A Wandering Sole

Montage Monday: The Most Amazing Sunset I’ve Ever Seen

// April 30th, 2012 // 14 Comments » // America, Photo of the Week

Dramatic sunset at Hermosa Beach

Maybe this should have been titled, ‘The Most Amazing Sunset I’ve Ever Seen (Surprise! It’s not in Africa)” because I always brag about the sunsets in Africa. But while staying in Los Angeles, Stella and I asked my friend’s mom, our host, where to go for dinner. One of her recommendations was in Hermosa Beach, so that we could watch the sunset and overlook the water. We get unbelievably lucky with a magnificent sunset. Earlier in the day it had rained, and the clouds still lingered in the late afternoon. We walked out to the pier when we arrived, and slowly the colors started to appear. Check out these photos from Hermosa Beach and see just how stunning and dramatic the sunset was for us. Even our host confirmed that it’s one of the best sunsets she has seen while living in L.A. (more…)

Montage Monday: A Spark of Creativity (South Africa)

// April 23rd, 2012 // 8 Comments » // Photo of the Week, South Africa

This photograph turns out to be one of my favorites from South Africa. I can’t help but smile every time I see it. Our village was set about 5 km. down a dirt road off of the main tarmac road. We could use this route to drive to town, however on one particular day, my coworker and I decided to try an alternate route. Though it was about the same distance to town, it cut through other villages and took us on back dirt roads. We wanted to get better views of the mountains that surrounded our beautiful region so we made a few stops along the way to get out and take photos. Satisfied after a couple of stops, we continued driving through villages and were busy chatting, when I yelled to my friend to stop the car- immediately. I saw this boy out of the corner of my eye, and it put an instant smile on my face. She of course stopped, threw the car into reverse, and this boy and his friend eagerly approached us. I rolled down the window, showed him my camera to see if I might be able to take his photo, and he flashed a grin. His toy car is made from scrap metal and the wheels are probably bottle caps. And while most kids I know would throw out the plastic that holds canned drinks together, this boy used some ingenuity and fashioned it into a mask. Doesn’t that just put a smile to your face?

Montage Monday: Sunset on the Bosphorus River

// April 16th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Photo of the Week, Turkey

As we left the Asian side of Istanbul to ferry back to the Old City, we caught sight of a cargo ship passing under this intensely orange sunset on the Bosphorus River. It was absolutely beautiful. (more…)

Montage Monday: Photo Essay of Venice Architecture

// April 2nd, 2012 // 9 Comments » // Italy, Photo of the Week

Perhaps my favorite photo from Venice

In 2010, when I embarked on my trip around the world, my first stop was Venice. (more…)

Street Vendors & Shops in Istanbul

// March 2nd, 2012 // 6 Comments » // Photo of the Week, Turkey

Breads for sale in these carts all over the city

Istanbul is a very walkable city. Despite the cold from going in December, it was great to stroll through streets and alleys and along the river. Here are a few snapshots from our short stay in Istanbul:  (more…)

Montage Monday: Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern

// February 27th, 2012 // 7 Comments » // Photo of the Week, Turkey

Built in the 6th century, the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul is located just across from Hagia Sophia. It was used as a reservoir for water storage. There are 366 columns. I can’t fathom why one might build such an elaborate space underground for water, but it’s beautiful and worth the 10 TL to enter.  (more…)

Montage Monday: A Little Love for Hawaii

// February 20th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // America, Photo of the Week

I spent the summer of 2006 studying in Hawaii. And it was blissful. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Since I started this blog well after that summer, I’d like to go back and share some of the amazing places I explored on Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island. (more…)

Montage Monday: Fisherman Takes a Rest (Kenya)

// December 19th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Kenya, Photo of the Week

Although I had been to Diani (a beach just south of Mombasa) last year, this trip was no less exciting and full of an entirely new set of adventures. During one of our many walks on the beach, I started photographing the dhow boats in the water. It was only after a few takes that I realized a fisherman was on one of the boats taking a rest.

More on our trip is to come (like a follow-up video to answer the question ‘Do people on the coast cook with salt water?’).

Montage Monday: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia

// December 5th, 2011 // 9 Comments » // Photo of the Week, Turkey

With less than three days to explore Istanbul, I think I can say we made the most of it. One of my favorite architectural sights in the city is Hagia Sophia, once a Christian church that was transformed into a mosque and is now a museum. This photo is just a teaser of my stopover in Istanbul that I hope to share in the coming days.

Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch

// November 1st, 2011 // 6 Comments » // America, Photo of the Week

It would be a crime to visit Amarillo (and the Big Texan) and not make a stop at the amazing and inspirational Cadillac Ranch. Located just outside the city on I-40, Cadillac Ranch is a cow pasture, home to 10 old Cadillacs colorfully decorated by the public. The cars are in the ground nose-first, at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza. Stella and I had looked for the weird and wacky stops to make on our road trip, and of course this one neared the top of the list.

I’m ashamed to say that we failed to bring spray paint to create our own lovely works of art on these Cadillac canvases. But, this isn’t to say we didn’t have fun! (more…)