Yes, you can do yoga anywhere, even on an active volcano. And with crampons, too. After a 4-hour climb to the top of Villarica Volcano in the Lake District of Chile, a little stretch is exactly what we needed. In the photo, you can see another stratovolcano off in the distance which is similar in shape to Villarica, the one we’re standing on. You can also see smoke (which is mostly water vapour and leached minerals) coming up from the […]
In Sri Lanka, tea is a big deal. Sri Lanka is the fourth largest producer and the second largest exporter in the world. I had always thought that tea production had a really long history in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), but it was the British who introduced it and started cultivation in the mid-1800s. Previously, coffee had been the big deal (fueled by consumption in Europe), but a coffee blight pretty much wiped out the entire stock. Luckily, they had […]
I took this shot just outside an old temple in central Sri Lanka. (Make sure you click on the blue, “Read More” button and then click on the image to get the full-frame version of the shot.) I love the light in the shade in the tropics at mid-day. Forget about shots in the direct sunlight during the harsh light of a tropical day. It’s just way to intense. The shade is where it’s at. We’ll be starting a travel […]
I shot this photo just after I had queued to catch a glimpse of the golden casket that allegedly holds one of the Buddha’s teeth. The monk is entering a chamber one floor below where the the tooth is located. As such, he must be a pretty important monk to get solitary access to such a special place. (Make sure you click on the image to get the full deal.) The Holy Tooth Relic Temple is the most important religious […]
I say lucky because even though I visited Udawalawe National Park at mid-day, I still saw over a hundred elephants. Despite the crushing heat, the elephants were out in large numbers, maybe because there was a little atmospheric haze that brought the sun down one notch. Even though their skin looks tough, apparently it isn’t and they regularly cover themselves in muddy water and dirt throughout the day to protect themselves. And in the extreme afternoon heat, you see them […]
A coastal town sounded like the perfect reprieve from the grime and congestion of Colombo so I headed south to the beach-town of Unawatuna. The town itself is nothing spectacular–it’s primarily a tourist destination with little soul. But it does have the amenities of relaxation: rooms and restaurants at nearly every step and, of course, it has the ocean with its long, sandy beach and surf break. I studied the break for awhile and I was convinced that this was […]
Driving here is not for the weak of spirit. Like so many other places around the world, the streets and roads of Colombo are wildly chaotic and dangerous to navigate especially if you’re a foreign driver. Even as a pedestrian in traffic, survival requires thought. The featured image is more of a back street scene, but I like this one because it shows the mix of street life. Oftentimes, there are no sidewalks. And one has to be aware of […]
As islands go, Sri Lanka is the 25th largest in the world. On a map it may look like the size of a mouse alongside the elephant of India, but it’s still twice the size of Vancouver Island. Consequently, it has a vast coastline and fishing is a major occupation in Sri Lanka. If you like seafood, this could be your paradise. It’s on nearly every menu. In the featured picture, if you look way out on the horizon (depending […]
This is my first day in Sri Lanka, and, if first impressions are worth anything, I think I’m really going to love it here. The weather is hot, the people smile easily, the food is sublime and culturally it’s rich. Really rich. There is something new everywhere. And it doesn’t seem to have the hassle factor that is quite common one nation north. Luckily for me, today is a public holiday known as a Poya Day, of which there are […]
In the last post, I talked about where the people of Singapore live. Well, this is where I’ve been living. It’s called a Capsule Hotel and they originated in Japan where space, like many densely inhabited regions of Asia, is at a huge premium. So, as always, if things get too expensive for the masses, they either give you less of them or they make them smaller. Hence the Capsule Hotel. I’ve never stayed in one of the Japanese originals […]