Day 7
Author Archives: d.yenshaw78@gmail.com
Day 6
Day 5
Day 4
Day 3
Day 2
Day 1
Pakistan
Pakistan is a country that get a lot of bad press in the news. However it is a country like any other countries in the world. It has its fair share of problems, but also its natural beauty and extremely friendly people. The city that I am living in Karachi is in the very south part of the country in the state of Sindh.
Karachi has its fair share of problems (like any large city in the world) as in petty crime and poverty, but that does not stop it from being a very interesting city to photograph as the streets are always bustling with things going on.
For more on the Great North and the beauty, please click here- The Great North
A good break from the hustle and bustle of the city is always going to the beach. The beaches are located approximately an hour away from the city and offer some sandy parts as well as very rocky parts. A lot of people have houses there that we are invited to and spending a day there is always well advised for a little rest and relaxation. Where else can you have BBQ, ride camels, and watch a snake charmer with a Cobra?
During October break of 2021, the plan was to go up to the beautiful valley of Hunza.
Those plans however got derailed as the plane flights were not operating the day we were in Islamabad due to severe weather conditions. Fortunately we were able to get a plan scrapped together with the help of our guides to go around Islamabad, the mountains around Islamabad in Nathia Gali, and Lahore.
Stepping off in Islamabad we directly went to Taxila, which was an important city in ancient times in Ancient India. It had elements of Greek as well as Indian history which made it magnificent for me to walk around and look at.
The ride up to the mountains near Islamabad for me was the highlight of the trip. It instantly took me back to the roads in Nepal with its rough and ragged edges and the people were extremely friendly. We got to spend a couple of days up there exploring everything the area had to offer (although there was much more).
The rides down from the mountain to Islamabad also had so many interesting facets of life as it is always interesting how people in different environments live…
Islamabad has so many interesting facets to it that I would have like to explore it more, however we simply did not have the time. We did get to see the Faisal Mosque which is the sixth biggest in the world along with a very small village that had lovely sites (along with monkeys).
Finally we made our last stop in Lahore which is known for its forts and extremely old sites and architecture. This would probably be my favorite city thus far in Pakistan as there is so much to do. It has a feeling of being like Karachi but a bit more organized and the people here are extremely friendly. The Lahore fort is now a historical site but was once used during the Mughal Times.
The people and sites of Lahore were amazing. With driving and walking everywhere, it was great seeing how people live their everyday lives, especially in the old city.
I had a chance to go out in the city during my last few months here to a sponsored beach clean up with teachers and students. It was windy, it was sandy but the photography was wonderful. I just wish we would have stayed longer!!
Of course Empress Market during Ramadan is an absolute beauty with the hazy sun. I will be making more trips here to photograph and document all the area has to offer…
Kenya- The Fifth Time
Kenya, along with Zambia is a place that I always say that I will go back to and when I say that, I actually mean it. It could be the beautiful scenery, the friendly people, the great national parks, or the great food (or all of the above). It is a country that I truly love because of the diversity of the National Parks and the different types of animals that you can see there.
My guide and fellow brother that I always am with when I am here is Silas Bala (silasbala08@gmail.com or whatsapp +254 722 898 807). He is more family now that friend and I can always count on him to help book the best accommodations and give the best recommendations on what to do with any budget and activities. I am looking forward to being with him 10 days with summer for the Wildebeest Migration!!!
SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
I decided to deviate this time from my current plan of always going to Lake Nakura and Naivasha and instead stay for a couple nights in Samburu first. The reason why I like Samburu is because of the different landscape there with of course the Special Samburu 5- Grevy’s Zebra, Long Necked Gerenuk, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, and Besia Oryx. I also got the chance to stay inside the national park at a beautiful luxury camp called Ashnil Samburu Camp. This is one of the nicest camps I have stayed in. Not only did the rooms overlook the river and have a beautiful deck, but the food and drinks were great. It was also located near Buffalo Springs inside the park so it was very easy to do game drives.
I was able to get some great shots of birds including a Crested Eagle, Hammercock, Lilac Breasted Roller, Vulturine Guinea Fowl and Secretariat.
Early in the morning I noticed a shrub with a bunch of Somali Bee Eater’s having a good time flying around and chatting with each other. With the positioning of the sun and the golden hours of daylight, I managed to snap off some magnificent shots.
It is also interesting to see animals that you see sometimes everyday on different safaris but in a different type of habitat such as elephant with red dirt, crocodiles, baboons, leopard tortoise, dik dik, waterbuck, and pumbas.
No trip to Samburu is complete without a spotting of the Samburu Special 5. As I have seen them before, I was trying to get photos of the zebras who are quite cranky in different poses and that I did!!! I also tried to line up getting zebras and giraffes in the same shot as they usually feed together and hang around with each other!!! I saw more Somali Ostriches than last time with the males being more beautiful with fluffy black feathers, and the females being a dull grey. The Oryx usually are very flighty around people and just run off when they see a car while the Gerenuk’s just enjoy standing like humans eating their leaves off short shrubs…
It is quite rare to see Hyena’s in the daytime as they are primarily nocturnal, however to my surprise we saw two hyenas running around with what looks the head of a gazelle and after they finished that off, they were able to run around and play from the big puddle of water in the road.
Then as we were getting close to our camp for the night, I saw what I thought was a wild dog alone, but it turned out to be a stripped hyena which are very rare to see as their numbers in the world are declining. They are also found in parts of central and western Asia. This is the first time I have seen a stripped one, so I was quite excited, however he did not wait for us to get photos and kept moving along his way.
OL PAJETA CONSERVANCY
Ol Pajeta has been a Conservancy in Kenya that I have always yearned to go, however with schedule and price of accommodations, it has always been an issue. I finally got to visit this wonderful place and again stay at a lodge/campsite inside the park. The place where I stayed which I would totally recommend to anyone and also stay there again is Sweetwaters Serena Camp. This beautiful camp is situated on the east side of the conservancy about 20 minutes from the Rongai Gate, which is the nearest gate from Nanyuki. A lot of the delux tents are situated along a watering hole in which visitors can watch animals come and drink. Unfortunately, it rained a lot of the time I was there so I was not able to enjoy this as much, but can’t do to much about nature.
This Conservancy has the last two Northern White Rhinos in the world today. Unfortunately a few years ago Sudan which was the last Northern Male White Rhino died, leaving two of them Najin and Fatu which are female as technically the last Northern White Rhinos in existence, so the species is functionally extinct, however scientists are working with embryos to try and revive the population with a southern white rhino. It also has grave markers of a lot of the rhinos that have been in the park or have died. Since 2004 the tombstones have been put on the cause of death and years lived. This should be a message to us all that these giants are in danger of becoming extinct and humans must take care of the animals on this earth.
The Conservancy had so many different animals that it was almost amazing how all of them are living in that area together. Among some of the other interesting spots were: zebras, antelope, African Fish Eagle, Baboons, and on the night drive, jackals and the ever elusive Stripped Hyena (second time I have seen one).
Elephants like I have mentioned before are some of the most photographic animals and put that with a great scenery of grasslands or bush, it makes them even more photographic and majestic, especially when they find a watering hole or throwing dirt on themselves.
Seeing Lions is always a huge deal for just about anyone, however when you see a lion(ess) just after she makes a kill on the plains eating a warthog which would be considered a snack, and hear her eating away just a few feet away, then this is an even better treat!!!
Of course the main attraction in this Conservancy is the mix of rhinos. This is the only place I have heard that has both a mix of black and white rhinos roaming free. It also has the two last remaining white rhinos as mentioned above, however they are closely guarded in a few acre fenced off area to avoid poaching. There are 2 Northern White Rhinos here, about 130 Critically endangered Black Rhinos and 34 Southern White Rhinos. I saw able to see two small babies with the moms of both Black and White Rhinos which was a first for me as the little ones played around joyfully in the rain.
Overall while I was only here for a day and night, I really enjoyed this place a lot and I would definitely go back and probably spend more time there just to scope out the animals. The night drive was actually pretty good considering all the rain and I would love to go on some of the walking safari’s they have there during the dry season.
Masai Mara
Masai Mara combined with South Luangwa are my two picks for my favorite parks in Africa. Not to say that Kruger, Serengeti, Etosha, and Chobe are not ranked up there, but these are the two that I like the most. What brings me back to Masai Mara so much? Look at the photos and see why!!!
First of all, whether rain or shine, it is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. The clouds are always puffy and bright and the sky is blue, and combine that with the grasslands backdrop with a random tree, makes for beautiful photos.
The Masai Giraffe which is different from the other giraffe subspecies seems to be very plentiful there, and like other giraffes, they just move around all day looking mysteriously at the vehicles passing by and continue to eat whatever food they are finding.
Just like last time, I was able to see the “Magnificent Five” or Tano Bora Cheetah Coalition in action roaming the plains. This time it was already to hot for them so we found them nestled under some bushes just relaxing for the day.
Nearby on a hill we got to see two male lions within a matter of ten minutes from the Cheetahs, also relaxing in the bushes while the hot sun was out.
The Ostrich population there is quite plentiful and sometimes you can see them playing in the water or running about the grasslands. They however are not as flighty as the Somali Ostrich in Samburu
It was nice to see so many elephants in Mara out, especially two little babies that were playing around with the mom, running rapidly across the road. It is rare to see the babies so far behind the mom when anything is around, but I guess there was strength in numbers as there were a few other big elephants around.
I have only ever seen jackals usually around dusk or at night in other parks, however in Masai Mara I have seen them out at all odd hours of the day. One morning I had the great opportunity to see 4-5 jackals scavenging what looked like to be impala horns and fur. One of the jackals had a hard time picking the heavy horns up while he was trying to eat any meat he could on it.
Just after we saw the cheetahs and lions we got word that there was a leopard female and a mid size cub about 45 minutes away. We quickly drove the long way as a lot of the roads were muddy and went to see them. Unfortunately the mom had left the tree to go off to parts unknown and the baby was still up in the tree. In the tree was somewhat of a fresh kill, probably killed the night before. I got some fantastic photos, however the cub did not want to show its full face at certain times and also was not moving around a lot. As the giraffes got closer, the cub decided to jump off the tree and go into the bushes…..
As you can see, Kenya is a place I really love and admire and I am excited every time I go as it is always a new adventure with animals doing different things and great company and food. This is why I will make a trip there again this summer to try and see something that has eluded me for the times I have been there….the Great Wildebeest Migration….
Zambia- The Return
As Zambia was the last place I went to in February of 2020, before Covid derailed my travel plans along with millions of other people world wide, I swore that I would return here one day as it is one of the most amazing national parks in the world. In addition the people of Zambia and the Mfuwe area are some of the most friendly and welcoming people that I have ever experienced in my travels.
As Covid has ravaged the travel and tourism industry in the last year, I was wondering how things would be as less and less people are traveling these days because of finances or the headache of documents you have to prepare for at airports and borders in addition to visas.
I can say always expect the unexpected and always have a backup plan and give yourself a few days in order to get Covid Tests and find out if any other country you are going to are requiring any additional documentation, even if you are transiting through them.
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Zambia was just as I remembered it! A welcoming place with great food and great people. As I usually tend to stay out of capital cities and try to get into the bush, I took a quick few hour layover in Lusaka in order to get my flight to Mfuwe where South Luangwa is located.
Two great places to stay here which very much welcome their guests are Croc Valley Camp ask for Herbert as he is a great host here and he makes sure your trip is worthwhile and Sket Camp (website coming soon) and ask for Mr. Bobat who is one one of the best hosts I have ever had and a great friend!!
It was not as flooded as last year as the wet season this year was not as strong so it was a little easier to get in other parts of the park that I was not able to easily access last time.
The scenery, even during the wet season is absolutely stunning in South Luangwa as there is just about a photograph around every corner. From wet marshlands, to rivers, to forests, this place has just about anything you can think of.
The Green season is usually a very good time for birding as the water is plentiful and the birds have plenty of places to drink and swim. Luangwa has 100s of species from huge birds of prey to little birds you can easily fit in the palm of your hand.
Hippos are always fun to photograph as they are always quite curious of visitors and in their bloats (group of hippos), they often sit there and put their attention on any cars that drive by. It is also interesting to note that I saw a lot of hippos out of the water in the daytime which is rare as most of the time they go out at dusk and night to feed. I also saw a few moms with babies which is always a welcome sight!!
I have found through my years on safari in different national parks that Zebras in fact make very good subjects to photograph. As they get quite cranky sometimes, you can often find them biting or kicking other zebras that get to close to them and they usually hang out in the dazzles (groups of zebras). You can often find them in the vicinity of antelope, giraffes, or baboons as they all watch each others backs for the impending big cat predators that prey upon them.
Recently, I have become more excited to photograph elephants. These massive mammals seem to take some of the best photograph and they look even better in black and white. It is fun to see them play around in the watering holes and splash water on themselves or mud to keep them cool. It is not uncommon to see elephants hanging around in their herd or parade (groups of elephants), in order to help protect the little ones that are in their herd.
As with Zebras and Elephants, Giraffes are another animal that I love to photograph and often turn out great in black and white among the scenery. This subspecies of Giraffe found in the Luangwa Valley is known as the Rhodesian Giraffe or more commonly the Thornicroft’s Giraffe and is one of the subspecies of Giraffes in Africa and are only found in this area. They are often found in towers (groups of giraffe) and occasionally you can find some of the males necking as they are trying to set up dominance within a tower in order to mate.
Primates (namely Olive Baboons and Vervets), are always seen in plentiful numbers around any South African game parks, cities, towns, and just about anywhere. Baboons are often seen in numbers trying to steal any type of food they can from people, but act as an important warning call against predators to other animals. Baboons have a lot of human-like features when they sit or move around as you can see in the photos below.
Amphibians and Reptiles also play a big part in the ecosystem around national parks. Along with crocodiles and Monitor Lizards, I had the opportunity to spot a terrapin, poisonous vine snake, as well as geckos at night which are sometimes hard to spot.
There is always those animals that you never see in the day as they are nocturnal, but if you are lucky enough to go on night drives, you may possibly spot them. Hyenas and Genets are some animals that I love seeing and photographing amongst some of the others.
South Luangwa is not known for having a lot of lions compared to the other National Parks like Kruger, Serengeti, and Masai Mara, but I was lucky enough to run across a few different prides on a few different days I was there. The day I left I heard rumors of two new huge males moving in the area in order to assert their dominance, but I did not get to see them. One of the prides had a cub in it (as you can see from the spots on the legs) and it had fallen asleep and had trouble getting off a tree, but it took some of the best photos with the lighting.
Leopards are some of the hardest of the cats to spot. You can sometimes go weeks on a safari without spotting one as they are extremely elusive and shy. Anyone that has actually tried to spot a leopard will know how well they blend in to a piece of landscape in the day, and hunt by night. Previous to this trip to South Luangwa, I had seen 7 leopard sightings and three of them had been in Luangwa. The others were in Serengeti in Tanzania, Mara in Kenya, Kruger in South Africa, and Yala in Sri Lanka. On this trip I saw 7 which is the combined total of all my other safari trips, which was amazing considering this was during the green season.
Of course it is near impossible and only under lucky circumstances to not only see a leopard, but a leopard kill, and two leopards hunting together. As we heard the Impala make a warning call, we waited in the dark with a red light to see the leopard moving closer and closer until finally it attacked with what we think was a cub…
Zambia and South Luangwa National Park was certainly an adventure last time as well as this time and while I always say I will keep coming back….this time I will during the month of July during the all famous dry season where the spotting of animals is a lot easier and the water is not as plentiful….
Zambia
For Zambia in Spring of 2021 Click Here
For Zambia in Summer of 2021 Click Here
Zambia is a country that lies in the south part of Africa bordered by the countries of Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, and DRC. While it is not know as much as some of the its African neighbors, it still is a place that draws many people for its beautiful national parks, namely South Luangwa NP. While there are other beautiful parks in the country, South Luangwa is one of the most well known in this region, and is a must go back for safaris and bird watching. It has some of the best Leopard sightings in all of Africa (even though it is by luck) as well as one of the best night safaris that I have ever been on.
The dry season which is when most people go is during July to October in which the grasses are low and the animals emerge to drink from the different water spots located around the park. I decided to go during the rainy wet season which sees very little tourists. Unfortunately rains in the area limited many roads in the national park as the Luangwa River saw perhaps its highest water point in recorded history according to some of the people I talked to. Many of the safari camps including Croc Valley, were shut down to to inaccessible roads or flooding at the camp. To make matters worse, the road in the South Luangwa was busted due to heavy rains, which made it hard for people to get in. I stayed two nights in a camp on the other side of the broken road which was 45 minutes away from the gate, but then was transferred to a beautiful camp just 500 meters from the gate that is called Skate Safari Camp. This place was not only one of the cleanest camps I have traveled to, but also one of the most friendly and has the best food. The manager of the camp is most accommodating and the workers will help you out with anything that you need.
I spent very little time in the capital of Lusaka (used for my flights only) and instead took the 11 hour journey by car to South Luangwa where I spent 5 nights and was mostly out during game drives during this time. The road to South Luangwa is beautiful but long and if you have a short vacation, it is better to just fly from Lusaka to Mfuwe Airport which is not to far away from South Luangwa.
South Luangwa presented me with a lot of opportunities I have never done on a safari before which include:
- Most time spent at a national safari park- 5 days
- Most game drives at one national park- 8
- Most times seeing a leopard at a national park- 3 sightings and 4 leopards
- First time spotting an aardvark
- First time spotting a Bush Baby
- First time spotting a genet
- Most times seeing hippos out of water
- First time seeing a lion at night
- First time seeing wild dogs
The scenery (even though a lot of rainfall happened) around the park is stunning. From the flowing rivers to the lush green trees along the rivers to overgrown grasslands, this place has it all. If you throw in the occasional sausage tree as well as Baobab Tree, then it makes for an even more interesting place. The sunrises and sunsets added another element to this beautiful land.
While the above was very beautiful and shares many characteristics with villages in African countries, my goal was to spend as much time in the National park as possible due to the wet season. As I was scheduled for 12 game drives, I was only able to get in 8 because of the roads and rain, which was more than enough in my opinion as I saw a plethora of both animals and birds in the day and also on the night game drives.
While warthogs and Mongoose are abundant around Africa, I saw and snapped a few photos of them during my game drives.
During this time of year, even though the grasses are high to see game, the birds can be found in abundance. While it was not my goal to do a lot of bird watching here, i found it amazing of how many species were at the park. A few of the birds to take not of (not all of them) were the following: African Fish Eagle, Egyptian Geese, Lilac Breasted Roller, King Fisher, Brown Hornbill, Guinea Fowl, Hammercock, Egret, Nor Billed Duck, Weaver Open Bill Stork, Ibis, and Spoonbill.
Luangwa is also known for its massive hippo concentration and by some reports, may have the highest in Africa. I had the opportunity to see many hippos out of the water during the afternoon and night grazing on the grass. It was interesting to see their massive bodies as most of the time people see them, they are submerged in the water.
The Park offers two specifies of primates that are seen during the daytime. Yellow Baboons and Vervets. These primates are pretty much all around Africa, however they are still interesting to watch as they show striking characteristics to humans.
Even though Zebras are plentiful in most if not all of African Game Parks, they are still amazing animals to watch. They often are in groups, staying together with one another and protecting the young from predators such as Wild Dogs, Lions, and Leopards.
Antelope are also often plentiful at different National Parks across Africa. The most common antelope found here are Impala followed by Water Bucks and Puku.
The elephant sightings here were simply amazing. As this is the season that you will find the most calves, it was amazing how the groups protected the young. We ran into a few small herds of very protective mothers and if you got to close to the babies, they usually let you know. We also ran into a few small herds of males who were batting for dominance in their groups and having fights to see who were the strongest. They would usually long their trunks together and try to push each other around, then go back to eating as elephants are known for all day.
The Giraffes here were quite interesting as they were a subspecies called the Thorny Croft Giraffe. While there is not a massive population in the park, I was able to spot groups of them from time to time and they were quite close to the vehicle and sometimes would not move out of the road.
Of course in any national park you will find reptiles. While my goal was to try and find different species of snakes, this did not work out. I ended up seeing a lot of Monitor Lizards as well as crocodiles. The Crocodiles were easily some of the biggest I have seen on game drives but were very shy. I ended up getting a few pictures of ones out of the water before they moved away to fast.
The next set of galleries are either animals that are hard to spot or night photos of different animals….
I have seen Hyena’s more than a few times at national parks across Africa, however the Hyena’s I saw here were different as they were not scavenging for food and they were often seen alone. Most of the ones I have witnessed were going after a dead carcass or with other hyenas near a den. I also got a chance to see some running around at night on the roads.
Even though Owls are pretty common to spot, usually you will find them nestled away in a hole in a tree or at night. This Giant Eagle Owl however was just sitting out on the road, not having any care in the world about anything in his/her path during the day. It then flew up to a tree to be reunited with another Giant Eagle Owl. A spectacular sighting….
While I have had no problem spotting Lions in the wild in different Africa parks, they were very difficult to spot here. I did have two encounters though, one in a bush with his eyes peeking out at me as I snapped a few photos and near my camp one night as we ate dinner one of the boys heard a lion roar. We jumped in the truck with a spotlight and low and behold a male lion was on the road smelling around for a female. I was able to get off a few good pictures but shooting in the dark is very difficult with the spotlight.
One of those nocturnal animals that you never bet on seeing is a Large Spotted Genet. They are not endangered by any means, however they are extremely shy and only come out at night. Driving on a night safari, we turned the corner and there it was. I snapped off a few shots and then as it came closer, I kept snapping off more. I had seen one the day before but it had hurried back into the bush. This one was going through the bushes hunting for whatever it could find and honestly, I do not think it knew we were there.
Another nocturnal animal that you should never bank on seeing is a Bush Baby. These furry little guys come out only at night and usually jump from branch to branch in search of food. I didn’t even have this on my list to see as they are so rare. However up in a tree as we were leaving the park at night, I saw him up in the tree. Photos were hard to get with the angle and light we were using, but I was just happy to actually see it jump around playfully, as they are very fast!!!
One animal that I have had no luck spotting on any of my safaris is the Wild Dog. Unless you go to private game reserves, usually these animals stay quite hidden coming out in the early morning or late afternoon. They tend to travel in packs and have some of the same characteristics of humans such as caring for their sick. I was lucky enough to run into a pack of five of them on the road just playing in the late afternoon. They found a zebra and were messing around with it as they only will go after smaller mammals. I spent about 30 minutes with them and it was a sight I never thought I would see.
The most difficult animal for me to spot has always been the leopard. I have seen them previous to this four times. Kruger in South Africa, Serengeti in Tanzania, Yala in Sri Lanka, and a peak of one hiding up in the trees in Masai Mara in Kenya. On this safari I was lucky enough to see three different sightings and four different leopards. I consider myself lucky as during wet season, these animals are very hard to spot. Spotting them is only half the battle because either they are hiding in the trees or bush or running very fast as they are shy solitary creatures. Getting them on the move is very difficult especially because they move so fast.
Overall this was a great trip as I saw many animals that I have never seen or think I would ever see. If I would do it differently I would defiantly fly into the national park next time and not drive from Lusaka as it is a 10-11 hour drive but very beautiful. I enjoyed the great company at the camp and all of the game drives I was able to do and could of stayed months more as I felt most at ease when being out in the wild.
Bangladesh- The Return
Bangladesh will always be one of my favorite countries to visit, which is why I decided to return there. Perhaps it could be the chaos of the big cities, the colorful clothes of the people and their friendliness, or perhaps it is the amazing landscapes. One thing is for certain is that this country will always remain one of my favorites.
I once again traveled with my friends Mr. Azim and Mr. Shohag and with my friend Kevin that I taught with in Egypt. I kept pretty much the same itinerary as last time to ensure that I would see some of the same places and also how much they have changed if any. I added a few more different sites and stayed in some places for longer to explore the area. One thing for certain is that there is not any shortage of villages to see or markets to see in this country. The life on the roads is one of the greatest characteristics of this country, but so is the life inside the small back roads villages.
The capital Dhaka is a crazy bustling city filled with motor bikes, tuktvuks, cars and rickshaws. Navigating around the city is not for the faint of heart as at anytime there could be traffic jams or thousands of cars. It is divided into New Dhaka and Old Dhaka. The life along the roads is what makes this city so alive as well as the markets and the life along the waterfront where big boats load and unload people as well as small boats carrying people from one bank to the other.
Photos of Dhaka
Leaving Dhaka we headed to one of the other bigger cities in the country Rajshahi. This other bustling city is located just miles from India on the banks of the Padma River. It is a major educational center in Bangladesh. It has been ruled by the Dutch, British, and of course Bangladesh in present times. The city has a major center to it flowing with shops selling everything from clothes to watches to any items that you could want. The road there was the most amazing part as you get to see life outside urban Bangladesh and into rural/smaller city areas. People go about their daily lives of jute farming or walking their goats or tending to their herds of pigs (see pictures). The most interesting thing to see in this area is of course the Goats in Coats which as it is so cold outside, the locals dress the goats in old clothes!!!
Road to Rajashai
Leaving Rajshahi we went to the maze of a market with people selling everything from fresh produce from the country side to Goats, Fish, Beef, Chicken and of course my favorite- DRIED MANGO (The Bangladesh version of Fruit Roll Up). This was one of the best days for photography as we stopped by an old Hindu Shrine in Pushtia, followed by the surprise visits to a Hindu Village with a guy that makes Buffalo Cart wheels by hand, to an old pottery village. Even with the sun not quite peaking through the clouds most of the day, I was able to get some amazing shots of village people (some who have not met westerners before) as well as GOATS IN COATS!!! We continued on the road to Kushtia for a night stop.
Road to Kushtia
Leaving Kushtia in the morning, we were able to stop by the shrine of Lalon Shah which is one of the most prominent humanists of this region, and still has many followers. We stopped at the market, stopped into a state school to speak to the students and had a marvelous day stopping at different places such as the cattle market. We also got to see one of our many stops at the brick making plants where laborers were busily at work making bricks. This was a splendid day as the scenery started changing the more down south we got.
Road to Khulna
What can i say about Sunderban! It is the largest Mangrove forest in the world and split between India and Bangladesh with Bangladesh holding more of the area. We stayed on a boat for two nights to try and keep deep into the forest to see what we can spot. Crocodiles, King Fishers, Orioles, Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Porcupine Otters, Crab Eating Macaques, and various other flora and fauna were just a few of the animals that we spotted. One of the highlight spots we saw was the very rare bird Masked Finfoot, however the photos are not clear of it as it was off in the distance. We were able to go out before daylight on a paddle boat to try and see some of the animals and it was amazing. We followed many different tiger tracks on the beach in order to try and see where they went but we had missed them by a few hours!!! I would love to spend at least a week just cruising around here as there is so much to explore!
Sunderban NP
Leaving Sunderban after a few days on the boat and not really realizing it was Christmas, we headed north to Barisal which is a good sized city in Bangladesh. Along the way we stopped a few villages to see how they lived life as well going to Begharat which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of 3) in Bangladesh. Unfortunately there were many people out taking photos so we just stopped in to admire the beauty of these several mosques built during the Bengal Sultanate.
Road to Barisal
There is not much to do in the Barisal area but nearby a few hours away there is a plethora of stuff to see. The Ganges River obviously is one of the most well known rivers in the world and life along here is very interesting. People rely on the river for everything form fishing, growing food, washing clothes and their bodies and of course the floating vegetable and rice market!!! This is one of the most interesting days as we were able to walk through different villages and see different types of people including gypsy boats and a small Hindu Village on the banks. It is very interesting to see the way these people use the river to live life and for some of them this is the only life they know!!
Gangetic River Life
The Road back to Dhaka was an interesting one as we stopped off at a very small Christian Village about an hour outside of Barisal. We were greeted with breakfast and got to walk around for about an hour to check things out. It was a very simple but very nice looking village. As we continued on the road we were able to see the scenery changing again as we jumped on a ferry that took us down the river. As we neared Dhaka we went to another brick making factory with females and males working, as well as seeing the world famous city trains with people piled on top of them!!!
Road to Dhaka
Leaving Dhaka once more we headed to Sreemongal. On the way we stopped at the old medieval capital of Bengal- Panam Nagar. The most interesting place to visit here is Sonarnagon which is a single row street with houses of wealthy Hindu merchants who fled after the partition. We then went through the industrial district where you will find many fabric factories. On our way we stopped a few places to see the local life including rice villages with families living there and drying and getting the rice ready for shipment. Our day ended when we got the the Sreemongal area which is where the tea plantations are from British time and we able to see the tea ladies at work along with a small village…
Road to Sreemongal
The Sreemongal area filled with tea farms and forests is one of the most interesting parts of Bangladesh. We walked through the forests of Lawachara National Park to try and find the Gibbon monkey which is one of the hardest monkeys to spots. They have a distinct calling which everyone can hear, but trying to find them can be tough. Fortunately for us we found one albeit high up in the tree!!! We also saw the stub tail Macaque which is my first time stopping these and overall had a great walk through the forest. We ended up on the outside in a small village which children greeted us with singing. Our overnight would be in a small guesthouse in the middle of rice fields which was even more beautiful…
Sreemongal Area
The Gibbon and Short Tailed Macaque
After almost two weeks of traveling along the crazy Bangladesh roads, we headed back to Dhaka from Sreemongal the same way we came in. What is interesting is the life is so fast moving and vibrant here that it is a new treat every time you drive around. This trip to Bangladesh certainly was one of my favorites and I am already scheduled to return for two weeks in April. This is defiantly one of the best countries for photography that I have ever been to and will continue to be one of the best!!!!
Road to Dhaka
Nepal- The Return
Nepal has decided to drag me back again (and probably will again). With the mass amount of activities to do here and things to see, you can spend a lifetime here and not see everything. I traveled with the same company (see previous post) and was guided around by my friend Binaya again. He is a great guy and a great friend and I enjoyed his company the whole time!!!
One thing that I have always wanted to see is Lumbini which is of course the birthplace of Siddhartha Guatama otherwise known as Buddha. It was said that he was born to a royal family there and in his late twenties/early thirties he gave up his regal life and began a search on how to alleviate suffering. I won’t bore you with the history lesson, but this place was magnificent (although very foggy) and although I was not allowed to take pictures in the enclosure where he was born, it was awe inspiring to see it.
As there is always great sites to see on the road in Nepal, I decided to shoot a few pictures at different stops that we took as well as driving by villages (this is always the best part about road travel vs. air travel).
I have been to Chitwan National Park before and fell in love with it. This is not an African Safari type of place so you will not have animals popping out at you every chance, but you can choose your adventures, whether it be jeep safari, walking safari, or boat. You have to really look hard for animals and birds in this park, but when you do find them, it is so much more rewarding. This park is famous for the rare One Horned Rhino and different deer and birds and all of these were seen on the different walks and drives that I took!!!!
With a bustling busy city like Kathmandu, it is hard to decide what to do, but I returned to my favorite places- The Monkey Temple, Durbur Square, and Boudha Temple, plus add the crematorium and Pashupatinath Temple on that, it made for an exciting couple of days of photography. The monkeys hosted me nicely and were not too aggressive…
Kenya
What brings me back to Kenya so often? If you have never been here then it would be hard for you to imagine, I you have been here, then you know what I mean. I went for the Wildebeest Migration (which has been sporadic and earlier than in recent years), but in the end it was not happening, but plenty of other good animals in some of the best parks and lakes that Africa has to offer.
Of course you can make a whole trip of Kenya while just driving on the roads. The cities are big and have a lot of traffic, but once you get out on the open roads, you have a slew of lovely villages, people, and amazing scenery, which makes it a photographers heaven….
First stop on this amazing journey (again) was a little traveled to National Park called Samburu which is up north of Nairobi, somewhat close but not to close to the Somali Border. This parks claim to fame is the Special Big 5 which is the only place you can find these five animals together: Besia Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk, and Grevy’s Zebra. These are all animals that have cousins to the other animals of the same name but are quite different. Of course we ran across other animals and birds which made this park very enjoyable, including a slew of crocodiles that were feasting on a freshly caught impala…
The Special Big 5 Gallery:
Link to more Special Big 5 Animals in their natural Habitat
The other animals and birds we saw in Samburu were and not limited to the following:
Warthog, Grants Gazelle, Cheetah, Dik Dik, Elephant, Black Back Jackal, Yellow Bill Stork, Bateleur Eagle, Guinea Fowl, Pygmy King Fischer, Angama Lizard, Mongoose, Superb Starling, Impala, Yellow Bill Spur Bill, Lilac Breasted Roller, Bee Eater, Lapwing, Waterbuck, Olive Baboon.
As I am fond of both of the lakes (Nakuru and Naivasha), I decided that it would be best to go back to see them. Of course Nakuru is known for its White and Black Rhinos and Flamingos (which are starting to come back to the area after a few years absence), but there is so many more animals to see there!!!! The scenery is beautiful and it makes you forget you are near a city…
Some of the animals and birds we saw were: Zebra, Buffalo, White and Black Rhino, Warthog, Waterbuck, Olive Baboon, Impala, Ostrich, Giraffe, Mirabu Stork, Hadada Ibis, Flamingo, Creasted Eagle and Ducks (just to name a few).
Next stop in my opinion is the bird capital of Africa (although I still have a few spots to check out). Lake Naivasha is one of my favorite places in Kenya. Besides it being a massive lake with many birds, the ambience is just delightful. Hells Gate National Park is situated along a fault line and many of the animals have been trapped there for many generations…
But the main part of this lake is the actual lake. The birding is fantastic and taking a visit to Crescent Island where the movie OUT OF AFRICA was filmed is spectacular….how many places do you get to walk with animals in your life!!!
Finally off to arguably one of the best safari parks in the world Masai Mara. As I went to see the Great Wildebeest migration as it has been on my bucket list for sometime, other opportunities for photography presented itself.
Finally went to the Masai village that is located near two of the gates to Mara. It was good to meet some of the local villagers and watch them go about some of their duties in their every day lives..
The migration has been sporadic for the last few years in which the numbers of animals are seeming to cross at different times. Some days they will cross in mass amounts and other days nothing. Unfortunately for me, the day we got to the Mara River, there was nothing. We did see a hoard of animals including: Wildebeest, Ostrich, Zebra, Gazelle, Cheetahs, Lions, Elephant, Hyena, Giraffe, Hartabeest, Baboon, Eiland, Impala, Black Back Jackal, Warthog, Hippo, Tree Hyrex, Vervet, Buffalo, Leopard (not that visible), Banded Mongoose, Servel Cat, Reed Ruck, Topi, and Crocadile.
On the Birds side we saw Buzzards (happily eating Carcass), Go Away Bird, Mirabu Stork, Laped Face Vulture, Black Back Vulture, Lilac Breast Roller, Cenerious Vulture, Snake Eagle, and Secretariat Bird.
As the Hyenas I saw were shot against the sun, the photos did not come out as I had planned, but it was nice to see a baby hyena that was dark in color, running around the den they live in..
When you go on safari’s you do not put on your checklist to find a Serval Cat. They are very difficult to spot and often hide a lot during the day, only to come out in the evening to catch mice. Driving toward the Mara River on the side of the path, I was lucky enough to see my one and only one of these beautiful creatures as it ran toward the tall grass, stopping occasionally to look around..
Even though the Wildebeest Migration was not to be this time around, other situations presented itself. Probably some of the best lion photos I have ever got, including seeing 11 Lions and Lionesses in one day…..
The rest of the beautiful lion photos can be found here- Lions around Mara
Nothing could prepare me for something that I I have always wanted to see. After two times of being to Ishasha NP in Uganda, trying to find a tree climbing lion, I finally found one out of the blue in Mara. Noone knows really why these lions climb the trees or sometimes how, but we do know that they got up there somehow and it is a beautiful site…
Finally, one of my favorite animals to photograph and watch are Cheetahs. Their movements are sometimes very peculiar when they hunt and a lot of the times they work on groups. I was lucky enough to see the world famous “5 brothers cheetahs” as they made their way around after a fresh antelope kill. We stayed with them for about an hour, watching them eat the fresh carcass, mark their territory on trees, lick each others faces, relax after a good meal, and go to a watering spot to quench their thirst. This was defiantly, some of the best photos of cheetahs I have got, and was happy to finally see these famous fellas!!!!
For more Cheetah photos in their natural environment including the 5 brothers, please click here- Cheetahs of Mara.
Overall this was a fantastic trip with a lot of distance covered and of course some unexpected surprises with the Serval Cat, 5 Brothers, and Tree Lion. I am happy to say that I am not disappointed that I did not see the Wildebeest Migration as it will just bring me back to Kenya more than a few times in the next few years and maybe more….
Cheetahs of Mara
Lions around Mara
Special Big 5
Taiwan
Taiwan or Republic of China is an island country that lies just off the coast of mainland China. It was established in the 1940’s as a result of the revolution between Communist China and Nationalist China. There is only two things I regret about coming here, 1. I did not come sooner to see this magnificent place and 2. I did not look for jobs there. This country is absolutely magnificent and has a blend of Chinese, Japanese, and American culture which makes for great food. On top of that the mountains and the sea are sometimes only 45 minutes from each other!!!
Taipei is of course the capital and is the biggest city on the island. It has a very good metro and high speed rail system and everything you need is always situated within a few blocks of each other no matter where you are at!!!
I walked around just a little bit and noticed how clean everything was and the buildings are situated something like Hong Kong in some parts. I was able to find a graffiti alley and looked at what will start to be a great street art culture!!!!
A restaurant with a good theme, I have always wanted to visit is the Modern Toilet restaurant. This restaurant has a theme like no other as everything is based off toilets or the toilet them. Even the food is served in toilet bowls. It was an interesting place to go as the place was very packed with people from everywhere enjoying eating toilet food!!!
As i wanted to get out of Taipei for a bit, I ended up going to the city of Kaohsiung, which is another big city at the southern most point in Taiwan. I spent the day walking around the city as it was very hot, but noticed the difference between the new parts and the old parts which is something that is happening all over…
Being a city of food, I decided to go to the night market to eat the street food. I was not disappointed as I had so many delicacies such as pork ribs, fried beef, stuffed oysters, lobster and more. The photography was great and I enjoyed stuffing myself to my hearts content!!!!
Finally the reason I wanted to go to Kaohsiung so bad was the magnificent hiking and of course the Taiwanese Rock Macaque monkeys who inhabit the mountain known to foreigners as “Monkey Mountain.” This mountain is a national park situated in the middle of the city, so anytime you need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city life, you can go over here and hike the many trails and watch the monkeys go crazy!!!!
I hope to come back here one day if not to work, then to stay long distance!!! I loved the people, the atmosphere and the food!!!!!!!!
East Timor
This independent country sharing an island with Indonesia has a long history of colonization by Portuguese, occupation by Indonesia, and finally achieved independence in 2002. If I hailed Bangladesh as one of the friendliest countries in the world, then East Timor will come in at #2!!! This country reminds me of certain countries like Guinea, Togo, or Benin in West Africa with the way the roads were as well as the friendliness of the people. Many of the villages were set up almost the same way of those in Africa!!!! It brought back many memories to my travels through Africa!!!
Despite being a very poor country, the people were very friendly, always greeting you with “Bom Dia, Boa Tarde, or Boa Noite.” They are always waving and smiling as people drive past and are always bound to give you a big smile!! This is just to show that with very little; these people are still happy and friendly in all parts of the country. This is my biggest takeaway from traveling here.
Relatively new to tourism with only 4 tour companies in the capital, they are really coming around to teaching people about their great history.  The Company that I decided to travel with is Eco Discovery. This company has a well designed schedule that can be suited to just about anyone. Our guide Louis who has been working for the company for sometime was very familiar with just about everything history related to the country as well as village life. His driving was superb as he knew how to navigate the bumpy roads as well as when and where to stop!!!
The population is only 1.2 million people, with about 230,000 living in the capital Dili, which is spread out along the north coast next to the ocean. Most of the population is below 30 years of age as it is not uncommon to see many families have more than 7 kids in the villages. Largely a rural society, most people make their lives off farming and raising animals. Not knowing what to expect going here, it would be a week filled with many surprises and a great learning curve.
They are predominantly Catholic (obviously being settled by the Portuguese), with pockets of the country practicing animism and Protestantism. Their cemeteries are very Portuguese in nature and one of the largest and most popular in Dili is the Santa Cruz Cemetery. This cemetery has grave sites in every square inch and is where the Indonesian military fired on a peaceful funeral procession of Sebastiao Gomes who was an Independence supporter. Around 250 civilians lost their lives here and it was filmed and smuggled out of Dili by a British Journalist which empowered their independence struggle.
The center of any good developing countries society is their market. Dili was no different and their local market had everything from fresh vegetables and fruits, to palm wine, to pigs and goats and chickens. As cock fighting is still legal here, I got to see two of the Cocks who were probably going to be in a fight, square off in the market place. As you can see just like in other countries that have markets, the presentation and stacking of fruits and vegetables is always important:
A great landmark in Dili is the Cristo Rei statue. This is a statue of Jesus that is about 27 meters tall resting on a globe, facing out to the ocean. In order to get to this, you have to climb 500 plus steps, but it is well worth it as the view from this is amazing along with the everlasting sunset…
Day 2 in East Timor proved to be a very beautiful drive up the back hills of Dili through numerous villages in a heavily forested area. Emerging on the other side of the mountain, we see a spectacular valley below. As we continue to the small town of Mubisse, which is set in the central mountain ranges, we drive through some of the most scenic areas, stopping along the way to buy fruits and vegetables. This area of the country has an abundance of vegetables that supplies the capital and the surrounding areas with fresh produce.
As we get into the town of Maubisse, we notice that many of the traditional houses are made of thatched roofs and are cone shaped. Here you can see a very old Portuguese style Pousada which is built upon the hill overlooking the valley.
We were then introduced to a traditional village that still practices animism and one of the leaders explained to us their practices and what happens at the ceremonies. They usually have ceremonies three times a year, beginning, during and end of growing season and usually sacrifice animals.
The drive through the mountains was the best part as we saw many people and their ways of life in this region, and how happy they were selling their produce on the side of the road…
Day 3 saw us driving from Dili to Com Beach which normally would only take us a few hours. However the roads here are not in the best of shape and there is construction going on just about everywhere by the Chinese. Despite all of this, the scenery was magnificent as we drove through the second biggest city of Baucau and through small villages along the way. We followed the coastline pretty much most of the way and saw a change in villages. Along the way we saw all the farm animals that the people value so much such as pigs, goats, cows, and buffalo. Truly amazing drive day despite the bad roads and dust (which I don’t mind)…..
Getting into Com Beach, we stayed at a small guesthouse situated right on the water. Not more than 5 meters from your room is one of the prettiest and untouched beaches I have ever seen, surrounded by a small town of fishermen (and a lot of children)….
Next day was a short four hour 80 kilometer trip to Jaco Island. On the way there were some magnificent scenery including small villages with villagers smiling and waving, and stopping at a local place were some ladies were selling fruits and vegetables!!! The roads again were very rough with a lot of potholes and roads that were not finished.
On the way we got a chance to go to a combined Christian and Animist cemetery. The animist cemetery usually has goat or buffalo heads which is an offering of how many they kill after the person passes away. They were beautifully built yet very eerie
A little while down the road we get to Valu Beach which is a very isolated community that is miles from any type of town or civilization. We then were able to buy a Barracuda for 35 dollars!!!! We then went to a deserted island beach named Jaco Island which is forbidden for people to camp there, so we spent the day there and started eating our Barracuda. We spent the time relaxing, talking, eating, walking, and snorkeling on this lovely white sand deserted island!!!! We tried to finish the Barracuda at night, however being about 5 kilos, us three were only able to finish off about a third of it!!!
The last full day was the long drive back to Dili along the bumpy yet fun roads. Along the way we went upon some of the same villages as before watching the people run around out in the streets in their houses and going about everyday life!!! We went along some alternate roads until we reached Baucau and took the same roads back that led us on this adventure to the isolated beaches….
Overall , this was a great trip and well planned out. The roads of course reminded me that of the beat up roads of West Africa. I think seeing all the people in the villages happy and going about their everyday lives made this trip much more worthwhile. These people are the true workers of the world, living with barely anything, having to go and fetch water from sometimes kilometers away, and live off what they produce in the gardens. Besides being given as dowries to the family of the wife, they are also used as a source of income as well as a source of food for these villagers. East Timor, you have been great!!!!
Philippines
The Philippines is a set of islands that is very popular with people from just about everywhere in the world. With its mix of cultures and food, this place is a gastronomic delight for all people.
Unfortunately I showed up to the island of Palawan during a freak typhoon that pretty much lasted the whole time I was there. It was difficult to leave the hotel during the daytime because of strong torrential downpour rains and even stronger winds:
I was able to leave on three different occasions during the late afternoon/evening. The beaches still had a small amount of people on them; however I can imagine that during the high season it would be much more packed. I was able to snap a few pictures of the beautiful landscape before the rains came back in. I would have liked to visit some of the islands on boats during our stay there, but I will have to wait until next time. I did manage to find a great restaurant on the beach that we made our home for the three nights. They had everything from different types of fish, clams, lobsters, shrimp and other delicious seafood. It was not uncommon to leave there ordering a plethora of fish and shrimp and only pay a fraction of the cost…
As we left Palawan heading south to the airport, the weather seemed to get a lot better with the first sun we had seen in days. Come to find out, a friend that showed up just two days after us had a delightful time on the beach with sun and was able to island hop. I guess it was just my luck…
Going to the mainland, we flew into Clark which is an old United States Air Force Base. We stayed in the city of San Fernando which is filled with bustling streets and food just about everywhere.
I was able to hang out with my friend from SMIC Mrs. Bes who organized for us a trip to Subic, which is down south on the mainland and boasts some impressive rain forests. Rain is the keyword as we did a jungle hike, and it pretty much rained the first hour on our hike and we were drenched. During the jungle hike we learned about the different plants that the local tribe uses as medicine and how they can take just about anything from the jungle and turn it into something useful. We ended up at a village for lunch in which they showed us how to make fire from bamboo, even when it is wet and how this life they live has been going on for more years than anyone knows. We were also able to open up stalks of bamboo to find the tiniest bats I have ever seen in my life. At the end of the day on our search for monkeys (to no avail), we ended up seeing trees with hundreds of huge bats on them.
The next day, we went into Manila and stayed at one of the oldest hotels which was a throwback from the 1920’s USA and caught our flight at 4 in the morning. You can guarantee that I will be back to the Philippines to see more of this wonderful land and perhaps I will go during the dry season….