Arizona creates some great sunsets… I should really go back and visit.
*Sunset Burning Over Phoenix – Camelback Mountain // Phoenix, Arizona*
Wow, where has the time gone. One of my early images that I captured with Annie and Drew on a great (albeit a bit late in the afternoon) hike up Camelback Mountain.
I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, one of the trickiest things about sunset, is that it gets dark afterwards, which while you’re a mile or two up a small mountain can be a bit tricky. Especially with no head lamps.
Strangely enough, travel is an exhausting task. As one writer put it “Loafing around in a new world is the most absorbing occupation.” ~ Nicholas Bouvier. Alas, it’s nothing to complain about. It’s a great pleasure to explore and learn the nuances of new places. The world is there for the taking.
The Auld Dubliner – Temple Bar // Dublin, Ireland
I realized recently how few photos that I’ve developed from Ireland. I didn’t have a whole lot of time there unfortunately, and was a little burned out to be honest. We did have a few days of city adventuring, seeing the sights and such. I loved the little bar district in Dublin, and will have to go back one day to do the interior of several of them :)!
I thought today, in honor of my birthday, I would post a copy of what I posted three years ago on this very same day.
Quarter of a century huh??? Well that seems like quite a lot, but I think that there is quite a bit left to do, so I´m trying to stay out of the habbit of getting in a hurry. Life is quick, so why rush things?
Today has been quite a day. Actually the last two days have been go go go. Yesterday morning I hoped on a our bus, and visited the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Pisac ruins and Ollantaytambo ruins. They were both quite amazing, with feats that would be amazing by todays standards of construction. Then because of all the rain damage, the Ollantaytambo railway has been temporarily shut down, so we took a bus to another station, got the train, and arrived in Aguas Calientes around 9:30 last night.
This morning started with a one hour, 300 meter vertical climb to the gates at Machu Picchu; leaving at 4:30 a.m. Was it worth it to see the sunrise over the mountains? Yep.
So I think I´ve figured out the amount of vertical travel today. 1400 meters, or right around 4600 ft. We (Nick and Nicki from London) climbed Waynapicchu, then back down to the ruins, then Nick and I climbed Machu Picchu mountain. Both produced some amazing views of the ruins. Then of course back down to the bottom, and back into town. All in all, 4:30 am start, returning to the city around 6:00 pm. But what an amazing place to be on my birthday.
Sunrise, 5:30am, on my way up to Machu Picchu
New friends, Nick and Nicki (from London), whom I spent most of the day with. We´re on our way up Waynapicchu in this picture (300 meters above MP), and some random lady was handing out these awesome paper visors. Nick is a photographer, also, so Nicki had double the waiting for us to finish shooting. Only 400 people are allowed to climb Waynapicchu each day, and what amazing views it gave of the ruins.
After getting a tip from my tour guide, I had my heart set on climbing Machu Picchu Mountian, the big one that most people don´t climb. On the day we were there, only about 40 other people that came to MP even attempted this one. The small looking mountain you can see close to the ruins was Waynapicchu, which we had climbed earlier.
Back down from MP mountain, with the sun setting in the west, it´s been a good day.
Last picture of the day, as we´re getting asked to leave the ruins because they are closing. Nick and I needed to show where we had climbed. Yep, the big one, waaaaay up there, around 500 meters above where we are standing in this photo.
I read this the other day, and thought it was worthy of sharing.
“A life of travel is a good thing to have. But once you start off on it, there’s no looking back. What traveling does do to you is work its way inside of you, changing you completely as it finds a seat deep within you. It’s a parasite with a greedily voracious appetite. That bastard is hungry. Once the travel bug bites, you’re afflicted for life. Once the wanderlust hits, your feet never stop being restless.”
A Nice Place to Set Up Camp
Cruising around the countryside of Romania with a great friend from my time spent in Alabama left me wanting more. We had pulled off the side of the road, a very inconspicuous place, the kind you might only pull over for if you knew what was down the hill thru the trees. A short walk down to the waters edge opened up to a beautiful lake with a group of folks who were camping on the opposite side. That seemed like a pretty nice place to get away to. Maybe next time, that will be me in one of those tents.
I haven’t done a panoramic shot in quite a while, but there has been some really cool work being put up lately, and it inspired me to get this one finished up. I actually do shoot quite a few shots for panoramas, but they definitely add a layer of complexity in the post processing. When done right, though, I will admit that the results are pretty awesome.
Magical Morning at Machu Picchu
It’s been nearly three years since exploring Machu Piccu, but if still feels like yesterday. It’s the kind of place that will stay with you forever, it’s majestic form. I was lucky enough to spend my birthday up here, and you can bet I was one of the first to enter and last to leave. But, I will admit, getting back to Aguas Calientes, and sipping on a Pisco Sour or two with Nick andNikki (who at the time didn’t share a last name) was pretty memorable too, and much needed!
