300,000 Views Celebration - Picture of the Day #5

For the final installment of my picture-of-the-day in celebration of 300,000 views of my photos online, I'm focusing on one that is one of my personal favorites.

Below is a shot I took in the town of Hoi An, Vietnam back when we visited there in 2006. Here, we see a bevy of activity at the daily morning market on the river. You can see other pictures I took in Vietnam online too: Hoi An HERE, Hue HERE, Hanoi HERE and Ho Chi Minh City HERE.

Picture by Marc Osborn. (C) Marc Osborn

What I like about this shot is that it captures many things I enjoy about photography:

• People - The make the world go around. So many different types involved with so many activities.
• Travel - What other places look like, what people do, what they wear, etc. are endlessly fascinating to me and a picture like this touches on many of those things. 
• Everyday life - This is a scene played out daily - and for centuries - at the Hoe An morning market. Seeing this slice of everyday life is interesting.
• Artistic merit - Yes, what constitutes "art" is certainly subjective, but to my eye the mass of conical hats, the motion of the people, the one woman just sitting in her little boat in the front...all combine to create what I think is a well composed and artistic look at the morning market.

I also enjoy remembering how I came to take this picture. The day I took it was to be our last in Hoi An. We'd had an early night the evening before, and as a consequence I woke up pretty early in the morning. Not being able to sleep, I decided get up, grab my camera and get a taxi into town from our beach resort hotel...probably a 5 minute drive. 

I knew I wanted to go to the morning market, and as I found myself nearing it I saw a bridge leading to the other side of the river. I thought...OK, if I go over to the opposite bank I can find a spot to get a great view. So I did. I threw on my telephoto lens and started taking pictures. Of the many I took from that vantage point, the one above instantly stood out. Sure, I was trying for a well composed image, but believe me...I have plenty of similar shots that are not as compelling as this one. 

Anyway, I was very glad to have ventured out early and on my own to see the market in the morning and conduct a little photo adventure.

NOTE: Copyright for the picture in this post is owned by Marc Osborn. No use of the picture for any purpose is permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn. 

Excursion to Egypt - Aswan & Crusin' the Nile

After a couple days in Cairo, we took a morning flight all the way down to the southern region of Egypt to the city of Aswan. Arriving to 110 degree temperatures at 10 a.m., this is where we boarded our Nile River cruise ship that would take us down the river to more spectacular sites. However, before our river journey began, there were a number of things we did right there in the Aswan area.

Ship and Felucca
From the airport we were transported through Aswan and down to the river where our cruise ship, the Movenpik Royal Lily, awaited. This thing looked like most every other cruise ship on the river from the outside, but inside it was like staying in a W Hotel. We had a very comfortable cabin with big windows facing out to the river, king sized bed, couch and lounge, killer air conditioning and more. Really nice.

After we checked in, but before lunch, we decided to go up top deck and take a dip in the pool to cool off. As reached the doorway up to the pool, I observed a thermometer outside that said the temperature had risen to 120 degrees. That pool really was going to feel good. And it did. But here's the thing - I left the card key for our room and my flip-flops on the pool deck as we swam around for about 10 minutes. When a went to fetch them, the key card had melted into a warped piece of plastic and my flip-flops were far too hot to wear. I had to quickly scoop them up and scamper into the shady part of the deck. After lunch we attempted to go up on the deck again to sit in the shade and read, but by this time the temperature had reached 131 degrees! After a minute of that Diane said, "this isn't good, lets go back to the cabin." She was right and we did.

Later that evening around sunset, when the temperature had cooled to a chilly 90 degrees or so, we went on a fun boat ride on a vessel called a Felucca. Basically, they are small sail boats the likes of which have plied the Nile for centuries. This was a fun excursion as it got us out on the river, in the breeze and we could see Aswan from the river perspective. At right is a picture of a felucca sailing in front of Aswan to give you the idea.

Aswan High Dam

After a restful night on the boat moored at Aswan, the next morning we went to the Aswan "high dam." Built in the 1960s, the dam is one of Egypt's major sources of revenue and regional power. It's also one of the biggest dams in the world. By bottling up the Nile, Egypt can produce a massive amount of electricity with the dam that it uses domestically and exports all around the Middle East. And, by controlling the flow of the Nile, the government can reduce the instances of devastating flooding and occupy the position of a major player in water issues for most of North Africa.

While the dam does not have the "wow" factor of, say, the Great Pyramids, it is clear that this structure is as important - if not more so - to the Egyptian economy and way of life than any tourist attraction. That's why our guide made a point of showing it to us. Here is a shot of the dam. You can see it in the middle of the picture at the back.

After the dam, we went into Aswan town and did some shopping. We purchased some beautiful glass perfume bottles that artisans from that area are known for.

Nubian Village
Later in the afternoon, with only our guide and another couple, we took a motor boat up the river to a Nubian village for a visit. Nubia is a region in the south of Egypt and most of the Sudan. Nubians are the native people of that area. In this instance, we went to one of their homes for a visit. I'm not sure how "typical" the home was as there were plenty of things to buy sitting around (kickback to the guide no doubt), but none of that was a distraction and our visit proved to be interesting. For example, we got up close and personal with some crocodiles. From a balcony offering shade and views of the Nile, we snacked on some home made bread, cheese and honey. And, we partook in smoking from the hooka water pipe - tobacco only just so you know. We really enjoyed this little get-away within our trip because it allowed us to see something off the beaten path, see how some Nubians live, and experience some tastes and smells to go along with all the sights and sounds of Egypt. Here are a couple pictures from our visit:

Temples-O-Plenty

After seeing the Aswan high dam, but before the Nubian village, we took a small boat over to an island to visit the Temple of Isis. In the heat of the day, we wandered through the ancient doorways and worship chambers, marveling at how old the construction is, how well preserved the carved hieroglyphs were and pondering what the Egyptians of old would have done here in this place thousands of years ago. This was our first temple tour and the basic construction and shape were the template for most the other temples we would see on the trip.

Shoving off later that that afternoon from Aswan, our ship chugged down the river to the site of one of the best preserved ancient temples called Kom Ombo. Notice I said "down" the river. The Nile is one of the only - and certainly the largest - rivers in the world that flows south to north. So, our ship journeyed north back toward Cairo.To be honest, between the time zone change, three aggressive days and the evening hour...we were exhausted by the time we started our exploration of the Kom Ombo temple at dusk. 



But, the sunset and twilight hour bathed the temple beautiful hues, and we learned that the site is the only ancient Egyptian temple that honors two gods simultaneously - Horus (the Hawk) and Sobek (the Crocodile). The temple was also a center for medicine and houses the original ancient Egyptian calendar - remarkably accurate. Ready to drop, we ate a late dinner and then hit the sack and slept hard. In the morning, our ship sailed down river again - this time the destination was a town called Edfu. 

Edfu is not a tourist destination itself, although you could get an education on what a typical Egyptian town is like by hanging out there. What the city does have is one of the biggest, best preserved ancient Egyptian temples left standing...and we toured it. By this point we were becoming experts on what these temples looked like, how they were constructed and which rooms served which purposes. With this knowledge in our memory banks, the visit here was more about appreciating the art than learning anything new about the structure's function or history itself. Following an enjoyable - and hot! - visit, we went back to the ship and sailed onward in the afternoon toward Luxor.

NOTE: All pictures featured in this article were taken by me, Marc Osborn. They are copy written in my name and are not authorized for any use by anyone without written permission directly from me. 

Pictures of Hoi An, Vietnam

I just posted pictures I took in Hoi An, Vietnam when Diane and I visited there in 2006.

Below are a couple images I took. You can see the full set by clicking - here.

Hoi An is a smaller city than others we visited on our trip. Located right near the South China Sea, the town was not destroyed by the many wars that have raged in Vietnam over the past century. As a result, it is a very well preserved example of old Vietnamese and Chinese architecture. China invaded and controlled Vietnam for quite some time back in history, so many of the buildings there reflect their influence.

Today, the city is increasingly a tourist destination with the proximity to the beach and the charm of the old town. We loved it, but I can see a day when it may become too touristy. I'm glad we went there when we did.

Anyway, check out the pictures to get a flavor of Hoi An.

Visiting the South - Wilmington and Nags Head

Picking up the from where I last left off in describing our recent trip the south...

After visiting Charleston, we made our way north. Ultimately, we were headed to Williamsburg, VA to visit family there. However, that's a LONG schlep to do in one day. So, we decided to break it up a bit and see some places. With this in mind, we planned one night each in Wilmington, NC and then Nags Head, NC on our journey to Virginia.

Wilmington, North Carolina

OK, first of all the drive from Charleston to Wilmington is about four hours. After our great lunch in Charleston at the Cru Cafe, this meant that we arrived into the city at about 5:30 p.m. This proved just enough time to check into our hotel by the river and then stroll on down the river walk to Elijah's Restaurant (also on the river) for a seafood dinner and to watch the Kentucky Derby. Man, did you see how Mine That Bird came from behind to blow away the field in that race? Spectacular.

Wilmington is the largest city on the coast of North Carolina. It's an old traditional city, founded in 1739. From what I could piece together, it was founded as a port city and thrived as such through its history up and until today. The University of North Carolina-Wilmington is located in the city, there are nice beaches nearby and there are also quite a few TV programs and movies filmed in and around the Wilmington area too. Additionally, the World War II battleship USS North Carolina is moored prominently on the river and is a tourist attraction. (Left: The Wilmington Riverfront)

Our activities focused only on the riverfront and old part of the city. We only had one evening and the next morning to look around, so our experience there is admittedly limited. After our dinner, we took a walk back to the hotel through the old part of the city. This was on a Saturday night, so all the restaurants and bars were open and, for the most part, full. My impressions were that the city looks a bit shabby...and perhaps has seen its best days. Other than the street with the entertainment, all the other streets were empty and struck me as a bit depressing. This is in direct contract to the instant hit of color, energy and activity we experienced in both Charleston and Savannah.

On the other hand, the old buildings were great and with some nice Carolina beaches close by, I could see how this could be a nice small city to live. Anyway, I probably shouldn't judge as we didn't see all that much of the city. The next morning we took a sunny run along the river, and then packed up and headed north again to...

Nags Head, North Carolina

Nags Head is one of the many little towns on what are known as "the outer banks." These are long, narrow islands that border the main coastline of the state. As you can imagine, a lot of vacation houses, hotels and all the amenities to service visitors have sprung up over the decades. However, it seems far less of a tourist trap and strip mall than what we observed as we drove through Mrytl Beach earlier in our trip.

We underestimated how long it would take to get from Wilmington to Nags Head. It turned out to be about five and a half hours. We arrived at the very nice First Colony Inn bed and breakfast at about 4 p.m. The first thing we did after checking in was to take a nice stroll on the beach. (Right: Outer Banks beach at Nags Head.)

Next, it was off for dinner at The Black Pelican. While you'll never mistake this joint for upper crust fine dining, we really enjoyed the atmosphere and great seafood. And that was about it for us that day.

The next morning we took another great walk on the beach after breakfast and, by about 10 a.m. we were on the road again to our final destination in Williamsburg, VA. However, before leaving the area, we stopped a one very historical place - Kitty Hawk. This is the place where in 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright were the first to fly a heavier-than-air, engine-powered aircraft. It's the spot where humans first flew and airplane. The site is only about five miles north from where we stayed the night, so it would be a shame to miss it. (Left: Flight landing markers for Wright brothers' flyer flights at Kitty Hawk.)

After looking through the museum, we walked over to where the Wright brothers first four flights occurred. All of them took place on the same day and all started from the same point - today marked with a large boulder. Each of the landing points of the flights are also marked down range with stones - the last of which was the longest. Nearby is a hill with a large monument to the Wrights and their accomplishments. Suitably impressed, we moved on.

In the end, our plan of breaking up the trip to Virginia worked and we enjoyed seeing new places and things, but if we were to do it again (or if you're thinking of a similar trip) I'd revise and add in an extra day on the road between Charleston and Williamsburg - either stay an extra day in the outer banks or stay a night in third town along the way. Those two drives of 4+ hours each were pretty long.

As for the destinations themselves, I'd definitely recommend Nags Head or towns nearby. Wilminton to me was more of a "stop over" destination. If you're looking for beaches in North Carolina, I understand that the ones near Wilmington are great...so that's a possibility. But, the city itself is not a must see in my book.

I'll be back to finish up the "Visiting the South" series with the caper on our visit to Williamsburg, VA.

Educational Publisher to Use One of My Pictures

The Educational Publishing Division of Times Publishing (Hong Kong) Ltd. will use my picture of the polluted Shanghai skyline in a new set of educational books and web sites to be published early next year.

Here's the picture they'll use:














(Photo: Marc Osborn)

For those interested in seeing more pictures I've taken in the last couple years, the link to a set of "selects" from my Flickr Photostream is here.

My full Photostream is accessible here.

China Report #6 - Shanghai

China's New York City

Shanghai. The name itself conjures up visions of old China, back alley hustlers, shady saloons full of sailors from all over the world, sepia colored photos of dock workers, opium dens and black market transactions. At one point in history, that all was more true than fantasy. But today, Shanghai is the quintessential modern Chinese city - symbolic of the nation's economic rise and aspirations of modernity. If Beijing is China's Washington, DC, Xian its Boston and Guangzhou its, say, Chicago and Hong Kong its L.A., well then Shanghai is its New York City. Only it literally has twice as many people and twice as many skyscrapers! 

Another unavoidable thing about Shanghai is that it has spectacularly polluted skies. See my post about that here. After returning from our trip to China in May I learned that 20 percent of China's GDP is produced within, like, a 20 mile radius of central Shanghai. With China being the number one producer economy in the world, this easily explains why you can't see most the buildings on a sunny day because of how thick the smog lays in.

None the less, the city offers some really first rate things to see. Here are some:

The Bund

This is the "old side" section of the city next to the river. You'll notice when visiting that the big buildings lining the riverside look distinctly European and of a certain vintage. Well, that's because indeed they are British built a hundred years ago or so. (See picture at left.) The British

won the "concession" of the land here as a result of them defeating the Chinese in the various Opium Wars. They proceeded to build grand hotels, office buildings and - most of all - banks. The Brits turned Shanghai into Asia's leading financial markets and trade ports.

Today, in a bit of double-irony, those former British banks each fly communist China's national flag or sport a red star (for example, see picture at right). It's a double irony, because some of these buildings so obviously marked with communist iconography are, in fact, now banks, fancy hotels, restaurants and spas. So, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Anyway, the grand walkway up and down The Bund (see picture at left) is fun with great views (even with smog) of the old buildings and across the river to the new, gleaming Pudong section. At night, things go to another level with Pudong skyscrapers lighting up with massive video on their sides, street performers on the walkway and ships made of nothing but bow, stern, engine and a  huge video screen plying the river showing advertisements to the masses. 

Oh, and there are some really good restaurants encrusted on top of some of these old buildings. We went to M On The Bund for a spectacular meal and view.

Old Town

Just up the river from The Bund is the old town. One of the distinguishing traits of the old town is how it keeps shrinking as it's destroyed to free up land to build office buildings, malls, parking lots and new freeways. But, what's left is truly a step back in time with a labyrinth of narrow streets and everyday life happening right in front of you. Sure, a lot of tourists go to the old town markets for great shopping and eating, and we did too, but if you ever find yourself in Shanghai and the old town still exists, I recommend deliberately trying to get lost in it. 

Peek into the windows to see men playing dominoes, see how people buy their daily supply of food, dodge bicycles, soak up the smells and the "this is how it's been forever" atmosphere. (See picture at right.) Take yourself back to a little bit of that old Shanghai you might fantasize about. You ain't gonna see that anywhere else in Shanghai - or most big Chinese cities any more. When you're done, find your way to the Nanxiang Steamed Bun restaurant and do yourself a favor you'll always thank yourself for - order the dumpling lunch.

Pudong

In a city full of new construction, this is the most modern section. From our experience, there isn't a lot to do here compared to the rest of the city. (Picture at left is a view of Pudong from The Bund.) But, there are a few exceptions to that rule. First, if you arrive into Shanghai by air into the Pudong Airport, you MUST take the Maglev train from the airport into the city - 

arriving in Pudong where you can easily take a taxi to your final destination. "Maglev" is short for magnetic levitation, the the Maglev train is a virtual rocket as it pushed along at 431 km per hour as it floats over a rail, suspended a few inches in the air on an bed of opposing magnetic forces. The whole 20 km trip takes maybe six minutes. 

Another exception is the Grand Hyatt at the top of the Jin Mao Tower. (See left tower in picture to the right). After two weeks of eating great Asian food and living life "closer to the ground," we were craving a five star evening and we got it 87 floors up at the Hyatt. Drinks at the bar, a wonderful steak dinner, piano bar, magician and a fortune teller all were on the agenda, all first class and all with a view of the city.

The other must related to Pudong in my book is you have to take the "Shanghai Tourist Tunnel" from one side of the river to the other. Taking you under the water in a tram via a tunnel, the trip is as close as you're going to get to a psychedelic experience while NOT on psychedelic drugs. Very bazaar, but fun. Puppets, flashing lights and weirdness abound. (See picture at left.)

French Concession

The British weren't the only country that won concessions from the weak and defeated Chinese empire in the late 19th century. The French were in on the act too. Today, the French Concession is a breezy, tree lined section of the city with low rise buildings housing art galleries, fashion boutiques, great restaurants and bars. Suffice it to say, it's worth going to for an evening's entertainment. We headed straight for Simply Thai for a wonderful change-up from the Chinese food we'd been eating for most our trip.

Shanghai Museum 

Finally, lest you think Shanghai is only about shopping, eating and architecture, check out the Shanghai Museum. Stationed in a park encircled by the numerous elevated freeways, the museum stands as a beacon of culture in a seemingly Blade Runner world of Shanghai.

The exhibits within are a concise, not boring and comprehensive view into Chinese history. Galleries feature ceramics, painting, furniture, ethnic groups, jade, coins, bronze, sculpture and whatever special exhibits are there at the time. (Picture at left is of a ceramic warrior in the museum.) Oh yeah, and the other thing they have there is a great shop where you can buy a guaranteed high quality vase. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but unlike the markets out on the streets, here you know you're getting quality - both in its composition and artistry, as well as authentic designs. We bought a wonderful Qing Dynasty vase here and love it.

So, to sum up...Shanghai is a far cry from the city of your imagination. It is indeed China's New York City. It offers the glitz, the glamor, the history, neighborhoods and the culture while serving as Exhibit A for where China is going - or hopes to go.