Sir Bani Yas Island - Greening the Desert

 

Bani Yas Island has always been on my UAE To Do List. The island is about a 3,5 hour drive and 30min boat ride from Dubai and lies off the coast of Abu Dhabi in the western region. It’s the largest natural island in the UAE. Its rich history, incredible flora and fauna and the story of how it evolved into a major conservation project truly makes it a globally unique destination.

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Peacock Central

One of the more common animals on the island are peacocks - in fact, a ranger told us they are considering to introduce some desert foxes to control the population, as culling is not allowed by law.

Bird Life

Some might say this one could be straight out of Angry Birds.

Gazelle

Probably the second most common animal on the island, after the Peacocks.

Turkey

I guess this is a female turkey, who didn't end up on a Christmas plate.

Desert Rose

With only a few days of rainfall per year, a huge irrigation system taking desalinated water from the shore was implemented over the last decades.

Peacock

Both green and blue types can be found.

Hyraxes

Believe it or not, these animals are closely related to Elephants.

Horns

Of an Arabian Oryx, if I recall correctly. Having seen them in the wild in the desert, these have become some of my favourite animals.

Show Off

Proud of its horns.

Ostrich

A male ostrich, with its pink legs signalling the mating season.

Battles

Two Barbary Sheep (if I am not wrong) measuring their strength.

Resting Deer

Several kind of deer can also be spotted on the island, although we heard they are Cheetah favourites...

Tribute

Workers are said to have planted the UAE's national tree, the Ghaf tree, on top of the mountain in honor of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who started the initiative on the island in 1977.

Hungry

There are only 8500 of the Somali Giraffe in the wild. The island is home to about 30.

Encounters

They are free roaming in the reserve.

Nom Nom

The cheetah had just made a kill before we spotted them.

Rest time

So of course it was time to rest after the meal.

Leftovers

This was what was left of the Gazelle after they were done.

Morning Walk

A guided walking tour through the nature park is the best way to truly get a feeling for the animals.

Conservation

The island is home to many critically endangered or vulnerable species, such as Barbary sheep, and Arabian tahr.

Sunrise Views

Many thousands of animals have been released back into the wild to help local and international conservation efforts.

Giraffe Family

After the last young has been born, male and female giraffes have been seperated on the island to avoid further population growth, as giraffes eat a lot...

Wildlife

More than half the island is made up of the Arabian Wildlife Park, which is home to more than 10,000 free roaming animals.

Under Observation

As we came closer during the walking tour, we were monitored quite intensely...

Car Tracks?

Actually - these are tracks from gazelles walking towards one of the feeding stations, they like to keep in line...

Greenery

Over 3 million trees have been planted on the island over the last 40 years.

Full Moon

Staying during full moon meant nights were bright.

Desert Islands Hotel

The first hotel on the island opened in 2008 and used to be Sheikh Zayed's guest house.

Dinner Time

It's getting cold in the Winter out in the sea, but a fire on the beach and some arabic food makes it more than bearable.

Wadi

The rugged mountain area features some beautiful Wadis which fill with water during (rare) rainy times.

Cemetary

Many animals are said to come here for their last hours.

Oxidized Iron

Haematite I believe?

Colourful

Gypsum mixed with iron turn into brown and red colour shades across the rocks.

Barren

The central part of the island has not been planted much, and shows the barren yet beautiful mountainous landscapes.

Nature & Culture

Aside from beautiful nature, the island is also home to the UAE's only discovered Christian monastery from around 600 AD - it is currently being renovated and can't be visited though.

The First Rays

Salt and sediments squeezed their way to the surface, creating the patterns in the rock.

Shadow Selfie

Sunrise always makes for the best light.

Green Dot.

Even in this landscape, some plants survive, although very few are naturally occuring.

Exploring

You can explore the island with a 4x4 or also by foot - although at 87sqm it was a lot bigger than I had thought.

Beach Life

The natural variety of the island is amazing.

Hotel Views

The island now has three hotels run by Anantara, with a total of less than 150 rooms. Al Yamm is located on the eastern shores in the mangrove area.

Fattie

Unsure of what kind.

Terrace Viewpoints

The Al Sahel hotel is located towards the centre of the island surrounded by greenery, with gazelles and other animals regularly passing by.

Seychelles - Island Beauty

 

After my first visit to the Seychelles in 2010, it was time go back for another trip to the Indian Ocean archipelago, this time staying on Praslin island and visiting La Digue, after having seen Mahe and the capital Victoria during my last visit.

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Island Paradise

The Seychelles probably represent some of the most stereotypical island beauty features there are.

Island Transport

The best way to get around! We took the trip from Mahe's airport straight to the hotel.

Praslin Island

We stayed on Praslin, the second biggest island of the Seychelles. Its most famous beach - Anse Lazio - in the foreground, seemingly voted one of the Top 5 beaches in the world.

The Raffles

The hotel is located on the north eastern side of Praslin, with its close to 100 villas nestled along the hillside.

Room Views

The Raffles has some gorgeous ocean view villas.

Night Views

The clear skies and lack of light pollution make for good stargazing, but no Milky Way this time of the year.

Tastes Good

Someone must have spilled something here...

Kiln

An old furnace from the early 1900s, now serving as Tortoise home at Raffles hotel.

Giant Tortoise

The Seychelles giant tortoise is clost to extinct in the wild; there is only one large population of more than 100000 in the Aldabra Atoll.

Climbing

Giant tortoises are not made for climbing obstacles, but they can find their way around.

Orientation Issues

Can't say I observed any effort by this misguided tortoise's colleagues to correct the situation.

Warning

The roads aren't in the best condition, but at least there are attempts to make drivers aware.

Out of Order

Temporarily or permanently?

Green Roads

The Seychelles are full of greenery - and not so full of proper roads like this one.

Private

Not sure what the Teddy on top of this sign is meant to represent.

Souvenirs

Didn't manage to visit this souvenir shop.

Anse Lazio

Referred to as one of the Top 5 beaches in the world (don't ask me for sources), I took the 30min walk from the hotel. Worth it? Yes. Top 5? Maybe...

Sunset

The beach doesn't get to see the actual sunset as the sun disappears behind the peninsula to the west, but the view is nice enough.

Fame

Owing to its Top 5 fame, there are always a few boats in the bay and a few dozen people on Anze Lazio.

Inlet

Like many beaches on the island, some water inlets run into the forests from the beach - tides and waves generate some beautiful colours in the process.

Sunset Colors

The typical granite stones in the water make for beautiful scenery on Anse Lazio.

Moon

I was lucky to see the moon rising as the sun was setting, just peaking through the red and purple clouds.

Bat Attack

As sunset approaches, you start to see the large Seychelles fruit bat in the sky - at least half a metre in width.

MS Europa

This cruise ship anchored between Praslin and Curieuse islands for a day.

Islands and Islands

The Seychelles consist of around 115 islands, 45 of which are the typical granite islands the country is known for.

Le Digue Island

We visited Le Digue, which is the third largest of the country's islands with a population of just over 3000. This is the local pizza and burger joint.

Beach Bar

The famous beaches are frequented by quite a number of tourists, and the locals surely have found ways to monetize their presence.

Beach Bliss

Postcard material around every corner.

More Beach Bliss

Did I already meniton the postcard material?

Greenery

The hot and humid climate classifies the island nation as tropical rain forest.

Granite

The country is famous for its granite rocks sprinkled around the beaches, but less than half of its islands actually feature them, the others are coral islands.

Old Cemetary

The old cemetary is an eerie location with the dying tree in the back. Watch for the new (and more colourful) version a few photos down...

Origins

The group of Granitic Seychelles are fragments of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.

Rocky Religion

90% of the population are Christian, the majority of which roman-catholic.

The Elusive Flycatcher

Sadly, less than 300 are still in existence in the wild, and the island of Le Digue houses most of them, except a few pairs which were moved to another island to preserve the species. It took half an hour of wandering in the nature reserve to spot this male.

Houses

The island features some beautiful houses of different styles.

Phone Booth

Showing off the lack of football taste that is or was once present on the island...

New Cemetary

More colorful for sure, although its worth mentioning these flowers aren't real.

Houses

More of the local architecture.

Island Lifestyle

Stress didn't seem too common.

Fishing Circle

Marine life is abundant and fishing is the largest export of the country.

Transport

Given that I have just completed my up to 12m skipper license, I thought it would be a good idea to bring the new boat along.

Yacht

Just kidding, this is mine.

Baby Shark

Small reef sharks live around the rocks until they grow into adults.

Ray

And occasionally, smaller rays also pass by.

Leaping Blenny

Funny little creatures that live on the rocks perching out from the water, walking and jumping with help of their fins if danger approaches. They are able to breath outside of water.

Leaping Blenny - Large version

It's bigger cousin, captured under water with an iPhone XS (as are the few other underwater photographs).

Coral

Some snorkeling around the beach was enough to spot a few beautiful corals.

Coral World

A variety of stony coral colonies.

Marine Flora

I think this is some type of Gorgonian or Sea Fan.

Smile

The most common fish roaming the shallow waters on the beach.

Unknown Fish

Anyone knows the species?

A point of view.

A crystal ball can't always predict the future, but it can give you a different perspective of the present.

Toys

Glass balls are an interesting tool for photography... if you don't overuse them.

Physics

One point to note - be very careful when using a crystal ball in direct strong sunlight, the refraction can immeditely burn whatever you put the ball on, including your hand...

Home in a Hole

A crab village.

Snails

An early morning rain triggered this guy to come out from hiding.

Sunrise

Worth getting up for at 5am.

The Red Fody

A common bird in the Indian Ocean, this one took a bath in the pool.

Feline Friends

Cat photo can't be missing. This mum was hanging out in the hotel grounds with her two kitten.

The Alpine Route, Liechtenstein, Lake Como, Genoa, the French Riviera and back!

In August 2018 I finally took a trip I had on my mind for a few years, following the route on the map above. The drive took us through parts of the famous German Alpine Route, past castle Neuschwanstein, along Lake Constance, through Liechtenstein with its tiny capital Vaduz, into the Swiss Alps, for a stop at Lake Como and onwards to Genoa, and finally the coastal beauty of the French Riviera with Monaco, Nice, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez. Aside from driving a lot, we also walked and hiked quite a bit as my trusty Pedometer app showed. 

It was all worth it though and I can definitely recommend the trip. Below is a selection of photos taken along the route. 

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Neuschwanstein

One of the most famous sights in Germany, the palace was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat - unfortunately it was never fully finished, but nevertheless attracts over a million visitors a year.

Landscapes

Neuschwanstein overlooks two lakes, the Alpsee and Schwansee. After a very hot and dry summer, you can clearly see how little water the lake had in late August.

Hohenschwangau Castle

A second and less famous castle is located just a few hundred meters away. Hohenschwangau Castle was built by Ludwig's father and served as the family's summer residence.

Marienbrücke

Lookign down into the gorge from the Marienbrücke, arguably providing the best view of the castle.

Fairy Tales

It's been confirmed that the castle served as Walt Disney's inspiration for his famous Disney castle, inspiring countless childhood dreams. The king himself viewed the building as representative of a romantic interpretation of the Middle Ages, as well as the musical mythology of his friend Richard Wagner.

Alphorn Concert

Sheer luck meant we were able to attend the annual meeting of the regional alphornists (yes, that's how you call them) in Wengen.

Alphorns

The Alpine Horn used to be a method of communication in the Alps - nowadays it's a musical instrument.

Up the Hill

The musicians getting ready for the grand finale...

The Finale

... which consisted of 300 Alphornists playing at the same time. Impressive sight and sound.

City Hall

Onwards to Lake Constance, this is the Lindau City Hall.

Lindau Island

The view over the island of Lindau, part of the city on the Bavarian side of the lake (the shores of which cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Taken from the lighthouse.

Bavarian Lion

The statue on the entrance of the Lindau harbour.

Lindau Centre

The town centre of Lindau island with its typical south German atmosphere.

Moonrise

We arrived in Liechtenstein in the evening, just before the moon rose looking westwards over the Alps.

Full Moon

A clear night and the full moon made this shot possible.

The Alps at Night

A view over the Rhine towards Switzerland.

Vaduz Castle

While parts of it date back to the 12th century, the Liechtenstein princely family still lives in the castle. Today it is one of the few countries in the world that maintain no military.

Church of Balzers

The church in the city of Balzers, sitting on the foot of the Gutenberg castle hill.

Empty

The church was completely empty when we entered - except for the organist practising, which was both eerie and amazing at the same time.

Pigs

Found these two when we stopped in a small mountain village in the Swiss Alps.

Nufenen

The small town of Nufenen, where we stopped briefly on our way to Lake Como. Population: 150. Unemployment: 0%.

Alp Views

The village is located in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

Views

The view into the valley towards the south.

Lake Como

Our next destination was Lake Como, specifically the namesake city.

Transport

You can cross the lake with the "flying" ferry.

Como Cathedral Interior

The roof of the Como Cathedral, construction of which began in 1396 but didn't finish until 1770.

Penguin Style

Found this concrete post in the city centre.

The Como Gate Tower

The building was part of the former city walls, 40 meters high and built in 1192. Weirdly, the lower arch is off-axis from the 8 upper ones. The tower is empty on the inside, even the floors are no longer present.

Tempio Voltiano

A museum on the shores of the lake dedicated to Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electrical battery.

Hotel Bristol

Our hotel in Genoa occupies a building from 1905.

Staircase

It's main feature is the grand central staircase, looking upwards from the lobby in this photo.

St Andrew Monastery

St. Andrew's Cloister are the remains of an ancient monastery from the 12th century in the middle of the city right next to the childhood home of Christopher Columbus.

Old Town

While Genoa doesn't enjoy the same reputation as Milan or Rome, it does have beautiful spots in the town centre.

Church of Santa Maria in Passione

Destroyed during the second world war, some areas of the ruins are now closed off, while other parts of the complex have been re-built and are in use by various organisations today.

Santa Maria di Castello

In close proximity to the Santa Maria in Passione is this church, definitely in a better condition and full of frescos from the 16th and 19th century.

Popular

The church is probably the most famous in Genoa, located on the Castello hill of the city and flanked by the large Tower of the Embriaci.

Ventimiglia

Our next stop on the way to Monaco was Ventimiglia, on the border to France.

Old City Centre

One of the buildings in the ancient medieval city centre, perched on a hill overlooking the new town

Street Scenes

The typical Italian streets - Ventimiglia's old city is no different in this respect.

Cat Convent

Got to have a few in each album.

View

A few over the Monaco and Monte Carlo districts of the Principality of Monaco, seen from the Palace du Palais square.

Hairpin

The infamous Formula 1 Hairpin curve just in front of the Fairmont Hotel.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral

The romanesque Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Nicholas is the largest in Monaco. Unfortunately it was already closed when we got there.

Palace of Justice

A fisheye shot of the building housing the Monaco Supreme Court.

Swimming Pool

The construction of the Rainier III Nautical Stadium and its swimming pool forced the Formula 1 track to be adapted in the 1970s.

Rich

In 2014, it was noted about 30% of Monaco's population was made up of millionaires.

A City Circuit

Michael Schumacher once said before the 2012 Grand Prix that the additional risk is "justifiable once a year", as the circuit is not quite up to modern Formula 1 safety standards.

Moonrise

Another moon rise, this time seen from the Monaco harbour, looking over one of the ships anchored at its cruise terminals.

Sunrise

The sunrise seen from the Fairmont hotel, which sits just next to a €2 billion operation to reclaim six hectares of land to counter Monaco's notorious shortage of building space.

The Cars Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco

The collection houses several Formula 1 cars from throghout the history of the race.

The Cars Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco

The museum includes the Bugatti Type 35 that won the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.

Casino de Monte Carlo

The most famous casino in Monte Carlo, owned largely by the ruling family, opened over 150 years ago.

Sainte-Dévote Chapel

The name of the chapel is used to identify the first corner of the Monaco Grand Prix track.

Eze's medieval town

While the location is beautiful and the city sports a beautiful botanical garden, the rest of the village feels very touristy.

View from the Top

Eze is famous for the view of the sea from its hill top. Walt Disney spent a significant amount of time here, and Nietzsche appearantly walked up the hill path daily from his residence on the coast.

Northerly View from Eze

With the coastal road and its bridge over the canyon.

Local Spices

A spice shop in Eze with local spices from the Côte d'Azur.

Le Flore

The real reason for the trip.

Nice

The view from the terrace of the NH hotel, looking along the Boulevard Risso.

The Square Head Building

A habitable sculpture, is 30 metres high, has 7 floors, and accommodates 40 administrative staff members of the administrative office of Bibliothèque Louis Nucéra.

Modern and Contemporary Art Museum

A view from the Traverse Garibaldi road looking upwards.

Cat Shop

Ran into this window display in Nice.

Tour de l'Horloge

Looking down one of the roads leading to the tower opposite the Palace of Justice.

Beachfront

The view towards the east with Nice's beautiful beachfront.

Selfie Time

Should have taken a few more in hindsight!

Palace of Justice

The aforementioned courthouse with its neoclassical architecture.

Nice Nightlife

The evening atmosphere in Nice was very lively, with lots of busy restaurants and streetlife without seeming too crowded or touristic.

Hold your breath

One of the many narrow alleys in Nice.

A Cigarette on the Balcony

In pleasant late August temperatures.

Indeed

I was positively surprised by the city, 1 day definitely wasn't enough.

Invisibe Man

We even got a handshake!

A morning in Hill Park

The castle used to stand on the hill from the 11th to the 18th century, but today just a few ruins remain.

Port of Nice

The port of Nice from the Castle Hill.

Antibes Market

Onwards to the west brought us to Antibes, with its markets.

Fort Carre Antibes

With its unique star shape (check it on Google Maps)

Fort Carre Antibes

While star shaped in the outside, the interior features a round open atrium.

Fort Flora

The Antibes fort sports several large cacti, which tourists used to inscribe their various messages for future visitors.

Cannes Hand Prints

The hand prints in Cannes in front of Palais des Festivals on Esplanade Pompidou, where famous film actors and directors leave their mark for posterity.

Cannes Old Town

Walking up the old parts of Cannes towards the Église Notre-Dame d'Espérance.

Slim Houses

The view from the top towards some of the horizontally challenged houses.

Organ

The pipes of the organs in the Église Notre-Dame d'Espérance.

Scenes

The church features this display, including blinking lights and moving figures. Cheesy or not, I'll let you judge.

The Red Carpet

The famous red carpet of the Cannes film festival - everyone wants to bath in the glory.

Rooftops

The view from the Citadel in our last destination - St Tropez - shows the colourful roof of the Chapelle de la Miséricorde.

Citadel Occupants

The citadel has a few unexpected habitants, such as these peacocks.

St Tropez Homes

Some of the large villas on the eastern side of the citadel.

St Tropez Port

The port of St Tropez, with a few large yachts in the background.

Sunset

Another view of the port, this time the northerly side with smaller sailing boats.

Sports in the Park

It seems a local sports club uses a sandy park in the city as their practice ground for this Bocce type sport - what's it called?

St Tropez Alleys

The alleys were not particularly busy anymore, the touristy season is coming to an end in late August.

The Local Gang

Ruling the town.

In the Clouds

A church near the Brennerpass over the Alps into Austria on our way back.

Roadtrip

Over 2000km later, we were not in the best state of mind anymore.

Lunar Eclipse & Blood Moon over Dubai

July 27th saw the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century, which - astronomically speaking - should have been perfectly visible over Dubai. Unfortunately it was one of the very rare summer days where the sky was cloudy, making for some dramatic moments, but mixed with the usual haze not creating the best environment for taking good photos. Below the results nonetheless. These were shot in the DIFC area after having scouted out the location the day earlier using the Photo Pills app (which is amazing).

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A Day Earlier

The full moon passing Burj Khalifa's spire, a day before the lunar eclipse.

Between the Spires

The lunar eclipse progressing to about 1/3 and seen between the spires of the Address Boulevard Hotel.

Passing Burj Khalifa

Progressing to around 2/3 and passing the Burj Khalida (I switched the vantage point for this angle).

Next to Burj Khalifa

The blood moon next to the tallest building in the world.

On the Ledge

This was the shot I was actualy aiming for, but the clouds and hazy weather didn't quite bring out the moon as intended.

Blood Moon

Early into the full lunar clipse which lasted over an hour, this was one of the few moments where there were little clouds.

The Fossil Rock Area

In July 2018 I took another drive into the UAE deserts, this time heading out to Sharjah's famous Fossil Rock area, a beautiful rock formation around the town of Maleha. While not as dark as other spots in the UAE (and therefore not ideal for Milky Way spotting), it makes for an amazing place to venture out at night. Aside from the natural beauty of the rocks dotted into the desert dunes, we spotted a desert fox and scorpions as well. 

 

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Flashlight

In fact - it wasn't as I missed to take it along, which is a mistake if you venture out into the desert at night. Luckily, today's phones have good flashlights built in.

Rock Formations

The Camel Rock is located just off the small town of Maleha, which surprisingly houses very signficant architectural discoveries of the human journay through the Arabian peninsula.

Faint Milky Way

While visible with the naked eye, there is quite a bit of light pollution, making the Milky Way only a faint glow.

Energy

Development doesn't stop in the desert, so large power masts cross the area.

Camel Rock

This rock formation in the middle of the dunes makes for amazing photos. Looks more like a dragon to me.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi

 

In May 2018 I visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which finally opened in November 2017, almost 10 years after the original announcement. While I am certainly no art aficionado, it was worth the wait for its architectural features alone. At 60DHS, it's worth a visit - or probably two, as I want to go back one more time during the day.

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The Path

The first exhibit. One of the main objectives of the museum is to bridge the art gap between East and West.

Shadows

Coincidental shot. Of course I got someone to get this shot of myself too.

Sunset

This time of the day is actually - despite the amazing light - not the best to visit the museum. The roof structure casts its most impressive shadows and light beams around noon time.

Bokeh

So many angles and opportunities for photos.

Ramadan Rush

Or not - it was certainly not busy around 7pm right before Iftar, but I did hear the museum gets queues on weekends.

Shapes

The round roof contrasts with the rectangular shapes of the buildungs underneath.

Tidal Pools

The museum was designed to appear to be located in the sea, with pools filling as the tide changes.

Roof

Its design is meant to represent rays of sunlight coming through palm tree fronds.

Details

A lot of attention was placed on all design elements, from the roof to the signage, with custom iconography and an elegant use of all three relevant languages. The Arabic font is a custom design.

Exhibits

Admittedly I am not an art expert, but the museum incorporates some interesting artifacts.

Inside

At a medium pace it probably takes around 2-3 hours to see everything.

Details

One of the exhibits.

Artifacts

US$747m were set aside for the museum to be associated with the Louvre name and receive loan and special exhibit pieces.

Interior

The design of the interior is elegant and simple.

Collection

The permanet collection is about 6,000 square metres

Self Portrait

Van Gogh's self portrait is on loan from the Louvre in Paris.

Fountain of Light

Creasted by chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

The Roof

The exterior is equally as impressive as the artworks. The roof is made of sheets of metal in multiple layers, creating stars of different shapes and sizes.

Floating

The supporting pillars for the 7000 tonne dome are cleverly hidden, given the impression of a floating roof.

Logo

Representing the museum's most distinctive feature.

Inside and Outside

The exterior also features several exhibits.

Night View

The lack of sunlight is compensated with halogen lights of varying temperature.

Outside View

The building is literally floating in water.

The Rain Room - Sharjah Art Foundation

The Rain Room opened in May 2018 and is part of the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection and the first of a series of artist-designed permanent spaces. It's meant to illustrate humanity's interaction with nature by inviting you to walk through a downpour of continuous rain without getting wet. Learn more here

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Not on your Head

2,500 litres of self-cleaning recycled water run through the installation.

Walking Inside

The Rain Room is designed to immerse visitors at the intersection of art, technology and nature.

Rain

As you walk through the room, sensors track your movement so you don't get wet - unless you move too quickly.

Backlight

A single light makes the drops visible as you navigate through the otherwise dark room.

Permanent

The work has previously been on view at the Barbican, London, MoMA, Shanghain and LA before finding a permanet home in Sharjah.

Bare

The Rain Room building in Sharjah has been designed by Sharjah Art Foundation as a permanent installation. It's simple conrete and steel architecture supports the experience well.

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Macau - The Las Vegas of Asia, but not only

 

When you're in Hong Kong, it's hard not to consider a trip over to the Macau, the other "Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" just across the South China sea, about 1h by ferry. While often seen as the new gambling capital of the world, the city actually has a little more to offer with its unique Portuguese influences that can at times make you feel like in Europe. Worth the trip and 2 days well spent (including winning at Roulette, as always).

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Macau Views

As seen from the Sofitel Hotel at Pointe 16 in the old city parts. The architectural atrocity that is Lisboa Palace Casino in the background.

Sign Factory

In case you decide to open a McDonald's tomorrow.

St Anthony's Church

Owing to the Portugese history, there are several Christian churches in the city. Macau only fully transfered its souvereignty from Portugal in 1999.

Got to Look Good

For the big casino night!

Lunch Time

A stylish restaurant in a somewhat unexpected location.

Templo de Na Tcha

A small shrine near the ruins of St Paul's.

Just the Right Angle

Taken from the hillside fort, which was built by the Jesuits in the early 17th century.

Above the Ruins

The sunset view from the fort over the ruins of the St. Paul's church.

Sunset Views

Macau lies on the peninsula formed by the Zhu Jiang and the Xi Jiang rivers.

St Paul's Church Ruins

The 17th century complex is part of the Unesco World Heritage site of the Historic Centre of Macau.

Sensory Confusion

Cobblestone pavements with southern European architecture and narrow alleys give the city a surprisingly medittaranean feel at times - if you choose to ignore the large Casinos.

Ruins on the Hill

While maybe by itself not one of the most significant historical artifacts, the utter unexpectedness of seeing this in Macau made an impression on me.

The Mix

Macau is a city of unusual combinations, with its Portugese heriate, the modern Casino buildings, the typical Chinese crowded city atmosphere, all topped with quiet temples on the city's hillsides.

Flair

What looks like it could be in the Venetian with its fake blue sky is actually the Largo Do Senado square, the main pedestrian area of Macau.

Casinos

The city is now often referred to as the gambling capital of the world.

Nightlights

The traditional European street lights created a unique flair when walking Macau's old city roads at night.

Black Swan

Spotted in the Giant Panda Pavllion park area.

Monkey Business

Part of the Giant Panda park are also a few other animal enclosures, which can be seen free of charge.

The Giant Panda

Macau's Giant Panda Pavillion, home to four of these amazing bears, costs just over 1$ to visit.

Meal Time

Since the Pandas were in siesta mode when we came to the Pavillion the first time, we decided to go back after their lunch was served. Unsurprisingly they were way more active then, munching on part of their 20kg per day bamboo intake.

Shade

Many Asians wear sunhats to prevent their skin from getting tanned. While this may be because it is more in line with the traditional perception of beauty in China or Korea for example, it also reduces the risk of skin cancer, which is far less common in Asia compared to Western countries.

A-Ma Cultural Village

A short ride up the hill from the Panda Pavillion lies the beautiful temple of Tin Hau.

Stone Works

I a saw a similar photo in the breakfast room of the Sofitel, which was reason enough to go and explore the temple. Worth it for sure.

Lucky Dragon Turtle

Throw a coin into the bowl of the shell of this strange animal for good luck. Or hit a goldfish.

Temple Hall

The interior of the main temple with its Buddha collection on the walls

Stone Carvings

Impressive figures carved into the supporting pillars of the temple.

Chips

While the main currency of the region is the Macanese pataca (or short: MOP), you will find this type of money in a lot places as well...

Streets of Taipa

A street of the historical town of Taipa with the Galaxy Macau in the background.

Platform

The view over Cotai - the main casino district - from a nearby viewing platform reachable by almost vertical elevator-style escalator cabins - which are free!

Cotai and Taipa

A panorama over Cotai and the village of Taipa to the right.

Repair works

Being carried out on this overpass. Macau seemed well maintained.

River Views

Anyone know the function of these red ships?

Hong Kong - China, but not really

 

It was finally time to visit more of Asia, which I still haven't explored enough. Hong Kong seemed like a good starting point as any, with the former British territory now officially being a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The city didn't disappoint, with its unique urban character and plenty of opportunities for photography.

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Hong Kong Island

Being a bit of skyscraper geek, the skyline was definitely my favourite part of the city, with its unique blend of sea, highrises and hillsides.

Dog Toilet

A very common sight in Hong Kong in an effort to keep the city clean.

Nan Lian Garden

The city has a few nice gardens, the most beautiful one I got to see is the Nan Lian Garden, just next to the Chi Lin Nunnery.

Chi Lin Nunnery

The Tang dynasty architecture style temple with its flower gardens is worth a visit.

Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple

The actual number is a bit higher, or so they say.

Guess...

.. who gave them money?

The Arhats

The status on the stairs up to the monastery.

Faces

Each statue has different features with unique facial expressions.

Mountain Views

The temple is located north of Lion Rock, with a view over the mountains.

Contrasts

The greenery and hilly landscape makes the skyline's density extra special.

The Pagoda

The monastery - which doesn't actually house monks - opened in 1957.

Choi Hung Estate

The basketball court in front of the coloured building facade is one of Hong Kong's most famous Instagram locations - and it shows with dozens of tourists up there on this weekend day. I chose to go with a slightly different shot, capturing the residents, but you can see the selfie action in the background.

Kowloon Walled City

One of the lesser known stories of Hong Kong. This part of the city became a largey ungoverend enclave in the late 1800s, with the population (and the buildings) rising to 50000 by the 1990s. With a lack of municipal control and high crime rates, the district basically governed itself through organised syndicates.

Remnants

Not much is left today - the area has been converted into a park after the city was demolished in the early 1990s, with only a few monuments reminding visitors of what once stood here.

Greener Pastures

The Walled City park is now filled with greenery.

City Views

The residential high rise architecture style of Kowloon is characterised by slim buildings optimised to house as many units as possible.

Lights

On the other side, the Central district of Hong Kong island with largely hotel and commercial towers presents a colourful architectural diversity.

Central and Wan Chai

The skyline in its full dusk glory.

Nighttime

And an hour later, with the red sailed tourist junk (ancient Chinese sailing ship) crossing the bay.

Light Show

The daily 8pm light show is best viewed from the Tsim Sha Tsui pier, although admittedly it is not particularly impressive.

Chinese Junks

The famous boats with the red sails today act as restaurants and entertainment ships.

Strange Sights

There is something unusual on every corner, such as this abandoned painting in the upper parts of Central.

Wildlife

Who knows the name of this species?

HSBC Tower

The lobby under the HSBC tower (and in general half of Hong Kong island) was filled with Filipinas setting up little personal spaces out of boxes on this particular day - we never found out why.

Trams

The outside view of one of the many double decker trams on Hong Kong island, which started operating in 1904.

Double Decker Tram

Taken from the upper deck of the famous tram line running alongside the coast of Hong Kong island.

Views

A great and affordable way to explore the streets.

Urban Colours

Hong Kong's skyscrapers provide endless patterns.

IFC ||

The IFC II Tower from the roof gardens of the IFC Mall.

Soaring

While architecturally not as quirky as the Bank of China nor as sleek as the ICC, the IFC II tower remains the tallest building on Hong Kong island.

Big Brother

It's only outshone by it's neighbour across the bay, the ICC at 484m, now the 11th tallest building in the world.

Central Escalator

The longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world takes you up slopes of Central - although a few parts are under renovation now, which will be ongoing until 2021.

Couple

Spotted on the path up towards the Jamia Mosque.

Jamia Mosque

The mosque sits surrounded by high rises in muted tones, complemeting its soft green colours.

Porcellain

One of China's main historic exports.

Instagram Hotspot

Another popular Instagram photo is the murals on Graham street - at any given time there'll be 5 or so people posing.

Man Mo Temple

One of the most beautiful temples in Hong Kong.

Closing Time

Unfortunately I only made it there shortly before it closed, so the members were busy cleaning up for the day and removed many of the incense spirals.

Who can translate?

And what are these for?

Detail

The temple origins from the 1800s.

Wishful

Didn't take the chance to try this though.

Diversity

While over 90% of the population are classified as ethnic Chinese, Hong Kong does feel diverse with global tourists and a large expat community,

The Hong Kong Wheel

At just over 60m it isn't particularly high, but does come with a good view over the bay.

Walls

Another photography hotspot is the Fok Cheong building in Quarry Bay - it's easy to see why.

Pink Walls

Another opportunity for a shot that exemplifies Hong Kong's urbanity is the nearby Tak Lee building.

Wall of Windows

The scarcity of land and the need for residential units has resulted in densely built mass housing projects, such as this one.

The True Ruler

Of 16 Hong Shing Street.

Density

Taken from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority educational floor in the IFC, which offers some good (and free) views, albeit with a lot of window reflections.

Lamma Island

... greets you with the view of the three chimneys of one of the largest power plants in Hong Kong.

Harbour

Looking past that though, the island offers a few nice beaches and quiet villages with restaurants offering fresh sea food, just 20min from Hong Kong island.

Car Free

There are no cars on the island, resulting in a bike centered mode of transport.

Wait!

Did I say car free? They do have some type of cars.

Signage

Simple and personal.

People

And so are the people - this farmer had a lot to tell, although I didn't understand a word.

Views

A tourist enjoying the shaded views of the beaches at Lamma island.

Flying

Ornithology certainly isn't one of my specialities - what kind of bird is this?

There is indeed!

Favourite animal.

Dragon Boat Festival

The flags were put up for the Dragon Boat festival, which took place at Lamma just a day before our visit.

The Lion Pavillion

One of the lookouts on Victoria Peak.

Victoria Peak

Often covered by scattered clouds rolling over the hills, this is the highest point on Hong Kong island.

Views

And consequently offers what is arguably the best view over the city, with Central in the foreground and Kowloon on the other side of the bay.

Lookout

The best position - with the fewest crowds - is at Lugard Road lookout, just 15min walk from the Peak tram station.

Soaking it in

The view from the Lugard street lookout.

Dusk

When the sun has set, and the lights come on, Hong Kong shows its magic.

Skyscrapers

Hong Kong is home to over 2700 buildings taller than 100m - the largest number in the world.

Night

The last step in the amazing transition from daylight to nighttime seen from the Peak.

Footbridges

I really enjoyed the large number of footbridges in the city and the general effort to make it pedestrian (and photographer) friendly.

Neon Signs

There isn't a street without them.

Maintenance

And many of these lights need frequent repairs, carried out by guys like him.

Ferry Rides

Crossing the bay with the Star Ferry always makes for nice perspectives.

A Step Forward

With this new law for Hong Kong.

Concert

A creative city.

Decorations

While the omnipresent (and omnidripping) AC units don't make a for a pleasant facade, a surprising effort is placed on making exteriors look presentable, usually with muted colours and simple shapes.

Street Yoga

Caugt this woman engaging in some morning routine.

Contrasts

The high rises stand in sharp contrast with many of the simple low rise sheds still present in some parts of the city, such as the fruit and vegetable market seen here.

Shopping

Hong Kong is a primary shopping destination for many Chinese mainland tourists. Good or bad? Depends who you ask.

Chinese Proverbs

Or something like that.

Need a Goldfish?

The goldfish market in Mong Kok offers all sorts of acquatic and other life in very questionable packaging.

Reptile Food

Or so it seems.

Fish in a Bag

The primary way to sell fresh water fish on the market.

Tough Days

A long day selling on the flower market is what made this woman use her table as a napping spot.

Bamboo Transport

In many places in Asia, bamboo replaces steel or aluminum when building support structures for construction - see some of the later photos for evidence.

Markets

The Mong Kok area is where you'll find many of Hong Kong's busy markets.

Seafood

Including the fish market.

Games

Anyone know the name of this game?

Symmetry

Another one of the photographic highlights of Hong Kong is the Oi Man Estate.

Upwards

A view of the building to provide some perspective, shot with my widest angle lens. Only the odd laundry hanging from the corridor breaks the pattern.

Sunset

From the Star Frerry, with the IFC II in the background.

Back Alley CCTV

Many areas of Hong Kong are fully covered by CCTV, highlighted here by a projection at the entrance of this alley.

Park Gate

The entrance to a small park near the Temple Street night market.

Market Stalls

As seen from a nearby parking building (which is always a good place to get elevated views).

Neon World

A big neon sign just off the night market, tinting the area in pink and purple hues.

Temple Street Night Market

The entrance of the night market, stretching down several blocks.

Organized Chaos

One of the sidestreets in Mong Kok seen from the elevated walk way at Mong Kok road.

Colours

Nights are colorful in the city.

The Dubai Desert - A few impressions of Al Maha

 

In April 2018 I visited the Al Maha Desert Resort, a place I've had on my Dubai to do list for over 10 years. Having been owned and managed by Emirates, it is now operated by Marriott through its Luxury Collection brand. The hotel is set in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, and is definitely one of the nicer ways to explore and experience the beauty of the desert. Below are a few impressions.

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Serenity

Each of the resort's villas comes with its own infinity pool overlooking the desert.

Al Maha Interiors

The villas are kept quite traditional and blend well into the surroundings.

Tent Feeling

The exterior is meant to reflect Bedouin tents.

Yellow

Have not figured out the name of this guy.

The Arabian Oryx

A majestic animal, in its typical pose on top of a dune.

Sand Waves

The sand patterns in the dunes always make for amazing photos.

Horizon

While the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve isn't in fact huge (at just over 200 square km), it's still big enough to not see many signs of civilisation around.

Footsteps

Should make for a few Instagram likes...

Dinner Time

The resort's main restaurant, overlooking the desert.

Sunrise

Had the pleasure to do a 6am morning walk, where it is still cool, and the light is beautiful. Each villa has a field guide that explains the local flora and fauna.

Signs of Life

These walks tell the tales of what happens in the desert at night - it isn't as empty as it would seem on first glance.

Patterns

Most of the area is covered in dunes, but there are a few planes as well.

Differences

Shifting sand dunes in the foreground and the plains in the background, which still show signs of having been under water many thousands of years ago.

Oryx Tracks

There are about 400 Oryx in the DDCR - the breeding program started in the 90s, when this species was almost extinct. Now the species is claissifed as vulnerable, with about 8000 remaining.

Oryx in the Sunrise

The amazing morning light makes them stand out even more in the dunes.

Gazelles

Not as impressive the the oryx, yet still elegant to watch.

Pride

The Arabian Oryx is the national animal of the UAE. You will also find the country's national tree here, the Ghaf tree.

Desert Flowers

Not as barren as it would seem.

Six Senses Zighy Bay - A Musandam Refuge

 

The Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam Peninsula, named after the small fishing town right next to it, just off the UAE boarder at Dibba, has always been on my list of must see places. This April I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the resort. 

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Stuck

Some parts of Zighy Bay and Musandam feel stuck in the past, sometimes willingly, sometimes less so.

The True Rulers

Rumour has it there are more goats than humans in Musandam. Can neither confirm nor deny that.

Bay Views

The north easterly view of the Zighy Bay

Graveyard

The same mountain contains an old village, the remnants of its graveyard are still visible.

Hiking

I joined a group of people on a hike up the mountain - rock climbing is the more appropriate description.

Hidden Bay

The southern view revealed this beautiful empty beach, appearantly owned by a local private person.

Lonely

It's amazing how some of the trees can grow on this soil, with almost no water.

Stone Villages

The ruins of these kind of houses are common in the Hajar mountains - some are still occupied, usually in a slightly more modern form though.

Ruins

The scenery is amazing around every corner. In the past, many of the locals used to live in the mountains on the bay to be able to spot pirates from far away.

Zighy Bay

A view of the bay with the Six Senses in the background, and the houses that were built for the local fishermen alongside the resort, replacing some of the previous stone houses.

Dining On The Edge

One of the restaurants of the hotel is located right on the cliff next to the road crossing the mountain.

Pathways

This path runs to the top of the mountain, for a private dining spot and a great view.

Into the Mountains

We took a drive into the Hajar mountains, with their narrow cliffs and gravel roads.

Riverbed

The colour of the stones reveals the riverbed, filled with water when it rains - which isn't often.

Upwards

The path leading upwards was built by an old local, who still lives on top of the mountains, carrying water and food with a donkey. The small hut is a storage area he built.

Mosque

And the award for the most minimalistic mosque goes to...

Houses & Goats

The few signs of life in the mountains. We did spot two small foxes as well.

Power

A new power line is being built in the north from Khasab to Dibba, to serve most of the Musandam peninsula.

Signs Of Early Civilisation

I am not convinced whether these are genuine - we've been told they're a few hundred years old.

Barren Land

One of he houses still in use in a small village on top of this mountain - most likely for storage.

Signs

Fierce wars were fought decades ago in this area. The remnants are still visible.

Flora & Fauna

Signs of life are sparse.

Scenery

The view and rock shapes and patterns are amazing, this is up at about 1200m, half way to Khasab from Zighy Bay. The photo doesn't do the size of this canyon justice.

Mountain Terraces

Goat territory!

Soaking Up The Views...

.. and trying to find answers.

Not A Bad Spot

The beautiful Zighy Bay beach front villas.

Paragliding

One of the many activities at Zighy Bay - aside from arriving by boat or over the mountain, you can also paraglide to your check in. I was already checked in, but didn't want to miss the opportunity.

Flying

It was my first time, and it was defintely a great experience - unexpectedly we caught a lot of thermal winds, which meant at some point we were higher than when we took off.

Goat Parade

Not sure where they were heading, but they did so in an orderly fashion.

In The Air

While the flight was calm, my pilot decided the descent should be a bit more action packed, with fast circles and a few moments of weightlessness.

Six Senses Zighy Bay

A view of the resort taken from the air. It's a stunning location.

Another Option

If you don't like paragliding, this motorised option also exists.

Mountain Views

The views of the mountains from the sea are stunning.

The Dubai Frame

The Dubai Frame opened on January 1st, 2018, and at 50Dhs only is definitely worth a visit to get a view of the Dubai skyline. Located at Zabeel Park, the 150m tall landmark is intended to frame the older historic parts of Bur Dubai and Karama against the modern metropolis growing westwards. 

The Dubai Frame

Officially opened on January 1st, 2018.

Westward

The view towards the west shows the "new" Dubai.

Eastwards

The other direction, showing the older areas of Bur Dubai and Deira.

People

We went on a Saturday afternoon, and it was definitely quite busy.

Sunset

Offiically you can only stay at the top for 15min, but with some clever sneaking around you can prolong your stay...

Downwards

The view through one of the many glass floors, looking down almost 150m.

Glass Floors

Another view showing the floor and window views.

Framing

Looking through the cladding panels of the skybridge, the shapes of which were inspired by the Expo 2020 logo.

Reflection

The Emirates NBD tower always makes for a nice view at sunset.

Karama Style

A street full of amazing wall art.

Skyline

My favourite in the world.

Spectators

Watching Burj Khalifa in the distance.

Fellow Photographer

And one of the best people all around.

Night Views

Post sunset vibes - the blue hour.

Pink

While nice to look at, the evening illumination inside the skybridge makes for quite a few reflections with the angled windows. Not ideal for photography.

Photographers

There aren't many Dubai spots where you can get these kind of shots.

Looking out

The skyline has literally mushroomed over the last 20 years.

Skybride

A view of the 93m skybridge.

Dubai Frame

The building is 150m high, and its colour changes at night.

NYE 2018 - LightUp2018 - Dubai

Some shots from tonight's LightUp2018 New Year celebration in Downtown Dubai.  

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

New Years Eve 2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

Downtown Dubai - LightUp2018

The iPhone X and the Maldives Underwater World

A week of relaxing in the Maldives with some snorkeling and the iPhone X resulted in the shots below - took the phone under water without a case, around 1-2m deep. These photos were taken at Jumeirah Vittaveli.

Fujairah - The other side of the UAE

 

Took a day trip to Fujairah, passing Masafi Town, Dibba, Khor Fakkan and Fujairah City on the way and stopping at Wadi Shawka on the drive back. Time well spent for sure.

The Friday Market

On the way to Masafi town, coming from the Sharjah / Dubai side.

Roasted Corn

Note the sophisticated wind machine.

Variety

Pots and plants!

The Wise Men

Discussing topics of importance.

Graffiti - Masafi Style

Spotted on the road from Masafi to Dibba

Towns

A small town outside Masafi.

Dibba Harbour

The National Day weekend meant the UAE flag was a common sight.

On the Shores

The Dibba beach.

Camping

Is a common activity in the Eastern Region. Tent designs vary.

Hidden Gems

There's a few beautiful spots on the coast.

Al Badiyah Mosque

Said to be from the 15h century, a few km north of Fujairah City.

Mosque Manners

Shoes off!

Watch Tower

One of the two watch towers overlooking the mosque.

Views

Looking inland from the tower.

Age

Since neither the mosque or the tower used wood, radiocarbon dating was not an option, but in the late 1990s researchers concluded it was more than 500 years old.

Reality Check

Photos can be deceiving. It was the National Day weekend after all, so the ocassional bus load of tourists arrived.

Fujairah Fort

Again the exact time it was built isn't clear, but probably ranges between the 16th and 18th century.

Inside

The fort only opened to the public in 2010.

Views

The fort is a on small hill and you can walk up one of the watch towers to get this view.

Stairs

Not made for modern sized humans.

Doors

Surrounding the fort are remains of a few old mudbrick houses.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The second largest mosque in the UAE, after its cousin in Abu Dhabi named after the same person.

Architecture

65 domes and six minarets, each between 80 and 100 metres tall.

Casual

Cleaning of the largest dome was in progress.

New

The mosque opened in 2015.

Size

It can accommodate 28,000 people.

Shawka Pools

With very little water this time of the year.

Wadi Shawka

Just off the E84 from Fujairah to Sharjah.

Spiky

Typical vegetation in the Hajar mountains

Seasons

In the rainy season, this area will be flowded

Shawka Dam

This area is full of water when it rains - right now, you can use it as a Cricket field.

Hajar Mountains

The beauitful mountain ranges of the UAE.

Worth a Visit

Especially during sunset.

Sofia - "Grows, but does not age"

 

Visited another new city this November - the capital of Bulgaria: Sofia. Commonly listed as one of the oldest cities in Europe, it indeed sports some impressive historical sites dotted around in the city, while there is a clear trend towards modernity. The Soviet legacy is slowly becoming a distant past, although it has certainly not yet disappeared from the cityscape. Also had the chance to visit Rila monastery, about 120km into the mountains - a truly impressive sight. 

Observation

It seems these are used to monitor and contorl traffic, but I've never seen them occupied during my time in Sofia.

Churches and more churches...

I can't remember the name of this one. Anyone? P.S Anyone who mixes cold and warm white bulbs in the same room isn't an acceptable human.

Souvenirs

Of a religous kind. Three quarters of the population follow the Orthodox belief.

As always

No album without at least one cat.

Soviet Remnants

Pins from forgotten times, some interesting football related gems here too.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The most famous church in Sofia from the inside.

Interior

The marble parts and the lighting fixtures were created in Munich, the metal elements for the gates in Berlin, the gates in Vienna, and the mosaics were shipped from Venice.

Details

The church was finished in 1912.

Entry

About 10000 people fit inside.

Contrasts

The museum inside the cathedral.

Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

Just next to the cathedral.

Creepy

There are few weird things in the city...

Sofia Central Mosque

From the 16th century, situated just next to a church and a synagoge.

Is it...

... a museum or a metro station?

The Serdica

This was probably the most interesting area in Sofia. Ruins from Roman times going back almost 2000 years in the middle of the city.

Location

The Serdica area is just next to the Mosque and partly covered by the metro station.

Serdica

Parts of it are underground covered by huge glass domes.

Selfie

With style.

History & Modernity

The small 16th century Sveta Petka Church and the Tzum shopping mall behind.

The light

The entry to the Cathedral Church Sveta Nedelya

Interior

And its inside.

Interior

Another shot of the church which was - probably - built around the 10th century. It was rebuilt a few times.

Church of St. George

Considered the oldest building in Sofia, from the 4th century.

More Soviet Remnats

There are a few for sure.

History of Sofia Museum

Unfortunately I have to say the outside is more interesting than the inside.

Market Hall

Seems to be very common style in eastern Europe, I've seen something similar in Budapest as well.

Facade

The mix of architectural styles is very pronounced in Sofia.

Saint Sofia Monument

Made of copper & brass.

Nezavisimost Square

With the aforementioned glass domes.

Church of St. George

A daylight view from the other side showing the unique location of the church.

Theme Park

A small one at least.

Autumn

One of the beautiful spots of Sofia inside the TZAN courtyard.

History of Sofia Museum

One of the exhibits. 70s starter pack?

Street scenes

A somewhat tyical view.

Cityscapes

A view of the streets around the Lion's bridge.

Jaguar

Visited the zoo as well - a sad visit I must add, it isn't in the best condition.

Lamb's Wool

Could have been useful, although it wasn't too cold yet.

Skyline

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral within the skyline of the city.

Domes

The tallest dome is 53m tall.

Mountain sunset

Sofia sits at the foot of Vitosha Mountain.

Views

View of the cathedral from the Hotel Sense Rooftop Bar, worth a visit.

Full Moon

Sitting behind one of the spires of the art gallery roof.

Boyana Church

Medieval church known for an interior covered in frescos dating from the late 900s.

Trees

One of the giant sequoia trees on the grounds of the Boyana church.

On the lookout

... for food.

Staircases

Inside Rila monastery's Tower of Hrelja, which dates from 1335.

Lookout

Looking east through one of the tower's windows.

Worthwhile

Our tour guide told us it wasn't worth to go up the tower. View proves otherwise.

Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila

The view in the courtyard, looking westwards.

Exterior Frescoes

There's more on the inside, but unfortunately no photography allowed.

Around

The courtyard is surrounded by the 4 floor buildings of the monastery.

Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila

And looking towards the eastern side.

Doors

One of the doors of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

And another one...

Got to love a nice door.

Movie Scene

They were shooting an action scene with burning cars and all the jazz on this Sunday afternoon.

Just chilling

In the City Garden, a popular hangout spot in central Sofia.

Music

Always makes people smile.

Dancing

People dancing to Bulgarian folklore in front of the neoclassical theater of Sofia.

Nightlife

The long pedestrian area towards the Palace of Culture is full of restaurants and bars.

Playing with Fire

The city felt relatively quiet, but it seems people do come out at night...

The Abandoned Plane - A UAE mystery

 

Never stop exploring, and you may just find an abandoned plane at the old Umm Al Quwain airfield. Stopped here on the way back from Jebel Jais in October 2017. 

Front View

The Soviet Ilyushin IL 76, originally registered in the late 1970s.

The Abandoned Plane

One of the stranger sights in the UAE - the abandoned plane near the old Umm Al Quqain airfield.

The Story

... isn't so clear. It's an Ilyushin IL 76 and landed in 1999.

Exploring

It's a great place to explore and get some photos though.

Armenia - A weekend of history

 

Spent an amazing long weekend in Armenia. As with Georgia, the country offers a very unique atmosphere on the gateway to Asia, with a rich history and amazing landscapes. Really enjoyed exploring it, perfect for a short trip from Dubai.

This is a hotel?

We were supposed to stay here, but - luckily one might say - they overbooked and didn't have our second room, so we moved.

The Ride

Not what we rented - but a very typical type of car in Armenia

Wine, anyone?

These huge wine barrels were in the basement of the Areni winery.

Stones

These weigh up to 10 tons. Some of them have holes which are said to make whistling sounds in the wind.

The Armenian Stonehenge

Or that's what the tourist lore says...

Carahunge

This is the real name of the area, which is said to have been a necropolis or observatory site more than 4000 years ago.

Tatev Monastery

The 9th century monastery, about 4h drive from Yerevan.

Candles

People were lighting candles in all the monasteries we visited.

Interior

The inside looking towards the dome.

Location

The monastery can be reached by the world's longest reversing cable car, crossing all the way to the opposite mountains.

Side view

The location of the monastery and the view around it are truly breathtaking.

Olive Press

The restored olive press in the monastery and some of its artifacts.

Khndzoresk

The stone city, with its artificial caves.

Crossing

This rope bridge crosses the canyon from the other side to the caves.

Renovations

The view is only spoilt by some ongoing renovations on the monastery buildings. Necessary evil, given their age.

View

Another view of the whole area.

Eerie

Old Khdzoresk Church in between the caves.

Caves

The caves were inhabited until the 1950s.

Baker Street

Entrance to a bar in Yerevan.

Landscapes

The barren brown autumn landscape had a very special atmosphere.

Sad sights

Not uncommon.

The Temple of Garni

The 2000 year old temple is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia

Gorge(ous)

It's located just on the cliff of this beautiful gorge.

Standing

After its reconstruction in the 1970s.

Cliffs

Overlooking the surrounding landscape.

Light

The roof has a whole where the sun shines throgh in the centre, creating some interesting effects.

Nature

While there was not a lot of greenery left from the summer, the rivers kept some of the landscape full of colour.

Geghard Interiors

Lucky moment as the sun was shining through the door on the cross.

Cross

The cross in the rocks near Geghard monastery.

Artifacts

The mountains around the monastery feature various small chapels another other remnants attracting pilgrims.

Geghard

The monastery was built around a spring in the mountains - part of it now runs through the actual church building.

Jamatun

The rock cut champer.

Location

The monastery literally sits in the mountain.

Birds

A view of the Sevanavank monastery at Lake Sevank, north of Yerevan.

Sevanavank

With its two churches Surp Arakelots (left) and Surp Astvatsatsin (right).

Views

The monastery used to be on an island, but since then the water level fell to turn it into a peninsula.

Noratus cemetery

With Khachkars (cross stones) dating back to the 10th century.

Chapel

There are two small chapels on the cemetary.

Company

We were all alone - except this woman.

Sunset views

The view from the cemetary at sunset.

Another one...

I didn't get tired of the churches and monasteries. This one is called Hayravank, from the late 9th century.

Yerevan Street Life

Was surprisingly lively.

Sculpture Fernando Botero, Gatto

Or: The fat cat.

Cafesjian Center for the Arts

With its many statues and installation.

The Cascade

Seen from the bottom, with some of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts installations.

Views over Yerevan

From the Cascade. On a clear day, you get to see mount Ararat from here. No luck for me.

Yerevan Opera

From the northern side.

Fruits & Vegetables

Armenia is famous for them and they are on sale everywhere.

Obligatory

Need to add a photo of a real cat to the statue.

Zoravor Surp Astvatsatsin Church

A long name for what is the oldest church in Yerevan, from 1694.

Kond

One of the three original oldest districts of Yerevan.

Different

A very different style of city than just a few hundred meters further.

Contrasts

The Kond district - which doesn't seem like the right place for this car.

Lunch Time

Like in Georgia, there's a lot of good food to enjoy in Armenia.

Stone Houses

Houses in Kond are made of old stones and bricks.

Hrazdan Stadium

Built just on the cliffs of the gorge of the same name.

Hrazdan Gorge

And one of the bridges crossing it.

Armenian Genocide Monument

Truly a captivating place.

Yerevan Views

Looking across the gorge.

Flame

Paired with some very haunting music, the place feels special.

Sky

Looking up from inside the monument, which was built in the 1960s.

The Monument

The pure concrete stone created bare atmosphere.

Sad Truth.

The Armenia Genocide feels underrepresented in people's mindset, despite being a truly tragic occurance.

Interiors

Of the museum.

Reading

The museum explains the events well. Worth a visit.

And back...

A 3h flight from Dubai, and definitely worth it.

Singapore & A Day Trip to Bintan (Indonesia)

Had the chance to visit Singapore a second time, more than 10 years after the first visit. Definitely a city I could live in. Only an hour by ferry is the island of Bintan, belonging to Indonesia. Perfect for a day trip and full of peculiar and amazing sights. 

 

Panorama from Marina Barrage

Definitely a spot worth visiting.

Universal Singapore

A view over the Hollywood and Sci-Fi areas of the park, as well as the world's tallest dueling coasters.

Supertree Grove

The famous Supertrees at Singapore's Garden by the Bay behind Manila Bay.

Falls

The Cloud Mountain in one of the two domes in Gardens by the Bay. Worth a visit.

Cheshire Cat

Never stop smiling.

Dragon

Reminds me of the dragons from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

National Flower

Singapore's national flower is the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid.

Rose

Interesting geometry.

Playground

Kids (and me) could draw vehicles on papers, scan them, and they would appear moving on the projected back wall. Totally cool.

Puzzles

Arrangement required.

Balloon Fun

Another installation at the Art Meets Science exhibit.

Future World

The ArtScience Museum by the Marina Bay Sands showcased Future World: Where Art Meets Science, including this really cool installation.

Atmosphere

The installation included a la Arrival / Interstellar and the occasional burst of fast moving light flashes. I think I spent 30min there.

Wise Words

Harry Kroto won his Nobel Prize for discovering fullness. Don't ask me what it means.

ArtScience Museum

At sunset seen from the Helix bridge. The museum opened in 2011.

Downtown Core

The Singapore skyline, seen from the Helix bridge.

N

One letter of the Art and Science Museum

Supertree Grove

Seen from the Marina Bay Sands roof at night.

Supertree Grove & Cloud Forest

The park was part of the plan to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden"

Textures

Green, concrete, glass, culture, business, old and new in synergy - Singapore.

Portal

Try and run towards the light.

AC Galore

Singapore is hot and humid. The result is here.

Interior

The inside of the temple during an ongoing ceremony.

Prayers

The ongoing mumbling during the proceedings had a somewhat soothing effect.

Monk

The monk in the central position during the ceremony.

10000 Buddhas

At the roof of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Just chilling.

Obligatory cat shot.

Gambling

Traditional gambling is highly regulated in Singapore - not this type of street games though. Anyone knows what it is?

Free Cut

Free haircuts for the homeless and elderly in the Chinese quarter.

Inventive Laundry

I wonder how much gets lost.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Worth a visit for sure.

Great Offers

I didn't take advantage.

Sri Mariamman Temple

Unfortunately the temple was closed for cleaning.

Park Royal Towers

With their built in sky gardens.

Little flat iron

A building in the old district by the Boat Quay.

Tiny McDonald's

Maybe the smallest one I've seen.

Fishy Dreams

On the way up to Singapore's cat cafe. The one in Dubai is nicer!

Stamford Raffles

The founder of Singapore in the early 19th century.

Reflections

An installation near the Victoria theatre.

Contrasts

Looking towards Downtown Core and it's low rise buildings on the Singapore river.

St Andrew's Cathedral

Early gothic style and originally opened in 1861.

Interiors

The colorful windows create an interesting atmosphere.

Greenery

Singapore's flora is really amazing in parts.

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

From the 1850s.

Bliss

The place was full of local families and kids, and it seems every weekend the sky is filled with dozens of kites. Great view.

Fireworks

Unfortunately I missed a much better view by a few minutes. Every Saturday in July, fireworks take place in preparation for National Day.

Lonely Swimmer

The very early morning is the only time you'll see the Marina Bay Sands pool this empty.

Sunrise

Looking east from the Marina Bay Sands rooftop.

Sunset

Looking west over the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool.

Marina Bay Sands

In all likelihood the most famous infinity pool in the world.

Sentosa Island

Looking down at Sentosa island, Singapore's entertainment district, from the cable car that transports you to the island.

Universal

The signature entrance.

ArtScience Musem

Seen from the other side of the bay.

Lantern

The rooftop at the Fullerton Bay hotel, with it's pool.

Attractions

Singapore Flyer, ArtScience Museum and Marina Bay Sands seen from the Fullerton Bay.

Fullerton Bay Poolside

A relaxing place in the concrete jungle.

Downtown Core & Merlion

Singapore's mascot and it's skyline in the background.

Lightshow

The daily fountain and light show attracts lot of people on the other side of the bay.

Merlion

Singapore's mascot comes with a few stories. For example, it was relocated in 2002, and in 2009 it was struck by lighting.

Moonset

The moon was setting in the late evening during my time in Bintan, just coming down behind the Ghost Ship shortly after sunset.

Construction Site

It was brought to Bintan a few years ago to turn it into a hotel. The work is ongoing and the hotel is expected to open in 2018.

MV Doulos

The ship was built in 1914 and held the record for the oldest active ship roaming the oceans.

The Ghost Ship

Close to the main ferry terminal is the "Ghost Ship" of Bintan.

Colours

The color and clarity of the water comes from the filtering of the stone.

Transformation

Most of the site used to be a quarry, and now looks like sand dunes of the desert.

Out of this World

Walking around here felt like another planet.

Rock Formations

Definitely one of the most interesting landscapes I've had the chance to photograph.

Hills

The landscape surrounding the lagoons is natural though, and certainly looks unique.

Sand & Salt

... makes up the landscape in this area of the island.

Danau Biru Lagoon

These amazing lagoons are not actually natural, but evolved out of the wholes dug when the land used to reclaimed Changi airport in Singapore was dug out of Bintan island.

500 Lohan Temple

The entrance to the temple, which in its current form only opened in 2017.

500 Arahats

500 lifelike status of the perfected persons following the buddhist religion, displayed at the 500 Lohan Temple. Worth a visit.

Cemetary

Close to the church is a cemetery with colorful gravestones.

Island Church

Despite the largely muslim population, there's a church on the island near the Grotto Santa Maria, originally built in the 1800s by a Dutch pastor.

Path of Jesus

One of the weirdest religious monuments I've encountered so far - deep in the jungle of Bintan is a path depicting the 14 stations of the cross.

Lunch time

Soup with chicken feet. Tasted good, or so they said.

Smiles

Although with a few missing teeth.

Dried Fish

Locals preparing fish to be dry in the sun.

Coal Factory

Up until a few years ago, locals still used these to burn mangroves to turn it into coal and export it. Mangroves are since protected by law.

Fishermen's Village

Bintan island is still home to a local population of gypsies, a few hundred of them permanently live on the sea.

Drying Fish

The locals dry young fish in the sun for later consumption.

Floating House

Local fishermen live in floating houses.

Island Bliss

Fisherboats on the beach of Bintan Island.

Baby Squid

Caught alongside the school of young fish.

Bintan Resort Beach

The island has a few nice resort areas, but there's a lot more to explore... look further!

Human vs Natural Palm Trees

You judge who wins.

Budapest - 1 Day in Buda, 1 Day in Pest...

 

Another short city break - this time to the city of Budapest, Hungary on the river Danube. Spent two days in amazing weather exploring this historic place.

The Aria Rooftop

Stayed in this hotel mainly for its rooftop view.

Aria Lobby

But it also has a music theme and someone playing the piano each day - what's not to like?

From Above...

This is a type of fountain in central Budapest, near the St Stephen Basilica.

... and below

And this is what's below - absolutely loved this and the atmosphere especially with the sunlight patterns was really soothing.

Street Life

The area just next to the aforementioned fountain cafe.

Fly

A skate park just next to the fountain.

Walk to wisdom

A priest walks towards the entrance of the St Stephen Basilica.

Miniature Gang

Visited the miniature wonderland...

Visitors

... which had some intriguing artifacts on display.

Mixed Reality.

Houses and.. what?

Miniature Wonderland

While nicely done, I guess it can't compete to the one in Hamburg which I really want to see soon.

Control Centre

Probably one of the coolest jobs out there.

Organs

Was lucky enough to be able to listen to an organ player in one of the city's many churches - love the sound of this instrument. Sing Hallelujah!

Underground

I always wonder what's below the old churches in many European cities - at the Parish Church they put glass windows into the ground to see it, and you could walk into the church basements.

Dark Clouds

Looming over the house of god. A sign?

Sun is out

Had great weather for all three days - here's a view over the Danube river towards the Buda castle.

Fisherman

A man fishing on the shores of the Danube.

Gellert Caves

The Buda side of Budapest is full of natural caves - some of them accessible.

The Pest Side

The pest side of Budapest at sunset.

Partial Selfie.

All you get.

Local Dance

Ran into an event where some local girls performed a typical Hungarian dance with bottles on their head. Not sure what this signifies.

Parliament at Sunset

The Hungarian parliament building shortly after sunset.

Hungarian Parliament

And one more shot, once the lights were on, with one of the many cruise and dinner ships passing by on the Danube.

Local Food

I didn't get to try a lot of local food, but can always recommend Hungarian Salami!

Watch out

A statue of someone (?) on October 6th street.

Model

A model in of the St Stephen's church.

Stairs

Couldn't resist walking up to the top - 300 steps!

At the top

And the view you get as a reward.

Not quite stable.

While generally a well maintained and clean city from what I saw, some parts need extra fixing.

Mathias Church

Seen from the St Stephen's basilica roof. The questionable architecture of the Hilton just next to it.

The Dome

The inside of the St Stephen's basilica dome.

Crossing Bridges

A monument near the Hungarian parliament. Couldn't figure out what it represents.

The Parliament

Definitely the most impressive building in Budapest.

Rings

Budapest applied for the 2024 Olympic Games.

The Logo

And here is the logo and its meaning.

Cave Church

A church inside Gellert Hill, formerly used as a monastery and hospital during the second world war.

Wood

One of the artifacts of the church, hand carved in wood.

Salami Land

Did I mention Hungary is famous for Salami?

Central Market Hall

With lots of local produce over three stories.

Colours

Things I rarely eat.

When your food smiles at you

A little too literally.

Movable Book Store

Couldn't find much in English though.

Writing

What better place for drafting your next novel?

Dohány Street Synagogue

The inside of the Moorish Synagogue in Budapest.

Synagogue Interiors

If I'm not mistaken this was the first time I ever entered a Synagogue.

Memorial

A second world war memorial and cemetery is outside the church.

Strange Places

Szimpla Kert, possibly the weirdest pub I've ever seen with its random interior and artifacts. On the other hand, seemingly the most popular bar in the city.

Interiors 1

No comment.

Interiors 2

No further comment.

Interiors 3

Still no comment.

Contrasts

On the other side of the spectrum, this is the interior of New York cafe.

New York Cafe

Renaissance style and opened in 1894.

Reflections

Part of the Fisherman's bastion reflecting in the nearby Hilton hotel.

Framed

The Matthias church seen through some of the windows at the Fisherman's Bastion.

Castle District

A road in the castle district at sunset.

Posing

Some girls were posing at the Holy Trinity statue in front of the Matthias church.

Change your Focus

To get a new perspective. The chain bridge in the background.

Buda Castle at Night

Buda Castle seen from the Pest side of the Danube, just next to the Chain bridge.

Chain Bridge

And here's the view towards the right.

Budapest Eye

Budapest's ferris wheel.

Matthias Church Tower

Of course I had to walk up this one as well, 200 stairs only this time.

Progress

More than half way.

The View

And the view looking east. Note the roof tiles of the church.

Tiles

The tiles were replaced in the 90s during a renovation, but some of the original ones can still be seen in the church.

Chimneys

Seems like there's a lot of fireplaces in the houses in the castle district.

Matthias Church Interior

The inside of the church. Unfortunately the light wasn't great and it was very crowded and noisy.

Windows

Some of the beautiful glass windows - spoilt by the strange hanging lamps that were installed.

Music

Original sheets by Franz List, one of the most famous Hungarian composers from the 19th century.

Hospital in the Rock

The entrance is in the castle wall and the hospital's rooms were built from the natural rock. It was used as a hospital in the second world war.

The Birds of Hiroshima

During the Cold War, the hospital was upgraded as a nuclear bunker and currently hosts an exhibition - the origami cranes intend to remind of Sadako Sasaki, who folded them in the hospital before dying from the effects of the bomb.

The Chain Bridge

View from Buda castle, with the St Stephen basilica in the background.