Amazing Mountaineering Video on Trango Towers

My friends over at Gorida posted an amazing mountaineering video last week that is amongst the best that I have seen in a really long time. It tells the story of four French guides who traveled to Pakistan to put up a new route on the Trango Pulpit, part of the Trango Towers, which offers some of the most imposing and impressive big walls anywhere in the world.

The video is quite long, but well worth the watch. It shows the team en route to the mountain itself, giving an indication of just how remote the region is, and then proceeds to show them climbing the face, and eventually reaching the 6050m (19,849 foot) summit. In between, you see some footage that will make your mouth drop.

So, sit back, and enjoy, because mountaineering videos don't get much better than this one.

Azazel - bigwall in Pakistan
by Petzl-crew

Travel to Con Dao - Vietnam

Con Dao beach

A secured Marine Nature Reserve, the Con Dao Islands (of which Con Son is the biggest and where you are prone to be staying) can be hard to get to, with sporadic flights from Ho Chi Minh City or an overnight ship from Vung Tau.. yet good lord, its worth the trouble! 

I must admit, the highlight of any going around Vietnam for me is normally the sustenance, yet the absence of any genuine consuming choices outside of the primary lodgings didn't still figure out how to disillusion, as the landscape around Con Dao is so astounding you'll need to stay for eternity. I think about all the spots I went to in

Vietnam Con Dao was conceivably a standout amongst the most wonderful I've seen.

The islands of Con Dao have a terrible history - they lay totally vacant until the French involved Vietnam and utilized the island as one expansive jail complex, where detainees were shackled, starved and beaten, constrained into hard work and subjected to some especially pitiless and uncommon discipline. Unfortunately when the Americans landed to "spare" Vietnam from Communism they kept the penitentiaries running, and made great utilization of a standout amongst the most primitive components, the 'Tiger Cages'; even once their horrific nature had been uncovered in the US media they essentially manufactured an alternate set deeper in the wilderness so the columnists wouldn't discover them. 

Today the detainment facilities serve as a stark indication of the repulsions of war, and a large number of the islands occupants are ex-convicts who chose to stay on the islands instead of come back to the terrain. Nowadays the primary businesses are angling and sending, and life on the island is extremely basic and undeveloped, however there are arrangements to sway more tourism to the islands later on. 

The whole territory is ensured by law, such a large amount of the islands are secured by thick woodland. A visit to the officers' station will clarify an extraordinary arrangement about the natural life living on the island, and they are exceptionally content to orchestrate visits around the wilderness or out to alternate islands, to see jeopardized species and to set out for some snorkeling and swooping. There are likewise various jumping schools on the island, especially Rainbow Divers. 

On our visit we procured a motorbike to investigate the streets around the island, and tried for climbs through the woodland and swam on totally betrayed shorelines, and in addition going to the jails and galleries. It was a genuine departure from Saigon, a complete difference to the cement, activity and commotion, and one we'll recollect for eternity. 

One of the key associations securing the nearby natural surroundings in Con Dao - and additionally in numerous other national stops crosswise over Vietnam - is WWF. On the off chance that you'd like to help preservation endeavors in Vietnam and conservation of the numerous jeopardized species there, we unequivocally propose turning into a part - it doesn't cost a great deal keeping in mind in Vietnam you can see for yourself the distinction they are making. 

Con Dao beach

On the off chance that you need to pass by pontoon there is a hydrofoil administration from Vung Tau to Con Dao twice a week at 350,000 VND every way, furthermore one leaving from Tra Vinh in the Mekong Delta which is controlled by Greenlines. The admissions and timetable are no more publicized on the Vietnamese dialect form of their site however, so it is worth checking before making the trek to Vung Tau.

Related post: Vietnam travel deals

Flights are controlled by VASCO however are lamentably not bookable on the web. 

An option may be to book online with Isango who are right now promoting a comprehensive two day visit to the island including flights which leaves from Ho Chi Minh City. Criticism on this administration would be increased in value.

Everest 2009: North Side Update

It has been a relatively quiet week in Tibet by most accounts, despite the fact that Tuesday marked the 50th anniversary of the uprising against Chinese rule that resulted in the Dalai Lama going into exile. For his part, his Holiness urged his followers to maintain peaceful protests and remain non-violent in their approach to seeking freedom from China. That, coupled with a reportedly sizable military presence by the Chinese, helped to keep things calm.

That is, of course, good news for those hoping to go to Tibet this spring to climb Everest from the North Side. The borders to the country remain closed, as they have since the end of February, but as long as things continue to remain calm, there is a sense of optimism that the travel ban will be lifted on April 1st as scheduled.

This is good news for at least five teams that are still hoping to climb from the Tibetan side. Alan Arnette once again updated his Everest 2009 page yesterday with the news that two teams from Canada, an Indian team, and a large contingent from the Czech Republic are still planning on giving it a go from what is shaping up to be the quiet side of the mountain. Logistics seem to be of concern though, as without Himex fixing the lines, and such a small number of teams, it'll definitely take a group effort.

Alan also has another good interview in place, this time with Phil Crampton from the Altitude Junkies. Phil talks about his motivations to start his own guiding company, after years of experience in the mountains, his work with the climbing school in Lhasa, his philosophy on running his base camp and a lot more. It's a good read and offers some nice insight on the mountain as well.

Not long now Everest Junkies! Things will really pick up in the next few weeks. Hopefully the North Side will be open as planned, and things can start to get back to some semblance of normalcy on Everest. What ever "normalcy" is defined as at 17,000 feet.

POV: The Disciples of Mehboob-Ilahi

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The Disciples of Mehboob-Ilahi is a gallery of monochrome candid photographs made at the shrine of a Sufi saint.

One of my favorite street photography haunts in Delhi is the area known as Nizzam Uddin (West) where stands the shrine of one of the world's most famous Sufi saints, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 - 1325). A Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in the Indian Subcontinent; he established an order that sought to draw close to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity.

Raza Rumi in his book "Delhi By Heart" describes the settlement of Nizzam Uddin as "the quintessential Muslim ghetto of today's India. Congested, unkempt and stinking in parts, it retains a medieval air." 

It is medieval, and perhaps it is the reason why I make it a must-stop whenever I am in his capital city. Over the years, I've seen Delhi modernize itself, with flyovers, gleaming international and national hotels, wide avenues, colorful billboards hawking the most modern of appliances...but Nizzam Uddin stubbornly resists all these. Modernity in Nizzam Uddin is measured by the number of cellphone ringtones based on the Muslim call to prayer, and the app that shows the direction of Mecca.

I imagine it's the time warp experience I feel when I first enter the area from Mathura Road...right next to the police station....that attracts me to it. It's certainly not faith or belief as I have none of either, but it's certainly a visual (and perhaps cultural) transfusion that takes over my senses. I enter a photographic "zone" during which I am totally immersed in the visual patterns that emerge in the to and fro of the people who come to pay their respects to the saint. It's not only the saint who's buried there, but it's also where the poet Amir Khusrau and princess Jahanara Begum both rest.

It is here where the essence of Sufism was postulated by one of Nizzam Uddin's disciples; Abdel Quddus Gangoh who wrote this:

"why this meaningless talk about the believer,

the kafir, the obedient, the sinner,

the rightly guided, the misdirected, the Muslim,

the pious, the infidel, the fire worshipper?

All are like beads in a rosary."*

Sheikh Gangoh wouldn't have found much acceptance for his admonishment these days.

Pity.

*Delhi By Heart. Raza Rumi

The Rest of Everest Episode 102: Sweet Dreams

Wednesday brings us another new episode of The Rest of Everest, as we continue our adventure on Annapurna IV, a 24,688 foot peak that was the target of climbers Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke last year.

In Episode 102: Sweet Dreams, we start things off with the boys sharing some of the very odd dreams that they've been experiencing while in base camp, including a reoccurring one from Ben that haunts him on every expedition he has been on.

From there we get some great footage of the team organizing their gear, with a good look at everything they have to take with them. Remember, on this trip, the intention is to not only reach the summit, but also make a first descent on skis as well, which makes for even more gear. Very educational for those wondering what it takes to get to the top of a big Himalayan peak.

Much of the footage is from in and around base camp once again, but there is some great footage of the mountain, including an avalanche crushing down the side and a glimpse of some other climbers higher up on the slopes. The episode ends with Ben getting philosophical about climbing and adventure. :)

Watch the full video at the Rest of Everest website or grab it directly from iTunes.

Diana Mayfield | Hà Nội Noir

During the just completed The People of Tay Bac Photo Expedition-Workshop, I gave its participants
the assignment of photographing the bustling street life of old Ha Noi, shooting from the hip, or on the fly, as much as possible to capture fleeting expressions, and the ever changing scenes of this exciting city.

The assignment also included of converting the resulting photographs to monochromes (hence the name Ha Noi Noir), and to produce a short photo-film with ambient sound recorded during their many walks in the streets and alleys.

This is Diana Mayfield's project, which mixes interesting snippets of street life...some humorous and some realistic. Ha Noi's street life centers on eating, busy traffic and small shops. One finds all of these in this short movie.

Diana Mayfield has a pedigree in travel photography that spans more than 20 years, and is one of the  original photographers contracted to Lonely Planet Images in 1998. Her photographs are widely published in books, magazines, brochures, advertisements, newspapers, web, etc. Her buyers include Qantas, Air France, Thomas Cook, National Geographic, Diners Club, Sunday Times, The New York Times, Le Monde, Rand McNally, Macmillan Educational and others.

She's represented by Getty Images, and has led photo tours to Italy, Greece and Spain for 8 years. She's now concentrating her cameras on S.E. Asia and India, with a particular interest in remote tribes and marginalised societies.

Tibet To Reopen April 5th

The Chinese have announced that they will reopen the borders to Tibet on April 5th, just ahead of the high season for tourism and mountaineering in the country. You may recall that they shut down the borders in early March for fear that there would be violent protests in the country to mark the anniversary of the Dalai Lama fleeing to India 50 years ago.

This comes as good news for the few remaining teams on the North Side of Everest, and for those that have been planning trips to Cho Oyu as well. As of now, I believe there are about a half-dozen teams still planning on climbing from the North, and with the China-Tibet Mountaineering Assocation promising to fix the lines, it's beginning to look like the patience of the teams that elected to stick it out, will be rewarded. They're likely to have a very quiet and tranquil base camp, two words that will not be used to describe the counterpart on the South Side. The lack of traffic will also likely prove very advantageous on Summit Day as well.

Hopefully the reopening of the borders will also mean an influx of tourists to Tibet. The country was already suffering economically thanks to a general downturn in travel due to global economic conditions. This past month there has been no foreign visitors at all to Tibet, which has further hurt the many people who earn a living in the tourism trade that is so vital there. Perhaps this is a signal that things will return to normal soon.

There are reports however that the Chinese military is still maintaining a strong presence in the country, and that foreign press and aid workers are still not allowed to travel unescorted. it seems that while the borders may once again be open, China still isn't ready to completely loosen its grip on Tibet.

K2 Doc Coming To Montana

Dr. Eric Meyer, who was on K2 last year when a series of circumstances, including the collapse of a serac, led to the death of 11 climber, will visit Montana later this month to talk about his experiences and the lessons learned on the mountain.

Meyer will give his presentation "K2 2008: Finding Meaning After Tragedy " at Glacier Discovery Square in Columbia Falls, Montana on Saturday, March 28th at 7 PM. The presentation is sponsored by Talus Outdoor Technologies, who are based out of Missoula, Montana, and is free to the public.

While climbing with a team of nine on K2, the second highest mountain in the world, last year, Dr. Meyer was caught up in the unfolding drama that took place. Meyer turned back from the summit himself, only to find that his training was needed in base camp when survivors of the disaster began to wander in. Eric treated a number of climbers for frostbite, exhaustion, and dehydration, while other members of his team assisted in rescue operations.

This is a unique opportunity to meet someone who was actually on hand for one of the biggest mountaineering disasters in mountaineering history. It should be very interesting to hear what he has to say and get his thoughts on the lessons that can be learned from the K2 tragedy. If anyone is attending, I'd love to get an account of what he has to say.

Travel For Soul - Poem

Travel For Soul .... by Dr. Komal Joshi Mishra

For the journey is within,

Mesmerized by 'your' creations,

Speechless seeing the colors' you' painted,

Let my spirit go on,

Bless me to just' be',

When all the noises die out,

 and silence within, 

From senses to soul,

Keep me travelling,

For the journey is within.......

**

The poem is contributed by the guest, Dr. Komal Joshi Mishra. Her interests varies from Literature, Spirituality to meeting new people, apart from her profession, medicine.

**

Looking forward to your contributions on the guest posts.

**
Send across contributions to travelforsoulblog@gmail.com

Hoi An's Ancient Town - Vietnam Travel

Today, westerners know the Vietnamese city of Hoi A basically as a traveler terminus. On account of its nearness to the Marble Mountains and dazzling China Beach, Hoi A draws numerous guests every year. However at one point in its history, Hoi A was significantly more than a traveler end; truth be told, it was a standout amongst the most vital seaports in all of Southeast Asia.

Hoi A was initially settled by the Champa individuals, a Malay-Indonesian individuals who touched base in Vietnam from Java initially around 200 BC. In the first century AD, the Champas established Hoi An. Around then, the city was called "Lam Ap Pho", or Champa City.

See more: Vietnam travel packages

The Champa Kingdom was an expansive and influential one, and in spite of the fact that My Son (which no more exists aside from a couple of remnants) was the Cham's otherworldly capital, Hoi A was its business capital. From Hoi A, the Cham slowly manufactured control over the flavor exchange, bringing incredible riches to the city. From the seventh to the tenth hundreds of years, Champa-commanded Hoi A ruled the exchange flavors and silks, with their impact extending as far west as Baghdad. The Cham sent out aloe and ivory, and supplemented their exchanging wage with computed demonstrations of robbery and procession strikes.

Tragically for the Cham and Hoi An, incredible riches brings extraordinary envy. Wealth, consolidated with assaults, didn't make for good associations with their neighbors. The Cham habitually collided with the Viet individuals north of their kingdom, and the Khmer individuals in Cambodia. Battling between the Cham, Viet, and Khmer debilitated the kingdom, lastly in the thirteenth century, Kublai Khan, the Mongolian warlord, attacked and involved the Champa Kingdom. In the late fourteenth century, the solid Cham pioneer, Che Bong Nga ("The Red King") figured out how to unite the Cham one final time and headed a concise resurgence. In the fifteenth century, the Cham fell unequivocally to the Viet individuals.

Under the administration of the Nguyen tradition, Hoi A progressively started to recuperate, and rose to conspicuousness at the end of the day. Amid the sixteenth to seventeenth hundreds of years, Hoi A, which around then was called Hai Pho (signifying "shoreline town"), at the end of the day turned into the most critical port in Southeast Asia. With a Japanese settlement toward one side of town and a consistent increase of Chinese, Dutch, and Indian dealers, Hoi A was a middle for worldwide exchange before such a term existed. In the early eighteenth century, Japanese and Chinese dealers specifically considered Hoi A the best place to try for exchanging all of Asia. A key stop on the Silk Road, Hoi A sent out its pottery as far away from home as Egypt.

At the same time Hoi A was bound to slip into decay and indistinct quality by and by. The Nguyen administration inevitably got to be contradicted to open exchange, trying to utmost the impact of outsiders in the country – a continuous issue that would torment Vietnam for the following two centuries. The shut exchange arrangement prompted Hoi A's stagnation, and when the Nguyen rulers changed their approach, Hoi A's decrease had as of now gotten to be irreversible.

At the same time, French impact in Danang was quickly expanding, making Danang the new community for exchange Vietnam. Besides, the new exchanging vessels developed amid the eighteenth and nineteenth century obliged a deeper port, something that Hoi A couldn't offer.

In spite of the fact that Hoi A's days as a critical exchanging focus were over, there was a profit to its decrease: as different urban communities in Vietnam modernized and took after the European lead in society, style, and riches, Hoi A remained a sample of a conventional Vietnamese port city. Amid the nineteenth and twentieth hundreds of years, Hoi A was everything except overlooked, permitted to proceed with its aged customs with little impact from the cutting edge, European-ruled world.

As an aftereffect of its detachment, Hoi A remained a little city with its history in place. In 1999, UNESCO named Hoi An a World Heritage Site, on the grounds that it was such a generally protected case of a fifteenth - nineteenth century Asian exchanging port. With UNESCO's distinguishment came traveler distinguishment, and the most recent decade has seen an alternate sort of business resurgence for Hoi An, as western voyagers slowly rediscover the appeal of this old Vietnamese city. Today, Hoi An is a typical stop along the trail for exploring swashbucklers, and in the interim, various bars, restaurants, and web bistros have opened to pander to travelers. Numerous specialty shops can be found in Hoi An, including conventional Vietnamese pottery and fabric generation. Specifically, Hoi A has gotten to be known for its tailors, who can create uniquely crafted garments for a small amount of what it would cost in the west.

In short, in case you're wanting to visit focal Vietnam, Hoi An ought to doubtlessly be at the highest priority on your rundown. Rich in history and society, and just a short distance from China Beach, the Marble Mountains, and the Champa Islands, Hoi A remaining parts one of the main jewels of Southeast Asia not yet invade with sightseer

Old Stores of New York City

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I've thought of another photography project for the winter days...it won't be one that'll tax my photographic skills, but will certainly nudge me to read the many blogs and articles that focus on New York City landmarks.

Walking the West Village streets of New York City on a daily basis allows me to pass by (and in some cases, frequent) some of the few remaining old stores and restaurants that still exist in the neighborhood. It gave me with the idea to photograph these storefronts using my Fujifilm X-T1 camera to emulate a Rolleiflex's square format monochrome...just to give the resulting photographs a touch of "authenticity".

This project will not stop at the West Village, but will hopefully spread to various neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. I already know more than a dozen stores that fit the bill....whether in Little Italy, Lower East Side or Chinatown.

I also intend to add a few historical trivia about each photograph whenever possible. For example, for the photograph of the Vesuvio Bakery in SoHo (above) that I made just yesterday,  there'll be this:

Vesuvio Bakery, (aka Birthbath Bakery), 160 Prince Street, New York 10012
The bakery opened in 1920 and was owned by Anthony Dapolito, who delivered Vesuvio bread on his bicycle as a child for many years before his death in 2003. Birdbath Bakery bought it, but kept the storefront as is.

I think that this sort of information would give context and historical texture to the photographs. I'm very far from being the first photographer or New York historian (professional or amateur) to think of, work on and complete, such a project...but it'll add to my personal appreciation of my adopted city.

About VietNam - Geography

Lying on the east of Indochina Peninsula with a separation of 1650 km from south to north, Vietnam is a standout amongst the most sentimental and characteristically delightful ends on the planet. The different the earth, geology, history, and society have made an incredible potential for the tourism business.

Vietnam is a nation with a past as rich as the dirt in the blasting green deltas. This past peruses like a sentimental legend, loaded with courageous battles and astonishing triumphs whereby this little nation held its society, retaining and adjusting the qualities of its adversaries yet never losing its customs or feeling of history. In Vietnam, conventions convey genuine importance. Aged saints are still revered at beautiful sanctuary celebrations, individuals respect their precursors, and town older folks show estimations of diligent work, cordiality, and dutiful steadfastness. The greater part of ethnic gatherings live in remote regions and take after age-old traditions, subsequently Vietnam has an incredible opportunity to offer unparalleled social investigation.

Related post: Vietnam travel packages

And in addition fine climate, there is fabulous regular landscape and noteworthy locales. Vietnam's most noteworthy asset is its agreeable, inviting individuals. Since a long time ago shut to the outside world, Vietnam holds a beguiling honesty that most traveler districts need. Yet in the decade since the nation opened its avenues to guests, the nation has assembled world-class lodgings and tourism offices with global benchmarks and conventional Vietnamese neighborliness. Vietnam is prepared to assume a remarkable experience.

Patagonia Wants Your Classic Climbs

The spring catalog from gear maker Patagonia has a theme that focuses on classic climbs, which they define as "a handful of routes that consistently capture the minds and hearts of climbers from around the world."

The Cleanest Line, the official blog of Patagonia, has posted their very select list and it's tough to argue with any of them. Each of the climbs also comes with a link to a field report with more information as well. The routes that they chose are as follows:

The Nose. High Exposure. Pinch Overhang
Aguja Guillaumet, Chalten
Hotline, Yosemite
Vandals, Shawangunks
Ahab, Yosemite
Zap Crack, Squamish

There you have it. Six great climbs that are hard to argue with. Would you add anything to the list? Anything they missed? How about The Eiger Direct? It seems to meet the category for me. Great list though.

POV: Fuji X-T1 Goes To Vietnam

Fuji X-T1/Zeiss 12mm f2.8-Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

"It is the photographer, not the camera, 

that is the instrument."- Eve Arnold

Well, this is the first time I travel on a photographic expedition without a DSLR (or two or three) since I started them in 2000 (or even earlier).

Yes, I traveled for almost 3 weeks to Viet Nam with two Fuji cameras and a Leica M9...and a bunch of lenses. I wrote about that in fuller details in a post titled The "Unbearable" Lightness of Fuji X Series. On my return, I tallied an estimate of my usage statistics, which are as follows:

Fuji X-T1 + Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8: 75%
Fuji X-Pro1 + Fujinon 18mm f2.8 : 10%
Leica M9 + Voigtlander 40mm f1.4: 15%

And asked myself if I missed my Canon 5D Mark II and my panoply of primes and zooms?

Not once was the answer.

I've been a loyal Canon user since I've started photography, and I have nothing but praise for its cameras. I shall still retain my Canon 5DII and a bunch of lenses for as long as I can. However, I realized that my style of photography has evolved during the past few years...prompting me to splurge big time on a Leica M9, and not too long ago on a Fuji X-Pro1.

The evolution of my way of seeing, the lightness of these two cameras and the quality of their images laid the foundation for my being ready and very receptive for a DSLR replacement. Traveling to photograph Holi in India earlier this year, and having to hold the 5DII at shoulder-length to photograph inside temples and avoid color powder/water bequeathed me a short-lived tennis-elbow like pain, but it made me realize that DSLRs are really heavy computers with lenses attached to them.

And I only used a fraction of its menu settings. 

The arrival of the Fuji X-T1 on my radar screen was timely. As I said, I was ready, willing and able to replace the DSLR with a smaller tool...and there's no question in my mind, especially after my using it in Viet Nam, that it is a DSLR-killer for me. 

I am not a fan boy of anything. Cameras are nothing but sophisticated tools. I used Canon cameras, I use a Leica M9, a X-Pro1 and now a X-T1. They're all good cameras...there are no bad cameras in this day and age. They're all technologically very advanced, and it's largely a matter of choice, familiarity, and ergonomics what works for you and what doesn't.

Fuji X-T1/Zeiss 12mm f2.8-Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I won't get technical in this POV. There are tons of bloggers more qualified than I am who have dissected the pros and cons of the Fuji X-T1, and from what I read, the large majority agree that the X-T1 is a game changer.

During my Viet Nam photography expedition, I've worked with the X-T1 on a daily basis. Shooting normally or shooting from the hip in the streets, it performed extremely well. The quality of its built is excellent, and it feels just right...its weight, its controls and its ergonomics are right.

I always say that the Leica M9's overall feel is just right. It's a thoughtful camera. So is the X T-1. Totally different cameras of course...but both are well built and well thought out.

It feels like cheating to be able to frame a scene, twiddle the exposure compensation knob (placed on top of the camera), and see what happens to it in the utterly brilliant LCD. Everything I need is on top of the camera. Yes, there are small annoying quirks...some are due to operator error, and some are of  the "it is what it is, so work with it" kind.

I sort of rolled my eyes when I learned that the X-T1 had a tilt-screen. Trust me, I don't do that anymore. It's quite useful for low shots and for shooting in the streets. The shutter is quiet. I was shooting with people who had Nikons...and they sounded like Big Berthas.

The CH is about 8 frames per second, and while there seems to (occasionally?) be a sort of grey-out between shots at that speed, it didn't bother me. I doubt if it's really 8 frames per second, but it's fast enough for me.

Fuji X-T1/Zeiss 12mm f2.8-Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The auto focus needs to get used to. The AF-S is pretty good. Maybe not as good as the Canon 5DII, but I learned to live with an occasional lapse. I have not used the AF-C yet, but my understanding is that it needs to be fiddled with in the camera's settings. 

What else? Ah yes. The battery life sucks. The LCD just sucks the juice out of these small batteries. So I was quiet happy to invest in a battery grip, and work in the field with two batteries in the camera. I had to rely on the "back-up" battery when I was out all day shooting...and I had an extra battery stashed away just in case. I also saved juice by turning off the display, and keeping my chimping to the absolute minium.

The X-T1 is weather-sealed. I photographed in the rain (steady rain-drizzle...not a monsoon downpour) and it was fine. I just wiped off the drops with my scarf and that was it.

The humidity was intense all through the trip, and I lost tons of water...but despite it all, the X-T1 didn't feel slippery. Really good grip...and good solid knobs (except for the four-way pad on the back).

I found that I had to really make sure that battery compartment in the grip was locked properly. It sometimes didn't...but it might also have been my error.

I'm not going to get sucked in a debate about the merits of full frame versus cropped sensors. Would I prefer that the X-T1 be full frame? Perhaps, provided the lenses still remained light and compact....and I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. And from what I've seen, the IQ of the X-T1 is really formidable, and its high ISO capabilities are impressive. So that debate is not for me.

I used the Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8 lens on the X-T1 most of the time. Occasionally, I used the Fuji 18mm for street work, and the 18-135mm was only used during the fishermen photo shoot, and one time around Hoan Kiem Lake.

I very much like both the prime lenses I own. They're sturdy...workhorse kind of lenses, and they reflect my shooting and framing preferences. The 18-135mm zoom lens -while quite good and responsive- is nowhere close to the prime lenses as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps I've moved away from zooms. It's a very useful lens to have, and some may consider it the only lens they need for travel. I don't disagree that it is all that...but personally, I'm into prime lenses.

So far, much of my post-processed work from the Viet Nam photo expedition was in monochrome. I shot in B&W with the M9, and color with the X-T1 (and then both processed/converted to B&W using Silver Efex).

These photographs are featured on Hanoi Noir. Try guessing which are Leica and X-T1.

And the audio slideshow below is of the same photographs.

Cedric Arnold | Yantra: The Sacred Ink

I'm quite chuffed to have found a preview of Cedric Arnold's Yantra: The Sacred Ink documentary film which features the rituals and ceremonial processes accompanying the application of tattoos in Thailand.

Having photographed the application of tattooing Wat Bang Phra, a Buddhist temple about half an hour's drive from Bangkok, I know the utmost reverence with which Thais regard their sacred tattoos, which are applied by the monastery's monks. It is here at Wat Bang Phra that every March 30 thousands of Thais and foreigners gather to watch or participate in the 'Sak Yant' festival. Sak means "tap tattoo" while Yant translates into "sacred design".

The short documentary preview uses footage shot between 2008 and 2014, which shows the tattooing process and ceremonies attached to the tradition, as well as the state of trance, or “Khong Khuen”, tattooed devotees enter when “possessed” by the spirit of their tattoos.

Cedric's writes that "For centuries, Thai men have covered their bodies with protective tattoos. Old temple murals show epic scenes of swords breaking apart when hitting a tattooed soldier’s skin. The tradition was handed down by generations of both monks and laymen who create the talismanic, protective tattoos and empower them with prayers."

The sacred tattoos in Thailand are much more than just an art form, and with a culture deeply rooted in superstition and spirituality, such tattoos are believed to have magical and healing powers. Thai men and also women have their sacred tattoos done at many Buddhist temples, for protection against evil spirits, and as good luck charms.

Cedric Arnold is a photographer specializing in portraiture, travel, documentary & corporate photography, as well as movie stills. With over 15 years experience shooting all formats from 35mm digital to 4×5 large format film, he is equally at ease working alone in remote areas or with a team of creatives and a lighting crew. In his personal work, he is often drawn towards exploring the markings of time, this can be in the subject matter itself or expressed with the medium he uses: out of date film, old instant film, or even through chemically altering prints and emulsion.

This is the third time that I feature Cedric Arnold's work on this blog. Previous posts can be found here.

Best of the north - Travel to VietNam

Discover North Vietnam's social grouped qualities and astonishing scene. From Hanoi's pioneer speak to Sapa's the haze weaved mountains finally the turquoise, island spotted, Halong Bay. This visit fuses all of North Vietnam's key ends.

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam's clamoring boondocks capital. Your driver and assistant will achieve you outside the things instance of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your motel in the downtown zone. Around the nighttime, admire a presentation walk, heading off to some of Hanoi's essential attractions: the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Around evening time, appreciate a welcome dinner of believable Vietnamese support at one of Hanoi's finest restaurants.

Today you have a full day to research Vietnam's dumbfounding capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French outskirts development displaying, peaceful lakes and matured oriental pagodas, Hanoi is a blended mix that offers something for everyone. Your city visit will take you to Hanoi's key regions: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house), the adjoining One Pillar Pagoda; the Presidential Palace; the Temple of Literature; the Quan Thanh Temple, the smooth Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake; and one of the city's recorded focuses (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). Around evening time get a kick out of a standard Water Puppet Performance – a remarkable Vietnamese Art structure hailing from Southeast Asia's wet-rice society – before heading to the train station to get your night train to Laocai.

Related post: travel Vietnam

The train interfaces the Laocai track station in the early morning. Your associate and driver will achieve you there and embrace the 40km drive to Sapa – Northwest Vietnam's head travel objective. Rejoice in breakfast at the hotel then get several hours of rest before beginning your endeavor in this delightful mountain scene and home to various minority incline tribe social orders. In the late morning, your helper will expect a two hour trek through the terraced rice fields to visit the towns Cat and Sin Chai, where you will research close-by traditions and consistently life. Rest of the day, you are free at amusement or research the town isolated.

Acknowledge breakfast at the cabin, before setting out on a full day's trek to research Sapa's social arranged qualities and frequenting customary wonderfulness. Take a guided trek through yawning valleys enhanced with terraced rice fields and pass through remote incline tribe towns. You have three trekking choices to scan: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~ 12km). Trekking is an unimaginable methodology to explore the consistently life and adapt yourself with the social orders of the H'mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the area. Consume at an incline tribe town then drive afresh to Laocai to get your return night train to Hanoi.

Connect Hanoi in the early morning. Your associate and driver will achieve you at the lines station and take you to an adjacent restaurant for breakfast, before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay. Utilize 24 hours on an ordinary Junk Cruise in the shocking limits: a trademark wonderland made out of amplifying limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Relish a gourmet lunch of fresh fish introduced as we journey out into the mysterious sound. At the night, voyage around some of Halong's various islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the limits' 3 greatest natural hollows (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island channel with an ensured white-sand shoreline and take a plunge in the warm waters of the Tonkin Gulf (atmosphere permitting). Pass the night on your trash, quieted to rest by the delicate shaking of calm waters.

Up and about right on time and take an enthusiasm toward Tai Chi on the top deck or simply loosen up and rejoice in the first light over the sound's towering islands. Admire a morning holder of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore close-via islands by oar vessel. Return to the junk for breakfast then endeavor the sundeck and admire the staggering rock foundations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you investigate by and by to Halong City. Have brunch prepared for vessel before returning to Halong

Top Ten Best Waterfall Kayak Runs in the U.S.

Inspired by the recent 127-foot record kayak drop, the National Geographic Adventure Blog brings us another great top ten list today, this time giving us the 10 best waterfall kayaking runs in the U.S.

The list has some excellent, and big, drops from all over the country, ranging from North Carolina to California. There's even one on the Potomac in Washington D.C. Best of all, each of the runs in the top is accompanied by an excellent video to truly demonstrate why it belongs on the list. For example, check out the clip below of a crazy drop over the Mesa Falls, on the Henry's Fork portion of the Snake River in Idaho, which comes in at #5 on the list. And when you're done here, head over to check out the rest of the drops.

Verdict | The People of Tây Bắc Photo Expedition

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Having had more than a week to mull over what worked and what didn't on The People of Tay Bac Photo Expedition-Workshop, I come to the conclusion that it earns a B....not a B+, not a B-...just a plain B.

However, the trip's logistics and accommodations were faultless, and all the credit goes to the travel agent I work with in Hà Nội. They were responsive and on the ball at all times.

I think the prevailing extraordinary high humidity levels we faced all through the trip played a significant role in dampening our energy levels (certainly mine were), especially in the streets of Hà Nội. That said, and set aside...here's what I thought were home runs (or third base hits).

1. Hà Nội Street Photography:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

A definite home run.

Hà Nội's streets are just ripe for the taking of photographs...whether monochrome or color. The scenes are there and are sometimes too numerous to choose from. Visual (and aural) overload besieged my senses for the first one or two days, but then it passed and I immersed myself neck deep in the flow of life.

The Hà Nội Noir assignment to the group participants was especially well received, since it introduced them to the street photography's 'on the fly' element that they were not entirely familiar with. The shooting from the hip technique was experimented with, and provided an inventory of interesting images to each participant.

2. Hội An Fishermen:

Traditional Fisherman. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Another home run.

I had pre-arranged through Eviva, my local travel agents, a dawn-time trip on a local boat to photograph the fishermen using traditional netting systems. We boated to the mouth of the Thu Bon River to photograph these large fishing nets (see top photograph and the one above). These large contraptions are lowered into the water to catch fish during the night. They are slowly raised and lowered by the fishermen using foot-powered winches.

These must have been the most photogenic 4 hours of the entire photo expedition. The weather was just perfect, with the sun rising on cue and the whole experience was phenomenal. The subsequent hour-long visit to Hội An's main fishing harbor/market was also interesting, and offered many photographic opportunities.

3. Hầu đồng Ceremony:

Medium in a trance. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Home run, because it's a ceremony I've never witnessed (nor heard of) before.

Hầu đồng is also known as lên đồng, and is a ritual of spirit mediumship practiced in Vietnamese indigenous religion and Đạo Mẫu, a Vietnamese mother goddess religion, in which followers become mediums for various deities.

It was by pure serendipity that we witnessed and photographed such a hầu đồng full ceremony in Bac Ha, and a rehearsal in Sa Pa. The full ceremony may last up to seven hours, and it begins with petitions to Buddha and to the deities for permission to carry out the ritual, after which the medium sits in the middle of four assistants, whose job it is to facilitate the medium's incarnation of different deities and spirits. It's a fascinating spectacle during which the medium (dressed in pink in the above photograph) chants, dances and changes in no less than 6 or 7 costumes of different colors during the ceremony.

Due to a misunderstanding, a member of our group committed a grave offense during the ceremony in Bac Ha, but a sincere apology to the temple's authorities (after which I was offered glasses of rice wine to drink to help the reconciliation along) allowed us to continue photographing. It's a testament to the generosity of the Vietnamese temple's congregation that the incident was so promptly forgiven.

4. Hội An Streets:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Yes, Hội An is a tourist town. What can we expect from a small town recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO? But setting that aside, it's a wonderfully atmospheric place with an incredible wealth of stunning backdrops for street photography, for travel photography and for fashion/model photography.

I would definitely consider staying in Hội An for a week or so. Rather than stay in the lovely and posh (but sort of generic) Hoi An Hotel, I'd stay at the Vinh Hung Hotel, an upscale but tiny heritage hotel located in the heart of town. And have Cao Lau, the local signature noodle dish  at Miss Ly every day!

It'd be wonderful to take my time...and indulge in slow street photography. In other words, pick a spot (preferably with a cup of coffee or a La Rue beer), wait and cherry-pick whatever happens in the street. As I wrote in a different post, I'd also enjoy fusing travel photography to ethnic/modern fashion photography. The style can be posed...with static portraits, or can be pseudo environmental-street portraits.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

There's no limit to the willingness of eye-catching persons, whether locals or tourists (such as the lovely Vi in the above photograph) to pose for photographers. Hội An is a magnet for newly-weds (or about to be married) who come here with their make-up artists and photographers.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The pretty and lively bride in pink loved my suggestion that she pose under the bird cages...I told her that it'd be an appropriate setting since they were lovebirds. She left her photographer, and ran to the spot I indicated. Nothing is set up in this photograph...the brooms, the bird cages, the bicycle...all was left as is. That's Hội An.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

A bride-to-be is being dolled-up by her make-up artist, just around from the famous Japanese Bridge. It's these quotidian scenes that attract me visually to places like these. Yes, here the bride saw the photographer...but I'd wait for as long as it took to become just part of the background, and for a scene (a story) to develop.

Have I said that Hội An was a home run? If I haven't yet, then yes...it is.

5. The Tây Bắc Region:

Flower Hmong in Bac Ha. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I need to be quite emphatic about this: I resent blue tarpaulins, motorbike helmets, motorbikes and baseball caps photo-bombing my photographs.  

So no home run for the northern region of Tây Bắc, which for us mostly meant the markets of Bac Ha, Can Cau, and Coc Ly. We had to pass on Xin Cheng market due to Typhoon Kalmaegi. The exception was Sa Pa, which is a nice little town with some opportunities for street photography and ethnic photography of the H'mong.

Bac Ha market is the largest of the region, and perhaps because I had been before, it didn't have the visual umph it had when I was there in 2012. One thing for sure has changed...the area where the Flower Hmong, Dzao and others ate their breakfasts and lunches was moved by Bac Ha municipality (or whatever it's called) from the center of the market to the right of its entrance. It's now more orderly, but it removed the ad hoc feel that the market had before the move.

And because of the threatening rain, blue tarpaulins were stretched all over the stalls...giving out a rather nasty light to faces and clothes. 

That said, Bac Ha is still the granddaddy market of the region. As we had spent the night at the nearby Sao Mai hotel, we had the market almost to ourselves until 10:00 am. When the tourists arrived with their GoPro and heavy cameras, we left for breakfast.

Flower Hmong Matriarch in Can Cau. © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Can Cau Market is held on Saturdays, and is predominantly frequented by the Flower H’mong. While not far from Bac Ha, it took us about 3 hours to drive from Sa Pa. Much smaller than the Bac Ha market, it doesn't have its 'charisma'. It'd be easy to blame the humidity, but it was quite high...and it drained us of energy quite rapidly. The locals seemed to take the humidity in stride, carrying umbrellas and sometimes fans.

Flower Hmong family in Can Cau-© Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Coc Ly market is held weekly on Tuesdays, and is also crowded with Flower H’mong. Only 35 kilometers from Bac Ha, the roads are quite nasty and bumpy...and were probably made worse during the rainy season. It's perched on a hillock, and it struck me as one of the least interesting. I was amused when a meddlesome American woman kept watching me photographing a very amenable Flower Hmong for a while, and then told me to stop because I was "harassing" her.

In short, there indisputably were some interesting photographs to make in these markets, but group tourism's tentacles have reached these markets, and they've lost some of their authenticity. I suspect many of the implements and products sold to to the locals are made in China...while the handicrafts presumably made by the local minorities seems to be shoddier than usual.

In a future iteration, a People of Tây Bắc Photo Expedition will continue to be based in Sa Pa but will venture to markets and villages further afield...as far as possible from tour buses, it that's possible.

6. Sa Pa:

Hmong in Sa Pa market. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I like Sa Pa. The Victoria Hotel is great...although their staff can be somewhat impersonal. But that's what happens when your guests are mostly tour groups. The restaurants are welcoming, all have free wi-fi and the food is quite good. Not as good as Hoi An...but good.

Yes, I like Sa Pa...it wasn't misty nor cool as it was in 2012, and the main square is now empty of the Hmong vendors that had taken it over in the late afternoons. They've been chased away, and given a dreary space above the market to sell their goods. Presumably to have them pay a permit fee or something like that.

Along with the group, I enjoyed doing some monochrome work in the tiny market; exploiting the chiaroscuro of its alleys, and the black dress of the Hmong as best I could. It was in Sa Pa that I also stumbled on a Hầu đồng rehearsal ceremony, which in a way prepared us for the real thing in Bac Ha.

Hoi An Lanterns. © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

So what would I do differently?

If I was omnipotent, I'd change the weather. It affected the attendance of the Tet Trung Thu street festival; it prevented us from attending the least touristy market in the northern region and it exhausted us.

But within my direct control, I'd reduce the number of days in Hà Nội and increase the stay in Hội An. I'd still stay in Sa Pa, spend a day in Bac Ha, but travel much further in search of traditional small villages that are not on the tourist trail.

Red Dzao in Ta Phin. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Tights Reserved

Now, the finale for the those who like statistics. My estimated usage of my cameras was as follows:
Fuji X-T1 + Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8: 75%
Fuji X-Pro1 + Fujinon 18mm f2.8 : 10%
Leica M9 + Voigtlander 40mm f1.4: 15%

(I used the Fuji Zoom XF18-135mm f3.5-5.6 for the fishermen photo shoot, and another time in Hà Nội around Hoàn Kiếm lake.)

Did I miss my Canon 5D Mark II and my panoply of primes and zooms? 

No. Not once.

Bac Ha | Report Five | The People of Tay Bac

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Rather than rising pre-dawn to drive from Sapa to Bac Ha in order to reach its famous Sunday market early, I structured the itinerary in such a way that we spent the night at the Sao Mai Hotel. Naturally, Bac Ha being a weekend destination for most tourists, the Sao Mai Hotel is the best there is in the small town...which doesn't mean much. That's said, its location is extremely convenient as it's only a couple of hundred meters from the Bac Ha market.

Once again, I took a walk along the streets of Bac Ha late afternoon Saturday, and wafts of religious chants emanated from a small temple. Asking around, I was told it was a hầu đồng ceremony, but I couldn't get firm information as to when it'd be over or how long it was to be performed.

Rushing back to the Sao Mai, I gathered the rest of the group and we photographed the ceremony  until late at night. Before describing what hầu đồng is, I must express my utter amazement and gratitude to the local Vietnamese congregants at this temple who welcomed us with open arms, and showered us with their tolerance.

Hầu đồng, also known as lên đồng, is a ritual of spirit mediumship practiced in Vietnamese indigenous religion and Đạo Mẫu, a Vietnamese mother goddess religion, in which followers become mediums for various deities. The main ritual, which may last from two to seven hours, begins with petitions to Buddha and to the deities for permission to carry out the ritual, after which the medium seats him or herself (both men and women may act as mediums) in the middle of four assistants, whose job it is to facilitate the medium's incarnation of different deities and spirits. (Wikipedia).

Although we were restricted by the temple's small space, I managed to photograph at will until I ran out of SD card space. I also recorded the live performance by the musicians; music that accompanied the medium as she went through the various incarnations. The live recording was badly affected by the small space of the temple and the resultant reverberation of the percussion and the gong.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy- All Rights Reserved

It was a pre-breakfast short walk to the Bac Ha market early morning Sunday, where the villagers had already arrived and spread their products to sell. It looked somewhat different than how I remembered it, and May Lan (our H'mong minder) agreed. The local authority had moved the eateries down to the entrance of the market.

That early, we were the only non-local people around....but I knew it wouldn't last long when tourist buses would arrive. There were mostly Flower H'mong, and a few Black Dzao, and Tay. The animal market was especially busy, with buffalos being bought and sold (one sells for about 30 million dongs or $1500...not much). A few local tribespeople were selling puppies and small dogs....whether for pets or otherwise.

Engaging the women vendors without buying any of their wares is not too difficult. Many of them have a very keen sense of humor, and are willing to have fun and be teased. A few are dour, and don't respond to bantering, and a few genuinely don't like to be photographed. Older women cover their faces, not because they don't want to be photographed for cultural reasons, but because -as they told May Lan- they were too old and had lost their beauty.

Just at the entrance to the market, there's a small restaurant where we had breakfast. It seemed its Pho Ga was the best some of my group had ever had.

The French nickname their dear city, “Pearl of the far East”.

With numerous names and a populace of 9 million, Ho Chi Minh city climbs as the adolescent pioneer of all Vietnamese urban areas.

Not at all like the old woman Hanoi moderate, obsolescent, held way of life, Ho Chi Minh city goes hard and fast in the cutting edge way of life. The city is constantly in a hustle: clamoring, loud, singing, amusing, the individuals: uproarious and benevolent.

Related post: travel Vietnam

The region now called Saigon once were void marshlands having a place with Cambodia. Flux of Vietnamese transients overwhelmed the territory (fleeing from the Trinh - Nguyen common war of the seventeenth century. The region later got to be significantly Vietnaminized, until later totally acclimatized into the nation Vietnam by the Nguyen tradition.

The colonizers created the effectively clamoring exchange range into a high class, present day, European impacted city suitable for exchange, excitement and business.

Saigon's  populace has now surpassed 9 million. Other than the Viet ethnicity, Saigon has a vast extent of Chinese relatives. The Chinese movement populace focused around the "Cho Lon" (Big market) zones of region 5,6,7 and 11, structuring Vietnam's "Chinatown" (however I figure it mixes with the view here more than say, Toronto).