As a newbie
to the world travel blogosphere I have just begun exploring other writers, and
their journeys. I have learnt quite a
bit in the last two months, much of which I haven’t been able to apply to my
own Blog as of yet. I have my own set of
excuses; full time job, not currently traveling, blah, blah, blah. Truth be told, I am simply long winded!
I just learnt about this photo contest, and with a library of pictures I can't wait to share, I figured what a great way to display some of my favorites. I'll also tell a few quick (yes I am going to attempt to be brief) tales of the road for each photo. The contest asks for five pictures according to a colour scheme of Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, and White.
The following are my pick of pics. I hope you enjoy!
WHITE
 |
| School Girls at the Citadel, Hue, Vietnam |
In August of 2000, I traveled to Vietnam. The country was just beginning to see a wave of tourism. Hue is a city half-way between Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh. The Citadel is a fortress like structure, military in nature. The day I was visiting there were hundreds of school kids walking along the grounds. The girls were all dressed in these beautifully tailored white outfits. Behind me there was a procession of army soldiers marching. I had walked by the girls initially, and said hello, and they smiled politely. They seemed to be quite shy, and were fascinated with my digital camera, my first. It had a screen on the back allowing you to see the picture after taking it. They were not too keen on having their picture taken, or at least they indicated such. The look on the middle girl's face says the opposite. I walked away, and took this shot with the zoom. 12 years later, it is still perhaps one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken. I can look at it, and remember the hot humid air, the army procession behind me, and the "no, don't take my picture sir" verbalized, but the 'yes, I want to see myself in that little screen' being whispered in her thoughts.
RED
 |
| Buddhist Nuns, Ani Tsankung Nunnery, Lhasa, Tibet |
In 2002 I was fortunate to travel to Lhasa. One morning I was walking with friends I met along the way, and by word of mouth we had heard about the nuns who lived in a converted monastery. We entered through a peaceful courtyard adorned with yellow flowers. There were nuns tucked away in corners praying peacefully. This picture was taken in a busy room where experienced seamstresses were teaching novices to sew robes. I love the intensity in which the teacher, and the pupil devote themselves to their tasks. I look at this photograph, and wonder how much focus I truly give to things I do, particularly when multi-tasking is expected to be a job requirement these days!
BLUE
 |
| Antigua, Guatemala |
Antigua is a delightful, colonial town with a volcano for a backdrop which you can see behind he clouds in this picture. While wandering the streets early one morning, I captured this picture of a local mother taking her daughter off to school. The entire town is covered in cobble stone, and was peaceful in the early am. At night it was a buzz with dining, music, and local flare. Being at a high elevation, Antigua was comfortable regardless of the typical high June temperatures. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the coffee. My whole reason for strolling down this particular street so early in the morning was to visit the coffee house on the corner, just amazing! Hooray for caffeine.
GREEN
 |
| Houseboat, Backwaters of Kerala, India |
Peace. Tranquility. I could go on with more synonyms, however I feel the picture tells the story of the mood best. In 2004 I visited India for the second time. My first was as a true budget backpacker paying $2.00 a night for accommodation. This time I was returning on a two week vacation, employed, and had a few more dollars to spend, (still had sense to be on a budged mind you).
The backwaters of Kerala could be described as estuaries, or small river like bodies of water which overflow inward from the Arabian Sea. I may have really messed up that description. People have built settlements along these areas for generations, and tourists have traditionally rented houseboats to sail for a day or two to visit the area. Based on economics of scale, I found it quite affordable, and it was a true privilege to know the captain seated here who guided me through the villages. I took this particular picture, because after 12 hours of sailing through tiny, narrow canals we arrived to our first wide open space. It was as though by chest opened up to a breath of fresh air, and the world opened up to use with blue skies.
YELLOW
 |
| Dejavara Spice Market, Mysore, India |
I returned to India just last year, and was in Mysore which is known for sandalwood. The Dejavara Spice Market is a famous central market which sells not only spices, but other products one may need, or not.
This picture captivates me insofar as I look at the people, and love to guess at what they are thinking. My favorite is the woman front and center.
"Where are the chickpeas? I thought I bought chickpeas? Where are they?"
So there you have my five entries. To learn more about the contest, make sure you check out the contest's official website which you can find here:
Each participant is asked to nominate other bloggers whose photography they admire. I have chosen to nominate the following:
Well that is about it. I hope you enjoy the photos, and 'brief' stories I wrote with them. Back to memoirs with my ongoing Blog. Next Up...Europe at 16 years old with 9 other 16 year old with one 25 year old group leader...are you ready Marjorie????
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