2014, Day 322 - Whorl

Tonight, in the wee hours of the morning, we are leaving Sri Lanka.  On our last day we had a few things planned but mostly we are preoccupied as to how we are going to spend the evening while waiting for our flight.

We got an early start and after a light breakfast at the hotel we loaded up our bags and left Bentota.  Our first stop was at Brief, the home of Bevis Bawa who was the brother of Sri Lanka's famous architect Geoffrey Bawa.  It is located in the countryside past rice paddies and into the jungle.  As you drive down a narrow lane it opens up into a circular driveway.  From that driveway there are two doors, one leads into the house and the other into the grounds.

Bevis Bawa worked on his home for years and the beautiful garden is a testament to his dedication.  There are paths to secluded sitting areas under large fragrant trees.  Along a sloping stretch of lawn there are a series of ponds leading up to the house which sits at the top of the hill.  Songbirds flit in and out of trees and everywhere there is lush sweet-smelling vegetation.  Scattered throughout the property are sculptures and statuary in hidden natural and man-made niches.

The house is interesting because although it was built in the 1920s and contains much of the original furnishings it has a distinctly mid-century modern feel.  Here Bevis Bawa entertained heads of state, kings, queens, and all manner of celebrities.  He was a bit of a rockstar and yet the house is relatively modest in size but with large outdoor living and entertaining spaces.  It is a beautiful marriage of style and location.

When we finished at Brief we resumed out journey north and soon found ourselves back in Colombo.  Here we stopped at the bank so we could pay our driver for all his help, had a quick lunch, and picked up an additional bag to relieve pressure from the straining zippers of our luggage.  After that we asked Nanda to drop us off at a hotel we booked for the night near the airport.

It isn't as though we need a place to sleep, it is more that we wanted a place to relax, maybe take a shower before the flight, and catch up on a little down time.  For less than twenty dollars it is money well spent.  So here we wait until almost midnight before we jump a cab to the airport.

Tomorrow, a sleepy day in Bangkok!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f16, 1.1 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 294 - Friendship

It is almost time for more adventures.  In less than two weeks I'm off to Thailand and from there on to Sri Lanka.  This year has been great professionally but not as wonderful photographically.  I've been so busy as have most of my favorite photo buddies that none of us has really had a lot of time to get out and shoot.  Fortunately that's all about to change and I can't wait!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f11, 1.7 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 279 - Washed

It is amazing to me that wrecks like the Peter Iredale are allowed to remain and that they're not vandalized.  It is rather exciting to see a piece of history in front of you, to be able to touch it.  Plus there were no lives lost when this ship wrecked so it has a happy ending despite being an unfortunate incident.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f8, 3.2 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 232 - Oxidized

Water washes in and out moving sand and salt over the wreck of the Peter Iredale.  It is eaten in microscopic bites and with time the hull has been reduced to a skeleton and stands monument to the shipping history of Oregon.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f5.6, merged layers of 2, 4, and 8 sec @ 200 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 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

2013, Day 344 - Breaking

This was the beach just outside La Libertad, El Tunco to be exact, where we stopped to have breakfast during our trip to El Salvador.  It had been a stormy morning and we were hoping that the rain would stop so we could enjoy our day at the beach.  Things weren't looking especially promising but after I ordered my food I grabbed my tripod and wandered down to the beach for a better view.  The waves were erratic, many small but some quite big and when combined with a long exposure it gave the ocean an interesting smokey view.  Amongst the debris washed onto the black sand beach was this piece of wood worn down by the sand and water which became the foreground focal point and the iconic rock formation is the background is used to anchor the upper portion of the composition.  I can still feel the warm water washing over my feet as a light rain fell on my face.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
30mm, f2.8, 10 sec @ 200 ISO

2013, Day 314 - Spotlight

This morning I awoke to the sound of rain falling heavily.  It was coming down in sheet and because it was starting to get light I took that to mean that it was time to get up.  I wasn't up for very long before Francene joined me and after booking some additional activities we decided to go to the massive pool for a morning swim.

When we arrived there was no one in the pool and only one person sitting by the pool reading.  Once we staked out our chairs we hopped in and found the water to be slightly chilly but in no time it was quite comfortable.  As we swam in laps around the massive landscaped pool area we discovered a massive grasshopper in the water.  A carefully placed poke with a stick revealed it was still alive to I took an ashtray that has been rinsed out by the rain from the seating area and scooped him out of the water.  I would conservatively say this grasshopper was six inches long.

Having started a trend Francene and I found a stick and used it to rescue may insects.  Mostly bees and ants but there was the occasional small beetle struggling in the chlorinated water praying for escape.  I should backtrack a little, Francene and I left a note for Evi that we were going down to the pool, and after we completed our tenth lap we started to wonder if she was still sleeping.  As the morning was getting on we decided to go back to our room and check in on her.

When we arrived back it was ten thirty and there was still no sign of Evi but within a few minutes she emerged.  She had to get up at two o'clock in the morning yesterday to head to the airport for her flight and we had no idea when we went to bed at midnight that she had been up for twenty-two hours.  I think she deserved her late morning.  None of us had eaten and Francene had been pressured to attend a meeting about the state of the time share industry this morning and the trap had been baited with the promise of a free meal.

So we went to the meeting where we were checked in and then escorted to another building.  Here we were met by another gentleman who proceeded to take our information, well Francene's information really, after which he escorted us to the breakfast buffet.  We had a nice meal and afterward started the pitch.

Although the tried to disguise it we were roped into a sales meeting.  We were shown the timeshare units and then came the price.  It started at almost $180,000 for four week, then it was pared down to $70,000 for a week in a room not unlike the one we are staying in right now.  He continued to offer incentives until the price was whittled down to $20,000.  No, we still weren't interested.  Then we were passed to another guy who quickly became annoyed with us and walked off.  After that yet another guy to check to see if we have been offered all the incentives.  Yes, and we still weren't interested.  Then they tell us we need to check out and we meet with yet another gentleman, this time employed by the owners of the development and not the marketing company.  He offered to make the sale with the marketing company's share cut out, that meant half the last price offered.  Still not interesting.  He finally called over another woman who basically offered us the deal for what she said was free.  We know better than that and we still weren't interested.  Okay, they took no for an answer, finally.

Then the sent us back to the lobby of their sales office to collect our gifts.  So we stood in line for half an hour commiserating with all the other people tricked in to attending.  Some had been there for almost five hours so our two hours looked like nothing in the end.  Eventually they gave us five hundred pesos of credit at the resort, ten percent off all our food purchases, and a week stay at any one of their resorts over the next eighteen months.  Plus a free breakfast.  This was my first time share sale pitch and although it wasn't worthwhile the incentives are actually decent and saying no isn't nearly as hard as some people make it sound.

All during our pitch as they moved us around I wandered off or stopped to take pictures.  A pretty flower, a backlit leaf, an anole, a gecko, an iguana, a spider, some ants, I was like a child and I was constantly having to catch up.  Not that I cared, the pitch wasn't focused on me and I got some great pictures.

By this time it was early afternoon so we decided to wander.  Eventually we found our way to the beach and soon we were collecting shells, coral, rocks, all kinds of great ocean debris.  It wasn't long before our hands were full and we decided to go back to the room to admire our new treasures.  So we headed back to our room on the other side of the massive two hundred acre resort.

We relaxed in the air conditioning, caught up on emails, chatted and had a generally pleasant afternoon.  As the sky started to darken we decided to find dinner at one of the on site restaurant.  First Francene and Evi indulged me by stopping off at the beach again for a few pictures.  It was a beautiful evening and I got even more fun pictures.  We even ignored the barrier at the pier and took some photos there was well.

Once my fix has been satisfied we found a bustling little restaurant for dinner.  The food was better than I expected and in no time we were heading back to our room for an early night.  Tomorrow we're going to be getting up before the sun rises so I think it is time for a quick shower and a good night's sleep.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f2.8, 25 sec @ 400 ISO

2013, Day 303 - Preening

This morning we got off to a sunny start.  From our seventh story windows we could see men fishing just off the beach of our hotel so we both put on some clothes and wandered down.  When we arrived it was clear that they have an eager flock of pelicans waiting for their rejects to be tossed back into the water.  Why work when someone practically hands you a meal?

After watching them work for a while Francene found a piled rock breakwater further down the beach where the pelicans were congregating.  It was still early and most were just standing quietly in the shade but as the sun rose they began to hold our their wings to the warming light and to groom themselves.  Birds came and went and I captured a few good frames but I liked this guy grooming his head on his back.  It looks so awkward and uncomfortable that I had to share.

We stayed too long watching the bird but it was so much fun.  As other people began to come see what we were looking at Francene and I decided that was our queue to leave so we went back to our room to get cleaned up so we could head into town to meet her friends for breakfast.

Our arrival was a little late as it took us some time to walk from where the bus dropped us to the restaurant.  It was rather unremarkable but we caught up with everyone so it was nice none-the-less.  Afterwards we wandered around the old part of the city center looking at shops and checking the menus at restaurants.  Soon we were sweating pretty heavily so we ducked into a little coffee shop for a drink, some air conditioning, and a bit of internet access.

By now it was well past noon so we decided to head back to the hotel for a little rest.  That means another harrowing ride on one of the local busses where the drivers race every car on the street and each other as well.  Still, it is a bit of a rush.

Much of the afternoon was spent enjoying the air conditioning, reading, and relaxing.  It was peaceful and by about four o'clock we agreed we were hungry so we went back into town where we wandered for a while before finding a place that specializes in Mexican cuisine heavily accented with mole, a rich savory sweet sauce.  It was delicious and very filling but no so much that we couldn't split a frozen banana with a caramel center dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in almonds.

By this time it was dark and there were lots of little kids trick-or-treating along the waterfront.  We walked its length where we reunited with some of Francene's friends briefly before deciding the sprinkles of rain combined with the hot weather was encouraging us to retreat for the evening.

Tomorrow my friend Araceli arrives so we will probably sleep in and hang around the hotel until she gets here.  I am looking forward to a lazy morning!

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

2013, Day 300 - Back to work

Today was a day pretty much devoid of photographic interested.  We got up early to go to the United State Embassy which is a little bit of a production.  At the guardhouse we had to surrender our passports and were not allowed to hold on to our phones or cameras for security reasons and were issued visitor's badges.  The only reason we were admitted at all is because Tim works for the US Treasury and he is considered a diplomat so we were his guests.

Once on the grounds we had a little breakfast in the cafeteria.  Most of the people at the embassy are Salvadoran, I would say about two thirds, and the rest are Americans.  In the span of a little more than an hour I saw more tattoos than in my week traveling around El Salvador.  Once we had eaten Tim took us on a short tour and then we stopped by the travel office to see if they could be any help with the next part of our adventure but they weren't even remotely helpful.  I wasn't holding my breath but was a little surprised how indifferent they were because we received the same help that any employee at the embassy would get.  Oh well, we like the pick your own adventure style of travel anyway.

Since the travel office was a bust we stopped by the bank on the grounds to withdraw a little cash and change some large bills for smaller ones.  That didn't take long and soon we were leaving the embassy and heading to Salvadoran ministry of finance where Tim works.  Seeing as the travel office didn't offer any assistance we thought Tim's assistant might have some ideas.  Carmen was great, she is a tiny little woman that looks like a Latina Annie Potts from Ghost Busters, but when she ran into some difficulties we didn't push her to do more.  We were trying to resolve a very small issue and I think when the time comes it will be easily managed.

We left Tim at work and Luis drove us to run some errands.  Tim needed a printer so we bought one for him and then he needed some household tools so we picked those us as well.  Proud of ourselves, Francene and I headed back to the apartment to drop off the proof of our productivity and, once there, we decided to spend a day in catching up on some work be both had to do.  Plus we had all that food we bought at the Mercado Central that needed eating because Tim probably won't once we're gone.

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, the views from this building are amazing and we got caught up on a lot of little things.  Before we knew it Tim was walking through the door and the next item on the agenda was dinner.  It took us a while to decide where to eat and by that time another spectacular storm had hit and it was pouring rain.  So we called Luis who picked us up and shuttled us to dinner at a nice Lebanese place not far away but it did mean navigating heavy traffic.

After dinner we came back to the apartment and I have been left as the last man standing to finish my post before hitting the sack.  I think the time has come...

Below is a picture I took yesterday at La Libertad of the pier.  The half closest to the shore is a covered fish market where the fishermen sell their catch.  Beyond that the pier is crowded with boats and at the end are the cranes that lower the boats into the water.  When we arrived it was dark and stormy with a choppy sea of big waves.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f5.6, 6 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 299 - Fraught

We awoke early this morning to some impressive rain, it was dumping.  To make matters worse we had a day trip out to the coast planned, but we're Portlanders and a little rain isn't going to scare us off.  So we got dressed and went downstairs to meet our guide Stephanie.  She was ready to whisk us away and so we set off, windshield wipers frantically trying to keep up.

By the time we reached La Libertad about half an hour later it was sprinkling heavily so we grabbed our stuff and went for a walk along the waterfront out towards the pier.  The current pier is one made of concrete but the old pier was an incredibly long affair, three times longer than what currently exists, and it had railroad tracks running the entire length to make the transportation of goods faster.  Today it is used solely for fishing and at the end of the pier they have two cranes that raise and lower fishing boats from the pier to the water and vice versa.

We wandered the length of the pier looking at the morning's catch which ranged from dorado to snapper to shrimp to calamari to sole.  Many of the fishmongers proudly showed us their wares.  When we reached the end we were treated to the lowering of a boat into the ocean which is a slightly harrowing process, especially when the wind picks up.  But the fishermen made it safely and headed out to try their luck on the choppy waters.

After exploring the area around the pier we returned to the van and headed south down the coast for a little breakfast on the beach.  We had a nice view and after placing my order I walked down to the water to take a few pictures, nice long exposures.  Soon I heard breakfast arriving so I decided to cut my shooting short to eat breakfast since we didn't have time before leaving San Salvador.

Our bellies full we headed further down the coast to a could nice viewpoints before turning around and traveling back north past the pier to up a narrow road between beachfront homes where were stopped at an anonymous alleyway.  Stephanie led out down the alley to the beach where we were greeted by a smiling gentleman who runs a turtle sanctuary.  With the support of the community and donations from visitors he buys turtle eggs from local fishermen and places them in artificial nests in a large enclosure to protect them from predators.  After forty-five days the babies hatch and he collects them to release into the ocean.  While we were looking at the enclosure one little guy managed to squeeze his way out so we named him Wilbur and followed his journey down the beach and into the ocean.

We are lucky because it is the height of turtle season and after showing us around his facility we were allowed to release about thirty babies on the beach and follow them as they made their way to the ocean.  Thirteen years ago when I was in Australia my brother and I were supposed to go out to a turtle sanctuary to help release the hatchlings but a spill at the docks meant that no one could leave so we missed that opportunity.  Now, more than a decade later, I finally got the chance to watch these amazing little creatures find freedom in the ocean.  While I know that only one in a thousand will actually make it to adulthood I hope all of our little friends beat the odds and live long happy lives.

Happy with our morning we decided to return to San Salvador.  Even though it hadn't been very long since breakfast we stopped at a roadside restaurant because they are famous for their sopa de gallina, hen soup.  Francene ordered a bowl while Tim ate a sweet Salvadoran quesadilla and I had a couple pupusas.  The soup was declared delicious and in short order we were back on the van.

Once back at the apartment we had a nice afternoon of relaxing and settling Tim in a little more.  Art was hung, furniture was moved and then moved back, laundry was finished, and it is even possible we cleaned up a little bit.  Although I don't think any of us were that hungry we did go out to dinner at a Salvadoran seafood place.  The servings were massive and what we thought would be a light dinner turned out to be a copious amount of ocean-dwelling creatures.  A huge platter of fried calamari, crab, clams, shrimp, onions, jalapeños, and potatoes started the meal followed by a grilled fish covered in garlic and grilled chicken plus a couple more gourmet pupusas.  I tried a bit of everything and ate much more than I had intended and I get the distinct impression that is a common affliction in our group.  Oh well, it was delicious.

Disgustingly full we returned to the apartment to unwind a little before getting some sleep.  I think that might come sooner rather than later.

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f5.6, 1/640 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 123 - Claws in the air

The little coastal town of Kep is famous as a derelict site of French colonial holiday makers.  Though it has seen better times the town is turning around and tourism is on the rise.  There are still many villas abandoned along the waterfront that have been snapped up by investors after the fall of the Khmer Rouge.  It is a tranquil place where the people make a living off of the ocean.  They are accomplished fishermen and crabbers.  That is one of the biggest draws to this small community, the fresh delicious crab.

You can sit at a small restaurant on the beach and watch them unload the crabs moments before they are delivered to your table smothered in a savory sauce laden with Kampot's famous pepper corns.  Basins of warm scented water are left at the table so you can wash up a big after gorging on these delicately sweet crustaceans.  So important is crab to the local economy that they have erected a massive statute these amazing animals.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
34mm, f2.8, merged layers of 6 and 25 sec @ 640 ISO

2013, Day 16 - Lonely fisher

I spent most of the day in and out of bed trying to will myself into wellness.  My daydreams took my to warm weather, blue skies, and good food so this image seemed an appropriate one to share this evening.  This was taken in the coastal town of Kep, formerly Kep-sur-mer under the French.  It is a peaceful community famous for their crab and our visit there was quite relaxing.  A little off the beaten tourist path, it was really tranquil and a shady place along the waterfront would be an ideal place to spend a day.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L Mark II
130mm, f5.6, 1/2000 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 339 - Still waters

Kep is a small coastal town on the Gulf of Thailand.  Originally a French resort town, Kep lost ground to Sihanoukville in the 60s and then was largely abandoned when the Khmer Rouge came to power.  Today the waterfront is home to some large hotels and picnic sites but many of the houses are ruined shells.  Once abandoned they are now owned predominantly by property speculators waiting for the market to peak in order to get top dollar.

We arrived after a morning of playing with salt and pepper to walk along the waterfront.  The clouds were remarkable and the ocean was a startling blue; a nice contrast to the muddy rivers from all the recent rainfall. There was a refreshing breeze and took a little edge off the sun's heat and we happened upon the ruins of a pier.  I took a few pictures but continued on with Araceli and Francene but I couldn't get the image out of my mind.  When we stopped for lunch I grabbed my tripod and headed back to take a few long exposures with the help of my handy neutral density filter.  It allowed me to extend the exposure and give the water that smooth look.  I love the beautiful calm of Kep, it won't be a sleepy fishing town forever but this is how I will remember it.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f16, 10 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 325 - Getting crabby

Today was a day of misadventure.  Unfortunately Mr. Tech's English isn't too great and our Khmer is, even in the most generous terms, non-existent so we had a little difficulty explaining what we wanted to do.  Our plan was to try to see some of the salt fields, locate one of Kampot's famous pepper plantations, and have lunch on the waterfront in Kep.  So we sat down and showed the driver a maps and photos of the things we wanted to see.  He nodded and smiled broadly so we figured he understood us well enough to feel confident about our requests.

To be fair, we were understood in the most general terms but the order was lost.  First we drove through Kep, something which came in handy later.  Then we found some salt fields, it would be hard not to as there are so many in the region, but none of them were being actively worked.  Finally, we were told the pepper plantations had signage but we found none and ended up in a small village where the highway turned to a dirt road.  Mr. Tech asked people for directions and after following a small country track deeply rutted and filled with mud we were told there was a pepper plantation just down the road.  Perfect!

We had to walk to the plantation we were told because the roads were in such bad shape so we skirted the mud and wandered down the trail.  Less than half a kilometer was the reported distance.  So we walked, excited at the prospect.  The three of us chatted happily and soon came upon a farm.  There were no signs of pepper corns anywhere.  But we searched and found nothing.  Frustrated, we turned back the way we came on off to the our right Francene discovered a field of bell peppers!  Not quite the pepper we were looking for.  So we thanked everyone, took a couple pictures of the boy who shadowed us the whole way, and got back in the car feeling rather badly about the morning.

It was lunch time or past lunch time really and we were undecided as to what to do next.  What I suggested was returning to Kampot to eat in town and then make poor Mr. Tech take us back to Kep for dinner.  It would mean a little backtracking but we would get a great oceanfront sunset.  Despite being hungry both Francene and Araceli agreed so we found a little place for lunch in Kampot.  After we ate and before heading back to our tower retreat to rest for a little bit we stopped off to arrange for a guide to accompany us tomorrow.  That way there would be no confusion and we would have the opportunity to learn a little more; I think we were spoiled by having Mr. Mony for over a week!

Our guide set for tomorrow we returned to our hotel for a little rest and relaxation, mostly in the form of dangling in a hammock.  It seemed like in no time we had to set off if we wanted to catch the sunset.  In our time in Cambodia it seems that sunset comes early and sunrise even earlier.  When you factor in the long muddy unimproved road to get to the highway we had to leave well in advance of sunset if we wanted to catch it.  There were times when we thought we wouldn't make it, the sky took on a peach-colored tint and the minutes ticked away.  Right as the color hit its peak the buildings and trees disappeared and we were at the waterfront.

The location I had in mind was the giant crab statue that is currently undergoing renovation in the ocean.  It was only another couple of minutes and we had arrived.  All three of us leaped out of the car with cameras in hand and we began taking our pictures.  I set up my tripod and within a few minutes some of the locals were stopping to see what we were doing.  Some were peering over my shoulder to see the screen on my camera as each exposure completed and at one point we had a little crowd.  All of them seemed curious as to why we spent so much time by their crab statute but they appeared pleased that we were taking an interest.  Once I had finished my little photography session, I am always slowing down the group, we got back in the car and headed to the crab market.

The crab market is exactly what it sounds like, it is the oceanfront market where the crabbers bring this catch every day for sale.  Along the market there are maybe twenty small restaurants vying for your patronage.  Francene stopped in one to check it out and it took a couple attempts before we settled on the right one.  The menu is dominated by crab but there were also dishes with fish, squid, prawns, and even beef available. Kep is known for its crab so we ordered spiced fried crab, green pepper crab, crab tom yum, and crab noodles.  That's a lot of crab, especially for someone who doesn't have the greatest fondness for water bugs but when in Rome...

The crab was excellent and the sauces were amazing.  My preference was for the green pepper crab, it had a thick spicy peppery sauce that was just amazing.  The spiced fried crab was also good as was the tom yum even if there was too many tiny pieces of lemongrass hidden within.  I think the only dish that was disappointing was the noodle dish but primarily because of the poor quality of the noodles; we agreed that they looked and tasted like the instant variety.  I also tried a rather disgusting green Mirinda that was supposed to be "cream with a hint of lime" but tasted predominantly of sugar.  Oh well, the food was great and we all ate with gusto.  By the end Francene had constructed a carefully built tower of crab exoskeleton and hand tissues.

Stuffed, tired from a long day, and reeking of crab we headed back to Kampot and our country resort.  We all showered and I think now it is time for bed.  Tomorrow will be a busy day of trying to squeeze in everything that went awry today.  Funny how even when things don't work out that the still work out in the end, huh?

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
35mm, f4, 30 sec @ 100 ISO