2013, Day 296 - Meandering

There is a worrying pattern that we perpetuated today, getting a later start.  Because we were checking out of our room we decided that we wouldn't need to be out the door until eight o'clock.  That was because there would be breakfast and packing prior to our departure.  Given that it was our last morning in Suchitoto I got up early and wandered around the town when it was still half asleep.  There were women walking down the cobbled streets with baskets of fresh baked breads balanced on their head, dogs were napping in doorways, and people were cleaning the central square.  It was beautiful and tranquil.

I returned to our hotel a short time later to have breakfast with Francene.  Once we had eaten I headed back to the room to finish packing but got sidetracked by a couple of jumping spiders.  Fortunately the call of nature needed answering and kept me from too much distraction.  I answered and finished packing just as Robert arrived.

We packed up the truck and headed to our first stop, El Salvador's only UNESCO World Heritage site, Joya de Ceren.  It is a Mayan farming village that was buried in ash after a volcanic eruption in the year 590.  That ash fell quickly and covered some areas up to eight meters deep; these conditions helped to preserve their community very well.  Fortunately they have found no bodies which suggests that they had plenty of notice and were able to evacuate before the eruption.

Next we made our way to Cerro Verde National Park.  It is at the top of a volcano and is covered in dense jungle.  When we arrived at the top there was a thick layer of clouds obscuring the view.  Undeterred we went on a short hike to the abandoned hotel and restaurant and the accompanying viewpoint.  It was a neat place, very obviously built in the fifties with some impressive modern architecture.  Francene and I explored the area which Robert tried to keep an eye on us so we just split up and frustrated his efforts completely.  It was beautiful to walk through the rainforest as it was obscured by the clouds, that is what is pictured below.

From there we started our journey along the Ruta de las Flores, the path of the flowers.  It consists of a series of mountain communities with some distinct features but united in their proliferation of flowers and for coffee cultivation.  Given that we were on a bit of a time crunch we stopped first at Juayua which is known for its weekend craft festivals and for their black Christ in the community's largest church.  After we stopped in Apaneca to appreciate some amazing views and we ended up in Ataco where we toured the brightly-color city and were able to purchase some of the local coffee which is supposed to be the best in the region.  Before hitting the road again we stopped off at a restaurant called Portland after our fair city that is owned by a gentleman who lived there before returning to El Salvador to get a little refreshment.

Our next stop was San Salvador and on our way into the city we stopped off for dinner.  I had a very nice meal of pupusas, stuffed tortillas that are lightly fried; the ones I ordered were filled with a combination of beans, cheese, chiles, leafy green, and a local squash.  All were excellent and I already know I will miss them when we leave.

Once we filled out bellies we proceeded into the Zona Rosa where Tim's apartment it located.  It is in the nice part of town and his place on the twenty-second floor has an incredible view.  So we unloaded our bag, bid farewell to Robert, and settled in for the night.  Tomorrow will, with a little luck, be a more leisurely day but I am going to get some rest.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, 1/4 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 31 - Morning mist

On our last day of travel with Brian and Nicole we had yet another early morning so that we could photograph the sunrise from a hot air balloon.  Mr. Mony collected our groggy group and when we arrived at the balloon we were told that there were a lot of clouds and that it wouldn't be a good sunrise.  All three of us felt that because we were already there we should go up anyway and this is what we saw; the Cambodian countryside shrouded is fog.  Tall sugar palms breaking though in silhouette and the muted greens and yellows of the rice fields.  It was quite beautiful but at time passed the fog thinned and then quickly became impenetrable.  Still, it was worth it and a lot of fun!

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
70mm, f2.8, 1/160 sec @ 200 ISO

2011, Day 323 - Hansel

I am as yet undecided about the new TV series Grimm.  The storyline is rather generic, the acting is okay, the effects are pretty good but what I like best about it is that the story takes place in Portland and they actually do some of the filming in town.  A few times I have walked through the crew setting up for filming and, unlike in Los Angeles, the people are friendly and make an effort not to inconvenience you.  When I was last in LA the people are downright hostile and I am sure it is born of their experience but it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Back to my point...  I like that Portland actually looks like Portland.  I recognize some of the neighborhoods, the parks, the city certainly, and even the actors.  The last is really not important to my point but there you have it.  To my eye I think that they show the city as the charming place that it is and there are times when I am reminded of fairytales as I am off on my adventures.  This is another photo from Mount Talbert, probably the last that I will share from that outing, and it puts me in mind of the story of Hansel and Gretel.  If I were going to lure children into my gingerbread house I would probably build it in these woods.  I like the sense of stillness, the cool bite to an almost imperceptible breeze that stirs the fog and brings the rich scent of earth to your nose.  Mmmmm, German forest children...

Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
31mm, f11, 1/6 sec @ 200 ISO

2011, Day 319 - Misty morning

I love happy accidents.  In this case I was running out to the country this morning on an errand and the whole city was covered in fog.  Once I got outside the city and started making my way down the country roads it became patchy.  Right before reaching my destination I came upon a Christmas tree farm with only saplings.  In front of the baby trees there was a buffer from the road that was grasses and the remnants of wildflowers and behind the holiday icons there was a wall of fog lit by the rising sun.  If you look closely you can see some morning dew on the plants as little points of light.  Sometimes images that seem simple capture more than can be seen at first glance.

Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, 1/2000 sec @ 200 ISO