Bright sun over the dunes

This is once again the Gobi desert. This time across the border on the Chinese side. I’ve mentioned in one of my earlier posts how much of a difference that border makes. Sand dunes on the Mongolian side are a challenge to get to and when you do you’re completely alone for what seems like miles and miles. These particular dunes in Dunhuang are a tourist attraction. There’s a bus that takes you to the spot and once you’re there, believe it or not, you pay an entrance fee. I found it completely ridiculous but have folded given the time constraint. Later on my trip I’ve met a number of people who just walked far enough from the “tourist area” and went around the wall/fence to get to the dunes.

Once inside the gates there’s a little oasis with a wealth of activities for tourists to pay for: camels, ATVs etc. You can even rent “sand proof” boots. I felt like the entrance fee had already left a big enough mark on my pocket so I opted for my legs to carry me around. I wanted to get away from the gates as far as possible and see where it’d take me. The dunes were high and even if I thought I knew what was behind each dune I had an idiotic curiosity and urge to see which dune’s higher and what’s behind. En route to the dunes I’ve met 2 Chinese students, and a 70+ year old Dutch traveler on a mission to cover the silk route. The old man was quite a character. He carried his LIDL supermarket plastic bags all over Asia, which he justified as a safety precaution. He thought nobody would rob an old man with a plastic bag. The 2 students gave up quite early but the old man kept following me around the dunes dragging hit plastic bag. He looked exhausted, very out of place but kept going. I tried to convince him to stop but it’s like he was trying to prove something to himself. At some point I thought I should stop before the man collapses, but luckily he went back by himself.

As usual. Click the pic to enlarge, share and like 🙂

Bright sun over the dunes1

Same dune with the guys on top. Bright sun over the dunes2

Backstreets

I took this in one of Beijing’s hutongs, They are sort of alleys or backstreets of modern day Beijing. In my experience not too many foreigners seem to be interested in them, I personally loved spending my time there. Some are usually empty and residential but some are full with different activities, a lot of which include delicious food. As usual, click on the photo to enlarge and press like 🙂

Backstreets

Les Calanques de Marseille

This is the area at the very south of Marseille. A truly beautiful place, this particular one is calanque de Sormiou. Hard to believe it is just a short drive away from the city. This is where the sea meets some of the rugged mediterranean coast. I imagine the sea is filled with boats around summer time, exploring every bit of the coastline. I happen to be there around christmas, with a bit of wind and moody clouds. Probably not the most popular time to go without the sun warming the sea. But it makes no difference to me, beautiful place no matter the weather.

Calanques

Painting of a Photo

Once in a while people write to me and to various versions of modifications they’ve done to my photos. It’s something I  enjoy very much. Everyone has their view on things and has their own manner of doing things. It’s interesting to see other people’s spin on my work. This recent work in particular caught my attention. I got a message from a painter (Giangix70) in Rome. He wanted to paint a photo I took in Rome around 4 years ago and of course I gladly agreed. I think it turned out quite cool. He has a lots of other great work. You can check out more of his awesome paintings on his Flickr page.

adayinromapainting

Original Post

Rome, Italy
Rome, Italy