2014, Day 258 - Minion

I make little friends wherever I go and this little guy I met in Mexico while exploring the ruins at Coba.  When we arrived it had been unseasonably rainy and the area surrounding the archeological site were flooded but most of the land immediately surrounding the structures was on high enough ground not to be affected.  There were hundreds of little frogs, thousands of tadpoles, and a lot of baby lizards.  This is one and he was kind enough to strike a pose.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f4, 1/160 sec @ 640 ISO

2014, Day 257 - Refreshing

Today as we hit ninety degrees I thought back to my adventures in Mexico last year.  It was warm and humid but we had a great time floating in the cool waters of a couple cenotes.  Even the color of the water reflects its reinvigorating nature and I wished that I had one hidden away here today.  My only consolation is that we're getting nice cool weather after the sun sets.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, 13 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 173 - Incoming

Out in the Yucatan we went in search of wildlife.  Along the way we crossed a river and this bridge ran parallel.  It had seen better days but still seemed to be a popular fishing spot with the locals.  Sadly those clouds on the horizon were heading for us and in another couple of hours we were getting wet but at least they made for interesting photographs.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f11, 4 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 171 - Alight

Photographing birds in flight is extremely difficult.  Most birds are both small and fast moving so tracking them is difficult.  Using a telephoto lens is the best way to get close but the field of vision is so narrow it is easy to lose track of your subject.  Fortunately pelicans are big birds and they're not especially graceful so they're a good bird to practice with.  I love the shape of the wings as this bird prepares to land.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f4, 1/2000 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 169 - Gripping

When I was in Mexico last fall we found a profusion of grasshoppers in a most amorous state.  They climbed stalks of grass to call out to potential mates.  As I walked, careful where I put my feet, it was like walking in a shallow pool but instead of kicking water a small wave of green and brown insects leapt out of my path.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/160 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 168 - Vista

This is the view over the Mexican city of Guanajuato and the sharp edges show where steep mountains mark the limits of the valley.  Since originally settled by the Spanish in the 1540s to exploit their rich mineral deposits the city has grown beyond the borders of the valley and is connected by tunnels to the new city.  In the center of the city is the Basilica Colegiata de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato.  It is a beautiful and magical city and when we visited I wished we had planned a longer stay.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1.3, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 167 - Maracas

We found these butterflies in Mexico while following a cracking noise.  Crack, crack, crack in rapid succession.  It turned out that these were the culprits and I think they might have been calling their brethren to this tree.  Out of small wounds was leaking a red sap that butterflies and bees were eagerly ingesting.  I suspect there was a high sugar content but it was an interesting discovery.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f4, 1/640 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 43 - Forest of stone

This is the Templo de los Guerreros, the Temple of the Warriors, at Chichen Itza.  The central pyramid is surrounded by stone columns carved to resemble warriors.  It was a stormy morning but we stayed ahead of the rain for most of the day and were rewarded with some beautiful dramatic clouds.  We had arrived early and, like the rain, we managed to stay ahead of most of the big groups of tourists.  At times it was like we had our own sections of the archeological site to ourselves, it was very pleasant.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
17mm, f4, merged layers of 1/1600 and 1/400 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 22 - Lost

Our first day in Teotihuacan we had dinner brought to our hotel.  It was simple food but delicious, cheap, and plentiful.  After we ate we decided to go for a walk.  These banners crossed many of the streets and the streamers were made of a metallic colored ribbon that fluttered brilliantly in the cool evening breeze.  The was one of the many dogs we saw as we walked back from the local bakery with a bag full of treats.  It was rather odd how the whole town seemed to shut down after sunset.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
70mm, f2.8, 1/50 sec @ 12800 ISO

2014, Day 21 - Climbing

When we walked through Guanajuato it seemed like there were churches on every other corner.  Most were empty as it was mid-week and midday but others had a surprising number of people praying.  This particular church only had a couple of people praying and under the pulpit we were told there is a mausoleum.  However I was more interesting in the restoration work that was going on and while I am not sure what specifically they were doing I stood in the middle of the nave and was able to take a really well centered picture, maybe God helped to steady my hand...

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, 1/80 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 20 - Entourage

As the sun rose over the mountains and hit the Pacific we stumbled across a couple local fishermen.  They were hauling in their nets and at one point they had almost twenty pelicans floating around their boat waiting for their castoffs.  They didn't stay for too long but I was able to capture this moment early on; as time passed I became distracted by the pelicans landing on the jetty right in front of me and I turned by attention that way.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f5.6, 1/400 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 19 - Sanctuary

After walking aimlessly through the street of Puerto Vallarta and dodging the night clubs that were just opening their doors we turned down a side street and found this church.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is known for its crown of angels but what I liked best about it was that it wasn't pumping out bass.  I am a terribly grouchy old person and I find little interest ing clubs but enjoy culture when I travel.  This was the saving grace of our first day in Mexico.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/20 and 1/5 sec @ 320 ISO

2014, Day 7 - Bliss

On our second-to-last day in Mexico we had a rather mellow day.  Time on the beach, a little local exploring, swimming, and reading.  Normally when I travel I dislike having slow days but this was day thirty of travel and a little rest sounded appealing.  It turned out to be quite relaxing and as the afternoon wore on we wandered down to the beach; I was hoping for another chance at a colorful sunset.  The clouds that I hoped for were there but we didn't get that blast of color that I had wanted.  Still it was beautiful listening to the waves washing over the rocks, the call of the sea birds, the smell of the clean salty ocean, it was bliss.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
18mm, f5.6, 13 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 6 - Siphon

The cenotes in Mexico are amazing.  This one, on private property down a long bumpy road hidden away, was paradise.  We had been out visiting Tulum in the morning and the heat was tremendous.  Our reward was this little oasis.  To get here we climbed down a ladder to a small wooden dock and explored a large enclosed pool.  Swallows darted in and out and scuba divers passed thirty feet below us from time to time.  Otherwise we had the place to ourselves; all you could hear is dripping water and it was cool crystal clear water.  As we swam the ceiling got lower and after a while it opened into a large open cenote where I took this picture.  In the middle there is an island of jungle growing out of the rich silty soil.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, merged layers of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 3 - Basking

When we went to Tulum we arrived just as the site opened.  Fortunately my travel companions share my aversion to crowds so as we walked through the ruins the iguanas were largely undisturbed.  They watched us carefully and I suspect that some people must be throwing stones because they're quite shy.  As more people arrived most retreated to more secluded areas but I caught this guy before he beat his retreat.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f4, 1/250 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 2 - Hiding in plain sight

While visiting Ek Balam we had to walk though some thinned jungle.  The path was lined with trees and I could hear a crack crack cracking noise coming from one in particular.  Upon closer inspection I found a number of well camouflaged butterflies were gathering to drink the sap leaking out from a couple wounds.  Soon there were bees and flies drinking the nectar that was oozing from the tree and, being the unashamed nerd that I am, I had to switch to my trusty macro and take some pictures.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f8, 1/250 sec @ 500 ISO

2013, Day 364 - Camo fail

I love animals of all sorts but when I travel I find that I get rather obsessed with insects and reptiles.  It seems a shame that we are not awash with lizard in the Pacific Northwest and with all the spiders and abundant insect life here it seems ideally suited for them but alas it is not to be.  So I have to get my fix when I travel to the tropics and Mexico, especially the Yucatan, is just alive with lizards.  We saw monsters six feet long and tiny babies only a couple inches long.  They were everywhere and some even posed for us, this guy we found in the ruins at Coba and he was quite content to sit while we took turns taking his picture.  What a handsome little devil!

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f4, 1/40 sec @ 400 ISO

2013, Day 363 - Gliding

On a stormy afternoon while visiting the Yucatan we went to Puerto Morelos.  It is a small town whose major draw is scuba diving but the weather wasn't really conducive to diving so we walked along the beach.  There were a lot of bird on the two small docks and the high winds allowed them to merely spread their wings and be whipped into the air.  It was a lot of fun to watch and we spent a good half hour observing the birds take off and land.  After a while it was so windy that it didn't feel safe to be out on the dock so we retreated to have a little dinner.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
200mm, f4, 1/1600 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 362 - Washing

I took this picture when we visited Sian Ka'an.  It is a UNSECO World Heritage site and an area of enormous biodiversity.  Many threatened and endangered species, both local and migratory, use this area and their continued survival depends on the preservation of Sian Ka'an.  On this particular day we had been out to see dolphins and do a little snorkeling but the light clouds of the morning soon began to darken and as they blotted out the sun we decided head back into town before the rain started.  Unfortunately we got caught on the rutted and muddy dirt roads after dark which made the trip longer but in the end it was a fun adventure.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, 13 sec @ 200 ISO

2013, Day 361 - Counting

Apparently I am off by at least a day on my numbering for the purposes of my blog.  I should really pay more attention but I often blog in the evening and I admit that there are often distractions keeping me from really focusing on the task at hand.  Nevertheless, I don't think I've missed a day this year but that too might need to be checked but it should probably wait until it isn't late and when I am a little more lucid.

Until then I share with you a starry picture of the beach at Playa del Carmen.  The moon caused a bit of flare but I like the effect and I don't find it distracting; to my eye it is a little detail that is easily missed but that rewards the careful viewer.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f2.8, 30 sec @ 400 ISO