somehow found some time to travel along the coasts of thailand, argentina and chile

a sad moment - had to bid farewell to a pair of flip-flops that had served me well over the past few years

there is a place where a floating town - complete with mosque school and hospital - is anchored to a stately rock rising out of the ocean

 a majestic tree towers above the canopy of the forest, serving as a zip-line platform for adventure seekers to this island

in the middle of the ocean, a small island sits at the tail end of a small sand bar

 sunsets are beautiful and almost spiritual every evening of the week in this blessed place

 speaking of blessings, an extra spicy beef salad goes exceptionally well with a couple of pints of cold beer

muay thai boxers giving everything they to their art - lots of sweat, blood. and pain just for a few fleeting moments of glory

 small boat anchored off the coast on a calm cloudless day

 string lights cast a strange blue glow on the trees in this hotel courtyard

 seafood salad - thai spicy again

 a mother cat anxiously guards her kittens on some steps near a busy tourist thoroughfare

 the train track in the middle of this metropolis is surprisingly quiet and devoid of people at night

an extravagant gaudy cemetery for the most affluent families sits in the heart of this capital of a south american nation

rows and rows of crypts are painstakingly cared for by a small team of cemetery working 

no doubt this is a likeness of the dearly departed immortalized in copper 

commuters near the central bus terminal walking purposely without a trace of emotion

a gate to a gentleman's ranch in the outskirts of town

a horse spies a photographer and poses still for just one picture

commissioned graffiti in Montevideo Uruguay

that one will come up on some mountains if one continues down this road is a distinct probability

there are all types of seas and all types of skies - i had not seen this high cumulus formation before

a large luxury liner patiently docked under a partly cloudy sky

the inexplicable exuberance of a flightless bird running from one point to another

love ?

saw several chinese fishing boats docked for supplies and repairs in these southern ports

snowcapped mountains far yonder - past miles of sea and islands

the amalia glacier on an overcast day - still slowly retreating inlands as our planet warms

another unfamiliar cloud formation in the southern skies

pictures from everywhere

 pittsburgh i think

 behind spring's bloom, a skyscraper disappears into the clouds

 autumn colors and reflections

 a view of bangkok from a hotel room

 some apartment buildings on the outskirts of a southern asian metropolis

 summertime concerts in the park seem to be a universal norm

  a sudden deluge caught me off-guard as i ducked into a convenience store for shelter

 a rack of clothes being dried on a pier in a waterside community

 an old lady cooks and sells fried bananas from a boat

 a busy commerce center for tourists

 mother and calf cooling off from the heat in algae-green water

 beijing in the winter

in the many corridors of the forbidden city many smaller houses beckon 

 the great wall at the onset of winter

 even the modern reconstruction effort of a section of the damaged wall is an awe inspiring feat

one of many live-music-filled lounge clubs on a bar street that runs along a lake front

a foreign dignitary and body guards visit the heavenly temple

took a break from the cold and spent some time in a northern town in this southeast asian country

looking out through the haze of dust and pollution to the south east of this northern city

the countryside is all around within a minutes drive - farm scenes like this are common

the border to laos is a few hours drive away - here a few huts line the banks of the mekong

a modern day extravagance built by an eccentric artist for tourists and locals to marvel over for the years to come

a peculiar flowering tree - locals dry the petals and eat them like a snack

sitting in a slow long boat going up the mekong river to the intersection of myanmar laos and thailand

a family scene albeit in a made-for-tourists village run by the modern-day kayan tribe

a strange fusion of old and new fashion sensibilities is displayed by these two twin sisters 

while i do not condone the treatment of some of these majestic mammals in these attractions - i do marvel at the intelligence they exhibit in an attempt to earn tourist dollars

this little guy is really painting a portrait of his friend

this one was staring me down - not sure if he wanted bananas or was trying to control me with his overdeveloped cerebral cortex

i believe this was a couple that had come up to hmong country to take some wedding photos in their native town 

the opium trade has long dwindled down but a few poppy plants still remain

the old town is just littered with wat's - too many to count - each meticulously taken care of and generously financially supported

and yet another 

and yet another 

and yet another 

and yet another 

and yet another 

and yet another 

and yet another - each one more majestic than the one before

shoes outside a very popular temple in the hill overlooking the city

a dog contented to lay on the roadside on a cool morning laze

a butterfly doing what it does 

a red curry of some sort 

 

a family shopping for souvenirs or a way to get through another day without laundry

zip-lining through the jungle - one of the few undiscovered joys in life