POV: Daily Mail & Captions

Photo © Eric Lafforgue-Screen Grab: Daily Mail

The work of the highly respected Eric Lafforgue has recently been featured by the Daily Mail, a British daily tabloid newspaper and the second biggest-selling daily newspaper after the infamous The Sun.

One of Eric's recent spreads has been his photo essay on last year's Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, and whose headline reads "Inside India's Kumbh Mela festival where holy men (and women) reach the gods with a little help from some marijuana and technicolour make-up".

Ah well, I say to myself...some acceptable poetic license to attract readers is not uncommon for newspapers, and The Daily Mail is certainly one of the more creative in that regard.

However, my scrolling down comes to a screeching halt when I come to the above photograph and its caption which is "A young 'black Sadhu' who takes care of cremations. They a (sic) rumoured to eat the human flesh of corpses".

I don't know for sure who the writer of the captions are, but I assume it's Katy Winter of The Daily Mail, and writer of the article itself who let her fertile imagination go wild.

After all, she's the author of intellectual gems like "Talk about tending to the flock! Female farmer juggles looking after 2000 acres and 1000 sheep with raising her SEVEN children in remote village".

Just because this young man has a broken tooth doesn't make him a member of the fearsome Aghoris...the sect whose members are described by Wikipedia as "... known to engage in post-mortem rituals. They often dwell in charnel grounds, have been witnessed smearing cremation ashes on their bodies, and have been known to use bones from human corpses for crafting skull bowls (which Shiva and other Hindu deities are often iconically depicted holding or using) and jewelry.

No self-respecting aghori would allow himself to be photographed by any photographer...even by the great Lafforgue. And sadhus do not perform cremations...the cremations are carried out by a certain caste, and there's no deviation from this tradition.

Of course, the only 'real" aghori I've ever seen is the one and only "Black Mamba Cobra Boom-Boom" who quoted me $80 for a picture in Varanasi.

UPDATE:  I've received an email from Eric, who having read this POV post, affirmed that he was told the two men he met were black sadhus, and that one of them had, a long time ago, consumed human flesh that remained after cremations.

Charles Bridge, Prague - A Blissful Evening

Charles Bridge has a Life of its own

For minutes, being at the Charles Bridge, the view was unbelievable. Wow !! A manifestation of magnificence, eclecticism and romanticism lay ahead me!!  Simply Spectacular and Surreal. As the evening sun sailed slowly to float in another hemisphere, river Vltava beneath jostled across the reflections.Over and within.Charles Bridge is a single reason enough to visit Prague. Small boats ornate the river, hustling and bustling under its splendour. Statues on the walls stand guard to the grandeur of the past. Though it is learnt that most of the original pieces now lay safe in the precincts of the museums.

Divine Setting of the Landscape

If for some reasons, if you were thinking to paint the moments’ memory, then astute painters line the Bridge, with the boards and finished memoirs. At some places, the quality of the sketch is excellent, and you'd soon find they aren't all amateurs with mediocre finishes. Apart from the excellent sketches, one of the reasons people throng to these artists is for spotting and getting a steal from budding Picaso. So that, some day when these painters become famous, they could make a fortune of the art forms. Perhaps they get sketched multiple times, because for the same reason. The verve of the travellers on the Charles bridge make it even more special.

The Energy of Travelers - Making it more special

There is a history of the Bridge and the events surrounding it as well. Gory, Glory and the Glamour. Gaze the dusk and the eclectic markets around the bridge, that makes it as adorable as it is.

You travel across the Charles Bridge, you don’t walk on it! The evening Charles Bridge has a life of its own.

Travel on the Bridge, You don't just walk on it!!

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Please drop your comments below. Would love to hear from you.

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The Travel Photographer's Street Photo Contest

The Travel Photographer's Street Photography Contest is open to any professional, student, or amateur photographer at least eighteen (18) years of age. The contest is restricted to residents of the contiguous United States.*

The contest's main theme is daily life in any city, town or village (anywhere in the world), captured through street photography: real, instant images, that grab moments, people, faces, streets, buildings and other elements capable of telling stories.

The sole prize is the handcrafted WotanCraft Ryker Urban Classic 001 which I reviewed earlier here. It's an ideal camera bag for street photography, it's low-profile and is made of very high quality leather.

The requirements and rules are simple: 

1. Entrants can submit up to three (3) photographs, color or monochrome.

2. Each photograph must be a jpg 1000x667 pixels at 72 dpi.

3. Each photograph must include your name and a sequential number if submitting more than one (ie JohnDoe_001.jpg, etc.)

5. Each photograph must indicate where it was made (New York City, San Francisco, London, Delhi, Tokyo, etc).

4. Entrants warrant that their submissions are all their original work.

5. The contest is closed for submissions on August 31, 2014.

6. Entrants are to send their submissions to: tes(at)telsawy.com. The email must also include entrants' full name.

7. There are no fees, or any costs to the entrants. This contest is essentially a competitive giveaway, and has received the blessing of WotanCraft Atelier. 

Judging:

I shall be judging the submissions, and will announce the three top best photographs. These three photographs will be posted on this blog, and public voting will be opened to choose the prize winner. This will occur during the week following August 31, 2014 deadline. 

* Regrettably, shipping to destinations other than in the contiguous United States is not only costly, but also involves an amount of paperwork, as well as potential hefty custom duties to be paid by the eventual recipient, especially with such an expensive camera bag. That is the reason for restricting the contest as I did. My apologies to the multitude of very talented non US-based photographers who may have been interested in entering the contest. 

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

Photo Courtesy WotanCraft Atelier

Resof opens in VietNam - Travel to VietNam

Found on the shoreline of the Phu Quoc Island, the resort's 12 pools and spa estates are all built from the timber of houses from the Vietnamese port city of Hoi An. The building pieces of the previous houses were delivered to the island of Phu Quoc and modified as extravagance occasion convenience.

With 36 estates, the resort is cozy and peculiarities a spa, sea confronting swimming pool and tennis courts. Every manor has its own particular private porch and perspectives of the sea.

Visitors have two eating and drinking choices. Il Ristorante, comfortable seafront, serves Mediterranean cooking and reflects Phu Quoc's angling legacy with a determination of crisp fish dishes. For drinking the Ghe Lounge Bar offers a wide mixture of universal mixed drinks and refreshments.

Praising its closeness to the coastline, the resort offers various water games, for example, windsurfing, kayaking, snorkeling and swooping. The resort likewise has a 22ft cruising watercraft and speedboats accessible for investigating the coastline.

The recreation center has a mixture of types of plants and coral reefs and additionally streams. Other regular  attractions of Phu Qyoc incorporate a pearl ranch, Cau sanctuary and various white sandy shorelines.

The Music Man of Tho Ha

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

As all photographers know full well, serendipity plays an important role in offering photographic opportunities that are rarely repeated. I'm not talking of serendipitous events that happen in a flash, and that lucky photographers manage to capture in a blink of the eye by just happening to be there when it happens, but rather of unexpected opportunities that can arise from asking the right questions, sometimes from taking the wrong turn, and sometimes just a few seconds before giving up and returning home.

During The People of Tây Bắc Photo Expedition-Workshop, I decided to break off from Ha Noi's street photography schedule, and drive to the village of Tho Ha, about 45 kilometers from the capital city.  The village specializes in producing rice paper, used for spring rolls and other Vietnamese culinary dishes.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

While the village is known for its photogenic setting, we didn't find it that interesting, and were on the verge of leaving it when our interpreter Huyen stopped at an old house to ask for directions, and we were introduced to Việt.

We were welcomed in his house, and were offered brain-numbing rice wine, thankfully in small goblets. It didn't take too long for Việt to grab his many traditional Vietnamese stringed instruments, and start playing melancholic tunes. An accomplished musician, and to a certain extent, a passable good singer, Việt was very proud of his musical heritage. and we were made to understand that he served with the Viet Cong during the American (Vietnam) War, and he played music for his fellow soldiers.

Việt owns a small enterprise producing rice paper in the village, and he 's extremely proud of his son who works for a Ford assembly factory  in Hai Duong, as he is of his grandson who may have his musical talents.



The đàn nguyệt ("moon lute") being played is a two-stringed Vietnamese traditional musical instrument, is used in both folk and classical music, and remains popular throughout Vietnam. It's related to the yueqin, also known as the moon guitar, a traditional Chinese string instrument.

According to Xuan Tran (friend and travel agent supremo), the song is titled "Người ơi, Người ở đừng về", and it's a type of Quan Họ traditional music.

Food tour across Vietnam in tour HoChiMinh

We're back in the UK for a couple of more weeks still so it was extraordinary to see Vietnam emphasized on primetime TV on Thursday night, when Rick Stein, a prevalent UK gourmet specialist, used a hour voyaging and consuming through Vietnam as a feature of his Far Eastern Oddessey, which can be seen here on BBC iplayer.

We truly appreciated the show - and it was extraordinary to see a travel program on Vietnam where for once the sustenance emphasized was about significantly more than macho moderators drinking snake's blood - nourishment in Vietnam is so divine it generally disturbs me to see innumerable moderators accumulating out over dishes that numerous individuals in Vietnam wouldn't consume, either.

Related post: Vietnam travel

Backtracking the voyage 

For the individuals who have created a taste for Vietnam in the wake of seeing Rick's demonstrate, here's a brisk agenda of his ventures, if you wish to investigate a portion of the spots he saw and sustenances he consumed!

He began the show going by skimming towns and the business sector in Chau Doc, at the outskirt with Cambodia, profound in the Mekong Delta, before heading to the exchanging center of the Mekong, Can Tho - celebrated its coasting business, however he didn't visit it.

On the banks of the Saigon stream and brimming with frontier appeal it is an incredible spot to stay when going to Saigon - as is the Hotel Continental, where Rick consumed inverse the Opera House.

He then went to Ben Thanh Market with Cathy from Gastronomy Blog who used to blog on Vietnamese sustenance from Saigon - her blog chronicles still have an abundance of knowlege on road nourishment in the city (as does Noodlepie) so on the off chance that you are arranging a visit look at these to get a thought of the delectable treats in store.

Skipping over the 1,000 odd miles and numerous incredible goals in Central Vietnam, Rick headed straight to Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, where he stayed in the perfect Sofitel Metropole, an alternate delightful frontier building - viewing the ravishing nourishment, lovely view and extravagance inns he was appreciating we were all inclination truly desirous by this point! He completed off the outing, as is standard, to Ha Long Bay, one of Vietnam's most renowned destinations of common magnificence. With a huge number of delightful islands climbing from the ocean its an incredible spot to strive for a journey.

In case you're feeling motivated you may need to look at these visit organizations that offer culinary treks to Vietnam:

A Taste of Vietnam - 14 days of tasty Vietnamese sustenance as you go from the North of the nation to the South with Imaginative Travelers

Gourmet Indochina - a 14 day devour crosswise over Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, taking in the significant sights and the best sustenance, with the larger part of time used in Vietnam.

Associations Vietnam offer cooking classes and road sustenance visits in Saigon

La Antigua | Foundry Photojournalism Workshop

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Well, tomorrow I'll be flying off to Guatemala to join the rest of the faculty of the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop. I'll be spending most of the week-long workshop teaching the fundamentals of multimedia and storytelling, but I'll try to fit some street photography.

Having been to La Antigua a few years ago, I remember its streets offered strong contrast between shadows and sunlit corners, and hopefully I'll be able to do some interesting work with that.

I have a small class...which is what I always ask for and much prefer, since there's a substantial amount of one-on-one coaching in the audio editing module of the class. Having a larger class would be unmanageable, and would diminish its benefits.

I'll try to post while I'm in La Antigua, and keep my readers appraised about what I'm up to there....whether it's about the Foundry itself, my street photography, excellent coffee hang-outs or restaurants.

Keep tuned.

Okay... so what did I miss?

Just a quick note to say I'm home safe and sound from the Amazon. I had a fabulous time, and will be sharing photos, stories, and video from the trip soon. It was everything I could hope for and more, with plenty to see and do. The River itself is vast and powerful, and the jungle is thick, dense, and teeming with life.

Now comes the fun part of a vacation when you have to return to reality, and get caught up on all the work that was neglected while you were away. I know of several stories that I need to post on already, and regular updates should hopefully resume later today.

Until then, thanks to everyone who sent me encouraging words while I was away. I promise to share plenty of information on my trip as soon as I get settled and caught up a bit. :)

Will Gadd in ESPN the Magazine

It's not often that climbing, in any of its fashions, is reported on by the mainstream media. And when it is it's generally to report bad news. That's why it's always fun to find a story on a climber in a periodical such as ESPN the Magazine, which has devoted some space to ice climber Will Gadd.

I've posted on Gadd before. He's the globetrotting climber always looking for a new challenge to sink his ice axes into, and he's put up some tough routes all over the planet. He was even on the Jeep World of Adventure Sports when he did some underground ice climbing in an abandoned iron mine in Sweden.

This article is a profile on Will and his approach to ice climbing. ESPN caught up to him in December while he was working a small frozen waterfall in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia's, a short distance from where he lives. The training was preparation for a much bigger, and more challenging, water fall that he had projected to climb this month, with a slew of filmmakers and photographers in tow.

The story goes on to look at some of Will's other climbs, his start in the sport and his motivations. He's one of the top ice climbers in the world, and it's a nice profile that will probably not resonate with much of the ESPN crowd, but it is cool that they at least did the story, and showed him as the athlete that he is. Good stuff.

And check out one of Will's climb videos that they included with the story.

Adventure Week: Two More Endurance Legends Added

The roster of endurance athletes coming to Adventure Sports Week 2009 continues to grow with the addition of Rebecca Rusch and Michael Emde to the already impressive list of names that will be on hand at Farragut State Park near Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho this June.

Rusch, who has earned the nickname "the Queen of Pain", has an extensive and impressive resume in the world of outdoor adventure sports. She has raced in, and won, adventure races all over the world, and has become one of the best endurance mountain bike athletes as well. She will be taking part in the Mad Dash 8-hour mountain bike ride, as well as the Crux and the Crucible Adventure Race, and one of several orienteering events too.

Emde is the winner of the Furnace 508, and endurance cycling event that runs for 500+ miles through Death Valley every year. He has also competed on an international level in a number of other cycling events as well, and will be riding in the Mad Dash race as well.

These two talented athletes will join the likes of Mike Kloser, Ian Adamson, Robyn Benincasa, and Dean Karnazes in Idaho this summer. Adventure Sports Week will run from June 5 through the 14 and will offer outdoor athletes "10 days, 24 races, 1 great party". Looks like it'll be an amazing week!

From Beijing to London... On Horseback!

We've seen some long distance journeys on horseback before. Remember Bernice Ende, who rode 5000 miles through the Western United States back in 2007? Or how about Tim Cope, who rode from Mongolia to Hungry over the course of three years, covering more than 6000 miles in the process? Well now we have another epic ride to join those two.

This past Saturday, a British woman named Megan Lewis set off, along with Li Jing and Peng Wenchao, both Chinese, set out from Beijing, China, with the intention of riding all the way to London. The trio will cross China, ride into Inner Mongolia, ride into Central Asia, before moving into Europe. The plan is to arrive in the U.K. in time for the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics, to be held in London.

Each of the riders is an experienced adventurer, and have plenty of time in the saddle. Lewis is riding to raise money for the Schoolchildren for Children charity as well, and you can read her blog of the expedition by clicking here. Also, be sure to checkout the official website of the journey at the appropriately named TheLongHorseRide.com.

Shah Zaman Baloch | Shrine of Abdul Latif Bhittai

Photo © Shah Zaman Baloch - All Rights Reserved

Eons ago, I worked for a US international bank that saw it appropriate to send me to Karachi for about 9 months; an internship kind of thing to learn the tools of the trade. Whilst I enjoyed it (and probably learned absolutely nothing of value), I had no interest at the time in photography nor did I seek to immerse myself in a foreign culture. I was just out of university...it was my first job, and rather myopically, I was only focused on being a banker.

Foolishly, I didn't travel to Lahore or to Peshawar...I stayed put in Karachi and its surrounding region. I regret not having the intellectual and visual curiosity at the time to explore the immensity of what Pakistan has to offer...especially what has become one of my photographic obsessions: Sufism.

One of Pakistan's premier Sufi saints is Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, whose Urs (death anniversary) is widely observed, and is said to be attended by half a million pilgrims. But through of the talented work of photographer Shah Zaman Baloch, I've come across this wonderful image of the shrine of the Sufi Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Abdul Latif Bhittai was Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, and poet,  and is considered to be greatest poet of the Sindhi language. His death anniversary is held in a small village not far from Hyderabad, and about 200 kilometers from Karachi.

Shah Zaman Baloch's website portfolio consists mostly of single frames of his native Pakistan. Although he originally wanted to be a painter, he saw a newspaper advertisement of admission for Bachelors in Film and TV at the National College of Arts in 2005, and started his career. While his website has a photography gallery, his main area of expertise are in the fields of Direction and Cinematographer. 

Visit SaiGon by night on Tour Vietnam travel

Need to see an alternate side of Saigon? At that point this visit is for you! Give us a chance to take you outside of region 1 and demonstrate to you regions that most guests don't get to see. The city additionally looks much changed during the evening than it does in the daytime.....from the lights of the red paper lamps in Cholon  to the astonishing perspective of the Saigon River during the evening from Thu Thiem span.

Related post: travel Vietnam

Experience the surge of driving down the recently constructed Saigon interstate, and look upon the radiant Bitexco Tower, one of the tallest structures in Vietnam! See the swarms of individuals accumulate at a considerable lot of the alternative walkway bistros that mysteriously show up during the evening. We'll likewise reveal to you the wide complexity between the old Saigon and the new cutting edge city that is creating!

Saigon by Night offers a totally distinctive experience than our day visits. We'll bring you to 5 of the most mainstream areas in Saigon that most voyagers don't regular furthermore provide for you an opportunity to attempt a few tasty Vietnamese road nourishment! You can pick between 3 light supper dishes, from the greatly famous "Banh Mi" (Vietnamese baguette sandwich),  to the lesser well known "Banh Uot" (steamed rice noodles with pork sausauge and sweet fish sauce) and in conclusion, our individual top choice "Com Tam" (barbecued pork slashes on broken rice)! Don't stress vegetarians...we additionally have you secured!

If you don't mind note that this visit is offered on a join in premise, so there may be different visitors going along with you on the visit. Our most extreme gathering size for the Saigon by Night visit is 10 individuals. We do offer a private visit choice for an additional charge.

Dalat travel in Vietnam

Dalat is a bumpy sentimental city with a cool "western" atmosphere. The French named the city Dalat from the latin 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem' ("Giving Pleasure to Some, Freshness to Others", and it is ordinarily known as 'the City of Eternal Spring', which has made it a prominent ends of the line for occasion creators who need to beat the hotness, and for Vietnamese couples, for whom it is known as the city of affection. 

The normal temperature is 17°c, and does not surpass 25°c in the most blazing season. In the early mornings, the city emerges to enchanted haze over the lake. Its calm atmosphere is perfect for agribusiness, and lately the quantity of ranches and estates around the city have developed quickly. It gives the majority of blossoms and vegetables for the monstrous markets over the south of Vietnam. Dalat is likewise extremely well-known for its mixed bag of blooms and orchids and in addition broad pine woodlands, which may help voyagers to remember home more than the tropics in the valleys beneath. 

Catholic church dalat

Tuantadalat is another of those Vietnamese towns that started as a French resort territory. Whatever else may be said in regards to the French, they surely had great taste in picking locales for resorts, and Dalat is existing evidence of that. Intended to be just about a Swiss snow capped town, the French urban organizer Ernest Hebrard outlined the high country town with wide avenues, exquisite estates, a green, open green spaces, schools, and unassuming homes.

Related post: Vietnam travel

Fortunately for Dalat's present day guests, the city was basically untouched amid the American Vietnam War, be that as it may its prevalence among passionate Vietnamese couples has lead to a decent lot of kitsch "attractions" and this joined with the blasting agrarian industry implies the town is currently much busier than the serene slope station of the past, with more solid structures, karaoke rooms and 'small scale inns' springing up crosswise over town. Nowadays to delight in the best of Dalat it is best to utilize the town as a base to investigate the slopes and nature encompassing it than to expect excessively from the town itself. 

Touring in Dalat 

Dalat Golf

Jaremythe first thing the guest to Dalat will most likely recognize is the structural engineering. Since the city was developed essentially by the French and the Catholic Church, Dalat is an intriguing mix of French pilgrim construction modeling, combined with ravishing Jesuit structures and Vietnamese pagodas. 

One site very nearly all Dalat's manuals will lead you to is the Hang Nga guesthouse, referred to all the more normally just as 'Insane House'. Manufactured by Hang Nga, Ph.d. graduate of Moscow State University's structural engineering project, Crazy House is a honeycomb of peculiar rooms and lobbies that additionally serves as a nearby lodging. Rather than straight lines and corners, Crazy House is all bends, as though its solid had softened, trickled, and after that solidified into its curious shape. 

An alternate building worth visiting in Dalat is Binh III. Ruler Bao Dai fabricated three separate manors for himself in Dalat, and albeit every one of them have been restored and made open, its Binh III that is the most amazing. 

To stay in Vietnam like genuine sovereignty, nonetheless, book your room at the Sofitel Dalat Palace, an extravagance inn that is been affectionately restored and sits on a fairway. With an entryway fit for a ruler's assembly hall, work of art beautifying its restaurants and suites, together with the advanced solaces of satellite TV and small bars, there's no place else in Dalat that offers such rich extravagance. Regardless of the fact that you can't stand to stay in the Sofitel Dalat Palace, at any rate have a mixed drink and supper there in one of the three bars and two restaurants. After supper, move ground floor at PK's Disco. 

Lionlyonnexuan Huong Lake is a prominent goal with honeymooners; you can walk around its external banks, or contract an oar watercraft and go out for a twist. In any case, be cautioned that the lake was as of late emptied, and won't be topped again off until January or February 2011. 

Xuan Huong Lake isn't the main lake in and around Dalat, however. Only 5 km north of the downtown area is the Valley of Love, where a lake was included 1972 to make its pleasant, quiet magnificence significantly more appealing. On the opposite side of town lies the Truc Lam Pagoda, the second greatest Zen Buddhist focus in Vietnam, encompassed by Tuyen Lam lake and pine woods. 

Only 20 minutes from Dalat lies the Lang Bain mountain; at a tallness of 2169m above ocean level it isthe most noteworthy mountain in the Southern Vietnam. It is a mainstream spot to climb and appreciate dazzling vistas of the encompassing ranges and it is likewise conceivable to camp. For the individuals who don't feel so lively it is additionally conceivable to get a ride to the summit. 

Getting to and around Dalat 

It is not difficult to get to Dalat as there are every day immediate flights from both Saigon and Hanoi. The flight from Saigon takes only 35 minutes while transports run like clockwork and take 6-8 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. The best time to visit is November to May, as there is less rain and a charming temperature - however be arranged for it to get nippy in the winter months. It is an extraordinary spot to lease a motorbike of your own to investigate the slopes, or you could tackle one of the 'Simple Riders' who have earnt an incredible notoriety as great advisers for investigate the region and Vietnam as  whole.

Location is Anantara Hoi An Resort's best asset in Vietnam Travel

The best of Vietnam is, from multiple points of view, showcased in Hoi A, with its laid-back riverside bistros, provincial structural engineering, luxurious sanctuaries, peripheral patchwork of rice paddies and sandy shoreline. It has a rich inn scene, as well, with two new resorts opening this mid year, on a bank of the Thu Bon River, and on the shoreline.

The inn is contemporary Vietnamese, in shades of mandarin and chocolate with high contrast photography of old Hoi A clinging the dividers. Frontier style Heritage Bar serves crisp from-the-waterway fish and neighborhood fortes such ascao lau, a noodle and pork soup;banh bao, shrimp packages; andbanh it, a samosa-formed package of coconut wrapped in banana takes off. There's additionally a French-style outside restaurant, a spa, swimming pool and bar.

Related post: travel Vietnam

There are two gigantic swimming pools, yet its about the shoreline, which you can see from each of the rooms. The lodging has Vietnamese and steak restaurants, and a terminus parlor bar; visitors can likewise acquire a bicycle and cycle to the riverside Fusion Lounge for the same sustenance around the local area.

Matilda Temperley | Omo Valley

A few years ago,  Matilda Temperley traveled to Ethiopia's Omo Valley with a portable studio to, as she says it, to "isolate the subjects from their surroundings, extracting the individual from his or her contextual backgrounds so as to bring their gaze, unmediated, into the image."

The Omo valley is at a crossroad of cultures and civilizations and many tribal groups, such as the Mursi, Suri, Ebore and others live around the South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Kenyan borders. These tribes have developed their own unique styles of self decoration to differentiate themselves from their neighbors. The Mursi women, as an example, have their lower teeth removed and ceramic plates inserted that stretch the lips.

"Tribal porn", as some correctly describe it,  is what fuels the gradual and steady increase in the tour groups, and there's been an increasing stream of westerners into the valley in the recent years. Tourist cash in making its way into the tribal regions, and is polluting their cultures. The fashions in the more accessible Omo Valley villages are changing, with tribes people adorning themselves with as much accessories as they can find in order to beg for photos.

It's regrettable and very sad to see these proud Omo Valley inhabitants being encouraged by many unscrupulous tour agents, tourists and photographers to do so, at the risk of losing their identity and age-old cultures.

The Ethiopian government's actions are also a contributing factor. The  forthcoming hydroelectric Gibe III dam is expected to cause potential humanitarian disaster for the region's 500,000 inhabitants. The dam will allow Ethiopia to become a major energy exporter, but will also allow for large-scale commercial farming through irrigated agriculture along the banks of the Omo. Another change in the ways of life for the tribes of the Omo Valley.

Matilda Temperley is a British photographer, who had career in tropical infectious diseases before taking up photography. She is known for her stylised portraiture of marginalised societies. 

Masks of Dwo | Aitor Lara

The masks of Dwo from José Bautista on Vimeo.

To start off the week, here's a really unusual dance ritual performed by the Bwa people of Burkino Faso.

According to Wikipedia, the Bwa people are an ethnic group indigenous to central Burkina Faso and Mali. Their population is approximately 300,000 and they are known for their use of elaborate masks, made from leaves or wood, used in rituals.

While 5% of the Bwa are Muslim, and 10% are Christian, the remaining 85% are animists. The latter worship a creator god called Wuro, whose son was Dwo, the god of new life and rebirth. The Bwa use leaf masks more than wooden ones, and these leaf masks frequently represent Dwo in religious ceremonies. The masks also represent the bush spirits including serpents, monkeys, buffalo and hawks. These performances generally take place in the dry season between February and May.

Aitor Lara is a Spanish photographer/videographer who worked in different countries bringing to light the anthropological dimensions of social minorities such as indigenous peoples, and sex workers. He showed his work in international photography fairs such as ARCO and ParisPhoto. He received a number of research grants, including one that allowed him to carry out a project in Uzbekistan. He published a number of books, including Maestranza, a photographic report about the bullring of Seville. He has published in magazines such as NewsWeek, Financial Times, Ojo de Pez orVokrug Sveta. In 2012, he published the book Ronda Goyesca edited by La Fábrica. He was a nominee of the Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund Grant in 2012.

BongSen hotel in tour travel VietNam

Bong Sen Hotel was recompensed one of main ten Vietnam Hotels in 2001. Stay at Bong Sen Hotel explorers positively will be awed with the enchanting cordiality, expert administration and present day solace to reflect the engine of Bong Sen Hotel: "A Warm Home Away From Home".

It is suitable for both business and occasion voyagers to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) who demand quality administration at sensible rates.

Related post: Vietnam travel deals

Settlement: 

- Standard: twofold couch or twin cot rooms with window in 24m2.

- Deluxe: twofold or twin couch rooms with private gallery for city see in 32m2.

- Junior Suite: twofold or twin couch rooms with windows for city see in 38m2.

- Executive BS Suite: King-size cot rooms with private overhang for city see in 70m2.

We consolidate a demonstrated business procedure with more than 33 years of lodging industry mastery and seizes the opportunities and new conveyance channels that have been opened by the web by making innovation for inns to disperse their room stock and achieve buyers straightforwardly.

Bong Sen Hotel plans to be the one of the main Vietnamese-based inns giving web based lodging room bookings and administrations to Bong Sen Hotel's clients.

Visitors on business or relaxation will unquestionably be inspired with the beguiling friendliness, expert administration and thoughful solaces run of the mill of Bong Sen Hotel's witticism: A warm home far from home.

- Individual controlled cooling

- Satellite TV with global stations

- Private washroom with shower tub or shower

- Comb and shoes

- Mini-bar and visitor current lift

- Safe store confine room (aside from Standard room)

Jacket Concept Design Converts To Tent

It seems like just about everything that can be done with our outdoor gear, has been done with our outdoor gear. We now have stuff that is lighter, stronger, and more durable than ever before. Heck, it's all designed to go easy on the environment too! Thankfully, some people are still coming up with some interesting designs. Take this interesting concept for an outdoor jacket designed by Justin Gargasz.

The Vessel jacket as it is called, converts from a sling pack to a fairly standard looking shell, before transforming one more time into a tent. Yep, it's like having three gear items in one, and they are traditionally three items that backpackers would take out in the field with them anyway.

Overall, I think it's an interesting design, and better left as a concept that an actual real product. I'm not sure how you would use this on any serious excursion into the woods, although I admit that the jacket converting into a tent idea is great for an emergency situation. The design is top notch though, and I give Justin credit for that, and forward thinking and innovation like this may be in our future gear items. Definitely something cool to think about.

Thanks to The Goat who picked this up via Core 77.

Stephanie Keith | Vodou Brooklyn

Photo © Stephanie Keith-All Rights Reserved

The Guédé are the spirits of Haitian Vodou that include the powers of death and fertility. These spirits include Ghede Doubye, Ghede Linto, Ghede Loraj, Ghede Masaka, Guédé Nibo, Guédé Plumaj, Guédé Ti Malis, and Guédé Zaranye, and the festival of Fete Guédé is the Vodou religion’s version of Day of the Dead on November 2, however the Haitian spirits are more playful and lively.

Vodou believers observe Fete Guédé by laying out gifts such as homemade beeswax candles, flowers and bottles of rum stuffed with chilli peppers. It is in November that vodouists celebrate Gede, the spirit who embodies death and resurrection. Gede dances to the drums, blesses people, drinks liquor rubs talcum of his face.

Every November in Brooklyn, Guédé parties occur on weekends, and photographer Stephanie Keith entered the world of vodou by photographing these parties in the cramped basements of Canarsie, East Flatbush and Red Hook.

Stephanie Keith is an award-winning photographer/photojournalist whose work has taken her to all corners of the 5 boroughs plus the Middle East, South America and Norway. She has a degree in Anthropology from Stanford University, a certificate in photojournalism from the International Center of Photography, and received a Master’s of Photography from NYU in 2003. The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time magazine and The Washington Post have all published her photos and photo stories. One of her photos was chosen by Time Out NY as one of the 50 most iconic photos of NYC.

The Caribbean Studies Press has just published her photos about Vodou as a book, entitled: “Vodou Brooklyn: Five Ceremonies with Mambo Marie Carmel.”

An interesting interview "The Vodou They Do in Brooklyn" describes how Ms Keith's fascination with vodou led her to these photographs and the book.