The Republic of Bolivia was founded in 1825. Although Spanish is the official language, there are also 36 Indigenous languages that are officially recognized. The indigenous people felt they were being ignored by the country’s political leaders, and it is estimated there are between 40-70% of the 12 million population are indigenous and minorities. In […]
Bolivia 4 – Flamingos, Trains and Night Sky
When arranging our trip to Bolivia, we had two major photographic goals — the mirror scenes on the salt flats, and flamingos in the high desert lagoons. We never got the mirror images we envisioned, due to the current drought in Bolivia. Flamingos though, were a different matter! We have chased flamingos across many countries. […]
Peru – Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a UNESCO heritage site and is the highest navigable fresh water lake in the world at an elevation (12,507′). It is also the largest lake in South America, bordering Peru and Bolivia. There are an estimated 70 – 114 small floating islands, with the bulk scattered in the shallow depths of the […]
Peru – Arequipa
We have visited Peru on four occasions in the past, but never made it to Arequipa, Colca Canyon nor Lake Titicaca, so we decided to make that a destination this time. On our drive from Arequipa (a UNESCO heritage site dubbed the White City), we saw this flying saucer shaped cloud hovering near the Misti […]
Video – Living in Ecuador as an Expat
Since joining the Eyes of Hawaii photography club in Honolulu, several people were asking me about what it was like to live in Ecuador. Being a photography club, I decided the best way to explain it was by creating a slide show / video for them. In looking over our photographic resources from our living […]
Video – Toraja
I created this video / slide-show for our Honolulu photo club (Eyes of Hawaii), to show them what we experienced when visiting Toraja this past Summer. This was a culture that is beyond anything we have ever experienced before, or even expected to still be active in the 21st century. I am not sure I […]
Indonesia 25 – Toraja 4 – Pig Heaven
Toraja society is organized along a strict caste system. The person’s caste, or class, is inherited through the mother, and it is strictly forbidden for a woman to marry a man of lower class. The noble, or upper class, is considered to be descended from a person who descended from heaven. When someone of the […]
Indonesia 22 – Toraja 1 – Death is Just a Part of Life
Tana Toraja, the highlands of Toraja, is known for their coffee, spectacular mountain landscapes, and its unique culture. The Torajan people is an ethnic group indigenous to the mountainous area and known for their elaborate funeral rituals, where death is celebrated. We will be going into the rituals they follow for death in detail over […]
Indonesia 18 – Bali 9 – Birds and Monkeys
We went in search of the Indonesian Horn Bill (bottom-right) after they flew past us in Central Kalimantan, flying so high we could barely see them. We were told that the Bali Bird Park would be a good place to see horn bills close up, as they are illusive in the wild. The park is […]
Indonesia 9 – Bali 1 – Holy Water Temple
After leaving Kalimantan (the Indonesian province in Borneo), we traveled to Bali, which has been voted for years on TripAdvisor’s list as one of the top destinations, with its idyllic beaches, volcanic rocks, beautiful temples and welcoming people. Bali is only one of over 17,500 islands in Indonesia, with more than 6000 being inhabited. Bali […]