tips for welcoming the new year in Vietnam in Vietnam Travel

In Vietnam, Tet introduces the New Year and is by a wide margin the greatest day on the national datebook. Tet ceremonies start a prior week New Year's Day, and the initial three days of the New Year are official occasions, yet the occasion guests will truly need to encounter is New Year's Eve. This is the one night that Tet turns into a clamorous festival; whatever is left of the time its a reasonably peaceful family undertaking.

One prior week the New Year, Tao Quan – the three Spirits of the Hearth, found in the kitchen of each home – are said to climb to the sky to cover the previous year's occasions to the Jade Emperor. Sacred places, laden with offerings, are amassed in arrangement for the divine beings' takeoff, in the trust of getting a great report and guaranteeing good fortunes for the family in the advancing year. Nonattendant relatives return home so the entire family can celebrate Tet together.

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A cay neu (New Year's tree) is built to avoid malevolence spirits. Kumquat trees are mainstream all through the nation, while extensions of pink dao (peach blooms) beauty houses in the north, and mai (yellow apricot blooms) are prevalent in homes arranged further south.

This night the Tao Quan come back to earth, and at the stroke of midnight all issues from the past year are deserted and pandemonium follows. The objective is to make however much commotion as could be expected.

The occasions of New Year's Day are urgent as its accepted they influence the course of life in the year ahead. Individuals take additional mind not to be discourteous or show outrage, and its imperative that the first guest of the year to every family unit is suitable. They're normally male – best of all is a rich wedded man with a few kids. Outsiders are now and again invited as the first to go into the house, despite the fact that not generally, so its imprudent to visit any Vietnamese house on the first day of Tet, unless unequivocally wel

Andy Richter | Kumbh Mela

Photo © Andy Richter-All Rights Reserved

"I wanted to go deeper and connect with the Kumbh from a participant’s point of view. I wanted to see what it was like from the inside, to really experience this massive gathering, and photograph that. It was essential to slow down and spend time with people." -Andy Richter (The Leica Camera Blog)

The Kumbh Mela is the one pilgrimage-festival that seems to really emit a powerful magnetic force, gathering not only Hindu devotees, but all sorts of people including photographers and photojournalists from every corner of the world.  It's one of the world's most extraordinary religious events.

Its main objective is to bathe in the Ganges, as it's said that bathing in sacred rivers during the annual pilgrimage breaks the circle of life & death, and allows Hindus to attain moksha. While attended by millions of authentic pilgrims and devotees, it also attracts an enormous number of charlatans, magicians and fake sadhus who are surrounded by the unwary, the gullible, the curious and naturally, the tourists.

I know this first hand having attended and photographed the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, which is reported to have attracted approximately 60 million people, making it the largest gathering in the world at that time.

I am pleased to feature Andy Richter's Maha Kumbh Mela, which was mostly photographed with a Leica M9 with a 35 mm Summilux. One of his essay's photographs shows a mass of pilgrims crossing a pontoon bridge, where I also walked, and I still recall the sensation of being shoulder to shoulder with this moving mass of humanity, giving me the impression I was standing on a flat escalator.

Andy tells a fine story on The Leica Camera Blog, and mentions how he was surrounded by the naked babas bathing in the river...and meeting Alex Webb at the same spot.

Mountain Hardwear 2010 Exedition Sponorship News

Mountain Hardwear has posted a brief note on their Hardwear Sessions blog indicating that their 2010 Expedition Sponsorship Program will be kicking off soon, with applications being made available on May 1st.

Each year Mountain Hardwear offers up some cash to help sponsor worthy adventures around the globe and to help give back a bit to the community. For instance, for 2009 the company gave out a total of $10,000 to help fund two expeditions, Operation: Denali, which will assist four soldiers wounded in Iraq in climbing Denali, and the New Zealand Batura Expedition, which will head to a remote region in the Karakorum to tackle unclimbed peaks there.

Now, I'm sure you're looking at the calendar and thinking, "Hey! It's only March 24th! May 1st is a long way off!" But, it's never to early to start thinking about your 2010 expedition, and preparing to write the application for the MH grants. May 1st will be here before you know it, and you should take advantage of this opportunity when it comes. Sponsorship opportunities may be few and far between in this economic climate, and it's good to see that there are still some out there for adventurers to take advantage of.

North Pole 2009: Two Teams At 90ºN!

It was a big weekend at the top of the world, with two teams accomplishing their goal of reaching the North Pole, while the Barneo Ice Station closes for another season.

We'll start with the Victorinox North Pole 09 Team, consisting of John Huston and Tyler Fish. The two Americans found themselves in a race against time this weekend in order to reach the North Pole and still catch the last plane out to Barneo Station, and then home. The deteriorating ice conditions at Barneo forced the closure of the Russian Base, which meant John and Tyler had to arrive at the Pole by yesterday morning. They worked overtime to get there, and made it, becoming the first American team to go unsupported to the Pole. Congrats guys!

The Peary Centennial Expedition also lists their current position as 90ºN, with team members Lonnie Dupre, Max Chaya, and Stuart Smith all arriving safely after 53 days on the ice, covering 650 miles in the process. The trio arrived on Saturday morning, giving themselves plenty of time to enjoy the view and reflect on their achievement before they too caught the plane to Barneo on Sunday. Congrats to the team for a job well done as well, and a second round of congratulations to Max, who has now reached the "Three Poles", having been to both the North and South Pole and the summit of Everest. Well done Max!

The latest updates on Christina Franco's page indicate that she is heading home as well. There aren't a lot of details to be gathered from her posts just yet , but Christina was making a Last Degree journey to the Pole as a training exercise for next year's attempt at a solo journey from the Canadian side of the ice. I'm sure we'll hear more once she's back in civilization, but it seems she accomplished her goal as well.

Meanwhile, the Catlin Arctic Survey Team seem unconcerned with how they plan to get off the ice. They've now been out for 57 days, and covered more than 230 miles, with another 340 to go before the get to the Pole. But they're carrying sensitive scientific equipment along with them, including ground penetrating radar, and their goal has always been to gauge the healthy of the Polar ice, and determine the effects of global climate change on the region. From all accounts, that mission is going well, but they will be out there for awhile yet.

Finally, the Baffin Babes continue to struggle with illness on their journey across Baffin Island. After a brief respite on Saturday, in which they stayed in a "luxury camp", they thought that they had recovered, but upon hitting the trail yesterday, two of the girls began to feel ill again. Their latest dispatch says that each of them has taken turns with this bout of illness, which includes vomiting and diarrhea, none of which sounds like very much fun when you're also trekking across inhospitable terrain, dragging a heavy load, and it's -30º outside. Good luck girls. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Iditarod 2009: Crowded Leaderboard into Takotna

The 2009 Iditarod continues to be a very competitive race, with a large group fairly close to one another out on the trail. The bulk of the leaders are now in, and out, of Takotna, and making their way to Ophir, where three mushers have already arrived.

As of this writing, the official leaderboard has Martin Buser in to Ophir first, followed by Jim Lanier, with Aaron Burmeister third. Burmeister has a leg up on the other two however, as he has already taken his mandatory 24 hour rest, which will likely come back to haunt Buser and Lanier, as those lurking behind them on the trail have made the decision to take that break already.

Notables that are chasing the top three include Hugh Neff (4), Sebastian Schnuelle (5), Lance Mackey (6), and Jeff King (8), all of whom have taken their mandatory 24-hour rest as well. Schnuelle and Neff recently went one, two at the Yukon Quest in one of the closest races in the history of that race.

The Ophir checkpoint is 444 miles into the race, leaving 687 miles to Nome. At this point in the race, we're beginning to see the contenders start to separate themselves from the pack, and yet there are still a number of teams that can win this thing. The strategy of when to rest and when to go on, is really interesting to watch, as it can make or break the race for some of these guys. The Iditablog, which has some great content on the race, is also making updates via their Twitter feed. In their latest post, they note that Buser has elected to stay in Ophir, while the others get moving again, and the move will likely cost him a Top 10 finish. That remains to be seen of course, but those who have already rested, will pass him shortly.

Long way to go until Nome of course, but it's beginning to look like a race between Neff and Schnuelle with Mackey and King nipping at their heels. Should be fun to watch the rest of the way.

Get The Digital Version of Wend for Just Five Bucks!

Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that I'm a big fan of Wend Magazine. It's a top notch publication that seamlessly mixes outdoor adventure, activism, and the green living movement both in their online efforts and the traditional magazine. The writing happens to be excellent as well, with sometimes serious and sometimes silly approaches to topics that are always fascinating.

Right now, Wend is running an awesome recession-smashing deal. You can purchase a 1 year digital subscription to the magazine for just $5. Yep, just five clams gets you all the latest from this great magazine, and full access to their online archives. How can you possibly beat a deal like that?

You can read all the details in this post on the Wend Blog, and go here to sign up for your subscription.

Monsoon | Sturla Gunnarsson

I saw this trailer posted on Facebook the other day, and thoroughly enjoyed the few minutes it took to tell the story of the monsoon in India. Most time lapses I've seen are irritating, but here they're relevant and well-done.

Cherrapunji in the Indian state of Meghalaya is credited as being the wettest place on Earth. According to records, it received 366 inches of rain in July 1861 and a whopping 1,041.75 in between 1 August 1860 and 31 July 1861. In comparison, Seattle got a record of 16.25 inches of rain in December 1917.

Travel Photographer Asia | Contest

I'm very pleased to introduce the Travel Photographer Asia Contest to my readers.

As I've always evangelized, travel photography is a complex and varied discipline that includes a wide range of genres and subjects, from cultural events to food, from architecture to people and from reportage to wildlife. Travel photographers must be able to capture these diverse genres using all sorts of techniques, and resources.

Spearheaded by Ahsan Quraishi, the Travel Photographer Asia is a travel photography contest aimed at professional and amateur travel photographers who have travelled in Asia. Through the submitted photographs, it seeks to highlight the undeniable vibrancy of the people, places, food and festivals in Asia.

The best 50 photographs will be chosen by a panel of judges, and will be exhibited for a week at one of Kuala Lumpur's best exhibition venue, MapKL@Publika and the winners will be unveiled in a gala prize giving ceremony on the opening night.

I am also very glad to have been chosen as one of the 4 judges on the Travel Photographer Asia panel, which includes photography heavyweights Khaula Jamil, Eric Beecroft and Rahman Roslan. The winning entries will be first shortlisted by the judges, then chosen via social media.

The rules governing the contest are simple and straightforward. Submissions to the contest start on January 21, 2015 and all entries must be submitted on or before midnight on 20 April 2015. The winners will be announced on May 29, 2015.

The prizes are very generous, but I would be remiss if I didn't highlight that both the Winner and First Runner-Up will be each awarded a spot in the fantastic Foundry Photojournalism Workshop (held on 19 -25 July in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) inclusive of tuition fees, 7 days 6 nights accommodation and return flights (ex KL).

There's no question there is an incredible amount of photography talent amongst Asian and non-Asian photographers who make images in Asian countries, of cultures, people, its food, festivals, religious events and its landscapes. I am certain that this contest will brings phenomenal imagery to the forefront, and will introduce new names to the multitude of people who love photography.

So if you traveled to and photographed the Asian continent, participate in this inaugural photo contest, and let us see your photographs!

Darkness - A Short Story

The 12th and 13th floors of 'Sunlights' used to be lit for the entire night.

This opaque trend used to amuse both Meera and Krish alike.

Both used to pity their fate of being alone, while envying the next door happiness of a complete family.

Their continual silent ordeal was witnessed just by their loneliness.

The morning after, they used to steal routine glances through the panes, little to realize that the bond between them was not of the morning Sun , but that of a .... Darkness Inside.



This post is author's entry to Five Sentence Fiction.

Theyyam | Tewfic El-Sawy

Being stuck indoors because of a 'monstrous' snowstorm in NYC has some advantages, after all. I pulled some of my photographs made in 2009 at various Theyyam performances in the region of Kasargode in northern Kerala, picked those that appealed to me and published "Theyyam: When Men Become Gods" on Exposure .

These performances were some of the most unusual I've ever witnessed...not in terms of violence (real or manufactured) because there was none of that (except for chicken sacrifices), but because of the sudden metamorphose of essentially what are human actors into weird creatures that adopt eerie mannerisms and surreal voices. These were not trances...just a morphing into weird beings.

The term Theyyam is derived from the Malayalam “daivam”, or deity. It is a religious event practiced only in India’s North Kerala, observed by its rural inhabitants, and follows a cult consisting of several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals, and customs. Virtually all castes and classes of Hindus in the region are involved in the cult, and its adherents consider Theyyam performers as incarnations of local deities. During these performances, they are granted the power to foretell the future, to give counsel, and to resolve minor communal disputes.

The amount of care and meticulous artistry that produces the face-painting, the costumes and the building of the headdresses are nothing short of breathtaking...mostly everything is made at the location of the performances a few hours before.

Theyam performances are only held during the early months of the year, and are indigenous to the rural regions of north Malabar.

Tour VietNam - Thai Lan in VietNam travel

Delight in the superbness of Angkor Wat, appreciate a tasty nearby Khmer feast in a little town, cool off on brilliant shorelines, journey supernatural Halong Bay, scour advertises over four novel nations.

Find the absolute entirety of Indochina on this voyage through four exceptionally assorted nations. Experience history, both antiquated and present day, and witness the unimaginable wonder of Angkor Wat. Our Ceos will guarantee your convenience and transportation are secured so you can pick the exercises that investment you. Push through wild city paths and tap into the beating nightlife. Furthermore with different voyagers your own particular age, you can make certain to get down with travelers that'll keep up.

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Schedule 

Today is entry day so there are no exercises arranged. You are allowed to unwind, investigate the city & change in accordance with the frantic pace and sticky hotness of Bangkok. If its not too much trouble land at our begin point inn before 6pm for a vital gathering where you will reach you Chief Experience Officer (CEO) and the other gathering parts. If its not too much trouble search for a sign on the lodging's notice prepare to leave for the time and area of your gathering. If you don't mind note that you MUST land on visit with your Vietnam visa. If its not too much trouble allude to the visa data segment of these outing notes for more data on acquiring your Vietnamese visa. 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 use this night in Bangkok. Our lodging is placed in China Town, alongside the focal train station and MRT (Subway), and is just a short Usd2 taxi ride from Khao San street and the focal shopping zone of Siam Square, MBK, Siam Paragon, and so forth. All rooms are twofold or twin offer with cooling and en suite restroom. The inn has a little pool and wifi is accessible at additional expense. *please note: on the off chance that you have prebooked the Adrenaline Bundle your CEO will educate you when you will do every movement all through your visit: Flight of the Gibbons (Day 1 or 30 - Bangkok) (preor post night settlement suggested), Sunset ATV visit (Day 3 - Siem Reap) and Cave Rappelling (Day 14 - Hoi An). For more data on the Bundle see the Optional Activities area.

It will take us roughly 4 hours to set out from Bangkok to the fringe. It is conceivable to get your Cambodian visa at the fringe - approach your CEO for subtle elements. Once at the outskirt, we will land with our gear and cross the fringe by foot. After the fringe customs are finished, we meet our Cambodian transport and proceed to Siem Reap. The view is breathtaking and the difference in the middle of Thailand and Cambodia is quick. Revel in an included voyage through Angkor Wat sanctuary complex. Angkor, the previous capital of the Khmer Kingdom, is one of the miracles of the archeological world. Rediscovered at the end of the most recent century by French pioneers, this boundless destroyed city is turning into a standout amongst the most well known destinations in South East Asia. Your included visit will empower you to visit huge numbers of the highlights of this antiquated capital, for example, the sublime sanctuary of Angkor Wat, the confounding countenances of Bayon inside the walled city Angkor Thom and the highly captured sanctuary of Ta Prohm which is gradually being re guaranteed by the wilderness. Revel in a Khmer lunch at New Hope, a neighborhood school and Planeterra-underpinned venture.

Planeterra and G Adventures assembled the New Hope Training Restaurant that gives abilities preparing in the tourism and friendliness area to underserved individuals in the Siem Reap group. This restaurant has been assembled specifically in the New Hope Cambodia Outreach Center, which was established to give available instruction and medicinal services for the group. Siem Reap has experienced a late blast in tourism, an opportunity that was not profiting a large number of the neighborhood individuals. The restaurant trains gatherings of underestimated Khmers aptitudes to get to new openings for work. G Adventures voyagers visit the restaurant, and trusts from the restaurant go to help the project and the wellbeing and training focus in the same compound. We use two nights in Siem Reap. Our Hotel is found in the ballpark of 10 minutes stroll from downtown area. The inn hall has 2 machines for visitors to skim the web. Complimentary wireless internet is likewise accessible. All rooms are twofold or twin offer with aerating and cooling and en suite restroom.

POV: The 'Unbearable' Lightness of Fuji X Series

Well, time does fly and I'm preparing to leave for Hanoi to start my The People of Tây Bắc Photo Expedition-Workshop in a few days.

This trip is something of an important chapter in my timeline as a travel photographer, as it'll be the first time that I leave my heavyweight DSLRs home. I've traveled before with just a Leica M9 and the Fuji X Pro-1 (as to Guatemala last month), but this is the first photo expedition-workshop that sees me DSLR-less.

I've tested the Fuji X-T1, the new addition to this group of non DSLR tools, in the streets of New York City and over the past two weeks, found it reliable and responsive, and I believe it'll perform well in replacing my aging Canon 5 Mark II. The Fuji X-T1 has its drawbacks and quirks, but from my past experience with the X Pro-1, these are mostly caused by my being unfamiliar with its minor idiosyncrasies.

What will accompany me to Vietnam is this: (from the top left) Marantz PMD 620 audio recorder,  a Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f1.4 (Leica mount), Leica M9, Fuji X Pro-1, a Fujinon 18mm 2.0, a Fuji external flash EF-X8 (for fill-in if needed), a XF18-135mm f3.5-5.6 and the Fuji X-T1 with a Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8.

I roughly calculated that the combined weight of all these is a little over 6 lbs. or 3.0 kilograms at most. Feather weight in comparison to what I used to schlep before. All of which will fit very comfortably in my small Domke F-8 shoulder bag, along with two 2TB hard drives...and other paraphernalia.

So it'll be an rangefinder (M9) for portraiture, a hybrid (or pseudo) rangefinder (X Pro-1) for street photography, and the mini DSLR (X-T1) for travel-documentary photography. 

For the X-Series cameras, I'm bringing along 5 batteries (3 back-ups/spares) which will be charged every night.

On my return, I'll be in a better position to relay my impressions and experiences with the Fuji X-1 and the various lenses.

PS. Yes, I cover the brand names of my cameras with black gaffer tape.

A tour including all classic - Vietnam tour

A visit including all fantastic and most famous highlights going from the South up to the North of Vietnam will give you an opportunity to encounter all parts of the nation. Every terminus, voyagers would approach all the highlights which demonstrate the general view the best.

The excursion from the air terminal to your inn will take roughly 30 minutes and is an enthralling knowledge brimming with tumultuous activity and a great many motorbikes.

On landing you will be guided through the celebrated passages utilized by the socialist guerrillas amid the Vietnam War. The shaft system extends in excess of 250km and reaches out to three levels underground furnishing you with a striking understanding into the hardships, boldness, determination and fear of a guerrilla war. You will come back to your lodging at more or less 6.00pm. Night free as your recreation.

The Mekong Delta is viewed as the rice vessel of Viet Nam, delivering at times three yields of rice a year and a plenitude of new tropical foods grown from the ground, for example, longan, jackfruit, sapodilla and pineapple. The Mekong begin in Tibet and adventures through seven nations before arriving at Viet Nam where it parts into nine tributaries and purges into the South China Sea.

Today, you will go by vessel investigating the compelling Mekong, watching stream life and examining numerous neighborhood delights, including the elephant ear fish, for lunch. Go on wide and slender tributaries, visit plantations and nearby deliver ranches. After an unwinding and liberal day come back to Saigon around 4:30pm. Night free as your relaxation.

Toward the evening, you guide and auto will get you at your inn for a half day strolling visit. Known as Faifo to ahead of schedule Western merchants, Hoi A was one of the real exchanging focuses in South East Asia between the sixteenth & seventeenth hundreds of years. An enchanting sixteenth century shipper town, with solid Japanese and Chinese impacts, Hoi An is best investigated by walking. Announced an UNESCO World Heritage Site for its decently safeguarded construction modeling, it is additionally a flourishing focus of conventional crafted works. Meander through the cobbled boulevards, past low tile-roofed structures, the clamoring focal business and the little harbor where vividly painted watercrafts are moored. Your strolling visit will incorporate visits to a private house where parts of the same family have existed ceaselessly for a considerable length of time in a customary setting to one of the family sanctuaries manufactured by unmistakable dealer or offical families as communities for precursor venerate. At long last, proceed to the well known Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, initially developed in 1593 by the Japanese group of Hoi A to connection the town with the Chinese quarters over the stream.

Your aide will get you at your lodging and have a stroll to the cooking class at 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc road. You begin with a 1 hour business sector visit to look into Vietnamses fixings & how to pick new sustenance. The down to earth incorporates learning cooking & slicing systems & how to utilize Vietnamese vegetable grater & blade. You will get active knowledge of new summer moves, flame broiled chicken with lime leaf, banana blossom mixed greens, soup with cabbage wrapped shrimp.

At 5am you will be gotten from your lodging for a photograph visit, lead by an expert photographic artist. On this visit you will be taught different lessons about cam settings, structure, low light photography and the sky is the limit from there. Figure out how to get closer to local people and take the photographs you generally imagined about. Today, as well as for eternity.

In the wake of going on shore you will witness anglers coming back with their get of the past night and ladies from the town who are arranging and purchasing the fish. There is a considerable measure of activity and there are numerous opportunities to take exceptional shots. Your aide will dependably be close you to help you and to support you.

Related post: Vietnam travel deals

In the town the time it now, time for breakfast with espresso/tea, emulated by a visit to a dull fish sauce industrial facility, to practice low light photography. All over the place on the visit will likewise be numerous kids who are more than eager to stance for you and play around with you.

A 20 moment bike ride to the old town of Hoi A finishes the excursion. There you will be offered a reviving beverage and the time it now, time to say farewell.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Acclimatization and Camp Building

All across the Himalaya a similar process is now getting underway, as the teams begin focusing on the all important process of building their high camps, and in the process, their own acclimatization as well.

On Everest, the route through the Icefall was established several days back, and teams have wasted no time in crossing through, and building their first camp on the other side. One team, the Lhotse-Everest Traverse squad, is hoping to go as high as Camp 3 already to pack in as much acclimatization time as possible.

Most of the Himex team is off to Lobuje, where they are making an acclimatization climb according to Billi Bierling, a journalist based in Kathmandu, who is part of the team. She's actually in Gorak Shep, the last village before BC, and will be joining the rest of the crew there shortly. Speaking of Himex, the big boss Russell Brice, landed in base camp a few days back, and is sporting some very nice, high class accommodations in effort to remain as comfortable as possible on the mountain.

While some of their climbers are still arriving in BC, the Sherpas for IMG and Peak Freaks have begun moving their way up the mountain, and have already established Camps 1 and 2. The Peak Freaks report that the big logistical meeting was held today, with about 30 team leaders in attendance, and possibly being filmed by Discovery. According to the blog post, safety issues were discussed, as were the workload for fixing the lines, with Himex taking the lead in that area. Will Russell Brice take control and organize those elements the same way he did for so long on the North Side? Sounds like his team is definitely making their presence known.

On the North Side of the mountain, teams are just now making their way into base camp, so they're a bit behind schedule, although they deal with different logistical issues, and the Chinese are handling the fixing of the lines, so there is likely to not be any problems for those few teams that will be climbing from that side of the mountain.

ExWeb is reporting that over on Annapurna the weather conditions are particularly bad, which is making things rough there at the moment. Edurne Pasaban is en route to Kangchenjunga, and reports beautiful but challenging trekking. She says that that the porters are exhausted, and they need to hire a new team, but there aren't many available at the moment. On Manaslu, teams have already gone as high as C3, so the process is proceeding according to plan. There is some talk that the first summit bid could begin there as early as this weekend if the weather holds out.

Finally, Andrew Lock announced on his website a few days back that he was unable to obtain a permit to climb Shisha Pangma, and will now head home instead. He hopes to be back in the Fall to give it another go.

World Record for Kayak Drop Shattered! (Yeah, again!)

Remember awhile back when I posted about Pedro Oliva's big kayak drop of 127 feet? I even followed up with some video of the crazy feat. Well, it seems that that huge drop may now be a distant memory, as it supposedly wasn't just beaten, it was completely destroyed.

A new blog post over at the Tribe website indicates that extreme kayaker Tyler Bradt has set a new record by making a 186 foot drop! The post doesn't offer a whole lot more information than that, but the Outside blog is reporting that the record was achieved on Palouse Falls in Washington State. Apparently, Bradt is alive and well, with Outside saying, "He rolled up at the bottom with the wind knocked out of him, a broken paddle and an uncontested new record for the highest waterfall kayaked."

As of now, there are no pictures or video released, but expect some soon. There were cameramen and photographers on hand to witness the event.

One-hundred-eighty-six feet! All I can say is WOW!

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.