St Petersburg - Russia - October 2004

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood - St Petersburg

To me this church was more impressive than St Basils Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow. The whole of St Petersburg is just stunning and is littered with beautiful architecture, beautiful cathedrals and of course the famous hermitage museum..

Outside Peter and Paul Fortress on an Autumn day in St Petersburg. The Peter and Paul Fortress (Russian: Петропа́вловская кре́пость, Petropavlovskaya Krepost) is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.

The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The cathedral is the burial place of all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III, with the exception of Peter II.

Lena and her friend, Nastya in St Petersburg.

Nastya, Lena and myself chilling out in an apartment along Nevsky Prospekt...

This was taken on Fontanka Ave near the Neva river just off Nevsky Prospekt. The building in the distance had this Deli on the ground floor with an amazing assortment of russian delicacies which we frequented from time to time.

The whole strip of Nevsky Prospekt is amazing, filled with old worl charm and russian architecture at it's grandest during Pete the Great's era..

Peterhof Palace

One of the days whilst visiting Sy Petersburg, we took a day trip to check out Peter the Great's Palace - Peterhof Palace. It was the only day the sun shone during the entire trip and couldn't have happened on a better day so that was great. The palace and gardens were breathtaking and you got a sense of how grand the czar's era was and powerful this city was during Peter the Great's rule.

Thailand - March 2009

In March 2009, we did a 10 day stint to Thailand and visited Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Thought it might be nice to head inland this time round instead of visiting the islands although after all of it, I think I could definitely have done with a few days in Koh Samui or something. Oh well, next time..

On one of our final days in Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace (Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) which is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time. The present King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, however, resides at the Chitralada Palace.

It was pretty mind blowing to see the sheer amount of sumptious wealth and gold around the complex. The Thai people are an amazing bunch of people and adore their king.

Whilst in Chiang Mai we did a day trip up north to see the popular Karen tribe as they're more commonly known.. the long neck tribe. Fantastic to witness in this modern day that a small number of them still continue to wear these extremely heavy rings around their necks. Contrary to what most think, the rings actually force the collar bone lower and lower as more rings are added, rather than supposedly streching their neck.

Lena posing with some of the local Karen tribe...

This is one of the buildings in the Wat Chedi Luang complex. There are heaps of great temples scattered around Chiang Mai that's worth checking out.

This was taken at a traditional northern thai dinner/show which was fantastic! I had no expectations but it was highly recommended by the locals so we went along and thoroughly enjoyed it! The food and entertainment were great!

Lena discovered this bike after the dinner show and insisted on having hopping on.

This was taken early morning when the monks go and collect their alms for the day. The only food they can eat is what they collect that morning and they have until midday to finish, after that they have to wait until the following morning before they can eat again. Good on em but not for me thanks :-)

They sell these things at a bunch of stalls at the famous night market in Chiang Mai. Almost like Christmas decor.. The market is quite something.. during the day it's just a bunch of locked up metal trolleys scattered along the street but as soon as dusk hits, the place comes alive and thousands of people descend on the place to eat, entertain and of course shop shop shop...

Egypt - October 2009

October 2009 we made our way over to Egypt for 2 weeks. Lena wasn't too fussed about going but her mind changed very quickly after she began witnessing some of the most spectacular feats of engineering man has ever built. I highly recommend the Nile cruise. It typifies the essential experience of Egypt...

As cliche'd as it is, you still need to ride a camel at Giza...

The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues, but basic facts about it, such as who was the model for the face, when it was built, and by whom, are still debated.

Despite conflicting evidence and viewpoints over the years, the traditional view held by modern Egyptologists at large remains that the Great Sphinx was built in approximately 2500 BC by the pharaoh Khafra, the supposed builder of the second pyramid at Giza.

Cairo

I'm sure anyone who's been to Cairo will agree it is a seething mass of dust, noise, crowds and just about anything that can assult your senses. Not your idylic holiday destination.. however it is home to the famous Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum and the necessary launch point for the rest of your journey around Egypt. As most say, get in.. see what you gotta see and get the hell out!

Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة‎ al-Qāhira, literally "The Vanquisher" or "The Conqueror") is the capital of Egypt, the largest city in Africa and the Arab World, and one of the most densely populated cities in the world.[1][2] Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life. Even before Cairo was established in the 10th century, the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids in adjacent Giza

Lena, her parents and myself catching some rest and shade from the extreme heat in Luxor. This was our first temple we visited  - Karnak Temple. The pillars we're sitting on are huge!

Here's a slide show of some shots from Egypt recently.

Medinet Habu temple

This was one of favourite temples in Egypt as it's inscribed reliefs were more pronounced than others and looked a little more graphic. Personal preferencxe I guess.

Medinet Habu is the name commonly given to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III, an important New Kingdom period structure in the location of the same name on the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt.

Here's one of the many guardian's who look after the temples during the day. I think he prefered hanging with Lena than posing for the camera, however like everything in Egypt, money talks and don't think you can get a photo of any of these guys without handing over some Baksheesh (tips in Egypt)

One of the many types of boats sailing the Nile. I can't quite remember the name of these boats but they are more traditional and think they were the first forms of tourist boats to sail the Nile.

Lena's parents and us on board the Nile Cruise refuelling over dinner after days of exploring the amazing temples in Luxor and along the Nile.

Doing the tourist thing and posing.

This was one of the stops on our Nile cruise heading south towards Aswan. Another scorching day with very little sun, hence why most times you visit these temples is first thing in the morning or late afternoon.

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved.

Here's a couple we met on the cruise and really enjoyed spending time with. They are british and have now retired in the south of France and renovating their chateau. Tough life eh? :)

 

These are the kind of sunsets you experience every day whilst sailing the nile. Probably due to the amount of dust in the atmostphere due to the desert terrain.

I was late for dinner but stayed back to sneak in this shot as the sun set exactly behind the boat on this stretch of the river making it possible to get an exposure long enough and keep it sharp..  and to top off, these 2 locals in a boat row past lining up the silouette perfectly!

Europe - 2008

Here's a post from our 2008 trip to Europe. It was bloody fantastic! But hey.. of course I'm going to say that.. A few of my highlights would have to be Santorini, Dubrovnik and of course all of Italy! Enjoy...

I don't think this shot needs any introduction. It's still amazing to see in real life after seeing it time and time again on TV and in magazines. We did the tour through the complex the day before including the Roman forum - definitely something that has to be done.

This shot however I managed to convince Lena to head out late that night and wait for 20 mins whilst I fired off a few shots of the colosseum with some foreground traffic lights. I think she fell asleep at one stage :)

Any guesses? Yep, the instantly recognisable Santorini!

Taking into account the endless wait to tender from the cruise ship to the island, fighting the masses of smelly donkeys up the hillside to the top and the seething masses of tourists in every direction, this still has to be one of the most stunning places I've ever seen! Some say it's half way between heaven and earth and I'd have to agree..

Whilst there, we took a bus over to the far side of Santorini to a town called Oia which has all these pastel coloured houses delved into the porous volcanic rock along the cliffs. Just breathtaking!

My only regret is not being able to stay a few days and witness the famous sunsets which disappear below the caldera in front of you at dusk...

This was taken from Rialto Bridge in Venice one late afternoon. What a captivating city! Meandering up and over the various bridges, walking through markets selling fresh produce and typically italian delicacies and gazing into exquisitely dressed shop windows...

Lena posing near some Gondalas in the San Marco Square area

Us at the top of the Campanile in San Marco Square with 360 degree views of Venice. A must see! If there's an opportunity to scale a tower and get a birds eye view of a city in Italy.. Do it! You won't regret it..

and this is the view from the Campanile.. Nuff said.

Some fridge magnets from....

This is at the tip of Oia in Santorini overlooking the caldera and it's deep blue sea and equally impressive sky. It's still the the most impressive place I've ever seen...

Lapping up the sun and white washed houses in Oia, Santorini...

There's our ship.. waiting for us to tender back that afternoon and onward to our next port in the Med..

This is Ephesus library in Kusadasi, Turkey. Amazing ruins and worth checking out if you're in the area. It was an unexpected surprise visiting this town.

This was taken outside "Mary's House" which apparenlty Mary (Jesus's Mother) lived for many years. What you see behind me are notes and messages written on cloth and tied to the wall.. quite interesting..

This was taken from the bow of the ship overlooking the town of Kusadasi prior to disembarking. They even had some cheesy turkish belly dancers doing their thing as we stepped off the boat..

After spending a great day wondering around the greek island of Corfu, it was now late afternoon and we were waiting for a bus to take us back to the ship. Near the stop were a bunch of pigeons resting on the wall. I thought the shot might have a little more interest of they were leaping off the wall and flying off so Lena ran past waiving her arms and got them going...

Outside a bakery down some street alley in Corfu...

This is a shot of Corfu taken from the ship as we're entering the port ready to dock. A beautiful island...

Some of the local street architecture in Corfu

A friend we met on the ship at our dinner table. He's South African and him and his wife live in Durban (my home town) just down the road from my folks. Small world eh? He's a pilot for SAA and has more stories of his travels than any of us could ever dream of..

Dubrovnik

This is a view of Dubrovnik's old town with the fortified walls. You can pay to walk around top of the wall which surrounds the old town and has protected for hundreds of years from many invaders. It is a sublime city and can see why people nicknamed it the Pearl of the Adriatic.

Lena's parents flew into Dubrovnik from Russia for the week specially to catchup with us for the one day we had in Durbrovnik as part of our cruise. It was very special and great to catchup with them again. A great day! Here is Lena and her mom enroute to do the fortified wall walking tour.

This is one of many fantastic views you get to see from the wall surrounding the old town.

Group shot with Lenas folks on the wall surrounding Dubrovnik old town.

Lena recharging at one of the of the town square's fountains.