A worthwhile visit, a rural school in Cambodia. Part 2.

Smiling student.

One of the most rewarding things to do when you are in Cambodia has nothing to do with sightseeing at venues like Angkor Wat or visiting the Irawaddy dolphins at Kratie.  I recommend you take some time out of your busy days to visit a rural school and donate school supplies.  These students are not well to do and are always short of basic supplies like pencils, paper tablets and rulers.  For less than $50 US you can easily supply every student with these supplies. And you never know how you might be impacting these students.  For every child attending school, there is probably another that does not attend school for one reason or another and it is near impossible to make a difference in their lives.  At least with the children in school they are learning the basics although there is no telling where they may be in ten more years.  The five and six year olds in these photos may be working in the fields with their parents in another 6 or 7 years.

Photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens or a Nikon D300s and Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VRI zoom lens.

Three room school near Stung Treng.

Using chalk and fiber boards.

Big smile on small face.

Interested girl.

Old Delhi near Jama Masjid – great location for photographs

Full load.

Here are some more photos from my last trip to Delhi.  As noted in my previous postings about Old Delhi, a rickshaw is a great vantage point for photos.  Not only do you get a convenient means to travel this area, the perspective renders a slightly different point of view.

All photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Heavy load.

Back end.

Grueling work.

Rickshaw man.

Memory Lane for great yakitori in West Shinjuku

Omoide Yokochō

Omoide Yokocho (or Memory Lane) is an old neighborhood of small yakitori joints that harkens back to days long past. It is located within the neon-lit skyscrapers of West Shinjuku.  Adjacent to the Uniqlo store near the Lumine Department Store, Omoide Yokocho’s days are numbered as it is beyond its shelf-life.  The area is ramshackle and its only of matter of time before it is torn down in the name of progress.  The option is to rehabilitate the area however no one except for some of the tenants is in favor of this.  Some of the Yakitori is quite good as the numbers of patrons indicate.

This area dates back to the US Occupation post World War II and has always been a favorite for good relatively well-priced food.

All photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24mm f/.4 lens.

Crowded and friendly.

Red lanterns everywhere.

Tight confines.

Another joint.

Rural Cambodian school near Steng Trung.

Angel.

One of the most fulfilling things one can do when visiting the rural areas of Cambodia is to set aside time to visit schools.  As some of the rural schools are extremely poor, you should think about buying school supplies to donate to the children.

This particular school, which is located south of Stung Treng, had no electricity, windows and other conveniences that we take for granted in other parts of the world.  In fact, the children had neither paper nor pencils.  Instead they were using planks of wood and chalk during class.   I purchased pencils, rulers and tablets for each of the 100 children in the three classes.  (And candy and cookies to please each student’s sweet tooth.)

The children were kindergartners to second graders and were extremely bright.  However as they were in a very poor rural area,  their future is a bit hazy.  Do what you can to help.  Not only will the children benefit, so will you.

Concentrating.

What's the answer?

Reciting the lesson.

Down the river in a boat in Kyoto

Visitors to Kyoto and Nara almost always focus their activities to visiting temples, shrines and castles.  Of course, that’s why people visit these beautiful locations and there’s nothing wrong with that.  For something just a little different, consider taking a two hour drift boat down the Hozukawa River.   The starting point is near the Kameoka City JR Station, which is about 20 minutes by train from the Kyoto Station.  And the dock is a five or ten minute walk from the station.  There are prominent signs leading the way from the station.  And if you’re lost, the information center at the station will point the way.

The river drift is mostly placid with a few sections of rapids and very small elevation changes.  It is not a dangerous drift.  Each boat has two crewmen.  One mans the oar to steer the boat while the other mans the pole to keep the boat from colliding with the rocks in the river.

The boat trip ends near the Arashiyama District of Kyoto where’s there’s plenty to do including a visit to the magnificent Tenryu-ji Temple.

All photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.  [Note: recommend that you use a polarizing filter on the river as the glare is prominent.  I didn’t.]

Dockside view.

Down the river.

Fast section.

Train stopped to look at us.

Vendor on the river.

Trip ends at Arashiyama.

Beautiful children on a remote island on the Mekong River in Cambodia

Small hut on remote island on the Mekong River.

You never know where your next decent photo will come from.  While on a recent trip by boat up the Mekong from Cambodia to Laos, we passed this small hut on a remote island.  This part of the island was beautiful with crystal clear water and a beach of sorts.  Really didn’t it give it much mind as we were heading up the river to see a series of waterfalls that are hardly visited.

On the way back down the river, we were so dehydrated and exhausted by our visit to the falls that we decided to stop for  drinks and a bit to eat.  The hut was run by a young couple with three small chidren.  It really wasn’t much but it was shady and the ice-cold drinks hit the spot.  The kids were so photogenic that between big gulps of water and soda, I shoot off a few photos.  They acted like they had never seen a camera before so I spent some time shooting and then showing the photos to the kids.  This interaction became of source of  fun for them and me.  As it should be.

All photos were taken using either  a Nikon D700 with a Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens or a Nikon D300s with a Nikkor AFS 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens.

Mom was tending the vegetables.

Serene smile.

Beautiful little girl.

Big brother.

Beachfront.

Maiko in Kyoto – Geisha in training

Created a near riot.

A Maiko is an apprentice Geisha, who undergoes five years of training in the arts before they are considered Geisha.  Geishas are still seen with frequency walking the small streets of Kyoto to their next performance.  Usually you can tell the difference between Maiko and Geisha by the younger age of the Maiko and the size of their obi.  There are other differences that are explained in detail here.

On this day, these three Maiko came strolling into the Heian Shrine.  They were inundated by tourists armed with DSLR’s, P&S’s and camera phones.  It was quite a commotion.  They simply maintained their composure, posed for a few photos and kept on walking.

Photos taken with a Nikon D300s and AFS Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII zoom lens.

Large obi typical of Maiko

Still posing.

Composure.

Head shot.

Pointing the way.

Cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan

Philosopher's Walk in Kyoto

Over most of Japan, for a period of two weeks at the end of March and April, cherry blossoms spring to life and bring a splash of color that is a sign that spring has arrived and winter will soon be left behind.  The blossoms don’t come out all at once.  Instead it depends on the variety and the weather conditions.  This year the blossoms arrived just a bit early and luckily were still in bloom for the week I was in Kyoto.  Some of the trees had started to lose their flowers while other had just opened.  How you shot them of course is up to you.  It makes for a grand image to capture a landscape although closeups are also spectacular.

Photos were shot with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens and a D300s and  Nikkor AFS 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII zoom lens.

Strolling along a river.

Wide open at f/2.8 with bokeh.

Not quite open.

White blossoms in background.

At Golden Pavilion.

Impromptu wedding photos in Vietnam

So sweet. Good luck.

I’m not a wedding photographer but when you run into couples having their wedding photos shot, it’s difficult not taking a few photos here and there.  The area around the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh city is bursting with couples and their photographers.  You find them on the sidewalks, in gardens and in the streets.  If you find yourself in Ho Chi Minh City, take a stroll over to the cathedral and get prepared.  By the way, neither the couples nor their photographers care if you take their photos.  Try your hand, its a lot of fun.

Photos taken with a Nikon D300s and Nikkor AFS 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII zoom lens.

In the hot sun.

In front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

In the street.

Taking a break.

Phapheng Falls in Southern Laos

Fisherman at Phapheng Waterfall.

The Mekong River in Southern Laos tumbles over numerous waterfalls that stretch approximately eight miles across.  Phapheng Falls is the easiest to reach and therefore the one that attracts numerous visitors on the weekends.  We visited during the week and there were just a handful of visitors.  This made for a more relaxed time.  The nearby Khone Falls is always popular but requires more of an effort as you do have to take a boat to Don Khone (Khone Island) and then walk to the falls.  The most spectacular falls is the Somphamit Falls which stretches about 2 kilometers from side to side.  During rainy season, the waterfall is a powerful torrent of violent water crashing over the escarpment.  During dry season, its a multitude of smaller falls rushing downhill.  This waterfall is the most difficult to visit as you have to hire a boat to take you about 15 kilometers upstream through patches of rough water before you reach the falls.  However during the dry season, it’s relatively easy to visit.   The trip is well worth the effort as you will probably be the only one viewing the grandeur of the vista.

Photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens and Nikon D300s and Nikkor AFS 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens.

Walking over rough rocks towards the falls.

Popular fishing area.

See fisherman's ladder at left.

Taking a break.

Another falls.