 Market Fresh!
There is always an array of colourful fruit and vegetables at the morning street market. It’s just a simple burmese morning market – in a dirty dusty street somewhere in Mandalay. Most of the vendors are seated on the ground on woven bamboo mats. The rubbish and the dogs threaten to encroach on the wares for sale.
But, the vegetables are fresh, and the smiles are freely given.
I love exploring the markets in Asia. As tricky as they can be to navigate and photograph, they are a feast for the senses and the camera.
I just couldn’t tell you exactly where this one was!
Karl Grobl, our photographic mentor, and Mr MM, our burmese guide, had dropped us (ten enthusiasts with cameras) off the bus somewhere in the Mandalay area and sent us off to explore…
 Waiting for a Sale
A vendor sits on the ground, surrounded by her beans.  Sprouting
Many of the beans and legumes are sprouting.  The Sale is Made. At the Butcher’s
The selection is small… Butcher’s Block
… but attention is immediate. Fresh-Water Fish
Caught daily in the rivers nearby. Sales Lady
A typical burmese woman: sporting thanakha, lucky flowers and a big smile. Fresh Flowers Young Lad
Managing a morning market is a family affair. Let the Procession Begin!
There is some sort of Buddhist celebration going on… Bell Gong
The noise from the flat gong is amazing loud – but the locals are used to it! Bell Carrier Rubbish in the River
A waterway, almost choked with floating rubbish, separates the market from the rest of town. Monk on the Bridge Man on the Bridge Groceries on the Bridge Barrels
I have no idea what these barrels contain, but I loved the colours. Market Scene
Typical street market street scene, complete with motorcycle, local dog, and elegant women walking tall with baskets on their heads. Friends
Smiles are everywhere. Bicycle
Draped in tarps, a precious bicycle sits parked in the rubbish behind the main market “stalls”. Boys with ‘Tude
Some young men on the back of a delivery truck watch me… Wreathed Like a Caesar
… and are quick to flash that famous smile. Burmese Kyat
Returning to the start of the market, I find the first vegetable seller with her hands full of money… Veggie Seller
… she’s happy and relaxed now that she has made several sales.  It was impossible to get lost – this market wasn’t very big.
It was also impossible to leave without smiling – in spite of their simple surounds, the people in the markets were friendly and welcoming.
A lesson for us all?
Keep Smiling!
Pictures: 15Septemeber2012
Posted in Culture,Every Day Life,Myanmar,PortraitsTags: blog,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,fruit and vegetable,market,markets,people,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Like a Painting
A great blue heron (ardea herodias) flies over the marshy shoreline of Lake Kissimmee. It’s a concrete-and-plastic jungle…
So much of the area around Kissimmee and Orlando in Florida is interconnecting highways, theme parks, condominiums, fast food, and tacky souvenir sales. It is pretty easy to think there is nothing else.
But, you can escape – even if only for a few hours.
It was time: we’d been in Kissimmee several days and I needed to shake off the pre-packaged kitsch. As it turns out, there are tour operators offering airboat rides not too far away. So, in spite of the rain clouds, we set off south, off the major roads, and towards Lake Kissimmee, which sits at the upper-most end of the watershed that feeds the Florida Everglades.
We’d decided on Kissimmee Swamp Tours, and – like a large percentage of TripAdvisor participants – ended up very happy with our choice. It was an hour-long drive to the office: some of it gravel, past large estates and horse studs and through brilliantly green farmlands. It felt like we had entered another world – a breath of fresh air after the neon lights, garish paint, and wall-to-wall cars on US Highway 192.
Once we were fitted into our two-way-radio headsets, we set off – just us and Mark, our operator and guide – across the lake and into the sea of grass and pond lilies.
The birdlife was fabulous! I have neither the patience nor the lenses for really good bird photography, and the constant vibration of the airboat, plus the rainy and overcast weather made for additional challenges… but I can’t resist sharing a “taste” of this marvellous place.
The Airboat
Our six-seater airboat waits to take us out over Lake Kissimmee. A Gator
Within minutes, we spotted our first huge American Alligator (alligator mississippiensis). Pastoral
The red beak, face and legs of the American White Ibis (eudocimus albus) contrast markedly with the impossibly green fields. Sandhill Crane
One of a pair of two-meter cranes (grus canadensis) strides through the water hyacinth – his life-mate is not far behind. Showing Off
A great blue heron (ardea herodias) fans its wings on a grass island. Flight
A great egret (ardea alba) wings across the lake. Small Alligator
Alligators on Lake Kissimmee come in all sizes. Snail Kite – with Snail
The locally-endangered snail kite (Rostrhamus Sociabilis) is dependent on the apple snail for food. Snail Kite
The kites are tagged and tracked to monitor their numbers and movements. Snail Kite
The sharp, curved beak allows the kite to get into the snail shell. Purple Swamphen
It is the big feet that keep the swamphen (porphyrio porphyrio) from sinking. Mr and Mrs Grackle
The lake is home to numerous nesting pairs of great-tailed grackles (quiscalus mexicanus). Snakebird
The snakebird (Anhinga anhinga) is not able to oil and waterproof its wings, and needs to dry them out. Captain Mark
Our knowledgeable boat operator had studied environmental science and clearly loved the lake. Barely Visible
Even when they are not diving and holding their breath, gators are hard to spot. Incoming Squall
The pond lilies and sawgrass marshes stretch out under a threatening sky… We did get wet. Spatterdock…
… or yellow pond-lily (nuphar advena) grows all over the lake. Snowy Egret
An egret (Egretta thula) picks its way over the mud. Apple Snail Eggs
Snail kites live almost exclusively on apple snails (pomacea paludosa), so these pink egg clusters are a good sign for the lake’s ecology. A Patch of Blue
Two least terns (sternula antillarum) are startled into flight by our arrival… American White Pelican
… as a pelican (pelecanus erythrorhynchos) soars past. The Pier
Too soon, we are back on the pier. Killdeer
This spunky killdeer (charadrius vociferus) decided to nest in the middle of the Kissimmee Swamp Tours’ driveway! A short length of “danger” tape keeps visitors from driving over her.  “Everything else is just an Airboat Ride,” according to Kissimmee Swamp Tours advertising.
And they are right! We took another airboat ride, further south, on the Everglades themselves and we didn’t have anywhere near as good an experience.
Beautiful place – sure beats the tourist highways not so far away!
Happy Travels
Photos: 28May2013
Posted in America,Animals,Nature,TravelTags: animals,bird,blog,boats,nature,Photo Blog,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,water
Spirit Island
One from my Bucket List! This scene is known to every Canadian from postcards and calendars. It’s an image all Canadians, and many people around the world, recognise: the tiny island with its tall lodgepole pines, sitting in the clear turquoise waters of Maligne Lake and surrounded by the snow-capped glacial peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
I’ve known this place from pictures all my life, and have waited a long time to visit Spirit Island for myself.
I have a love affair with Canada’s Rocky Mountain Parks (Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Parks) and will go to them at any opportunity. I used to visit Banff regularly, but it was lucky that we had planned, months ago, to drive much further afield – north – to Jasper.
On Thursday, June 20, 2013, just two days before our arrival into Alberta, major rainfall closed roads, forced the evacuation of downtown Calgary, and cut Banff off for days. On our drive north to Edmonton, we drove past scenes of heartbreaking inundation. The TransCanada Highway was closed, and no one was getting in or out of the Banff area.
It was still raining as we continued north to Edmonton and west to Jasper. But, the Rockies are magnificent, even in the wet.
In spite of heavy cloud cover, the rains held off the day we drove the two hours from our cabin to the iconic Maligne Lake.
It’s a stunningly beautiful place, with an “evil” name: Father Pierre-Jean De Smet (1801–1873) named the river that feeds the lake “Maligne” (malignant, evil, or wicked) River. Against the advice of locals, he had tried to cross the waters, turbulent from the spring melt, and escaped (only barely) with his horse and his life.
Our trip was much easier: after a late lunch at the visitors’ lodge, we took the 90 minute boat trip out to Spirit Island, “one of the most photographed locations in the world.”
Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)
A cheeky little Canada Jay (Grey Jay or Whiskey Jack) watches to see if we will drop any tasty morsels. Camp Robber
Also known as a Camp Robber, the little bird gives up on us, and eyeballs another diner. Boat House Wet Spring
The boathouse is dark inside: atmospheric and flooded. Kayaks
There are plenty of boats for rent if you want to tour the lake yourself. Boat Dock
We opted for the easier, motorised trip. Captain Gregg
A youthful looking Gregg greets us at the dock. In the Boat
It is a popular tour, and the boat is full as it cruises through the Rockies. In our Wake
Another boat heads back to the dock as we cruise Maligne Lake. Fly the Flags Kirsten and Gregg Mountains all Around
Our commentator Kirsten entertained us with in-depth information about the area. Glaciers
As gray as the overcast day, the glaciers, high in the mountains, can be hard to see. Spirit Reflections
Finally! We arrive at the tour’s highlight: Spirit Island, and we get off the boat for a short walk. There is just enough time for pictures … … before we head back through the Rockies… Just Stunning!  I’ve moved Maligne Lake off my Bucket List, and onto my “Gotta go back when I have more time” list.
Truly a place to see – at least once.
Happy Travels!
Pictures: 24June2013
Timeless Calm
A modern chedi stands among ancient temple ruins, Inwa Island, Myanmar. Away from the gilded and jewel-bedecked temples filled with monks in maroon robes and nuns in pale pink, Myanmar hides a quiet, almost idyllic, rural landscape dotted with ancient ruins.
Just 21 km south of Mandalay, nestled in the confluence of the Myitnge and Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwaddy) rivers, across from the busy monasteries and shiny temples of the Sagaing Hills, you will find Inwa Island. A trip to the island is like a trip back in time.
Late last September, my travel companions in Myanmar – a group of photography enthusiasts, photographer Karl Grobl, local guide Mr MM – and I, piled into wooden boats and plugged our ears against the noise of the outboard motors. Looking nonchalant, the driver of the boat I was in alternated between steering the outboard with his foot and by hand, as he landed us safely on the muddy bank that passes for a pier.
Like a model in a fashion shoot… …our boatman stands against the sky Irrawaddy River Boatman At the Inwa Island “dock”, we were met by the usual assortment of locals with trinkets for sale, and a “fleet” of pony carts and their drivers to transport the day trippers around. The unpaved roads were muddy and wet; it was easy to see why horse carts are the preferred tourist transport on the island.
Pony Carts Officially called Ratanapura (City of Gems), the artificial island was created by Prince Thadominphya in 1364 to be home to the imperial court of the ancient Kingdom of Inwa (also known as Innwa, Ava or Awa). It was the capital during five separate periods from the 14th to 19th centuries, before being finally abandoned in 1839 after several major earthquakes. No other city in Myanmar has been the seat of government for so long.
Ruins among the Fields
Our first stop was at the Yadana Hsimi Pagodas. Farming Couple
Land around the temple ruins are ready for planting. Buddha Chedis A Young Visitor Gargoyle
Beautiful stone lintels survive around the ruins, Yadana Hsimi Pagodas. Buddha in the Ruins Washing at the Well
There is always life around temples; whether they be new or old ones. Our horse-cart is ready to take us to the next place of interest. Our second stop was across the island, at the Bagaya Kyaung or ‘Star Flower Monastery’, a beautiful old teak building, ornately carved and supported on 267 massive teak posts. Built in 1834, the monastery is still in use today as a classroom for the village children.
Reflections at the Temple
A tree-lined road approaches Bagaya Kyaung… ‘Star Flower Monastery’
… the wonderful teak temple, originally built in 1834 to educate the royals. Monastery Roof
Typical Burmese-style roofline. Buddha Shrine
A small chedi, with a smaller buddha. Monk in a WIndow Little Monks
Novice monks try to stay awake to do their school work inside the dark temple. Gossip
Outside the monastery, vendors chat while waiting for the tourists to come. Mango Bowl
As soon as tourists emerge, vendors are ready with their wares. Incoming Pony Carts Too soon it is time to get back in our horse carts, to ride back across the wet bumpy roads and past the peaceful rice paddies, to our waiting motor boats.
Outgoing Horse Cart Woman in the Rice Fields The Watchtower
Nanmyin, the masonry watchtower, damaged by the 1838 earthquake, is all that remains of the Bagyidaw palace. Back at the Dock Truly a charming and peaceful place –
a reminder of simpler times.
Happy travels!
Pictures: 14September2012
Posted in History,Myanmar,Rural,TravelTags: architecture,blog,buddhism,buddhist,Myanmar,nature,Photo Blog,ruins,rural,temple,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,worship
Memorial Cross
On our last day of walking, we are reminded of the high cost of Irish independence. It was with a sense of sadness – and euphoria – that we laced our wet and muddy boots for our last day’s walk around the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland’s County Kerry. The “end” of something so often gives rise to both a sense of accomplishment, and nostalgia.
It was ten long days before that we had set out from Tralee by bus, and then from Camp by foot. We had spent days trudging through rains, down country lanes, into museums and shops and churches, over hills and through bogs, over mountains and across beaches. We were sore and wet and tired: ready for the walk to be over – and sorry that it was all about to finish.
Our last day was meant to be a relatively short one, on foot at least, before we were to catch the afternoon bus from Camp back to Tralee.
Day 10: Castlegregory to Camp and depart
After a final beach walk the way winds inland back to Camp. It’s not a long day but interesting and a good section to wind down your holiday.
The afternoon takes you back to Limerick via public transport from Camp.
Distance: 11 km/7 miles, Ascent: 50m/150 ft
Our first stop, after we set out from our bed and breakfast in Castlegregory, was the local Post Office to buy stamps for post cards. When we asked the elderly Postmistress if postal rates were different for Asia, Australia and North America, she seemed surprised. “There’s us, and there’s others,” she told us.
I guess that is true of most countries, but it certainly highlighted the strong Irish sense of self. We left the post office smiling, mailed our cards, and set off across the countryside.
“Guinness for Strength”
Every small Irish town has at least one pub. Stone Bridge
Our path led us through the wet fields and over small bridges. Hidden House
The grasses are so high in the rolling hills that small farm houses seem to disappear. Celtic Cross
The Irish Republic declared itself independent from Great Britain in January 1919, but continued to fight until the treaty 6 December 1921. Wild Roses
Thanks to the ever-present rain, the foliage is fresh and green all around us. Daisies
Once again, our path leads us over sandy terrain. Sandy Coast
Another long beach leads us around Tralee Bay. Beach Walk
Low clouds and a long beach… Rocky Coastline
As the tide comes in, we lose sand, and meet more rocks. Nature’s Art: Colourful Rocks Nature’s Art: Moss on the Rocks Rocky Shore Looking out to Sea
On many of the headlands, sculptures look or point out to sea. Back to Civilisation
As we turn off the beach and round a corner towards Camp, an old church comes into view. We trudged into Camp early, but too late for the morning bus which had left an hour before. So, we resigned ourselves to a long wait at the local pub – not a bad place to be – for the afternoon bus that we were too early for.
But, the luck of the Irish was with us.
We met up with the hostess from our first night’s stay, and she graciously offered to drive us into Tralee, rather than making us wait.
So, our trip came full circle, with a reminder of the the warm generosity of the Irish people.
Sláinte!
Pictures: 27June2012
Posted in Ireland,Landscapes,Nature,TravelTags: blog,Photo Blog,rural,The Dingle Way,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,walk
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The Most Beautiful People at Heart
They Are Good Natured, Very Friendly and always Helpful.
Impossible to leave Myanmar without falling in Love with The People.
Truly Golden Myanmar, as People are NOT Corrupted by Materialism.
Thanks for your visit, Rajesh!