Walkers on the Camino del Norte This magnificent and dramatic coastline is part of what makes the Camino del Norte a popular Camino de Santiago route.
They call it España Verde – Green Spain: the strip of land between the Bay of Biscay and the Cantabrian Mountains.
Well, some people do. The Spanish more commonly refer to it as the Cornisa Cantábrica – the Cantabrian Coast. Either sobriquet is apt for this wild and beautiful region in Northern Spain. Known for its spectacular cliffs overlooking the Cambrian Sea, its historic and charming towns and cities, and its long sandy beaches, the landscape here is kept lush and green by its wet and temperate oceanic climate.
The Camino del Norte route of the Camino de Santiagoruns along this coastline – 827 km (514 mi) from from San Sebastian to Santiago.
I’m always amused by people who ask if I have walked ‘the Camino‘; el camino is Spanish for “the way” – and there are countless “ways” or trails or pathways throughout Spain. What most people mean is the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, which culminates at the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. But even this is not one trail: traditionally, you started your pilgrimage from your home village, so there is a complex network of routes. Today there are nine popular ‘Camino Ways’ of varying lengths that are marketed to walkers: starting in France, Portugal, and various parts of Spain. If you want a ‘Pilgrim Certificate’, you have to walk at least the last 100km into Santiago.
We weren’t being anywhere nearly that ambitious! We were out for an afternoon walk on a very short section of this UNESCO-listed system of walking paths on the eastern side of Asturias – that is, roughly the middle of the Northern Spanish coastline. I was part of a small group studying Spanish at the Peak Me language school in nearby Panes in the mornings, and hiking in the afternoons with a guide from Canoe Adventure Trophy. Because of the rainy autumn weather, we had opted for a walk in the more sheltered woods of the Cambrian Mountains (see: Cicera, Cantabria) the day before.
I had my fingers crossed that the weather would hold as we walked the windswept limestone cliffs above the crashing waters of the Mar Cantábrico to the next town for a civilised drink in the local taberna.
Carretera del Cantábrico We start our walk on a highway just outside La Franca, a popular beach town on the Bay of Biscay.
Rail Line – La Franca Leaving the highway, we cross the rail lines that have been running along side us, …
Heading West … and that, like the pilgrim paths, stretch west to Santiago.
North Coast Rocks We head towards the the boulders and cliffs at the edge of the sea …
Walkers on the Ruta de la Costa … and pick up a section of the Camino del Norte, or the Northern Way. This was a prominent pilgrimage route in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Cows on the Hill The cattle are happy roaming over the verdant hills, and we have to wait for them to clear the narrow footpaths before we can pass.
Wildflowers on the Edge
Walkers on the Cliff The Northern Way has been called the most scenic of the pilgrims’ ways …
Cliffs over the Cantabrian Sea … and it is certainly rugged, …
Waves on the Cliffs … with the waves of the Atlantic pounding below.
Green Cliffs Ahead
Bufón de Santiuste In high seas, water can spout up to 40 metres (130 feet) here. As far as I could ascertain, the Spanish call these spouts ‘jesters’ (bufónes) because of the noise made when the water retreats again.
Houses on the Hill Everything is misty on the hill, and we are never quite sure if it will rain.
Playa de Cobijero The tide is very low, so there is not much water in what is a popular salt-water swimming hole in summer. The limestone cliffs here are riddled with tunnels and caves.
Twisted Trees We turn away from the cliffs, …
Goat on the Wall … and into the picturesque village of Buelna.
Gateway Dark skies and old stones – there is a lot of moody character in these laneways.
Iglesia de Santa Marina Spain has been almost exclusively Catholic since the marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand united the country in 1469, and the formal end of the Reconquista era in 1492.
Under the Tracks The skies have brightened somewhat since our drink-stop, and we make our way back …
Bufón de Santiuste … through the scrubby green at the top of the cliffs.
El Paredón o las Palomas From this angle, we can better appreciate those 38m (125ft) high limestone walls as they fold and layer upon themselves above the sea.
It was not the first time I’ve seen the yellow scallop shells that signal one of the many Camino paths and tributaries, but it was still exciting to find the yellow arrows underfoot, on ground that has been trodden for centuries.
So yes, I have walked on the Camino; I was pleased, however, not to be doing the whole 827 km of this one!
Festival Preparations Getting oneself ready for attendance at a Papua New Guineasing sing takes time and patience. In a dark classroom near the Mount Hagen Showgrounds, a woman from the Western Highlands applies her face paint.
Who hasn’t seen pictures of the colourful festivals in Papua New Guinea, where the seemingly endless array of tribal groups demonstrate their unique costumes, songs, dances, and elements of culture?
These festivals are are known as sing sings in Tok Pisin, the creole that allows tribal people from 850 distinct language groups to communicate with each other across Papua New Guinea. Sing sings are cross-tribal gatherings that enable groups to showcase their distinct cultural, dance, and musical traditions. They started as a replacement for tribal warfare: to foster cross-cultural understanding and to celebrate diversity. These days, however, the focus of the larger festivals is on attracting tourist dollars. Even so, they allow communities to pass on age-old traditions to the younger generation and help to preserve unique facets of culture that might otherwise be lost.
One of the best known of these shows is the Mount Hagen Sing Sing Festival which takes place every August high in the mountainous Western Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, and attracts almost 100 performing groups from around the country. I attended this sing sing some years ago now, before international travel was stopped in its tracks by Covid-19. I was travelling in the country with photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours, and a small group of photography enthusiasts.
One of the things I love about travelling with groups focussed on photography is that they tend to take more time in each location, permitting you to step ‘behind the scenes’ and to connect more with the local population. This was certainly the case on this trip: we had arrived in Mount Hagen a few days before the festival got underway, and had spent a couple of days meeting and photographing unique tribal groups at a village nearby (see: Wanders – Paiya Village). And, on the days of the Mount Hagen Sing Sing, we travelled to the site early, giving us time to interact with dancers and their entourages before they went ‘on stage’. On the second day of the show, I found my way into a school grounds, where a number of troupes were gathered.
August is the ‘dry season’ in the Highlands. But, this is tropical jungle country: it is hot and humid any time of year, and the rains will fall without notice.
And they did!
Join me as I shelter in dark classrooms, trying to capture environmental portraits in the rare patches of light:
Around the Cooking Pot Visitors to the school outside the fairgrounds seem to have set up camp very effectively: you can just see the flames under the big cooking pot here.
Mother and Child
Child on the Steps People are dotted all around, outside, in the school grounds …
Face Painting … and inside, in the dark classrooms where they are getting ready.
Smiling Western Highlands Woman The women are happy to take time out from their preparations …
Headdress and Shell Necklace … to have their pictures taken in the hot, dark, school rooms.
Western Highlands Woman Every small locality in the Western Highlands has its own tribal groups – with slightly different costumes – …
“Kunai Brothers Culture Group” … but shells, bird feathers and bird parts, and beads, are common elements across most of them.
Kunai Brother’s Man Groups from neighbouring villages have different headdresses …
Kunai Brother’s Red … and face paint styles.
Smiling Man – Kunai Brother Culture Group These men, whose hats and face paint bore a resemblance to some I’d seen the day before, were getting ready on the school veranda.
Dancing in the Room Meanwhile, back in a classroom, some Western Highlands women were rehearsing.
In the Rain August might be one of the coolest months in the Western Highlands, but average maximums are still 27°C (80°F). It is not rainy season, but humidity is almost 90%, and rain is more likely than not. While we are watching the festival preparations, the skies open up, and people take shelter.
Child in the Doorway Many of the school buildings are unfinished – but they still provide shelter from the cloudburst.
Man in the Doorway Common tribal jewellery includes pig tusks and a variety of seashells.
Decrepit Van Much of the school grounds have a tumble-down feel to them, but at least the rains have cooled things off outside – temporarily. (iPhone6)
Women Helping Each Other Inside, it is hot and crowded. It is as if every community in the surrounding hills has its own cultural performance group, and as if each of these groups has found their own niche in the school buildings.
Girl at a Window The only light in the classrooms comes slanting through the windows.
Young Woman Smoking In another room, women in headdresses made of feathers, fur, and shells, are smoking, chatting, and playing cards.
Highland Woman This group’s headdresses were quite distinctive. Although vegetation is a common costume element, for example: in crimped grass skirts; moss-filled headdresses; and decorative leaves in armbands; this hat made of overlapped layered leaves was in a style I didn’t see from any other tribe.
Old Man in a Hat Inside another classroom, there is light coming in through one of the louvre windows. The locals in the room take turns posing next to this window for me.
Young Man in Feathers and Face Paint
Highlands Woman Face tattoos are still common among women here. As far as I could establish, the patterns are purely aesthetic.
Western Highland Couple in Traditional Costume
Young Highland Woman
Highland Woman and Baby
Western Highlander in Profile There is a painted face in every dark corner getting ready for their performance.
It is time to move across to the festival grounds, and to catch some of these performers in action.
In the Courtyard of the Temples of Philae – Agilkia Island I never quite got the picture I wanted: one that conveyed the dry heat and the magical wonder of wandering among ancient stone structures.
Every day I spent in Egypt was more amazing than the last!
It was day six – and my Nile riverboat had spent the last few days making it’s way south, up river (see: Kom Ombo Egypt). Our boat had rafting up against another one the evening before in the ancient city of Swenett, now known as Aswan. After an early breakfast, my fellow passengers and I disembarked and found a mini-bus to take us to the Marina Philae Temple, where countless simple wooden boats were waiting to take tourists the twelve kilometres further up river to the sacred Temple of Isis – also known as the Philae Temples.
Build during Egypt’s Greco-Roman Period, the complex was started in 280 BCE, during the reign of Ptolemy II, and finished by his successor, Ptolemy III Euergetes. It was built on the island of Philae, which was sacred to the Goddess Isis from early Egyptian times and was said to be one of the burial-places of Osiris. The temple is dedicated to the Gods Isis, Osiris, and Horus and the walls are covered in scenes illustrating the story of Isis bringing Osiris back to life, giving birth to Horus, and mummifying Osiris after his death.
Perhaps more amazing than the original structures, however, is that fact that the historic buildings were saved from inundation by the floodwaters resulting from Egypt’sHigh Dam project. A campaign launched by UNESCO in 1960 lead to an international rescue operation: between 1972 and 1980, the temples at Philae were broken up into carefully numbered sections, and were moved and re-erected in the same relative positions on the nearby island of Agilika. This relocation effort – and the original historic value of the temples themselves – is recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the “Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae”.
The temple has been called one of the gems of Upper Egypt for its carved pylons; I enjoyed the locals, the coffee, and the markets just as much!
Trinkets on the Foreshore It is a short bus trip to the boat dock above the Aswan Low Dam, where souvenir sellers and boat operators wait for business.
Tourist Boats on the Nile The wooden boats are simple, …
Keeping Watch … but is is a lovely trip across the reservoir above the Aswan Low Dam …
Boats and the Island … and around Agilkia Island.
Boats and Philae Temple Complex From the Nile, we can see part of the temple complex – which was rebuilt at exactly the same orientation as it originally sat on the island of Philae.
Boatman Many of the people in this region are Nubians – descendants of an ancient African civilisation dating back to at least 2500 BC.
Introduction to the Temple of Philae An information board greets us on arrival at the temple complex.
Forecourt The colonnaded main courtyard leading towards the First Pylon and into the Temple of Philae gives us time to appreciate its symmetry and scale. Behind the columns on the right are priests’ rooms.
The First Pylon The temple entranceway, with its two towers and central doorway, stand an impressive 18 metres (60 feet) tall.
Frieze Relief – West Tower The whole entry (and indeed, the whole complex) is richly engraved with stories of the Gods and rulers.
Wall Frieze
Horus in a Pschent Horus, the falcon-headed God, features often in the wall art. Here he is wearing the combined crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Hathor The columns leading up to the Second Pylon are topped with images of Hathor, the mother Goddess who created and maintained all life on earth, in her bovine animal form.
The Second Pylon The second doorway leads into the inner sanctum of the temple.
Coptic Cross amongst the Ankhs The temple was transformed into a Christian place of worship during the early Byzantine Empire under the Coptic Bishop Theodore (AD 379-395). (iPhone6)
‘Modern’ Graffiti The island of Philae was rediscovered by European Egyptologists in the 1820s, and tourists soon followed.
Exiting the Temple Outside, the sun has climbed into a cloudless sky, and temperatures are heading past the mid 30s (95°F).
Photos in the Courtyard Visitors take each other’s pictures in the courtyard in front of Trajan’s Kiosk, named for Roman Emperor Trajan (98 to 117 AD), even though sections pre-date him. Locals call it the Pharaoh’s Bed.
Boat off the Island Boats continue to ferry people back and forth, …
Vendors … and locals happily pose for pictures.
Barista I head into the shops …
Cezves : Cooking Coffee … for a well-earned Egyptian (Turkish) coffee.
Colourful Spices and Scents I also check out the spice market, …
Explaining the Range … wait while the shop-keeper explains the different grades of spices and beans to another woman, …
Spice Vendor … and then buy small bags of dried frankincense and myrrh sap to take home.
Young Boatman Soon it is time to find our boat again, …
Buildings on the Shore … and head back the mainland.
Every time I open my little bags of fragrant sap, I am transported straight back to the heat and the history of this temple complex in Upper Egypt.
[…] to source international funding to rescue these two temples and the Temple Complex at Philae (see: The Sacred Temple of Isis). Between 1964 and 1968 the Abu Simbel temples were cut into 20 to 30 ton sections, moved and […]ReplyCancel
The Minarets from Minaret Vista High in California’s Eastern Sierras, the Minaret Vista (2,824 m – 9,265 ft) allows you to lookout over the Ritter Range and the jaggedly-sharp peaks of the Minarets (right hand side) in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
The Eastern Sierra region of California is well known for its magnificent scenery, encompassing unique desert valleys, rugged alpine peaks, vestigial salty inland seas, and lakes of crystal glacial origins.
With millions of acres reserved within national parks, national monuments, state forests, and local reserves, much of it is considered ‘backcountry’, obtainable only by means of long hikes, climbs, skis, snowshoes, horseback, or all-terrain vehicles.
But, some of it is so accessible it almost feels like cheating!
The name “Eastern Sierra” is given to California’sMono and Inyo Counties, nested in the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range whose very name (Spanish: sierra “jagged mountain range” and nevado “snowy”) speaks to its wildness. This is sparsely populated country with a youthful population and a plethora of outdoor activities.
I was staying with a friend at her place in Mammoth Lakes, on the eastern side of the lava dome complex that is Mammoth Mountain – California’s highest ski resort. We had driven past the entry to the Minaret Vista lookout the day before on our short drive west to the Devils Postpile, where we took the hike to Rainbow Lake (see: The Devils Postpile), before walking around Agnew Meadow (see: Wildflowers). We passed it again, on our way back to the starting-point for the gondola to the top of Mammoth Mountain (see: Wildflowers).
But, on this morning, we drove 15 minutes directly to Minaret Vista – and the views were right there!
Sitting on the back side of Mammoth Mountain, Minaret Vista is billed as the highest drivable lookout in the Mammoth Lakes area. You don’t have to leave your car for extensive views over the Ritter Range, a sub-range of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The most impressive of these are the jagged pinnacles of granite, named ‘The Minarets’ in 1868 by the California Geographical Survey.
Of course, we did get out of the car: dragging our tripods to the outlook, and wandering around the mountainside to appreciate the rocks and flora.
Do come along:
Minaret Vista Just a short drive from the Mammoth Mountain Inn, there is a well-marked turn-off for the viewpoint. (Phone5)
Summer Wildflowers Clumps of Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) and sulphur-flower buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum) dot the viewing area.
Morning Sunburst It is just after 7.30 in the morning, and the sun angles low through the tangled plant-life.
Pine on the Ridge Lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta) – also known as twisted pines – command the ridge.
Pollen Cones Lodgepole pines have both pollen cones – which these are – and seed cones.
Brewer’s Lupine – Lupinus Breweri Because of the altitude, many of the plants stay low to the ground, …
Rocky Ground … clinging to the gravelly plateau as the jagged peaks of the Minarets float off into the distance.
A Colourful Palette
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat – Eriogonum Umbellatum
Chip The views extend over the mountains across the valley.
Blue Skies and Red Rocks Nature does a better job than any landscape gardener …
Rock Garden … when it comes to mixing subtle colours and creating beautiful spaces.
Sagebrush and Indian Paint Brush
Lichen on the Rough The rough rocks make a great canvas for multi-coloured lichens and low-growing alpine plants.
Mountains behind the Ridge
View from the Minaret Vista Mountains and lakes roll off in all directions.
Butterfly Mariposa Lily – Calochortus Venustus These areas are home to a number of unique plants, endemic to the region …
Butterfly Mariposa Lily – Calochortus Venustus … like the beautiful Leichtlin’s mariposa, native to the Sierra Nevada.
Twilight over Mammoth Lakes In the evening, on the other side of Mammoth Mountain, we watch the twilight darken over Mammoth Lakes …
Mammoth Moonrise … and the half-moon rise over the bluffs behind us.
Ritual Flames Varanasi is an ancient and sacred city imbued with religious symbolism. At the holy Dasaswamedh Ghat, young priests perform the Gangaaarti every evening at sunset.
(Click for: Ganga Aarti : Sacred Hindu Chants)
It is said that Lord Shiva, one of the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity, created the city of Kashi (Varanasi) with his hands. That is why Varanasi, one of India’s seven holy cities, is said to be the country’s spiritual capital.
The holiest parts of this sacred city are along the ghats – the stairs – leading down to Ganges, the river known in India as the goddess GangaMa or “Mother Ganges.”
I was captivated: the dry heat was uplifting, the air was electric, and the people were both fascinating and welcoming (see: Life on the Ghats).
For devout Hindus,Varanasi is a centre devoted to the cycle of life and death.
Reincarnation is a key belief within Hinduism. All life goes through birth, life, death, and rebirth, in the cycle of samsara; when a living being dies, its atman (inner self or soul) will be reborn or reincarnated into a different entity, depending on its karma from its previous life. However, if one is lucky enough to die in Varanasi and to be cremated on one of the two designated ghats: Manikarnika Ghat or Maharaja Harishchandra Ghat, one achieves moksha—liberation from reincarnation and direct entry to nirvana.
Even if you don’t die in Varanasi, if you have bathed in the Ganges there – especially on auspicious days – you will be washed of your sins, giving you a better starting point for the next life.
As the sun sets in Varanasi, the Ganga Aarti is performed at Dasaswamedh Ghat. An aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering; a form of Ganga Aarti takes place every evening at three holy cities on the Ganges: Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Varanasi. The one in Varanasi takes about 45 minutes, and is a colourful, highly choreographed, and beautiful ritual of worship dedicated to River Ganga, Surya – the setting sun, Agni – the fire and Lord Shiva.
It was the high point of my first day along the Varanasighats, and an experience that has stayed with me since.
Wood and Scales The funeral pyres on Harishchandra Ghat are a smoky reminder of life’s limits. A traditional Hindu funeral pyre needs six hours and 500–600 kilograms (1,102–1,323 pounds) of wood to burn a body completely – and clearly the keepers of the sacred fires measure this out carefully.
Woodpile and a Nanny A goat with her full udder is like a symbol of new life as she walks past the funeral wood. I watched a few families as they sent one of their relatives off. We were asked not to photograph the actual pyres – and respected that request – but a Dom community member (the sect of hereditary undertakers) was happy to explain the rituals surrounding the cremations as they happened.
Holy Person in a Yellow Turban On a balcony in the building next door, …
Religious Contemplation … a holy person sits in in quiet contemplation.
Kedar Ghat A little further north, Kedareshwar Temple rises in all its colourful glory.
Ganges Waterfront The river curves off into the hazy distance …
Boats on the Ganges … with beautiful wooden boats lining the edge.
Colourful Homes – Narad Ghat Between the palaces and temples, domestic buildings rise in a colourful tumble.
Man in a Checked Dhoti People from all walks of life are seated on the steps below.
Water Buffaloes and a Common Crow
Sadhus in Orange The sadhus are endlessly fascinating. I quickly discovered that sharing a cup of masala chai (spiced tea) with them was a great icebreaker.
Bicycle in a Laneway
Women in a Doorway In the streets behind the ghats, …
Chai Wallah … everyday life goes on.
Blue Boats I loved the wooden boats on the foreshore of the Ganges.
Blue and Red Boat Their colours and textures were wonderful.
Elderly Man in a White Hat
White Hair and White Beard
Dashashwamedh Ghat As the sun drops lower in the sky, the last of the bathers in the waters finish up …
Mother and Daughter … and spectators of all ages find seats on the ghat where the Ganga aarti will soon be performed.
Twilight Preparations The priests of Gangotri Seva Samiti set the stage for the Ganga aarti on Dashashwamedh Ghat.
Candelabra
Religious Trinkets
Watching from the Water Many spectators opt for a seat in one of the boats in the river. I was lucky: an Indian woman who had scored an excellent position level with the priests invited me to sit with her and her family.
Big Eyes
Flower Seller
Flower Offerings The sellers have prepared offerings that can be lit and set afloat for the Mother Ganges.
Bells and Flames The Ganga Aartistarts soon after sunset and lasts for about 45 minutes. Once the young pandits have prepared all the necessary paraphernalia, they sit in meditation. Then, they start a chant of mantras while circling small flames and ringing brass bells.
Bells and Incense The fragrance of incense permeates the still-warm evening air, and the chime of bells continues.
Bells and Smoke The bells are said to create an ‘auspicious sound’ which aligns the chakras, and the incense represents a purified state of mind.
Ceremonial Brass Lamps An aarti is essentially a Vedic fire ritual, using fire as an offering to the Goddess Ganga. Once lit, the multi-tiered brass lamps are impressive.
Like Feathers Towards the end of arati yak-tail fans (chanvar) are waved to send the element of air back to its source.
Kids on the Steps The children in the audience are as transfixed as I am.
Bowing Down
Woman on the Ghats When the last notes die down, I say a heartfelt thank you to the lovely woman who, after arriving an hour early on the ghat to secure her spot, so generously shared it with me.
With the drone of the music still ringing in my ears, and the soft smell of incense clinging to my skin, I walked back to my room in a happy daze.
Varanasi gets into your soul.
It certainly captivated me, and shifted my perspective on life. And death.
[…] Ganga Aarti on Dashashwamedh Ghat attracts both pilgrims and tourists in great numbers (see: Life and Death on the Varanasi Ghats), the devotional rituals along the river start before […]ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
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Truly a magnificent landscape!
