Here are some of my pictures as accumulated since 2005, mostly of my travels, with a focus on scenery over people. Enjoy!
Credits to Rich for post processing & indexing assistance for Nov 2011 to present.
Asia, Jul & Aug 2013
First I went to Shanghai -- first time in China, which I find to be kind of the opposite pole from the US, culturally speaking. Shanghai is developed, even "done."
I also took a day trip to Suzhou to see 4 outdoor sites (mostly gardens) and 1 museum. Their train can go 85 km (>50 mi) in 25 minutes, but the trip still took me over 2 hours door to door. My timing in terms of season was also suspect; China was HOT -- like 105 degrees, 125 heat index.
Next up, Taipei, which - while less international than Shanghai - seemed more developed and educated. Interesting to see their perspective on Chiang Kai-Shek, including a massive Memorial Hall. More shots from Taipei
Final stop, my third time in Hong Kong. Due to prior visits/ pictures, and intensive shopping, these are only shots from a rain-logged cable car trip to see the giant buddha, which is only 20 years old. It felt like we were waiting in line longer than that -- tourist trap.
Eastern Mediterranean, May & Jun 2013
I caught up with Enke in Albania for her birthday, where her family held a massive party of about 90 of her closest relatives. This was the first time I was there in the summer, and it was more beautiful and more majestic (roads aside). We took a trip to the beach in the south, Butrint, and Gjirokaster. We also visited her hometown of Korce. (Note the links don't exactly correspond to the places within Albania.)
We took a side trip and spent a few days in pretty & very friendly Thesaloniki, Greece. Nice spot.
We closed the trip out with some time in Istanbul, Turkey. Again, due to a prior visit & pics, these are mostly of one site, the Topkapi Palace.
New Zealand, May 2012 to present
We're living in Auckland, so we have various shots, particularly from when we did some tourism when my family visited.
These are from Summer. Remember that's like Dec to Mar.
And these are from NZ Spring/ Northern Fall. These, too.
These are from the geological sites around Rotorua.
And these are from Nelson and surrounding areas in the South Island like Queen Charlotte Sound, Abel Tasman, and the Marlborough wine region.
We also took a weekend trip to the political capital, Wellington.
Lastly, we have some shots from the Auckland Botanical Gardens and some more, plus a few from the Rotorua area.
Australia, Dec 2012/ Jan 2013
We went to Sydney for New Years, including an excellent view of the fireworks over the harbor, courtesy of Jonathan. We also took a few days outside town, mainly near the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains. Pics continued.
French Polynesia, Oct 2012
Taking a beach break from NZ and trying to escape double winter in Tahiti and Bora Bora, where the Four Seasons rocked. Fishing in the lagoon and then grilling it for lunch on a private motu (island) was a definite highlight. Lots of pictures here: uno, dos, tres (with oversized ones at the end).
New Zealand, from May 2012
After the many SW European stops below, we moved to Auckland, New Zealand. These are some shots from our weekend trips. And s'more.
Nice, May 2012
We visited a couple of friends in the vicinity of Nice, France -- a pretty (see pics) and yummy region as always.
Thereafter we closed the Mediterranean loop by celebrating Enke's birthday in Barcelona (below).
Canaries, May 2012
After Andalusia, some beach time in the sunny Canary Islands, in particular Tenerife. Teide National Park (3rd highest volcano in the world) was coolio.
Andalusia, Apr 2012
Checking out sites in Southwestern Spain -- Sevilla (during the Fair; also Alcazar is nice), Cadiz (very old but otherwise boring city), Gibraltar (with a view all the way to Africa), Puerto Banus/ Marbella (da beach), Malaga (another fort and another Picasso museum, or three), Granada for the Alhambra palace, and finally Cordoba for la Mezquita (half mosque + half cathedral = tasty). The pics should be roughly in order. Lots of ground covered, so lots of photos. Really a lot. I'm not kidding. :)
Barcelona, Mar, Apr, & May 2012
Having left Singapore, we decided to spend some time in Europe. We were a little tired of hopping around, so we camped in Barcelona for a while, unfortunately. When Burger King doesn't open until noon, Easter is a five-day weekend for the post office, and they have a strike called Vaga General (literal translation: generally vague), I think I understand some of why the unemployment rate is so high there. In any event, Carme Ruscadella's cooking and Gaudi's la Sagrada Familia deserve special (positive) mention if you're in the area, but avoid MACBA. Since we were there a while, the pictures go on. And on. And I think Rich the history buff found it interesting. Even Enke enjoyed Gaudi etc.
Singapore, various
Some further shots from around Singapore. Most actually predate the Philippines below, and the pics at the bottom are probably best.
We stopped briefly after the Philippines to pack up and leave. Enough of the land of No.
Philippines, Feb 2012
First a stop in Manila. Big. Dirty. Traffic. Folks are nice enough, just nothing particularly appealing here.
Then to Boracay for some sunshine and a lil kayaking. Wowsers the Shangri-La there is nice. Very pretty beaches. And from E's camera
United States, Dec 2011/ Jan 2012
Visiting family and friends for the holidays, in Chicago at an NHL game in these two camera-phone shots.
Vietnam, Nov 2011
It has a bad rap in America from the War, but I think it's actually a pretty cool place.
Hanoi is the political and cultural capital, with a sleepier vibe.
Halong Bay is sort of nearby and full of natural scenery -- we did a fun cruise for a couple nights. And of course, we took pictures for you.
Ho Chi Minh is the business capital in the south. Some history here and a lot of activity. Pics and pics.
Indonesia, Oct 2011
We took a two-week cruise starting in Singapore and visiting:
Semarang on Java, which allowed us to visit Borobudur, an 1150-year-old Buddhist temple, supposedly the world's largest (2,000,000 cubic feet of stone). Semarang was otherwise industrial. page 2
Probolinggo on Java, from which we visited Mt. Bromo, an active volcano (erupted in the past year). It's barren with almost no life, in contrast to the port town which was quite colorful. page 2
Next up, two stops at the island of Bali. We checked out a water palace in Klungkung, some artsy shops in Ubud, some touristy stuff in Kuta, a local market & gritty urban areas in Denpasar, and some more artsy shops in Sukawati. Bali was worthwhile, especially Ubud and Sukawati. page 2
Onwards to the neighbors in Lombok, which included a couple temples, a water palace, and a small art market, none of which were super remarkable. page 2
The ship then went to Komodo, a beach resort in Karimunjawa, and finally Jakarta. Here's a few associated shots. The first section is material from Dr. Enkel's camera. Sadly, this trip covered less than 0.03% of the islands in Indonesia. page 2 page 3
Sri Lanka (sucks), Sep 2011
First, a few words of caution. We found that Sri Lanka is unsanitary, and that they cheat the tourists constantly, both to greater degrees than other places we've visited. It is NOT recommended.
Our misery started in Colombo. There's military (and bats) everywhere. A civil war finished just a couple years prior, and the lack of focus on infrastructure is apparent. These pictures are from Colombo, Bentota, and various spots around the country. page 2
From there we drove north to some of the archaelogical sites like Sigiriya, which is around 1400 years old and kinda cool. page 2
And another site, Polonasomething, not too far away. You know how sometimes you discover a new favorite food, and you eat it over and over constantly? These people just discovered bricks. page 2
After that we went to one of the national parks for a safari. At first it looked like a dud, but eventually we had a good look at a couple herds of wild elephants.
Somewhere in here (Kandi) we went to a botanic garden and de facto bat sanctuary. That first image is showing the tourist price at 1100 rupees and local price at 50 for adults, as institutionalized by the government.
Next it was on to Kandi and later tea country. The accommodation in mold country was not okay, and not merely because of the Qibla Direction sign. page 2
So we went to Bentota a night early. That was a relaxing beach resort (see above pictures) and our last stop. The sun was brutal.
New Zealand, Aug 2011
We went to Auckland first (there's some pictures below from 2009). Except the first few, these photos are mostly from a day trip north of Auckland to Whangarei, Matapouri beach, and surrounding areas. We only reached the beach late in the day, hence the skewed lighting. Quite pretty as you can see. page 2
The latter half of the trip was around Queenstown, also very pretty. We did some skiing, quad biking, and an acrobatic flight, and that's just scratching the surface of the myriad activities available there. page 2
We also took a day trip to scenic and misty Milford Sound. Unfortunately, it was raining that day, a lot, and we couldn't see the mountain tops nor take our scenic flight for the return leg. The only plus side is that the many waterfalls were rather active.
Europe, Jun/ Jul 2011
First I went to Oslo, Norway, land of $20 happy meals and 11 to 3 working hours, and where my sister met me while Enke went to Paris with her mother. page 2 page 3 page 4
We took the train to Bergen on the coast; these are from both the ride and the city. page 2
Bergen was a base to see first the queen of the fjords, Hardangerfjord, including the gazillion islands on the way as well as the town of Rosendal and its rock park and gardens. This is the definition of quaint. page 2 page 3
The following day was another ferry cruise to see the king of the fjords, Sognefjord. In this one we went deeper, and got better pictures. At the end is Flam and another train ride or two. page 2 page 3 page 4
Now it's on to Amsterdam, where we met up with Enke. Since I've been before (see pictures from 2007), there's only a few snaps.
My sister went home from there, and Enke and I continued to the canals of Venice. This is the definition of touristy. page 2 page 3 page 4
While we were there, the Venice Biennale was happening, and I also visited a glassworking shop on Murano, both of which are pictured here.
Stop number I-can't-count-that-high was Milan. Shopping was good, as was the miraculously detailed and maintained Duomo (cathedral). page 2 page 3
Seoul, May 2011
South Korea is an odd place, generally devoid of foreigners, uniform in their ways and car colors (except sometimes fashion), with a drinking culture and no ability to hold their alcohol, and full of 14-lane highways and workaholics. It's kinda cool. page 2
We also visited Chicago and New York in May & June, but since those aren't so novel, there are no associated pictures.
Malaysia & Cambodia, Mar/ Apr 2011
I went to Kuala Lumpur first. It's messy, but we kinda liked it. Pretty decent shopping.
Then we flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It rocked -- highly recommended and best spot of the year. It's poor, but the people were friendly and honest. Not pictured due to the inadequacy of battery technology, there's a very cool boat village with 10,000 full-time residents in the middle of the lake.
Siem Reap is also home to Angkor Wat (yes, the one from Ms. Jolie's Tomb Raider). There are actually dozens of temples ("wats") scattered around the area; here's a sampling:
temple 1 - apologies for not having the proper names. page 2
temple 2, right next to #1
temple 3 (Angkor Wat proper?). page 2
temple 4
temples 5, 6, & 7
Final stop was back to Malaysia for some beach time in Langkawi. It's gorgeous albeit a bit underdeveloped. page 2
Singapore, 2011
Here are various shots from our base, including from Chinese New Year, from our window, and from the cruise ship in October. page 2 page 3
Europe, Jan 2011 (& Dec 2010)
First to Tirana (Albania) again for New Years Eve and onwards.
From there we escaped on an overnight driving trip to neighboring and pretty Montenegro, with some stops along the way at archaelogical sites, Ulcinj, etcetera. page 2
Then to Rome, which is actually pretty nice in January. Not too cold, not too crowded. page 2 page 3
Last stop on the way to Singapore was Israel. We based ourselves in backpackery Tel Aviv, and also checked out the amusing Dead Sea and Masada, the nearby mountain-top hideout used against and later by the Romans. page 2
We also took a day to Jerusalem, headquarters of the majority of religious businesses in the world. Each sect seems to have its own little variation on the story (and thus reason you should donate a bit to them). There's a respectable museum in town, too. page 2
Singapore & Hong Kong, Oct/ Nov 2010 (two weeks)
Of the scenic and happening yet chill Marina Bay area of Singapore, including a ride on the giant ferris wheel. page 2 page 3
Various and assorted around cleanly and orderly Singapore.
And from the zoo there, where the animals are mostly not in cages. page 2
Lastly, a few of Victoria Harbor from our room - both night and day. See also below from 2007 for more Hong Kong pics.
Santa Fe, Oct 2010 (3 days)
Mostly from the hot-air balloon festival. It was too windy for the balloons to go up that night, but I got some good sunset and artsy fireworks photos.
Monaco, May 2010 (4 days)
From the sunny, vertical, and posh city-state of Monaco. Those is some big boats! page 2
And a day trip to pretty Nice, France including a hike to a hilltop park.
Prague, Kitzbuhel, and Munich, Feb 2010 (11 days)
First some sightseeing in Prague including the clock tower and castle, then a bachelor party and more beer than I like. page 2
Then some cream-cheese skiing in quaint Kitzbuhel, Austria.
There was a pictureless night in Munich my way back.
Bahamas, Feb 2010 (4 days)
The windiest place on Earth, at least the time we were there. Literally blew the doors off. Otherwise not recommended.
Eastern Mediterranean, Jan 2010 (10 days)
First in Albania, in Tirana and especially of and around Skonderbeg's castle.
Then the crossroads of chaotic Istanbul, with several shots from a quick cruise on the Bosphorus. page 2 page 3
Puerto Rico, Nov 2009 (one week)
Many are of or from Old San Juan and its fort.
The trip was to celebrate my 30th birthday with friends.
New York, Oct 2009
From our fall folliage cruise up the Hudson River, and from Halloween. Do you think I'm electable?
New Zealand, Sep/ Oct 2009 (two weeks)
In Christchurch for a couple days, including checking out the botanical gardens. Peaceful.
Driving around the photogenic South Island -- Kaikoura whale watching, Hanmer Springs, the Pancake Rocks, Fox Glacier, and Banks Peninsula. Wowsers, that's some geography! page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7
Auckland, and one from Waitomo Caves. Check out that marina (at least when it wasn't raining)! page 2
Europe around the Baltic, Aug 2009 (19 days)
Starting in Stockholm, Sweden, which was generally cool (2nd only to Berlin) although too short at 2.5 days. page 2
Departing Stockholm by cruise ship, which went better than expected; we will arrive in Copenhagen in 7 days. page 2
Our first stop is in Helsinki, Finland for an afternoon, which is really all that was necessary for this uneventful city.
It rained as we left Helsinki.
The next morning we woke up in St. Petersburg, Russia. These are the shots from around town and as we left their large port. page 2
More impressive than the town are the sights and museums, starting with the Spilled Blood 'Cathedral,' with its ample mosaics. page 2
Next were the summer palaces of Catherine and Paul. page 2 page 3
And finally their version of the Smithsonian, the Hermitage museum, which includes Catherine's winter palace. page 2
Now to Estonia, particularly the cute old town section of Tallinn. page 2 page 3
The cruise finished in Copenhagen, Denmark where we spent over 3 days. We liked it, especially their design and a wine restaurant, Era Ora, but their culture was a bit unrefined and their prices a bit high. page 2
Then we took the train to Berlin, Germany, our last stop for almost 6 days. Our favorite spot of the trip, particularly for the Bohemian elements of the former East Berlin, but they really need to move beyond the sausage and potatoes and upgrade their food. page 2
There was a 5-day trip to San Francisco in June, but it appears I forgot my camera, sorry.
Mexico, May 2009 (one week)
In and around Chapultepec Park in Mexico City: page 1 page 2
Touring around Mexico City: page 1 page 2
A little farther from the city center, mainly the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan: page 1 page 2
At a beautiful resort south of Cancun
Miami, December 2008 and March 2009 -- Just a few pics while cruising around by boat. The less open water, more city ones at bottom are from March. I don't have any from January or February trips.
British Columbia, March 2009 (two+ weeks)
First in Vancouver and then Whistler for about a week. Not so much visibility in Whistler's continual snow = not so many pictures.
Then to Terrace, BC (again, see 2005 below) for heliskiing - an attempted Steep Camp. Most of these shots are from the final day when the weather cleared. part 1 part 2 part 3
Europe, October 2008 (one week)
Belgrade, Serbia to start, which is not bad but not that interesting for tourists: part 1 part 2 part 3
The fort is the one sites of note there: part 1 part 2 part 3
Athens, Greece is more lively, and the Acropolis makes for some good shots: part 1 part 2 part 3
On a day trip from Athens to the nearest island of Aegina: part 1 part 2
I seem not to have pictures, but in a season I went to Chicago, the Hamptons, Fire Island, Baltimore, Point Pleasant, Providence, and Las Vegas.
Asia!! March/ April 2008, 2.5 weeks total
Miami for Winter Music Conference
Around Hong Kong -- shopping and lights overload
Victoria Peak in Hong Kong -- too foggy most of days though
Phuket, Thailand -- whoa, paradise! The Banyan Tree rocks, too.
Ko Phi Phi islands -- day trip from Phuket to scene of the movie the Beach. Gorgeous: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5
Crazy Bangkok -- mixed adventures including their New Year, which must be Super Soakers' biggest annual event. A Japanese tourist borrowed my camera: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7
A sampling of other pics from this trip: part 1 part 2
Weekend trips, March 2008
First to Orlando -- very relaxing
Then to Pennsylvania; I just have one shot (381) from Philadelphia
Colorado, February 2008 (one week)
I was in Aspen for a couple days, but most of the pics are from Vail.
I didn't have my camera up with me on the clearest picture-taking days though.
Europe, November 2007 (one week)
from Paris, which is pretty but a bit uptight: part 1 part 2 part 3
from or of the Eiffel Tower at night (which makes for tough (or artsy) photography)
from Amsterdam, which was loads of fun with lots of sights, both architectural and otherwise: part 1 part 2
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 2007 (one week)
around the city, which is very Westernized and well populated with European tourists: part 1 part 2
from or near my accommodations (Jumeirah Beach Hotel) - some hotels are ridiculous but expensive
out on a desert safari
a few from the neighboring emirate (city) of Sharjah, which had a nice art biennial
No pics here from Sundance (Park City, UT, January 2007) or Winter Music Conference (Miami, Fl, March 2007), but here are a select few from Santa Fe, NM, March 2007
South America, August & Sept 2006 (three weeks total)
from sunny Las Lenas ski report in Argentina
from Buenos Aires which I thoroughly enjoyed
pictures of or from St. Lucia, in the center of Santiago, Chile
around the rest of Santiago
my pictures from heliskiing outside of Santiago mainly on Volcan San Jose
a selection of my compadres' pictures from heliskiing check out MVI_9284
Around Montreal for the Sundance music festival, July 2006
Europe, February 2006
from Geneva, which is great for about six hours
no snow in Zermatt and the Italian side, Cervinia
bits from Italy, including some shots from the Olympics (thanks to Stefano)
Three Valleys (Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens) in France -- HUGE, though too snowy for many photos
Aruba, January 2006
Beach at the hotel, and the rocky & rural northern coast
One shot from my birthday November, 2005
Los Angeles, September 2005
Santa Monica, Malibu, and my room and view at the Mondrian
Arizona, May 2005
aerials from Scottsdale up to Grand Canyon
on the ground at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
from the helicopter and plane above the Grand Canyon
Terrace, British Columbia, March 2005
from the tops of the mountain while heliskiing (small)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 2005
various pictures from Rio, my favorite in South America (small)
pictures from Sugarloaf in Rio (I went a little overboard here) (small)
photos from a deserted beach southwest of Rio (small)
shots from the famous statue over Rio (small)
Cuzco, Peru, January 2005
around town in Cuzco (small)
an archealogical site in cuzco (small)
another site, above cuzco (small)
yet another site above cuzco (small)
Machu Pichu, Peru, January 2005
before the entrance gate at Machu Pichu (small)
starting out in Machu Pichu (small)
into some buildings at Machu Pichu (small)
from the Upper section of Machu Pichu (small)
more from around Machu Pichu (small)
pics from the little down at the base of Machu Pichu and the river (small)
I do not have any pictures from Lima really.
Art
A few of old my (copyrighted - sorry) Photoshop .jpg's
Have a nice day!