessing where this was taken, kids always want to be in the picture even if you are trying hard not to include them
Taj in the mist
From the front, from the back, from the side or from above, it doesnt matter from where you view the Taj Mahal it is impressive. This is taken from the backside across the Yamuna river i wrote a tip a while ago about this spot, it was from here that Steve McCurry took his famous Taj Mahal foto.
I'm forever blowing..
As a life-long West Ham United supporter I couldnt resist the title. I was going to write a note referring to -the (economic) bubble in China, but decided its Saturday, lets keep this simple. I found her blowing bubbles outside the tea-house in the park in Chengdu on a Saturday afternoon.
Only the Innocent
The legend of Forbidden City says, that only the innocent may enter the gate of Celestial Purity, the non-innocent that pass through the gate will die or be doomed. While I was willing to step through and take my chance, this little fellow was not so sure:) Notice the split pants, making nappies surperfluous and toliet training very easy.
Snacks on the Bridge
A young boy selling snacks on the bridge in Zhu Jia Jiao, an ancient water town which flourished during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 just 30 kms from Shanghai. And it could be a million kms away, the contrast is so great.
Before the Dance
The temples in Khajuraho are probably most famous for the erotic carvings, I found most of the sculptures to be exquisite and interesting. Here we see two dancers at the Lakshman temple getting ready for their performance, the dancer on the left is applying her bindi to her forehead with the help of a handheld mirror.
Gloom in Hangzhou
After a wet, gloomy few days working in Shanghai the weekend was free. I decided to head to Hangzhou a couple of hours bus-ride from Shanghai. Described as a quiet picturesque town situated around a lake. Unfortunately the worse excesses of the Chinese tourist industry were there to behold. I have never seen so many people. Quiet - it wasnt Picturesque - it may have been once As for the lake - I couldnt see it for boats And the weather set the tone for the day - grey overcast skies and drizzle. He sat on the bank looking as gloomy as the day felt
Red for Blue
Jhalawar - Time for thought or time for herself or just intrigued by the white woman that is trying to speak "toda, toda Hindi". A smile was fluttering on her lips and soon after this we exchanged glass bangles. Red for blue.
Taking things for...g
Yangon in the rainy season is not the most attractive of places. With hardly any public services, street cleaning, erratic electricity power, no street lights, high fuel bills for generators, and broken pavements, sometimes life looks too much to bear. In a street behind one of the most prestigious hotels, The Strand, vegetable sellers sold their wares in a flooded market, squatting in for hours to make a few kyat. As I sit here in my dry, aircondtioned office I try not to take my life for granted.
Portrait of a Padaung
With my last two photos we have alreaady touched upon the human zoo and prison factor of the Padaung village in Chiang Mai. What I didnt know was that the number of Christians amongst the Padaung is increasing because of the Roman Catholic mission.
Still too young but..
The Padaung women famously wear brass rings around their necks. This distorts the growth of their collarbones and make them look as if they have long necks - which they don't. This row of brass rings do not actually stretch their necks but in fact squash the vertebrae and collar bones. A woman generally has about twenty or more rings around her neck. This neck ring adornment is started when the girls are 5 or 6 years old.
Bored
Undoubtedly the most famous temple in Chiang Mai, this holy site is located on the flanks of Doi Suthep, overlooking the city. I think the little girl in her traditional (plastic) costume was suppose to attract the tourists, but she semed pretty bored with the ordeal