Tag Archives: Canon 28-70mm

A FEW MORE SHOTS AROUND SAN FRANCISCO

Posted on by
2

Last shots of San Francisco. I don’t know why I looked up, but glad I did. My wife always reminds us – when traveling always look up. A crisp. clear blue sky.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-39

While I wandered through Chinatown, I wondered – what would Buddha think?

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-25

Reminiscent of those old motels you would pass (or stay in) as a kid.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-31

I stopped by a church for an hour. A haven on a walk. A spot to think, reflect, say thanks.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-31-2

I would say, San Francisco feels welcoming.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-32

I think this van welcomes a lot of people to write on it.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-36

Living and traveling around Asia, this store front no longer feels odd or foreign to me.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-37

The famous hills of San Francisco.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-47

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-46

I didn’t take this tram home. The wait was too long.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-42

Alcatraz.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-50

Last shot. Flowers in bloom.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-51

Great city. Thanks for dropping by ….

STROLLING SAN FRANCISCO

Posted on by
Reply

As mentioned previously, I arrived early in San Francisco and went for a walk. It was a cold Sunday afternoon (November) but sunny. The concierge laid out a route and I began walking toward Chinatown.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_

Chinatown and a cup of tea. There were a lot of tea shops offering a cup of tea.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-33

I didn’t really understand the free tasting thing. I was trying to order a green tea and they kept giving me these tiny little cups until they understood I wasn’t there to buy a big box of tea.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-23

I passed this shop and stopped. A Sakura tree … we bought the same one in Japan (but in white)

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-24

Pretty cold. Not a big time for outdoor patios.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-28

Down an alley and I was stopping in at the place where they invented the fortune cooking. 50 cents to take a photo …

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-28-2

Love the architecture of the city. Toronto should have protected more of their buildings.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-29            2013 11 18 San Francisco_-30

Love the colors.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-38

This tower will always have special meaning for me. My very first – large sales deal was at Transamerica in Canada. I will always remember the Transamerica tower on their business cards (A guy honked at me when I stopped to take this).

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-29-2

It was the first time I had ever wandered around San Francisco as I always go airport>hotel>meetings>airport. Nice city.

A MEKONG DELTA FISH FARM

Posted on by
Reply

I knew very little about the Mekong Delta prior to traveling there. My knowledge was limited to things I had seen on Vietnam war movies and a belief that the delta was full of life.

The last hypothesis was correct. The river brings life to those around it.

The Mekong Delta (Vietnamese: Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long "Nine Dragon river delta") is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of 39,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi).[1] The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.

The Mekong Delta has recently been dubbed as a "biological treasure trove". Over 10,000 new species have been discovered in previously unexplored areas of Mekong Delta, including a species of rat thought to be extinct.[2]

Our journey would be a boat ride along the river with a range of stops. The boats had a similar look at feel to those in Cambodia.

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_

I am sure the population in this area dwarfs that of Tonle Sap Lake. As one would expect, the river was full of people coming and going, making a living.

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-5-2

There were a lot of boats.

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-6-2

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-72

One of our more interesting stops was a fish farm. Just like in Cambodia, I cannot fathom living my entire life on the water. A few shot from around the farm.

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-73

Another water dog. I wonder if he looks at the shore wishing he could go for a run?

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-74

The farm itself.

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-82

There were thousands and thousands of fish.

2013 11 29 Mekong Delta_-79I

A very different life.

CAO DAI TEMPLE, VIETNAM

Posted on by
2

On our second day in Ho Chi Minh city we took a tour to the Mekong Delta. One of our first stops was a Cao Dai temple. To date, it is the most colorful temple or church that I have ever been in.

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-16

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-24

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-25

I knew nothing about this religion, so I took the time to read the writings on their walls. From Wikipedia:

According to the Cao Đài’s teaching of creation, before God existed, there was the Tao, the nameless, formless, unchanging, eternal source referenced in the Tao Te Ching. Then a Big Bang occurred, out of which God was born (emanationism). The universe could not yet be formed and to do so, God created yin and yang. He took control of yang and shed a part of himself, creating the Mother Buddha to preside over yin. In the presence of yin and yang, the universe was materialized. The Mother Buddha is, literally, the mother of the myriad of things in the Universe. Caodaiists worship not only God the father, but also the Mother Buddha. Note that God’s importance and role is higher than that of the Mother Buddha. Also, the Mother Buddha, like all buddhas, is a part of Yang, and therefore is male. Yin is the female side, and the Mother Buddha oversees Yin, but is not a part of Yin. God is symbolized by the Divine Eye, specifically the left eye because Yang is the left side and God is the master of Yang. There are 36 levels of Heaven and 72 planets harboring intelligent life, with number one being the closest to heaven and 72 nearest to Hell. Earth is number 68. It is said that even the lowest citizen on planet 67 would not trade place with a king on 68 and so forth.[1]

Around the central alter are all of the figures of the major religions – a few that I spot; Jesus, Buddha and Confucius.

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-19

As I looked at the eye, the only thing I could think was “Masons”.

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-20

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-21

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-23

The grounds around the temple are also interesting and filled with the staff. They were drying tea.

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-26

An old funeral hearse.

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-27

I am not sure why these coffins were here, but they were sitting a few meters from the hearse.

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-22

2013 11 29 Cao Dai_-28

Very interesting stop as you head to the Mekong Delta.

AFTERNOON JAZZ IN SAN FRANCISCO

Posted on by
2

I arrived early on a Sunday a few months back and went for a walk. Ended up in a little café where I had a sandwich and listened to some Jazz. I think I would enjoy living in San Francisco.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-33-2

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-34-2

Out the window, a game of Jenga was being played.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-35-2

Jenga and a few beers.

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-36-2

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-40

A few HDRs of the café .. could not resist (Config: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-70mm)

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-37-2

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-38-2

2013 11 18 San Francisco_-41

It wasn’t the best sandwich, but the ambiance made up for it.

THE MARKETS OF HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Posted on by
101

Now that I have gotten my political commentary out of the system, on to the city itself. As I mentioned in the previous post – Ho Chi Minh city is mad with scooters. Millions of people scooting around, honking, ducking, weaving and generally jamming up as a group.

Our first stop in Ho Chi Minh was the markets, our opportunity to see the hustle and bustle of the city.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-72

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-40

In this long hall were long butcher tables. We had missed the morning rush where the butchers line up to carve and hand out cuts to the morning shoppers.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-38

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-76

I turned and was face to face with a lot of dried fish.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-39

One day I would love to live in one of these countries. To walk a market and be able to get the freshest of fresh, to experience the different vegetables and eat local would be amazing. We walked the market tasting with our guide explaining what we were eating.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-33

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-84

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-34

The colors are so vibrant and the textures so different. The benefit of straight from the field (or jungle)

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-83

This fruit (cannot remember the name) wins my exotic fruit of the day award. Looks like a grape, sweet with a furry outside. 

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-42

All through the markets were vendors sitting on the walk, selling their wares. We were careful to not linger in front of customers who were actually buying.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-65

The spices of the market. You can buy a lot of spices for very little money.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-44

The markets were very busy.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-69

The markets were also filled with fish. Lots of fish.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-36

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-26

And lots of squid.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-37

And always remember, when walking take the time to look up.

2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-28\2013 11 28 Ho Chi Minh_-35

If in the city, it is great to wander the markets.

BAYON TEMPLE, CAMBODIA

Posted on by
Reply

One last temple in Cambodia to finish out the “big 3” of Siem Reap – Bayon, or the temple with 4 faces.

2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-29-2

2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-28-2

The Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.[2] The temple is known also for two impressive sets ofbas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. The current main conservatory body, the Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (the JSA) has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the baroque style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the classical style ofAngkor Wat.[3]

A few shots from around the temple. The faces of Buddha faced each direction on every tower.

2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-38-2

2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-31-2

As with the other temples the walls were adorned with depictions of battles, gods and life.2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-26

2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-27

An offering at the end of the hall.

2013 11 24 Bayon Temple_-43

So ends out time in Siem Reap. In retrospect I think the guide had it right, if you hit the 3 temples (Angkor, Bayon and Tah Prohm) you get a diverse view of the Cambodian culture.

Great experience.

CLIMBING THE STEPS OF ANGKOR WAT

Posted on by
Reply

The center of Angkor Wat houses the holiest of places, up a steep set of stairs.

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-83

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-98

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-81-2

We were fortunate, the line was not that bad (quite short actually). From the top you have a spectacular view of the countryside.

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-95

Throughout the day our guide pointed out the restoration work that was being done. What is remarkable is that very little of this work is being paid for locally, international donors (India, Japan, France to name a few) are very active in helping the Cambodian people restore and maintain their history.

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-88

The detail on the buildings is remarkable. One can only guess at the quantity of workers and time it took.

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-90

2013 11 24 Angkor Wat_-96

A spectacular site that lived up to the reputation.

CLOSING OUT NORMANDY: CANADA’S JUNO BEACH

Posted on by
Reply

Our last stop on the Normandy trip was Juno beach – the Canadian beach. Unlike the other beaches, no monument to the Canadian effort existed until June, 2003, when the Juno Beach Center was inaugurated:

The Centre was conceived in the 1990s by a group of Canadian veterans who felt that the contributions and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers during the liberation of Europe were not properly commemorated and represented in the Normandy region. The project, spearheaded by veteran Garth Webb and his companion Lise Cooper, began initially as a grassroots fundraising campaign that eventually gained the financial support of many institutions and businesses and the Canadian and French governments at many levels. The Centre was inaugurated on 6 June, 2003. Over one thousand Canadian veterans attended the inauguration in 2003, as well as the 2004 ceremony for the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

image

The center is very well done. Outside are plaques from towns across Canada, we found the City of Barrie:

image

The center covers the entire war, with one interactive display kicking it off. You stand/sit in a room that is built like a landing craft and watch the famous video Juno beach video. Very moving.

As we wandered through the center, you remember how a small nation contributed broadly to the war effort with many battles almost forgotten. For instance, I never knew that Canada served with the British in Hong Kong:

image

The beach itself looks flat and open, but history tells us that it was not a nice place to be landing:

Juno was the second most heavily defended of the five landing sites chosen.[3] General Wilhelm Richter was in charge of the 716th Division guarding the beach, with 11 heavy batteries of 155 mm guns and 9 medium batteries of 75 mm guns at his disposal. Additionally, pillboxes and other fortifications were present all along the beach, most heavily concentrated in the Courseulles-sur-Mer region. The seawall was twice the height of Omaha Beach’s, and the sea was heavily mined.[4]

image

image

But the remnants are still there.

image

After travelling up and down the beach, we headed into the town and stopped at a little river side café to enjoy mussels and seafood. Nothing beats a seaside café on a sunny day. As I looked over at the fishing boats, I was fooled by this optical illusion and commented to the boys:

‘Hey look, they must have taken that boat apart to fix it. That is quite a load to keep in place while fixing. I wonder why they are doing it in the water?’ (LOL … it is 2 boats).

image

And with that, we made our final stop at the grave of Ross Ellsmere and then headed home. A historic place well worth visiting and remembering.