Bernat Armangue | The Copts of Egypt

Photo © Bernat Armangue-All Rights Reserved

Amongst all the angst and hubris of the events in Egypt during the past few years, attention should be given to its largest minority group; the Copts, the native Christians of Egypt.

Wikipedia tells us that "Christianity was the religion of the vast majority of Egyptians from 400–800 A.D. and the majority after the Muslim conquest until the mid-10th century and remains the faith of a significant minority population."

"Significant" is the word used by the online encyclopedia, since it's almost impossible to get an accurate number from Egyptian governmental sources.  I also read in The Guardian that no one in Egypt can agree on how many people live in Cairo, let alone the precise ratio of Muslims to Christians. But senior government clerics are quite sure of one thing: there are exactly 866 atheists in Egypt – roughly 0.00001% of the population. Ridiculous, and somewhat reminiscent of Ahmadinejad's assertion that there were no gays in Iran...and the same flaky arithmetic applies to the Copts.

Bernat Armangue's 15 photographs in his Copts In The New Egypt provide us with a sliver of a glimpse in the daily lives of Egyptian Copts. In the current religious climate, no one can tell the Copts' future in their own land, and whether this will lead to increased emigration to other countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia.

Bernat is a Spanish photographer born in Barcelona. He freelanced for various Spanish newspapers, and has been working with The Associated Press since 2005. He covered the Middle East (mostly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), and recently moved to Delhi to cover South Asia.

What Makes Top Adventurers Tick?

Outside Online had a cool article up, which also appears in the April print edition of Outside Magazine, in which they ask 15 top adventurers why they do the things they do.

The list of people they asked this burning question to is quite impressive, with some of my favorite adventurers giving insights into what makes them tick. People like polar explorer Mike Horn, who simply loves the challenge of facing the elements in the places he visits. Dean Karnazes admits that he likes the honesty that comes with suffering, while Ed Viesturs says he loves the payoff he gets at the end of a climb, having put months of planning and preparation into an expedition. Long distance rower Roz Savage admits that she's learned that nothing worthwhile comes easy, but what she does inspires a lot of people.

Sadly, one of the men that Outside spotlighted was Shane McConkey, who passed away recently in a terrible BASE jumping/ski accident. Shane tells us that he simply loved catching big air, and what he did was "ingrained" in his DNA. With his passing, the adventure community lost a great person, but shane was living the life he wanted and going after his goals.

There is al of wisdom and inspiration in the words of these adventurers. Each of them as a little something to share with us all.

Kilimanjaro Climbing Video - Part II

U.K. outdoor magazine Trail has released the second video of their recent climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro. I posted on their first video a few weeks back, and that video showed the prep for the climb and the first few days.

This new video, found below, begins on Day 3, and continues the journey with a hike up to the famous Lava Tower, before settling into Barranco Camp. Then it's up the daunting Barranco Wall, and the team starting to feel the effects of the altitude, before skipping ahead to Summit Day with some eventual shots at the Roof of Africa.

All in all, both videos are well done, and I recommend them for anyone considering Kili. The second video skips ahead fairly dramatically and glosses over a good portion of the trek, but I suspect that was for production reasons. Still, this is a good introduction as to what you can expect on the mountain, and a glimpse of what a week long climb is like there.

Classic Vietnam Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Experience clamoring Hanoi, cruise on a garbage pontoon through Halong Bay, shop in sentimental Hoi A, crush through the Cu Chi passages, taste Vietnamese frosted espresso, individuals watch in tumultuous Saigon

Cruise through limestone karsts on board a conventional garbage vessel and walk the avenues of majestic capitals. From lively Hanoi, the characteristic magnificence of Halong Bay, the environmental majestic capital of Hue and the charms of Hoi A to the advanced life of Saigon, experience the vitality of Vietnam in 10 jam-stuffed days. An accomplished CEO will lead you to must-see highlights yet permit a lot of time for you to do your thing.

See more: Vietnam travel packages

Land in clamoring Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. As travelers will be landing at different times today, there are no arranged exercises. A few proposals include: Taking a stroll through Hanoi's Old Quarter – a maze of roads, every one generally gave to an alternate item or industry. At night go to an execution at the well known Water Puppet Theater. The Mausoleum houses the remaining parts of Ho Chi Minh, the establishing father of the bound together Vietnam (the mausoleum and historical center are shut in October-November). You will have a planned gathering at night around 6pm. If you don't mind check at the gathering work area or search for a G Adventures notice load up with subtle elements of the real gathering time. At this gathering your CEO will ask to sight your travel protection, twofold check your Vietnam visa and finish some other paper work. If its not too much trouble note that most nationalities obliges a visa to enter Vietnam, please twofold check this with your travel executor or nearby Vietnamese Embassy. After your gathering, you may decide to take off for a discretionary supper to further get to know your CEO and individual gathering parts. We overnight in the downtown area of Hanoi. Our lodging is spotted in an Old Quarter. All rooms are twofold or twin offer with ventilating and en suite lavatory. Complimentary wireless internet and a machine are accessible in the anteroom.

A large number of islands climb drastically from the waters of Halong Bay and, to further their excellence, perplexing hollow frameworks commonly exist all through these limestone karst developments. Our cruising garbage will take you to visit a percentage of the islands and holes. You could revel in a nighttime drink on the deck underneath the stars. Our settlement today evening time is a genuinely uncommon experience – thinking about a vessel encompassed by high limestone karsts. All lodges are twofold or twin offer with ventilating and en suite lavatory. On day 3, after an early lunch ready for watercraft we head once again to Hanoi. You have room schedule-wise to do some last moment shopping. The sleeper prepares all through Vietnam are very agreeable. Each one lodge rests 4 individuals in 2 cots. You will have the capacity to bolt the entryway from within. All bedclothes is given. The train is aerated and cooled and has squat and Western style toilets with a wash bowl at the end of every compartment. Sacks can be put away in your lodge and got to at whatever time. Nourishment and beverages are accessible for buy ready for. Approx travel time: Private transport Halong Bay to Hanoi: 4 hours every path Transfer to prepare station: 15 min Overnight prepare Ha Noi to Hue: 14-15 hours

In the wake of registering with our inn, we begin our day with a visit to the grand Tien Mu Pagoda. Assembled in excess of 400 years prior, and at seven stories high, Tien Mu is still the tallest and maybe the most exquisite pagoda in Vietnam. These tombs are greatly elaborate and grasp the idea of Feng Shui. Thereafter, you may decide to appreciate a vegan lunch at a neighborhood convent and there are different alternatives to take off by bicycle to investigate the nearby wide open. It would be ideal if you approach your CEO for more data. At night, take the risk to attempt some neighborhood Hue claims to fame, for example, banh khoai (Hue exquisite flapjacks), and banh bot loc boc tom thit (slim rice paper loaded with meat and shrimp). You may need to wash everything down with a Hue lager. Yum! Our settlement today is halfway spotted in the primary road of Hue. All rooms are twofold or twin offer with ventilating and en suite washroom. A swimming pool and wifi are likewise accessible.

Toward the beginning of today we'll begin our day visiting the magnificent remnants of the Imperial Citadel, from where the entire of Vietnam was once dominated. You'll delight in investigating the numerous royal residences and doors, patios and enclosures of this lovely mind boggling and obviously listening to the stories of the rulers who once existed here. In the wake of traverse the Hai Van Pass, with phenomenal perspectives in all headings, we will stop at Lang Co Beach, landing in Hoi A toward the evening for our three night sit tight. Once known as Faifo, Hoi A was a critical exchanging town with solid south Chinese impact and associations. You can take a mobile voyage through this living historical center which incorporates the Museum of History and Culture, the Tan Ky house, the Japanese span, the Fujian Assembly Hall and lunch at a riverside restaurant to example a percentage of the neighborhood luxuries. Hoi An is likewise a shopping mecca for travelers in the locale. Tailors can deliver practically anything overnight, with garments, silk lights, polish product and numerous different specialties proliferate. For sun admirers, Cua Dai Beach is just 4kms from town and it is a simple bike ride to reach. All rooms are twofold or twin offer with cooling and en suite washroom. Complimentary wireless internet and an open machine are accessible in the hall. The lodging likewise has a swimming pool to unwind adjacent to. Ap

Anthony Pond | Spice Wallahs of Khari Baoli

Photo © Anthony Pond-All Rights Reserved

Just off Chandni Chowk Market is Khari Baoli, the core of Asia's largest wholesale spice market. It's here in small wholesale shops that large bags, stuffed to the brim with chili, turmeric, ginger and various other spices are sold. Things have changed little in this market for centuries. Huge sacks of herbs and spices are still brought to the wholesalers on long, narrow barrows pushed by daily laborers from Bihar and Rajasthan. The wholesalers are ninth- or tenth generation spice traders, and are direct descendants of the founders of such establishments which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

It was our first stop in Delhi during The Sacred Cities Photo Expedition-Workshop, and Anthony Pond, a second time participant in my expeditions-workshops, photographed the activity in this market, producing Spice Wallas of Khari Baoli, a photo essay of about 29 monochrome images that perfectly capture the bustle and hustle of the frenetic to and fro of this market. The images were converted to black and white with Nik's Silver Efex Pro.

Anthony Pond worked for more than two decades in the criminal courts in California as an attorney for the Public Defender’s Office. Now pursuing his passion for travel and photography, he travels repeatedly to South East Asia and India, amongst other places, to capture life, the people and the culture. He has been a frequent contributor to The Travel Photographer blog,

Omo Child | Mingi

"I am one of the victims of mingi. Last year my daughter was declared teeth mingi because her teeth showed from the top first instead of the bottom. In my mind it was unthinkable to drown my own child in the river. I swore to God no one would kill my own flesh and blood. I will be the first Kara man to stand up to the elders." -Hylo Ari 

Mingi is the traditional belief among the Karo and Hamar tribes in southern Ethiopia that adults and children with physical abnormalities are ritually impure, and some of them believe evil spirits or a “curse” will bring ill fortune to their villages if Mingi children are not killed. Mandated by the tribes' elders, the afflicted child will be left alone in the bush without food and water, or will be drowned in  rivers.

Filmed over a five year period, the film makers of Omo Child followed Lale Labuko, a young educated man from the Karo tribe and his relentless journey with the people of his tribe as they attempt to change an ancient practice. Labuko, a 2013 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, learned about the practice of Mingi and how he made it his life mission to end ritual infanticide in his tribe's culture.

Omo Child: The River and the Bush has been selected for the DC Independent Film Festival and will premiere February 25th, opening night of the festival.

the Mekong River between Vietnam and Cambodia

Another bijou journey boat is situated to be the first to offer another level of extravagance for voyagers visiting the Mekong River in the middle of Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Aqua Mekong has only 20 trendy lodges and will assume travels enduring from eight to 12 days from clamoring Saigon to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap - portal to the sanctuaries of Angkor.

Notwithstanding its size, it will be the main ship on this stretch of the stream that can offer an exercise center, library, open air evening film, and even a waterway confronting pool at the bow. Composed in Saigon, the boat has a smooth matte-dark body and the inner parts are made totally from nearby supportable materials.

David Thompson, Asia's top-positioned gourmet specialist on the 'World's 50 Best Restaurants' rundown, will be making menus for all the suppers served ready for.

Asia master administrator Travel Indochina has likewise presented two new travels for those wishing to find Burma by watercraft. The Irrawaddy Explorer guarantees to be the most lavish cruiser on the stream Irrawaddy when it takes its first journey one month from now (September 2014).

Related post: Vietnam travel packages

The new all-suite Sanctuary Ananda additionally begins cruising from November 2014, and both boats will cover courses along untouched districts of Mandalay and Yangon.

The Three Finalists In The Travel Photographer's Street Photography Contest

Photograph A. Photo © Peter Ansara-All Rights Reserved

Photograph B. Photo © Jeff Oftedahl-All Rights Reserved

Photograph C. Photo © Anthony Pond-All Rights Reserved

Which Photograph Wins The Travel Photographer's Street Photography Contest?

Photograph A

Photograph B

Photograph C

Poll Maker

It was a tough job to choose three finalists from the numerous entries I've received over the past weeks...but here they are, and it's now up to the readers of The Travel Photographer's blog to choose the winner of the Street Photography Contest, who will receive the WotanCraft Ryker Urban Classic 001 camera bag.

The voting will come to an end on October 24th...when the winner will be announced.

The rules for the contest were simple and easy to follow, and were listed in this post.

WotanCraft Atelier's website has full information and details on the WotanCraft Ryker Urban Classic 001 bag.

Safe Roads can lead to Safe India - Perspective

"Vroom...... Now here I go past that car...FIRST !!! ", I boasted triumphly !!

"Stop that here and NOW !!. Do you get that ". A voice came from no where.

"Who's that ? " Surprised, Amused and confessedly horrified, I slowed my car.

A snook on the left, a snook on the right and realized that it was the panel !

A SPEAKING AUDIO PANEL ??? 

The Audio Panel, that had played the Pacy beats all through, had just come to LIFE !

Central Locked. Middle of Highway.

Pity dear. Dear me !!

"You head slow, you get that. and Listen to what I say....", The car's audio panel instructed further.

"List...en..., I mean ok.. But even if you are some Aladdin, I am for sure not your Jin..". That's what I had thought.

What I said, instead, was..''Oh .. Yeah..Sure !!''

"You need to have some senses , look how you overtook that car ??  Wrong Side. Without Dippers!"

" Need for Senses. How does that boot? and Memory space ??  Version : Underground or Most wanted ?..Like me, for many in my generation, motor cars were meant only for racing ".

"But after reading an article (of course for the exam...) on how badly India was affected from road accidents, I'd realized that real driving is not as forgiving as the gaming console.

No rebirths for the Driver. None for the pedestrians. Period."

"Yes, it's need for reflexes, and not need for speed on the real road." The voice whispered.

"That's not fair. You are spying on my thoughts too !!" I protested.

"At times, loud thoughts are as irritating as loud horns !!". The voice giggled.

Damn... My Breath got struck in the traffic jam of the horror, reprimand and that feeling of being convicted. But, the question still was .... Alright, some voice was talking to me. But ,Why Me ??

"The reason for your Why me answers are not on the Page 3 dear.

Fatalities. Accidents. Innocents losing their lives. All because of unsafe driving. "

Importantly. Almost all of them, avoidable. 

These news are not on Page 3 and that precisely the reason you don't get your answers." The Voice from the Panel summoned.

Prophecy Personified. Rather, Prophecy Panelized.

And suddenly the series of flat pitch horns of obscure intensities started banging me to dizziness. It later occurred that the Panel had played them all along to make me understand the reason for minimal usage of horn.

"A horn is a lot more than just the bullets from the pistol. And....Newspapers are a lot more than the Page3 stuff."

As I thought those lines,

Horns subsided. Sanity Prevailed.Lessons learnt.

Realization through a Lamborgini (the way I used to call my car), if not Lumbini, I Echoed.

"Right, but have you ever thought that the safety of the fellow motorists and pedestrians lay on you as much as on themselves.". The guiding voice's riding comments hit pillion.

"I did", I said, "When I read that many young kids lose their lives due to lack of child restraint and unsafe driving."

Recounting on a news item in the TV last night.

"I like your empathetic approach . But what's your take on the fact that around 5 lakh road accidents happen annually, and the reported death toll is 1.4 lakh in our country, mostly because of casual drivers like you." The Voice cautioned.

"The government is planning to legislate a bill on Road Transport and Safety soon." I contested, " and that, would take care of lot of  issues like..Drunk and Rash Driving, Imposition of Penalties harmonization of licenses etc.".  Taking forward the conversation I had heard in a news item.

"Indeed, but have you ever realized that safe habits have to begin from you." . The voice chimed.

"Yes, For a moment during this 'empanelled' discussion, I did". Thoughts prevailed. This panel thing was making me think that cars were beyond racing, and pedestrians beyond bots.

"..And that your endeavours for nation building can also begin through safe driving...".

"Nation Building... and .... Safe Driving... But how? " I blurted.

"According to a WHO report, India loses 3% of GDP because of road traffic crashes. If that minimizes , with our economic base, this would translate into an astonishing amount !. " The  voice prevailed. It was prevailing all the way !

"Ok...Now I get the point that for inculcating safe habits of driving. I indeed am the starting point." (My driving or the sibling fights as a child alike!!) Reflections came upon, almost concurrently.

"Yes, and the state plays a role too." I added.

"...Role yes.. Role through progressive laws, strict execution, Infrastructure, Public Transport, Accountability." They set the framework, concluded the mythical voice.

"Public Policy and Road Safety.. Lots of similarities.. " Last exam,  Chapterrrrrr....

"Forget the Chapter number of your course book !...  A LOT of initiatives also need to come from the private entities, like customer education, technology enhancements."

"That means an extension to the already 3PPP that becomes PPPP : Personal Public Private Partnership" I said.

"Good Going... But this model begins with your own safe habits." Suddenly a sense of realization began flowing through me.

This conversation had transformed me. My imagination too.

Perspectives and Importance of Safe driving in India. The Economic impact. This all was relevant and particular to me. The latent responsibility to drive safe was ignited by the fictitious Panel Discussion. May be the news item last night was playing through me. May be, it was incessant guilt of selfish driving, that seemed like a divine intervention.

Importantly, it was appropriate too.

"Out of respect for our conversation, I vowed to drive with lowered beam lights, seat belt on and setting aside my cell phones while driving in future."

"Thanks. Hope you'd remember the importance attached to defensive driving as well." The voice added, almost as I had thought that it was over.

"Yes , I do..", I said

And as I was about to hallucinate someone speaking, Now you can kiss the panel, that my eyes were laid on the mile-stone ahead that read :
.
.
.

***

PS: The Author gained immensely on the subjects of severity and magnitude of road accidents in India while researching for this post.

Additional Resources:

• Status Report on Road Safety - WHO
• Draft Bill, Road Transport and Safety, 2014
• Nissan NSDF 2013 video - NSDF 2013

What's your take on the road safety in India ? Do you think we citizens can collectively improve road 
safety in India? Please send your feedback/comments through the tab below. Would love to see your footprints.

Fredrik Ericsson: Skiing the Three Highest Peaks in the World

Both ExWeb and Everest News posted stories on Fredrik Ericsson this week, highlighting the Swedish skiers plans to become the first person to ski down the three highest mountains in the world - Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga.

Ericsson, along with Italian Michele Fait, will head to K2 this June, with the Karakorum peak expected to be the most challenging of the three. Following a successful summit, the descent will feature five hours of skiing, covering more than 3600 meters, with angles as much as 50º at times, eventually coming to an end in base camp itself. If successful, Fredrik will then turn his attention to the other two mountains on his list.

As one of the premiere high altitude skiers in the world, Ericsson has already conquered Shisha Pangma, Gasherbrum 2, and Dhaulagiri. Last year, he reached as high as 7000m on Kangchenjunga before aborting his attempt on the mountain, and skiing back down from that point. If all goes as planned, he'll give that mountain another try this Fall, before turning his sights on Everest in the Spring of 2010.

Some of the numbers tossed about in these two stories on Fredrik's attempt to ski these mountains are mind boggling. Five hours of skiing in one descent? 50º angles? Scary and fun at the same time. Dangerous of course as well, especially following a long, arduous climb. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more about this in the months ahead.

Spring Issue of JPFreek Magazine Now Available!

My friends over at JPFreek Magazine have passed along word that the Spring Issue is now available online. The issue is available in both a Flash Flipbook version and a downloadable PDF version as well, and it's crammed cover to cover with some excellent adventure stories.

I've mentioned JPFreek before. It's an online adventure magazine aimed at Jeep owners and enthusiasts who also happen to love outdoor adventure. In this current issue for instance, there is a great photo-story that is the second part of a transcontinental drive from Paris to New York that has some cool photos from the journey thus far. There is also an excellent story on hiking up Mt. Huashan in China, as well as another on off-roading in the French Alps. A little closer to home, well my home anyway, the JPFreek crew got together for a day to hit up Guadalupe Mountains National Park, here in Texas too.

I've had an association with the JPFreek team for awhile now, and I have to say that I honestly think the magazine just keeps getting better. Flipping through the virtual pages of this issue I was very much impressed with the great photographs that are on par with some of the much more well known adventure magazines out there. There are some great shots to go along with the interesting articles, and whether you're a Jeep enthusiast or not, I think you'll find something to enjoy here.

Great work guys! :)

Man Rescued From Snowdon For Second Time in 5 Months

I saw this story yesterday on Grough, but had to stop and think about it some before I posted. It's about an unnamed 42 year-old man who has now been rescued off of Snowdon, the tallest mountain in Wales, for the second time in five months.

Standing 1085 meters (3560 feet) in height, what it lacks in altitude, Snowdon makes up for in challenge. The rocky cliffs have been a favorite amongst climbers in the U.K. for decades, and the mountain is notoriously dangerous in the winter months. In fact, as the article notes, 4 people died on the mountain over the course of 11 days last month alone.

In the case of this person, he was first found unconscious in the doorway of a building at the summit last October after spending a night out in the cold. At first he was mistaken for a pile of garbage, but then other climbers recognized that it was indeed a person, and proceeded with a rescue operation. He suffered hypothermia and could have died had he not been found. This more recent incident saw the same man falling more than 50 feet, and ending up in a pile of snow, where two trekkers found him and once again came to his aid.

Now, of course I'm all for everyone adding a little outdoor adventure to their life. But perhaps this guy should just stay inside and pick up a safer hobby. Something like Checkers or Battleship. At the very least, maybe he should stick to paved trails in an urban park or something. Getting rescued off the same mountain twice in the span of five months time is pretty impressive, and not easily accomplished.

This is just the kind of story that would typically rekindle the debate about mountain rescues and who should pay for them. Those seem to flair up every now and again when you hear stories like this one. Of course, I'm aware that many search and rescue operations are conducted by volunteers and often don't cost the tax payer much of anything at all, but I'm in favor of charing this guy something, anything, for his rescues. I hope he bought the SAR team a pint or two at least.

Andrea Orioli | Thaipusam

Photo © Andrea Orioli-All Rights Reserved

The Thaipusam ritualistic event occurs 13 kilometres outside the Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur in a sacred Hindu shrine called the Batu Caves.

The festival of Thaipusam was brought to Malaysia in the 1800s, when Indian immigrants started to work on the Malaysian rubber estates and the government offices. The festival is celebrated mostly by the Tamil community, and commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a spear to vanquish the evil demon Soorapadam.

On the day of the festival, devotees shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of heavy burdens, while others may carry out acts of self mortification by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with skewers and sharp hooks.  The devotees perform “Kavadi”, an act of faith where they suffer the pain of dozens of hooks and spears piercing their body during the 272 steps that bring them to the cave temple.

Andrea Orioli photographed Thaipusam, and provides us with yet another view of these not-for-the-faint-of-heart rituals. He is  a biologist working in Switzerland, and has had the good fortune of traveling widely and making photographs. Far more interested in people and cultures than anything else, he's passionate about documenting endangered cultures before they disappear.

He also has featured interesting galleries on his website, including one in Sumba (Indonesia) and another in Kyrgyzstan.

Vietnam travel tips

- It's to your greatest advantage not to drink the faucet water, particularly in the wake of flooding!

- Maintain a strategic distance from cyclo rides after dim.

- Dress humbly and fittingly when going by neighborhood homes and religious destinations, and so forth.

- Abandon your resources before a night out on the town, or setting off to the shoreline.

- At the point when crossing the street – particularly in HCMC – dependably continue looking to the left and right and walk gradually!

- Don't offer cash straightforwardly to minority individuals – rather give to a neighborhood philanthropy or offer a little blessing, for example, pens.

- By all methods, examine the scrumptious road sustenance yet for cleanliness' purpose just at venues that are occupied with an enormous turnover.

- Continuously ask consent first before taking photos, particularly in minority territories.

See more: Vietnam travel packages

- Organize therapeutic protection (counting the procurement for crisis departure) before their flight, as there is no free restorative treatment accessible in Vietnam and the standard of nearby wellbeing offices is underneath global guidelines.

- While most Vietnamese are fair and used to sightseers mishandling for the right cash values, a couple will earnestly attempt to bamboozle you. Take as much time as required to check the zeroes or you'll unintentionally fulfill somebody extremely

- On the off chance that you decide to go to halong Bay , stay 2 nights in light of the street excursion, poor streets, it far to strive for 1 night, and you see a considerable measure all the more in the 2 days

- stay far from the taxis and cyclos. use orchestrated transportation to the extent that you can

- On the off chance that you decide to go to halong Bay , stay 2 nights due to the street outing, poor streets, it is far to strive for 1 night, and you see a considerable measure all the more in the

Discovery Channel Airs Disaster on K2 Tonight

The Discovery Channel has added another mountaineering special to it's library and will be airing a show entitled Disaster on K2 tonight at 10 PM EDT/9 PM CDT. I haven't been able to find a whole lot about the specifics of the show itself, nor can I find a link to a page dedicated to it on the Discovery website, but their TV listings give the following description:

When enormous ice walls collapse, seven climbers are trapped near the summit of the most dangerous mountain on earth: K2. With footage and interviews with the few who lived to tell the story, we follow this tale of heroism, survival, and hearbreak.

Obviously the show will take a look at the events that went down last August on K2, and hopefully it'll put everything together for us in a solid timeline, laying out exactly what happened and when. It'll be interesting to see who they got on camera to give interviews about the event, as some of the survivors have been tight lipped about the incident.

Anyway, if you're looking for something to watch tonight, definitely tune in. Discovery has a good reputation when it comes to handling these types of shows, and I expect that this should be solid as well. And if anyone has more information or a link to another page, send it my way.

Kurt William Kamka | Plain Manila

Photo © Kurt William Kamka - All Rights Reserved

There are some photographers who espouse the notion that they must be invisible when shooting in the streets for their images to be successful, candid and "in the moment"...but there are also others who have no such compunctions. To me, I've got my feet firmly planted on both sides of the "aisle" provided the photograph tells a story.

Plain Manila is a collection of over 50 monochromes of the daily life in this gigantic Asian metropolis by Kurt William Kamka who, through these images, shows the people and provides us with a sense of the place, as if we roamed its back streets. As the photographer himself puts it, he sought to document "the day-to-day complexities of community life in the barrios of Manila".

Despite my frequent travels in Southeast Asia, I confess not knowing much of Manila, other than it's one of the most high-density cities in the world; even denser than Kolkata...which is a surprise. Perhaps I ought to remedy this shortcoming, and extend the trajectory of my travels to include the Philippines.

Kurt William Kamka is a commercial, documentary, street, non-profit and NGO photographer who relocated to Asia in 2011. Currently based in Manila, he document his view on the human condition.
His photos have been shown in the Leica gallery in Singapore, multiple locations in Manila and in Chicago. He has worked in advertising for some of the largest global brands including P&G, US Bank, Firestone, Bayer, McDonalds, Nikon, Samsung, UCB, Delta Airlines and others. 

North Pole 2009: Teams Underway!

The 2009 Arctic Season is now officially underway with teams already underway or departing very soon. Looks like it's going to be a very busy season at the top of the world.

The Catlin Arctic Survey team set off on Saturday, and after a short haul of just a few miles, promptly set up camp to take their first measurements of the ice. According to the Ice Team's dispatch, the weather is very cold, -40ºC during the day, which at this stage is a good thing, as it means more solid, stable ice. The three person crew will be using ground penetrating radar to measure the health of that ice all the way to the North Pole. It should also be noted that the team is currently not navigating by compass, thanks to their close proximity to the Magnetic North Pole. Instead, they are finding their way through the use of more traditional methods, such as the positioning of the sun and the stars. It just goes to show you, on these expeditions, the more things change... :)

Meanwhile, Christina Franco sends word that she'll be setting off at 6 AM tomorrow. Her gear is packed and loaded on one of the Twin Otter planes that operate out of Resolute Bay, and her course has been plotted. She's eager to get started and ready to go, and tomorrow her solo journey to the Pole will begin. Good luck Christina.

Joining them out on the ice is John Huston and Tyler Fish who begin the Victorinox North Pole 09 expedition. They were hoping to get underway yesterday, but delayed the start until today, when they'll begin his quest to become the first American team to go unsupported to the North Pole. They're hoping to promote the lofty ideals of "Optimism, Humility and Responsible Action" along the way. We could all use a little of those things right about now.

The Peary Centennial Expedition also planned to get underway today. The three man team of Lonnie Dupre, Max Chaya, and Stuart Smith are celebrating the 100 years since Robert Peary and his team reached the Pole. The boys were expected to depart Resolute Bay today, en route to Eureka Weather Station, before heading on to Ward Hunt Island, where the journey will begin in earnest.

That's all for now. Expect more updates soon as the Baffin Babes get underway on Baffin Island and several other high profile teams begin their expeditions as well.

Frédéric Lagrange | The Wakhan Corridor

Photo © Frederic Lagrange-All Rights Reserved

"You get older faster in the Wakhan Corridor."

The Wakhan Corridor, the region known locally as Bam-e Dunya (or roof of the world), is the narrow strip of territory in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from Pakistan. The corridor is wedged between the Pamirs to the north and the Hindu Kush to the south. Sparsely populated due to its harsh climate, the region has about 12,000 people and is a political creation of the Great Game, the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia.

It took many years for French photographer Frédéric Lagrange to plan and organize his month-long trek to the region, taking with him local porters, an Afghan guide, donkeys and 100 rolls of film. 

During his trek, Lagrange photographed and produced film footage that eventually became a 20-minute film, Lost on the Roof of the World.

Frédéric Lagrange started his career in 2001, focusing mainly on travel photography, then widening his work to include fashion and portraiture. His photographs have been featured in numerous magazines and ad campaigns around the world such as: Vanity Fair US, The New York Times magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue (Japanese, German, Spanish, Indian), The New Yorker, Louis Vuitton, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ (US, Japan), Anthropologie, Free People, and W hotels, among others.

Currently living in Brooklyn, he was chosen as Photo District News’s “30 under 30 Photographers to watch in 2003”, and was the recipient of many photography awards and his work is also featured in The American Photography Annual, The Society of Publication Designers Annual, and the PDN Photography Annual. He is also one of 30 photographers sponsored by Kodak worldwide.

 

Fenced - A Short Story

Manas would not witness the heaps of white paper flying across the fenced Desert Dunes on his routine trip.

Yet, for some strange reason, this time he took out his Binoculars hurriedly, rattling the water bottle and story book in the backpack on its way.

With a longer vision and a shorter breath, he could catch hold of one of the many letters and a glimpse of the old man in streaking dead white and a crown of red turban over.

‘For the bread and the barter, my owed loans against the daughter;

There is an oasis so deep, in my heart when I weep;

If you could forgive me hence, and just for once travel across the fence;

The eyes die to see you flesh, and relieve the fenced soul of this mesh;

Your father is an old man now, suddenly life can betray, you know how;

My moustache no more black, but your doll still on the rack;

Stubborn I wouldn’t die in this life, for won’t forever live in death’s strife;

If you could Travel for my soul, and boundaries with no role;

To see the tears that roll often and the wrinkles that they soften;

Had this front not been  fenced, my death would not be chanced; 

Being sand, to become the sand, the body’s matter till its end,

Can’t the sand of its portion, flow me across and live this notion;

Pity our sights that share the glance, but am jealous for this air with no fence;  

For the men they apart, there are souls that cannot depart,  

For the men they apart, there are a few souls that could not depart.... ’,

as Manas read this through the white paper, he glanced that Hasrat, a young woman, perhaps the daughter, was on her knees and in tears on the other side of fence.

There were men, and well..... there are fences, Manas thought.

This post has been written and shared for the series 'Five Sentence Fiction'.

***

Looking forward to your comments and feedback.

Mark Hartman | Bole So Nihal...

Photo © Mark Hartman-All Rights Reserved

You must be wondering what does 'Bole So Nihal..." mean? Well, it's part of the traditional greeting used by the followers of the Sikh religion, and a call to action or duty. In Punjabi it essentially means "Whoever utters, shall be fulfilled.")

According to Wikipedia, it's a popular mode of expressing ebullient religious fervor and an integral part of Sikh liturgy. It is said at the end of Sikh prayers and holy congregations.

I was pleased to have been referred by PDN to photographer Mark Hartman's Bole So Nihal wonderful photo essay, consisting of over 30 square color photographs of Nihang Sikhs. He spent most of March and April 2014 in India working on personal projects, which include these terrific photographs.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, by Guru Nanak. Sikhs do not have a gender for God, nor do they believe God takes a human form. All human beings are considered equal regardless of their religion, sex or race.

The Nihang are an armed Sikh order, and their distinctive dress consists of blue robes, bracelets of iron, and steel rings tied in their lofty conical blue turbans, along with the traditional sword carried by all baptized Sikhs.

Mark tells us in the PDN article that he was granted access to the Nihang while traveling in Amirtsar and Anandpursahib in Punjab, and that he decided to photograph them is a posed formal way because he hadn't seen anyone set up on-location portraits of the Nihang Sikhs before.

Mark Hartman is a New York City based photographer. He studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. He has shown work his work internationally. His work has been featured and published in Esquire, Monocle, Communication Arts, PDN, CNN, British Journal of Photography and others. In 2012, he was named a photographer to watch by Photo District News.

Travel Forum or Travel Blog : WHAT works and WHEN ?

Glancing through my travel folder on the laptop, I suddenly realized that there had been a lot of background research that had undergone in my trip to Italy and later to Prague. As a corollary, it was realized that the sources for these information could either be classified in those collected from travel forums like Wikitravel, Tripadvisor, Fodors etc. and the others those from the travel blogs.  Just a few days back, one of my readers had queried about the perennial questions travelers across  the world face !

When it comes to planning a trip,

what works ?

Travel Forum or a Travel Blog

and importantly, 

When  to use a Travel Forum and when a Travel Blog?

I'm sure many readers would jump the gun the moment the thoughts boil down to planning. They'd opine, that there is no need for planning for the travel anyways ! So, this post is about them who would assign a sense of priority to planning beforehand.

The maverick in the hamlet may be rested for now.

Photo Courtesy : Here

The post is for those who care to plan and would like to plan.

The crux : DO plan, it helps!

First things first, this post is not about endorsing any particular travel forum. Well, I do have my set of favorites, but then that list could figure in some other post. Secondly, there are certain niche blogs. that are more informative than the travel forums, so the thin grey line is overstepped.

We begin with keeping those niche blogs away.

When planning a trip, Begin with a Travel Forum add on with a Travel Blog and then close it again with a Travel Forum !

That's the short part of the long story. When it comes to doing research for the trip, the broader information, like which airports to chose, the classic itinerary to build, the days to accommodate, the hotels in a particular price band and a service quality are all best sourced from the Travel Forums. Add to them many to one reviews etc. are really helpful. There may be discussions within the group members who wish to answer. They are more like the FAQs. They have the answers for questions like the cities to cover in the 10 day Italy trip or when in Rome, what would be the best airport etc.. But then their weakness lay exactly in their strength.

Travel Forums contain many posts that are very generic in nature. If you wish to seek specific answers for things to do in a 3 Day trip to Rome, then head on to a Travel Blog. There are again phenomenal travel blogs that would capture the minute details with useful information. So travel blogs would connect those dots left open by the forums in the first place.

Once done with the specific information, you may head back to a forum for unique queries like getting a cab in the particular hour of the day. Which stop to alight from the train, Is there a construction activity around the hotel you plan  to stay, When does a mall open etc..

Both of them works and in the order as below.

Travel Forums --> Travel Blogs --> Travel Forums

The final brushings and the planning for the picture perfect travel is complete !

Photo Courtesy : Here

A Life With Leica | Thorsten von Overgaard

ZITE has introduced me to a multitude of interesting articles on photography and otherwise, including this short documentary featuring a Danish photographer named Thorsten von Overgaard.

As a preamble, let me say that although I own a Leica M9 and have the utmost regard for its capabilities as a tool, I'm far from being a Leica fanboy, realizing (and grudgingly accepting) its shortcomings, and periodically ranting at Leica's blatant ostentatious marketing and pricing.

Nonetheless, I have just returned from leading a photographic expedition-workshop to Viet Nam where I used the M9 (with a Voigtlander 40mm) on a number of occasions during street photography jaunts in Ha Noi and Hoi An, and readily confirm that (1) its images (whether monochrome or color) have a distinct 'feel' to them, and (2) its ergonomics are just right.

This is a lovely documentary filmed in Rome with Thorsten who shares his photographic 'philosphy' with us. I found myself in full agreement with him on most of his points of view...which ranged from "there's always stuff happening" in the streets, that each one of us has a unique visual viewpoint, that cameras (whether Leica or otherwise) are just tools and that he never photographs people unless to show them off in the best of lights. The latter also echos Sebastião Salgado's philosophy.

A minor point: I was surprised to see Thorsten resting his Leicas on their lenses instead of on their bottom plates. I do that as well. Weird.

Blog's 2nd Anniversary - And The Second Year Sailed By !

Just as effortless as it could be, the second year for the Blog simply sailed by !

As new learnings await their share, some golden moments of the second year also hold their virtue.

The feeling of having a loving audience as you is simply wonderful. Thanks !

The Year In Vignettes !

Some blog contests won, (check the Accolades section) !, An affiliate program was approved and loads of motivating responses from the readers.

Keep Dropping By.

This Blog is all about your affection !

Travel For Soul. Simply Travel !!

Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten Claim 2009 Piolet d'Or

The Hardwear Sessions, official blog of Mountain Hardwear, is reporting that that Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten have won one of three 2009 Piolet d'Or awards, given out annually for outstanding accomplishments in mountaineering. The amazing duo took home their prize for their first ascent, in Alpine Style, of the North Face of Tengkampoche, a 6500m peak in the Khumbu Valley.

Upon winning the award, Ueli released the following statement:

I

t is a great honour for me to receive the "Piolets d'Or 2009" award. This award is given away by mountaineers who know what alpinism is all about. This prize should also be trendsetting. Therefore it is a great confirmation that Simon and I are on the right track. Alpinism is not comparable. First of all it is a matter of personal experience and personal challenge. That's why it is important to be able to follow some rules. With today's modern technique everything is achievable. Every mountain can be climbed. But the mountain is no longer the determining link between success and failure. Personally this is exactly what most matters: that the alpinist is the most important element between success and failure and not primarily the technical means. Thanks to all my sponsors, which have been supporting me during all these years and who give me the opportunity to realise such idealistic goals.

Thank you also to Simon: this was one of the most beautiful expeditions I could experience.

Although this prize was for 2009 I am proud of all my ascents. And we do not have to forget: it's not over yet, it will go on. I am totally consumed by my projects. And the next one is closer than we might think."

Ueli and Simon are a class act both on the mountain and off, and everyone already knows their part in the Inaki Ochoa incident last year on Annapurna. Obviously this award is well deserved, as they exemplify everything that the spirit of mountaineering is all about.

The other two winners of the Piolet d'Or include Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi completing the first ascent of the South-West face of Kamet and Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano, also of Japan, opening a new route on the North Face of Kalanka. Both climbs were completed in Alpine Style.

Congrats to all the winners.

POV: Street Photography | Should It Be Furtive?

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

“Of course it’s all luck.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson

This POV is prompted by a number of recent posts expressing soul-searching angst from various quarters, as well as various photographers expressing some discomfort in utilizing 'guerrilla' (their term...not mine) tactics to get candid photographs of the street.

It seems that a hands-on review of the Fuji X-T1 by the photographer Zack Arias in Marrakech included some of his tips and tricks in capturing unguarded moments of street life, and a number of photographers questioned the ethics of furtive street photography.

I don't have this issue. To me, street photography is furtive in its very essence...and there is no presumption of privacy for individuals in a public place. By definition, street photography is making photographs on the sly.

When I'm pounding the New York City pavements with a M9 or a X Pro-1, I shoot from the hip about 90% of the time. This technique -if you can call it that- ensures that the people I photograph are totally unaware that I am making a photograph of them...and frequently, unaware that I'm even there.

Street photography is -to my mind- synonymous with candid photography. The latter "...is achieved by avoiding prior preparation of the subject and by either surprising the subject or by not distracting the subject during the process of taking photos". (Source: Candid Photography:Wikipedia).

We all know the father of candid photography was the iconic Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose book Images à la Sauvette was published in 1952, was the master of candid photography. Setting aside that his photographs were mostly of unguarded moments, the very title of his book is French for 'furtively'...and not The Decisive Moment as his publisher translated it.

I recall Costa Manos exhorting us in a Havana workshop that successful street photographs ought to have no one looking at the photographer or noticing the camera. It may not have been accurate, since there are many examples of terrific street photography images in which the subjects look directly -and even pose- for the photographer.

When I photograph in religious spaces such as Sufi dargahs or Hindu temples in India...or wherever I am mingling with people going about their daily life, I much prefer photographing furtively and shooting from the hip. This is to capture candid expressions, unposed body language and unplanned layers.

It's impossible for me to avoid attention wherever I travel. A foreigner with a camera is always a focus of attention, and I have to use all sorts of stratagems and 'techniques' to grab frames as I can...ranging from the "I'm a lost tourist in NYC...and I'm looking for street names/landmarks/addresses" while shooting my iPhone...to the gazing in another direction or pretending to be talking on my iPhone whilst shooting my rangefinder from the hip...yes, there are myriads of ways to play the dumb tourist, sightseer or a disinterested photographer.

The iPhone image of the two musicians going for a hug was made by (1) anticipating what they were about to do, and (2) holding the device in my hand as if I was looking at a map. The other image of the Indian men having a snack near the shrine of Nizzam Uddin was made by shooting my X Pro-1 from the hip whilst pretending to be talking on the iPhone. Had I planted myself in front of them with a camera to my eye, they would've stopped eating and awkwardly froze to pose for the picture.

Remember, I'm not photographing to capture people in awkward or embarrassing moments...that's not my interest. My interest is capturing scenes where people are at their most unguarded, at their most normal and candid moments. If one of my frames accidentally depicts someone picking his/her nose...or a man scratching his crotch, the frame gets deleted.

To those who take that as being furtive, sneaky or sly...I say to each his own.

10 tips when travel VietNam

Hanoi is an unquestionable requirement see place, on the off chance that you wish to get doused in a social encounter that is rich and astounding. Hanoi packs everything from old landmarks to recorded artful culminations to rich, green parks and an overall selected zoo. It's a spot where you can be kept occupied for a considerable length of time together without having whenever to get exhausted. This current one's essentially a French-frontier city with lakes, beautiful area and considerably more, which can be accomplished just when here in-individual.

Related post: Vietnam travel

Escape at the Hoan Kiem Lake 

Frequently alluded as the Lake of the Restored Sword, its a magnum opus of Hanoi's society and history which individuals simply rush around to feel flabbergasted.

Initially built as a college in 1070, it portrays genuine Vietnamese style in a customarily created structural planning. Going to this spot will help you see various locales including the Well of Heavenly Clarity, structures, turtle steles, paths, yards and the sky is the limit from there. Likewise, here numerous recorded structures can be found and the spot has now turned into a dedication to writing and instruction.

The spot is a compositional impression of the Old Hanoi. One can have nearby cooking styles strengths here and there is even a night advertise in the heart of this place that can help you look for garments, nourishment, trinkets and then some.

Additionally renowned as the Hanoi Opera House, here you can see French impact in outline and development which got done with building in 1911. It's a spot which remains as a witness to the Revolution of Hanoi and can take you away to very nearly 100 years back's, to observer compositional brilliance taking care of business.

Most seasoned Pagoda in Vietnam, it goes again to 1842 and is an image of Buddhism in the nation. This is a place that offers astonishing perspectives and an incredible feeling to each guest.

Hanoi Hilton: an exhibition hall that cover Hanoi's past

Hanoi Hilton is an everyday term signifying an infamous place that was utilized by French and afterward by North Vietnamese to torment and keep the detainees. John Mccain was a prominent, long-term detainee here and today a piece of this serves as a gallery for vacationers.

See a spot connected with numerous legends: West Lake 

The legend of Golden Buffalo is the most prevalent legend connected with the West Lake, which is the biggest lake in Hanoi. It's otherwise called Ho Tay and is arranged in the northwest piece of Hanoi.

This Granite building holds an extraordinary hugeness for every one of those individuals who wish their adored pioneer to live on until the end of time. The remaining parts of Uncle Ho here are kept exceptionally safeguarded and overall sorted out, security here is tight and suitable dressing is an absolute necessity so as to show regard for this extraordinary individual. The remaining parts are sent to Russia for support, its consequently encouraged to recheck before going by to guarantee that the Mausoleum is interested in visitors.

Today this demonstrations like a legislature house and a little expense is charged to stroll through the grounds here.

Look for good fortunes at the Perfume Pagoda 

Additionally, alluded as the internal sanctuary or Chua Huong, here you can see not few however numerous pagodas, each one offering an alternate sanctum basically Buddhist. The Perfume Pagoda is for guests searching for good fortunes from the stalactites and stalagmites inside the cavern.

How the money adds up 

Along these lines, see history, society and get splashed in excellence that is unexplored when at Hanoi and bear in mind to incorporate this city on your agenda at whatever point arranging Vietnam visits