Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Turkey - May 2007

A bit late, but this is for Sue :)


Istanbul, across from the Aya Sophya


Istanbul


Children singing and dancing, Istanbul


A market on the Asia side, Istanbul


A market on the Asia side, Istanbul


Dancing dervishes, Istanbul


Dancing dervishes, Istanbul


Cappadocia


Avanos, Cappadocia


Avanos, Cappadocia


Cappadocia

Kyoto, Japan - May 2008


Tying wishes at Yasaka Shrine


Near Yasaka Shrine


Geisha-san


Geisha-san


Flying koi-nobori for Boys' Day


Gion


Fushimi-inari


Very cute kid and cat, near Fushimi-inari

Koyasan, Japan - May 2008

Koyasan is one of the holiest buddhist sites in Japan


Cleanse hands and mouths before entering Shinto shrine


Okunoin, an ancient cemetary


Okunoin


Okunoin


Somewhere near Daimon


Monks

Friday, May 16, 2008

Hong Kong, China - April 2008


The very famous skyline of Hong Kong. Across the strait is Kowloon

For the architecture buffs:

The Bank of China Tower. Pretty much my favourite building in Hong Kong. Designed by I.M. Pei, who also designed the Louvre Pyramid


The also very famous Star Ferry transporting people from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon


Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Double-decker trams and buses!


Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Tributes to a colonial past


Kowloon. Streetscene with a gazillion neon signs


Not everyone is so rich in Hong Kong...


Woman selling roasted chestnuts on the street


Man Mo Temple. Incense hanging from the ceiling


Wong Tai Sin Temple. Woman offering incense


Tai O. Old fishing village on Lantau Island where many houses are built on stilts in the water


I love Tai O. It's like going back in time. Lots of memories from my childhood. Here, people are drying salted fish and egg yolks...


... and here people are making shrimp paste blocks...



... and here Dad and I are catching crabs. For fun, not to eat :)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Macau, China - April 2008


Rua da Felicidade. Besides casinos, Macau has some really nice old streets


People in Hong Kong also like to do this: gather with friends for the gezelligheid while listening to their birds sing


Little old ladies in front of Igreja de S. Domingos


Making traditional cookies

For all you architecture buffs:

RuĂ­nas de S. Paulo. Facade of the early 17th century church


Igreja de S. Domingos


One of the casinos

Wuyishan (Mt. Wuyi), Fujian Province, China - April 2008


It was raining like mad and my shoes turned into swimming pools, but the view was worth it! For anyone who's ever seen a Chinese painting with mountains and rivers and "seas of clouds," Wuyishan looked exactly like that that day


Another view with the bamboo rafts going down the river...


... and Dad and I got to ride in such a bamboo raft down the river!


Bamboo


Tea plants (the ones on the mountain, not the tall tree)



A local market. How much for a chicken?

For the industrial design engineers:

Furniture and baby carriage made of bamboo