Three in Explore

Waiting for the tram
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I'm very happy. This photo just made it onto Explore over at flickr. Very few of my photos have been so successful - the other two that make up the complement of my work there are from the India trip two years ago. Go me!

I'm also up to 87 different photos being "favourited" by the flickr community, which makes me very proud. The one of Oscar flying through the air is up to 10 favourites and is my most popular shot, even though a lot of people don't seem to really like the image itself. But then, it is a photo of Oscar, so what's not to love?

Tram number 15, Nowa Huta

Tram number 15, Nowa Huta
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

This could well be my favourite shot of all those I've taken since coming to Krakow. I'm quite pleased with myself for having taken it, but at the same time a lot of credit goes to the immense amount of pollution around the steelmill where this photo was taken.

As I was walking back along the tramline I noticed my photographing exploits were not meeting with much admiration from truck drivers and other passers-by. In fact, on several occasions I'd just about steadied myself for a shot when there would be a loud horn blown practically in my face by a passing truck. I later learnt that the part of Krakow I was venturing around isn't frequented very often by tourists, and that the best word to describe the locale is "dodgy". Oh well, I at least got some good photographs out of it.

What picasa sees

What picasa sees
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I can't believe I've picked up some sensor dirt again already. Well, actually, I can very well believe it, considering that I changed lenses out in the middle of nowhere (Nowa Huta) on the side of a most polluted road by the most polluting steelworks. Still, the photos were good so it was worth it.

I can't believe I spent so long happily breathing in this muck. I'm surprised I can breathe at all now. I should have worn one of those Chinese face masks. Thank you picasa, thank you so very much for showing me what was in that cloud of smoke that poured so incessantly from the steel mill smoke stack.

I saw Casino Royale the other day, and now I want to see it again. It was as excellent a film as I could possibly have hoped, and far more excellent than anything since Goldeneye. Parts of it were just brutal, and that's what I think Bond needed to become - brutal. Just like in the book Fleming wrote half a century or so ago.

Smoke rising, Nowa Huta steelworks

Smoke rising, Nowa Huta steelworks
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I went back to Nowa Huta today. Scott and I first went there on the CELTA course a few months ago, but this time I let the tram go all the way to its terminus. I walked for about an hour and a half towards Nowa Huta proper then, passing the old and new steelworks.

The old works looked at first sight to be abandoned, the buildings all grey and brown and decayed, most of the windows smashed. But I was wrong. From several chimneys rose plumes of smoke, and it was obvious that this, one of Poland's largest steelworks, was working despite, or in spite of, appearances.

Closer to Nowa Huta itself, the works look newer and shinier, but less interesting. The decayed relics of industry impressed me, though not my lungs, and definitely not my camera. On one or two shots I've noticed that there is some sensor dirt that needs dealing with; I had this problem in Peru and thought I'd dealt with it.

Enjoying Krakow

Young Cracovians in love
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I'm beginning to feel settled in Krakow now. The weeks pass with ease, as they should, being only four days in length. Today's the first day of my weekly three-day weekend, which is reason enough to celebrate. I'm sorting out tax issues, and then later I'll head over to Nowa Huta to see what that's all about.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try to get out of Krakow. Much as I like it here, I've not left in the past three months, save for a brief foray out to Oswiecim (Auschwitz to you or I), and I feel like I did coming home from Japan having explored no more than Nagano, Nagoya and Tokyo.

Organising Flickr

Sammy ponders life in Miami
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I've really grown into Flickr in a big way. So much so in fact that I've deleted all of my South America pictures from my photostream, in order to go back over all of them and edit and crop them so that they're just right. Then I'll be able to share just my best photographs rather than a million competent ones, which will be much better.
I'm also getting ready to move again - this time to Poland for a month to do the CELTA. Turns out I've been mispronouncing the name of the course, saying it with a hard "c" rather than the "c" in "celeron." Oh well.

Best trip ever!

The gang, overlooking Lake Titicaca
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I'm back - I have been for a while - and I have to say, here indeed is a contender for the best trip I have ever been on.

It really was so much better than I had anticipated. The stop-over in Miami was long enough to go and explore South Beach; La Paz was extraordinarily beautiful when viewed from El Alto; the ruins were fine and not too many that I suffered from ruin-fatigue; the hiking was marvellous and strangely refreshing; the food was delightful, and I had some of the best seafood ever in Lima; Cusco was picturesque and belonged to the locals far more than I had thought; and Machu Picchu... well, what can one say? It lives up to the hype and then some, and the climb up Wayna Picchu was simply outstanding.

So the question really is, where to next?

Packing

rises
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I've now started packing for the trip. I want to take as much camera equipment as I can manage, but since I know I'll have to carry it I also don't want to take anything more than two lenses and a tripod. I need the latter because I might be able to get to Machu Pichu early in the morning to do a long exposure, and also it is cheap and light and doesn't count for much. However, the question is which lenses to take? I should really take the standard lens because it has the widest field of view - again very useful for Machu Pichu. I should also take one of my telephoto lenses, probably the physically smaller Nikon one, because then I can do proper people shots with the blurred background. The real question then is this: do I take the macro lens and try and find space for it in my luggage? This is a very hard subject to settle, because my camera bag only has room for two lenses, not three, and I don't want to risk getting any of my lenses damaged. What to do, what to do...

Just over a week...

insidered
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

In a little more than a week I'll be jetting off again, this time to South America. I'm travelling with Explore to see if they're any good, and I'll be visiting Bolivia and Peru. I got worried a few months back that the Peruvian government was going to make it harder for people to get to Machu Picchu so I thought I'd best get my boots on and skip town quickly before my chance was gone. No worries really, though.
This will be the first time that I'll have travelled south of the equator, though I'll be taking my time getting there - including a silly stop-over in Miami, it's a twenty-three hour trip.

Photos, Photos

spiderlike2
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

My new macro lens finally arrived today. I took it out with me after work and in the space of 16 minutes (I checked the date stamps on the files) I managed to take 114 photographs. Now obviously you haven't got time to look at 114 photographs but I have gone to the trouble of uploading some of them so if you don't mind...

And in case you're wondering, the lens is a Sigma 50mm macro, and it is beautiful. I should take a photo of it sometime, it's that great. It has this little gold band at the top by the lens cap, and it feels weighty and substantial like it means something. It is easily the best lens I've got, even though it cost as much as a good compact camera (ouch). I love macro photography, so it'll get enough use to justify its pricetag - by the end of the week I should think.

Getting Flickr'd

A monumental view of Helsinki's cathedral
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I'm slowly getting up-to-date with my travels on Flickr. With any luck I'll have all my photos uploaded by the time I head off down to South America.
I'm loving my new Nikon D50 like you wouldn't believe (unless you're from Dixons in which case you'll probably be sick of hearing about it). I took 170 photos today alone, all of them of Hector and Oscar in the paddling pool. Maybe one or two of those will be worth showing, and given time they'll be on flickr too, but the priority still lies with the pictures. Check them out.

Bratislava

Bratislava Castle
Originally uploaded by soylentgreen23.

I'm back from my latest travels, and now the list properly stretches to 23. As a kind of spur-of-the-moment act, I popped over to Bratislava in Slovakia for a day and a night, and have thus added that country to my list.

I've finally sorted out my paypal account, and with that done I've proceeded with upgrading my flickr subscription to the pro level, giving me 2Gb of bandwidth to use each month. I have a feeling it's going to be a busy few weeks ahead, uploading all my old sets and then putting little descriptions in with everything. I've spent most of today doing it and I'm about 4% done...

Budapest Parliament

Budapest Parlament
Originally uploaded by Citroën Guy.

It has been a long, long time since I last posted anything here, which is a real shame. My poor, long suffering audience - I can understand why you've chosen not to comment spam me in the intervening months.

This picture shows where I'm going next - Budapest, the Hungarian capital. This time next week, and I'll be there. I've also booked a further trip abroad for June - Peru and Bolivia courtesy of Explore.

I'm 27 full years old in the summer - by the time I get back from Lima no less - so how am I doing with the ol' fifty in fifty plan? Here's how (looking ahead to the completion of the trips I've paid for but haven't quite completed yet - in bold):

1. Austria


2. Belgium


3. Bolivia


4. Canada


5. Czech Republic


6. Denmark


7. Estonia


8. Finland


9. France


10. Germany


11. Hungary


12. India


13. Italy


14. Japan


15. Latvia


16. Lithuania


17. Portugal


18. Peru


19. Spain


20. Sweden


21. Switzerland


22. Ukraine


23. United Arab Emirates, The


24. United States of America, The

EUR05: This is the end, oh beautiful friend, the end.

Hamburger Rathaus
Originally uploaded by Christoph Hoerl.

Shit. Saigon. Wait, no, that's a different movie. Well, you get the idea. My original plan to travel down to Turkey from Scandinavia has been scrapped, and for these very good reasons:

• Money: I've spent too much and would rather spend no more.
• Weather: parts of Europe flooded, you say? The parts I want to see?
• Fatigue: in India it was fortress fatigue; the first time around Europe it was museum fatigue. This time, I just feel tired. This could well be the last time I attempt anything as big as this solo - Soylent Green needs people!

Which brings me to the end, Hamburg, Germany, out of which I fly on Tuesday. I'll write a follow-up sometime, get some pictures onto flickr once they're edited, and get on with my life. It has been fun though.

EUR05: Country 7, Denmark

Nyhavn
Originally uploaded by tomhe.

Okay, so I've decided to change my plans. I'm no longer heading towards Turkey, for the simple reason that I've reached my tolerance for new things. Instead, I've taken a flight from Vilnius to Copenhagen, where I am right now, and in the afternoon I'll be getting on a sumptuously upholstered train to Hamburg in Germany.

Yes, I've been to Germany already so it won't be as new as, say, Poland. But I think it's the right thing to do, so that I can one day come back and do justice to the countries I've missed out on this time.