Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Krangket Lagoon
Madang harbour is dotted with little islands, many of the inhabited, so that people take canoes or banana-boats to work. The powered banana boats (aka PMVs, or People Moving Vehicles- usually the land-based minibusses that ply the PNG road network) take about 8 minutes to do the run from Madang town out to Krangket Island, the largest of the islands in the harbour, and for the princely sum of 50 toya (20c) each way. At the tip of Krangket Lagoon is a small private strip of land which sells itself as a resort- really just a couple of wooden huts with thatched roofs, some grass, some trees, and a teeny tiny beach of broken coral. However the real enticement is the water- still and calm and at a balmy 28 or 29 degrees C (82-84 degrees F) is like getting into a bath. The land slides away in a shallow shelf and then about 20m from the shore rolls over into deeper water, and coral grows in tufts all the way round the headland. Tropical fish abound (although I have to say, there are far better places for both coral and fish around Madang).
The island itself has an idyllic air. Walking from the boat stop takes about 20 minutes and you follow a narrow footpath between gardens heavy with greenery, overhung by shady trees, where bright sunlight casts speckled shadows on the ground. It's quiet but alive. No motor vehicles, but plenty of people going about their daily business, and kids always excited to see a strange face wandering through (easy to forget you're only 10 minutes away from downtown Madang). The island rings yet another lagoon in the centre, linked to the sea only by a narrow stream of water, bridged for passers-by by a pair of felled coconut logs. As a Saturday afternoon getaway from the normalcy of life in Madang, it seriously rocks.
View large on black.
Krangket Island, Madang, PNG. May 2008.
Qinian Dian Temple Beijing
Beijing
Tiantan (Temple of Heaven)-Qinian DianT (ie Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest)
The Temple grounds covers 2.73 km² of parkland, and comprises three main groups of constructions, all built according to strict philosophical requirements:
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a magnificent triple-gabled circular building, 32 metres in diameter and 38 metres tall, built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests. The building is completely wooden, with no nails. It had to be rebuilt after it burned down in 1889.
(from Wikipedia)
Ayia Napa resort south coast of the island of Cyprus
Ayia Napa (Greek: Αγία Νάπα; Turkish: Aya Napa; today officially transliterated into English as Agia Napa) is a resort at the far eastern end of the south coast of the island of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a 'party capital' similar to Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos.
According to local legend, the now renowned original icon was accidentally discovered by a hunter in hot pursuit of his prey. Upon discovery, the icon of Virgin Mary was called Virgin Mary of Napa, eventually shortened and now know as Ayia Napa. The present monastery, built in 1500, was built around the cave, in honour of the Virgin Mary of Ayia Napa. According to local tradition, until 1790 no-one lived within close vicinity of Ayia Napa. The first inhabitants who actually appeared and settled were twenty men from Salonica, Greece, and so began the village of Ayia Napa.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Niagara Falls American Falls from the Canadian Side
Niagara Falls American Falls from the Canadian Side 03.29.08, originally uploaded by wnywaterfallers.
Took a little trip to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We had 10 minutes before the sun set so we walked to the base of Clifton Hill and I snapped a few pictures. While I do like the American side, I must admit God gave those dear Canadians a better wide view of our Falls than we have! -- Take your birth certificate and your driver's license if you want to visit!
Rockway waterfalls near St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada
Rockway Falls, near St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada. If you visit this falls, be careful!! There is a small "path" (really just a parting of the weeds), that takes you around the left side of this huge gorge. There are no fences and it can get slippery. You have to take the path as far as it goes (to a wire fence) and then *carefully* step out and shoot through an opening in the brush. The opening is fairly large and the ground is fairly flat, but boy if you slip, it's a 90 degree drop, straight down.
Terrace Creek Falls, Ontario canada
Once again, a great example of hiking to a waterfall, then finding better photo opportunities in the creek. The thunder was booming overhead as I crouched in the creek to get these shots. What fun!! Playing in a creek on a hot summer day!
Niagara River Sunset
Another shot taken in my hometown of North Tonawanda, NY. Gratwick Riverside park used to be the city garbage dump when I was a kid. They've cleaned it up and put in a pavilion and some bike trails, but they still have a ways to go. Lucky me I only live 1/2 a mile from here so I can get here quick if it looks like a good sunset is forming!
Niagara Louth waterfalls
Kind of a disappointment. I have at least one guide that says this is "arguably the best waterfall surprise in the Niagara Peninsula". Uh, *I don't think so". This was the best shot I could get from the bank, and even this one required hanging onto a tree at the edge of the gorge. Anybody got a chainsaw for those trees?? I'm thinking this would have been much better had it not been the fifth waterfall I visited that day. If the mosquitoes were not so ravenous and I was not so tired, I would have ventured farther downstream to see if I could have found a way to the streambed. Today's score -- wnywaterfaller: 4, waterfalls: 1.