Lola Ida
In Ivana, a tiny town in the south of Batan Island you can find the oldest house in the neighborhood known widely as the House of Dakay and get to know one of the nicest women from Batanes. Ms. Floresida Estrella, also known as Lola Ida (“Lola” means “Grandma”) was born in Negros Occidental, one of the islands in the centre of the Philippines. When she was 8 years old, she moved with her whole family to Batanes and “Finally it was possible to eat rice or camote (sweet potatoes) every day” she said to us after she had invited us to visit her house.
We also met her son, a man in his 60s, who lives nearby in a simple house built from wood and corrugated iron and helps his mother when she needs it. From time to time also a granddaughter comes and getting some small pocket money from her grandma, she sweeps the only room of the House of Dakay.
Lola Ida is always happy to see her guests. But we were so surprised when the 85 years old lady began to speak English!
We hoped to visit her again and bring her pictures I’d taken before, but the weather was not good enough to ride a motorbike. Instead we decided to leave these photos to one of our friends from Batanes who promised to take them to her. Because all the people know each other on the islands.
November 2011 Desktop Wallpaper
Finally I managed to prepare the wallpaper for November – this time from a remote island in the south of the Philippines.
Click one of the links for the size you need:
Check out Rajasthan!
Once again I had an opportunity to write an article and publish some photos in the Italian magazine “check-out”. And once again my photo is on the cover:)))
Today on the “check-out” pages you can see my definitely favourite place – India and colours of Rajasthan.
Coron Island hopping
I’m not sure, what exactly I love more…
The turquoise colour of water is real joy for my eyes.
Huge rocks around me I find absolutely outstanding.
Hundreds or maybe even thousands of incredibly colourful fish make me happy like a child.
Add amazing coral reefs. And wrecks sunk in the water nearby Coron Island. And the vivid green colour. And soft touch of sand.
I only regret that there’s no reef nor fish in my pictures.
Coron Town, Busuanga
Coron is the main town of the Busuanga, one the islands in the north of Palawan. Although it’s said that it’s difficult to find anything interesting there and the town itself is considered rather as a gateway and a good base for exploring some other attractions near Busuanga, I think it’s not true. My favourite place there is a small fishing village with houses built directly in the water. There you can see small outriggers, called bangkas in the Philippines and observe the life of the local fishing community.
October 2011 Desktop Wallpaper
I’m back after a long break and I’m going to upload photos more often now.
The wallpaper for October is from the impressive Omani desert – Wahiba Sands, the place I had an opportunity to visit last January and definitely want to come back someday.
Click one of the links for the size you need and let me know, if you have any suggestions on the next month wallpaper:
July 2011 Desktop Wallpaper
Desktop wallpapers are ready for July, this time from Djemaa el Fna, a vibrant place in the middle of Marrakesh in Morocco.
Click one of the links for the size you need:
Enjoy!
If you have any suggestions on future wallpapers, just let me know:)
Peacock Feather Seller from Jaisalmer
It was early in the morning when I met him sitting near the Jaisalmer fort. Wearing a vivid orange turban on his head and surrounded by peacock feathers, he was waiting for his first clients.
I asked him what the price for a peacock feather fan would be, but what I heard was definitely disapointing.
Fortunately, although I bought nothing, he didin’t mind if I took a picture.
- No problem. – he told me, when I asked him to take a photo. – I’m a very famous man.
To prove his fame, he proudly took out from his bag a kind of portfolio and among many other photos and papers he found an old issue of the German magazine “GEO” with his smiling face on the cover!
Mr Kalichran Singh is a licenced peacock feather seller and it’s possible to meet him in Jaisalmer. Probably some of you have met him already.
I have his business card, because I promised that if somebody decided to publish his photo, I would send him a copy for his portfolio.
Postcard from Korzok
India, Ladakh. Stupas in Korzok.
Walking the Streets of the Blue Medina in Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen, a little town in the northern Morocco is especially interesting for tourists not only because of nearby Rif Mountains, but mainly for its beautiful, blue medina.
When I saw pictures from there, I started dreaming to visit this place and finally I went there in May 2010.
There will be more photos from this town for sure, but now I’d like to invite you to go for a short walk and meet other “walkers”.
Tsomoriri
Tsomoriri situated at an altitude of about 4600 meters above sea level is one of the highest lakes in the world. This 20 kilometer long Himalayan lake lies between Ladakh in the north, Tibet in the east and Zanskar in the west.
June 2011 Desktop Wallpaper
Desktop wallpapers are here for June, this time from Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Click one of the links for the size you need:
Enjoy!
If you have any suggestions on future wallpapers, just let me know:)
Postcard from Essaouira
Morocco, Essaouira. Typical blue boats.
Postcard from Udaipur
India, Udaipur. Lake Palace.
Little Radha
Probably many of you know who Radha is. For those who don’t recognize her: she is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna, one of the Hindu gods.
I have to admit that I’ve only known her name since yesterday when my Indian friend saw one of these pictures and let me know, that this little girl looks like a little Radha.
Probably she does;)
She is wearing a colourful dress, a lot of jewelry and many adornments on her head. But the reason for this is simpler than you would imagine. Her mother, a Rajasthani Gypsy, dressed her like a little Radha, because she wanted people visiting Jaisalmer to pay more attention to her daughter. And it worked perfectly;)
This little girl is one of the most natural children, I have ever had opportunity to take photos of. She would be able to became a famous model in future, but probably her life will be very different.
Desert Hairdresser
Yesterday, I posted here a photo of a beautiful girl living in a tiny desert village. I also mentioned that I had an opportunity to have my hair done there.
Let me introduce my young desert hairdresser:)
Postcard from Pushkar
India, Pushkar. Pilgrims at Badri Ghat.
Postcard from Jaipur
Indie, Jaipur. Hawa Mahal.
Some Portraits from Jodhpur
I’ve been at home since yesterday.
I managed to post here some portraits from Jodhpur and l hope you’ll like them.
Postcard from Pushkar
India, Pushkar. Bath in the holy lake.
Portrait of a Girl Wearing a Pink Sari
I met this beautiful girl wearing a pink sari today in the evening near Ghat Badaj in Pushkar. She arrived here from a village near Udaipur with her big family (parents, sisters and cousins with their husbands and children) to take a bath in the holy water of the lake.
In the evening all of them were resting after the hot day. I was sitting nearby and fortunately we met.
She was behaving like a real model, so I have more of her photographs and I’m going to show them here in future.
Today there’s only one of them, with hope that you will like it:)
3 Postcards: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur
After a little break I’m sending three postcards from India.
India, Jodhpur. Woman in one of streets in the old town.
Nepalese Amusements
- “I used to smoke this and that. Bushes of varying were growing everywhere. Imagine, that my Nepalese host used to treat marijuana in the same way as she treated weeds! Ah, those were the days … “ – a Spaniard I met recalls the sixties in Nepal with emotion in his voice. I heard that almost a year after I had made this picture and it was not in Nepal, but in Myanmar.
I met this smoker near the Hindu temple Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. He was sitting alone in a corner and smoking. I do not know, what exactly he had in his large pipe, because any contact with the smoker was not possible.
But I am sure it was something special, which gave him particular pleasure.
Postcard from Al-Ghariba
Tunisia, Djerba. A blue door in the Al-Ghariba synagogue.
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