No time to post. Just two photos. Havana is a very interesting place – a mix of old American cars, friendly people and old Spanish architecture (that is falling apart).
I hope that as the new wave of investment hits the island that they preserve the architecture (I doubt it).
This is my favorite car shot of the trip, in the parking lot of Hemingway’s estate.
A marine iguana on Las Tintoreras, Galapagos, sunning. They let you get close.
The benefit of a 28-300mm is that I can stand a way back and get in really close. This skittish little fellow was quite a way. I watched him make his way through the scrub … until he paused for a shot. Shot on the Isla Plaza Sur.
Cooling on a window in Quito, Ecuador.
The capital of Ecuador and one of the gateways to the Galapagos.
I love the building colors in cities like this, vibrant.
Looking out on Finch Bay.
It has been a long break from blogging due to travel and a host of other things. Just felt like posting a few shots while sitting in the airport.
Hanging out on the rocks near the beach.
Walking down the beaches of the Galapagos you go from beautiful white sand to black lava rock formations. In this case, I sat and watched a crab as the waves crashed over her/him.
A few more. Canon 5D Mark III with 28-300mm lens.
Hang in there.
At the base of the tower.
![2014 07 20 Tokyo_-38[3]](https://michaelweening.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/2014-07-20-tokyo_-383.jpg "2014 07 20 Tokyo_-38[3]")
These people were camping out for some event at the tower the next morning (I think a pop band at a radio station or something).
![2014 07 20 Tokyo_-40[3]](https://michaelweening.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/2014-07-20-tokyo_-403.jpg "2014 07 20 Tokyo_-40[3]")
![2014 07 20 Tokyo_-41[3]](https://michaelweening.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/2014-07-20-tokyo_-413.jpg "2014 07 20 Tokyo_-41[3]")
These guys were just enjoying the sites.
![2014 07 20 Tokyo_-42[3]](https://michaelweening.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/2014-07-20-tokyo_-423.jpg "2014 07 20 Tokyo_-42[3]")
From the middle of the street, late one night with my tripod.
Salarymen on the way home.
I just processed these photos, from our 2nd last day in Tokyo.
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Black and white.
Color handheld HDR.
Not sure which I like better.
Three very different shots, same sunrise.
A few Tokyo black and whites, around Hiroo.
Police on pretty much every corner.
Cartoon figures of some type, on every corner.
The 100 Yen Shop – why are all of their signs in English?
A snow shovel for 100 Yen ($1). It snowed 2 times in 2 years when we lived in Tokyo .. not sure it is a good investment?
In Hiroo, the most expensive place in Tokyo. Hanging around the fishing hole in a park.
I may not miss the 4:40am sunrise, but I do miss looking out our kitchen window onto one of the most spectacular skylines.
Roppongi Towers.
Tokyo Tower.
This time of year, due to their refusing to implement daylight savings time, the sun rises in Japan around 5:30am and gets earlier and earlier. At it’s peak, the sun will come up at 4:40am. It does not matter how good your blackout blinds are – when you have a full on tropical sun shining down on you (Tokyo “feels like” 40-50C in July and August), you are waking up.
The sunrises are beautiful, but I do not miss 4:40am sunrises.
An amazing hike.
Mind the gap.
An excellent perspective on the elevation changes – as the wall winds up and down the hills/mountains.
A rather “overly steep” part of the wall that we did not climb.
And one that we did.
A truly impressive remnant of days long past.
Lunch came to an end. It was time to re-start our hike.
Config: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-300mm f/2.8 USM.
There are two ways to do the great wall. Hitting the tourist areas which are cleared out, easy access and involves a cable ride up and taking a ride down to the bottom via a toboggan OR hitting an abandoned area with a guide.
We chose the abandoned hike route.
The hike was 7-8km long and not the easiest. A fit family, but when it is 35C (+humidity), not a cloud in the sky and the first 1.5km involves an elevation change of 800 meters, your fitness is tested (Actually, the other 3 did fine, the only one tested was me). Fortunately, our guide provided the right amount of instruction on quantity of water and ensured that we brought enough food.
I will say that about half way up with a backpack full of bottled water, my Canon 5D Mark III, the 28-300mm f/2.8 lens and a 50mm lens stored in my pack (Why a 50mm? No idea), I was wondering if I should have packed a bit lighter.
Our starting point was at what use to be a resort hotel of some type – no longer.
The chicken coop at the start of the hike.
The trail up is a mix of steps (In a few of the steepest places) and rough hiking trails – at a 45 degree or steeper angle. The math makes sense, 1.5km, 800m elevation. Clearly not over-used. In our 7-8 hour hike, we saw 2 other people who were on a hike with their dogs.
As we stopped, we took the time to look back over the valley. Beautiful views and a clear day. A stark contrast to the polluted Beijing sky.
It is a long way up but very satisfying when we came around a corner and the wall came into sight.
Our destination where we will break out lunch.
A good start.
Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
In the Forbidden City the most interesting thing to me was the roofs. I can only imagine how much was lost during the different cultural purges of the last century.
Right below the roof at the front of this shot is where a Starbucks use to be. It was removed prior to the Olympics as it was not good for their image. I would hate to have seen the lineup.
A few more roof shots from around the city. Grass can grow in the toughest of places.
Deer are a popular ornament for under the roofs. Blue deer.
Last shot.
In the Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
A little bit on the history of the wall:
is a type of screen wall with reliefs of nine different Chinese dragons. Such walls are typically found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens.
Early reference to the tradition of putting a screen wall at the gate is found in the Analects, 3:22: therein, it is mentioned as a trivial ritual norm ("The princes of States have a screen intercepting the view at their gates". 邦君樹塞門, trans. by James Legge).
Built in 1771. It is beautiful to look at.
To the Forbidden City, Beijing China. Waiting for our guide ….
Grey sky.
Across from Tiananmen square, our next stop:
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.
Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha (180 acres).[1] The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture,[2] and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,[2] and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Filled with buildings that once housed royalty, it is worth a wander.
Our guide mentioned that this is a single piece of stone, climbing up the steps. If I recollect the story correctly, it took thousands of people a very long time to move it here as one piece and then hundreds to carve it – with dragons.
Dragons are everywhere.
According to Wikipedia, the Chinese dragon remains important in today’s Chinese culture:
Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it. With this, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength.[1]
In Chinese daily language, excellent and outstanding people are compared to a dragon, while incapable people with no achievements are compared with other, disesteemed creatures, such as a worm. A number of Chinese proverbs and idioms feature references to a dragon, for example: "Hoping one’s son will become a dragon" (望子成龍, i.e. be as a dragon).
The number of dragons is very important – on the roofs, always an odd number. But not all lucky numbers are odd (to my surprise).
One things is consistent through the shots, the grey sky.
At the Chinese medicine market in Xi’an, China.
That calculator looks like it has a lot of miles on it.
This is the Temple of Heaven, on a warm day with the smog backdrop. We were not there on a clear blue-sky day.
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán; Manchu: Abkai mukdehun) is a complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as aTaoist temple,[1] although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism.
To me the more interesting view is the walkway to the temple. Filled with retired people and families, enjoying each other – playing cards and different board games. There is a lot going on, and I am sure there is some money changing hands in some of those games.
Shirts optional. The Chinese men had an interesting cultural norm of pulling their t-shirts up from the bottom and tucking them through the neck, exposing their mid-sections. It was hot, but for me, not hot enough to resort to that (smile).
I think I would call this shot “friends”.
Another shot from the hiking along an abandoned section of the Great Wall of China this summer.
We did not go this way.
We went this way.
Just down the road from where we live in Tokyo. There is no lawn at this club, the courts are all clay (smile).
A few HDRs from when the azaleas were in full bloom.
The path beside the club. I walked this path for a year – until we changed offices.
On the canals of Bangkok. Config: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-300mm f/2.8 USM.
Collecting water.
As we rode down the river, lots of people were playing music. Some with some very big speakers.
These homes exist in the shadow of some of the world’s most modern buildings.
Reminds me of Hong Kong.
Actually, down the street from where we live – a spring view. Config: Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 28-300mm f/2.8 USM.
Many restaurants look like this, with the welcome cloth over the door.
This fellow was arriving, ready for his next food delivery.
Last shot, in black and white.
As previously mentioned, a few weeks ago we headed to a shrine sale/market on a Saturday morning. In one area they were serving food. I love Japanese food. I love that Japanese “fast food” means that someone is cooking it quickly, from scratch, instead of mcCooking it.
A few shots. This fellow was quite artfully keeping his ashes out of my food (smile).
These folks were cooking a very popular dish that you see at the baseball fields – octopus balls with a nice squirt of Japanese mayonnaise on-top.
I went for the noodles.
I am afraid that I am becoming a Japanese food bigot and will not be able to step into Canada’s version of a restaurant .. Moxie’s, Jack Astors .. without a sense of despair. I will definitely have to seek out those Canadian ‘chef owned’ restaurants actively.
Reflecting on the difference, it seems to come down to economics. More and more, Canadian restaurants are owned by business people – not chefs. It is bought as a business, not as a extension of a passion and everything from building layout to food delivery is controlled by HQ.
Very different from Japan where those holes in the wall are still family owned with the husband busy cooking while the wife runs the business. Sure, there are fast food chains, but they are a small fraction of the ecosystem.
Guess that is why Tokyo has more Michelin stars than anywhere else in the world – by a huge margin. If you come to Tokyo, explore the food. You will not be disappointed.
The time the sun rises in Tokyo. For some unknown reason Japan does not believe in daylight savings time. In Japan’s semi-tropical climate, no black-out blind every made can stop that UV 14 sun.
I wake up very early every day. I guess there are worse things in the world than sitting on the deck and enjoying a cappuccino to this sunrise.
After all of my posts on India, I am left with a sense of awe. We went not knowing what to expect, a little worried and questioning if it was the right trip for us.
India is a full-on, visual assault. People, activity, honking, smells, traffic, chaos, laughter, despair – all these words describe it. But in the end, I think I would trend toward words like ‘vibrant’ and ‘colorful’ as the ones that truly capture India.
Yes, I think the right word is “colorful”.
It is not for everyone. It is definitely not for the first time or unseasoned traveler.
Personally, I cannot wait to go back.
With Jaipur complete we faced the arduous trip from Jaipur to Delhi. How long would it take? The answer was 5 – 8 hours. Who knows? That is the joy of traveling in India. A couple hundred kilometers is a trip into chaos where anything can happen.
The good thing about that? Lots to see. A few shots from the drive.
Those are bags filled with cotton candy. Some children will be happy,
While we were in India I read all about multinational business failure in India’s food market. It seems like the country is not ready for wide-scale, super market led food distribution. Read the article on the Journey of an Indian Onion from the Economist, fascinating.
One of the many, many markets that we passed as we drove to Delhi.
![2013 12 30 drive to Delhi-11[3]](https://michaelweening.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/2013-12-30-drive-to-delhi-113.jpg "2013 12 30 drive to Delhi-11[3]")
One of the local distribution engines in action. If you tried loading your truck up like this in Canada, you wouldn’t make it 2km before the police had you stopped.
Of course, the police would have to find you and get to you first. It might be hard to conduct a police chase on an Indian highway .. with all of the tractors, cattle, camels and everything else in between.
These guys didn’t seem to mind the traffic.
One last shot of a potter, by the side of the road; who needs some help organizing.
It took us 7 hours. Time seemed to fly by.
Config: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-300mm USM.
Once inside the fort, it felt different than others we had visited. More opulent.
You can read more of the forts history here. In a nutshell:
The aesthetic ambiance of the palace is seen within its walls on a four level layout plan (each with a courtyard) in a well turned out opulent palace complex built with red sandstone and marble consisting of the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas or the "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace) or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over the water cascade within the palace. Hence, the Amer Fort is also popularly known as the Amer Palace.[4] The palace was lived in by the Rajput Maharajas and their families. At the entrance to the palace near the fort’s Ganesh Gate, there is also a temple dedicated to Sila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult which was given to Raja Man Singh when he had defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604. (Jessore is now in Bangladesh).[3][8][9]
There are really two key areas. The central court yard and the third courtyard. It is beautiful.
Looking down from the walls you see the ruler’s herb garden. Cooled by the lake, it allowed the ruling family to grow foods that would not otherwise do well in this climate.
But the highlight of the fort is third courtyard which is breathtaking.
The building to the left of the entrance gate is called the Jai Mandir, which is exquisitely beautified with glass inlaid panels and multi-mirrored ceilings. The mirrors are of convex shape and designed with coloured foil and paint which would glitter bright under candle nights at the time it was in use. Also known as Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), the mirror mosaics and coloured glasses were "glittering jewel box in flickering candle light".[4] However, most of this work was allowed to deteriorate during the period 1970–80 but has since then been subjected to a process of restoration and renovation. Carved marble relief panels are placed on walls around the hall. The hall provides enchanting vistas of the Maota Lake.[14]
A shot where wall and roof meet.
We wandered deeper into the fort.
An ancient ventilation shaft. Love the way the light comes through in the shot.
A beautiful fort, well worth the rather painful trip to get to the top.
There are 3 ways to the top of the Amber Fort, walk (it is long), a jeep up the side streets (our method) or an elephant ride that wanders up the hill.
I jumped in front of this one as it made its way back down the hill.
The road up and down the hill is packed with jeeps. Elephants randomly walking into the middle of the street do not speed things up.
Neither do the random cattle. Wandering free and completely unafraid.
I had a chuckle at this sign. Not an issue.
This fellow was moving much, much faster than we were.
It was very hard not to jump out of our parked vehicle for some authentic popcorn. But the rule was clear, no street food, no matter how seemly innocent – not even popcorn.
Never a dull moment.
Our last fort and our last site, as we finished our tour of the Golden Triangle. The Amber Fort is quite opulent, and flows across the hilltops with a great view of the town below.
A few of my favorite shots from the walls. Mostly in HDR with a Canon 5D Mark III and a Canon 28-300mm f/2.8 USM).
Great views.
A man, lost in his thoughts, on the wall at the Amber Fort, Jaipur, India.
According to our guide, Jaipur is famous for their blankets – people come from around India to buy their Jaipur blankets. Very colorful.
A blanket market .. I think.
Unfortunately, we did not need a blanket.
On the way to Delhi, India.
Our last tourist stop.
While in Jaipur we made a trek to Elefantastic. From all of the reviews, it seemed the most humane, animal centric group who would give us a chance to see elephants up close. It is hard to see them in captivity, but with less and less space, their reality has now become one where they cannot roam free.
We have been to places like this before in Asia and Elefantastic lived up to their reputation. Families living with the elephants, making a living while treating them as – one of the family, in this huge communal area.
When I have the opportunity to be close to elephants, what always strikes me is the eyes. You look into them and you know, there is a deep intelligence looking back.
Part of the tour is seeing how they live. This is an elephant home, shared with the handlers family, with a big yellow door.
Satellite and all.
The handlers guide the elephants with their bare feet.
For me, the highlight was not the ride. It was simply spending time with them – feeding the elephants and being around such huge, majestic animals. Part of the tour is the opportunity to paint the elephants before they go for their dip in the lake.
What else would I paint?
Shot through the window of our van as we drove through a street.
One of the benefits of having a private guide is itinerary control. When we arrived in Jaipur the family was ready for a quiet break from touring. I had to run an errand and Anu accompanied me – through the side streets of Jaipur.
Once the errand was complete we stepped out and decided to take a one block loop around the shop. What fascinated me was the fact that the one block walk was a city, inside a city with a wide range of shops so diverse that the area could almost operate as a self contained unit. Food, mechanical shops, butchers, a pharmacy, clothing and apartments in a block.
Rickshaws are like scooters in other countries, everywhere.
Fossil fuels, specifically wood, is still used to cook and in homes around the city. This wood “store” was manned by a man and his goat.
A micro-city, within the city, which also included a wide range of food – fruits, street vendors and of course, the local butcher.
Last street shot. The hustle and bustle, in this case two guys trying to sell carpets. According to our guide, the women are tough negotiators.
Highly recommend stepping into the side streets if you can.
I love the colors and vibrancy of India.
I kept seeing these sidewalk barbershops as we traveled the roads of India – often too late (our van had already whizzed by). On our last couple days in India I set a goal – get a few shots before it is too late.
Config: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-300mm f/28 USM. Having the 300mm helped.
I think that the blue chair might be a barbershop standard.
This is the only barbershop that I spotted inside – on the way from Jaipur to Delhi.
Incredible India! I just loved having a camera there.
Michael Weening: a few pictures 