Being a hermit

It's not too bad to be in hermit-mode for a while, which is what I have been doing. I have been at home for past weekends, working on publishing my film photo book about Marseille.

It's a childhood dream of mine to see a book being published, and I'm glad that there were so many kind beings each step of the way, helping me with film knowledge, travelers who showed me a new way to experience traveling and also hosting me, photography enthusiasts young and old who showed me what they knew. Writers and book authors who encouraged me while honing their craft. Finally, this is the final step - I have launched a crowdfunding campaign that would be a great way to validate the idea. I know crowdfunding campaigns are tough but I will put on an armor and fight for my dream!

I can understand a little bit now about the hard-won small successes by entrepreneurs and everyone who is fighting a different battle in life... ... it is not easy to build something for years... Having recently gone through an emotional upheaval, it was surprising that it became a catalyst for me, to really know what I want to try to do. Sometimes, I always get caught up in the hundred things I need to do in work, in my small daily needs that I lose sight of the mountains that are calling me over. I believe I can make it there, soon!

So, I need more support. Please spread the word far and wide about what I am doing, to photography enthusiasts, supporters of the arts, people who love travel.

Click here to watch the video and read more about the project:

www.pozible.com/myeverydaymarseille

=)

Last trip of the year: Onward to Da Lat, Vietnam

Sunrise near Mount Bromo with tourists, Feb 2013. Taken with a toy camera, Superheadz.




Dreams. 

It's nice to have them, isn't it?

Very early on in 2013, I made a small travel wish, a dream I kept to myself. That I would journey to these 2 South East Asian countries that are really, not that far away from Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia. It's almost a shame that given my love for travel and interesting landscapes I've not been to these countries. Early on in 2013, somehow the budget ticket prices were really high, too high for me to make a purchase on these flights. I monitored the ticket prices throughout the year and finally got a great ticket price to Cambodia - booked in May, travel date October. I had also booked a ticket to Vietnam - to see the hill country of Da Lat and hopefully journey to the sand dunes of Phan Rang - but unfortunately wasn't able to make the trip as I was in Europe and it didn't make sense. 

It's actually amazing then, in a couple of days, I am journeying to Vietnam! My new boss gave us an unexpected vacation on the 30 - 31, so despite being new and really wanting to save my leave for something longer, I can go on this trip! It is really unexpected and my heart shines with joy just at the thought of this small wish being completed, surprisingly, at the end of 2013. And who knew that my boss would be the one to fulfil this dream, in a way?

The main plan is to go straight to Da Lat, with cooler weather, and then hopefully visit a couple of villages, the nearby mountain (1900 ft) by jeep, and make my way to the sand dunes at Phan Rang. I'm taking this opportunity to brush up on my film photography skills too, getting over my fear of using the large zoom lens. 

So far, the Tamron lens that I put usually at 50 mm did take quite nice photos. 

I'm glad always that people like what I photograph, part of the joy of travel photography is that I did inspire people to go on such trips - at least two people I knew of went to Mount Bromo after seeing my amateur shots, and that is a reward in itself. Fingers crossed for all the equipment to work smoothly, I don't like to carry anxiety on a vacation!

Photo Friday: In Phnom Penh, by the river's side

Here are three of my favorite film shots, taken at the river's side, Phnom Penh. Film used is the Ilford 400 Black and White. I think I've found my favorite Black and White Film!

I wrote a story about the moments in this trip:
https://medium.com/on-travel/18ef67c7e965

Photo Friday: Summer's almost over

The Frenchie said this week that the north wind blows, cold wind. And that wind signals the end of summer. Those long summer days that I've experienced in places of the Mediterranean imprinted deeply in my mind.

While riding on Le Grand Roue, we could see some of my favorite sights. Can you believe that this is just walking distance from his apartment at the very end of Marseille?

Mountains and seas, I'll never tire of such a lovely view. =)

Photo taken on Nikon 80 with 35 mm lomography color film.

Photo Friday: Frosty?

Frosty man.

I took these double exposures in Arles, South of France, Provence region. Here there were many sightseers and tourists for the international photographic exhibition and I had great fun doing some street photography. The second time I went to Arles, I saw these pine trees in a park we passed. I thoughts that the pines could look interesting with their almost-fluffy needles. These became the first layer of this double exposure. I was quite surprised when I saw it after it was developed, the photos seem to have a wintry, frosted effect!

Taking photos in film helps me to remember almost every single snapshot I took.

Done with a superheadz camera, using 35mm Lomography 100 film.
  

Frosty boy.

Photo Friday: A Sri Lankan adventure

I´m pleased to share my article published on wildjunket, only 2 months ago I had the wonderful opportunity to visit this country, Sri Lanka, and spent a relaxing time in both the village and the city centre area.

This article chronicles the trip made from Kandy to Colombo as well as the sights seen in film photography.
I hope it is an enjoyable read!

http://wildjunketmagazine.com/from-kandy-to-colombo/

Colombo´s Fort Railway Station, where we arrived, after boarding the train from Kandy.

Photo Friday: This photo won my first travel photo competition prize!

 ‘Brave Man and Smoking Volcano’ is one of the 10 winning photographs in the photo competition ‘Let’s Take Flight 2013’, organized by Insight guides together with APA Publications, Fujifilm and National Library Board Singapore.

 


In April it was one of the happiest moments in my life (really!) when one of my photos won a travel photo competition. I had just taken this photo in February, 2 months before and only having a year or so into analogue photography, I was taken by surprise when it was selected, one of the 10 out of 300 over entries.

To me this is an interesting journey about learning about photography. I asked many people about the photos they liked and many chose those that I would not have selected myself - photos they said had an atmosphere, a feeling of something magical, a sense of mystery. Personally I like them, I like the gradient of colors captured and I try to take 'clean' photos, making almost the whole area just in one or two colors, not too busy photos. But I also like to take postcard pretty photos that look like it could be an advertisement for a place, and also the quite kitsch photos that make people go 'awww'.

In this selection, a friend who is also an avid traveller and photographer, and another who has a facebook page of travel photographers' selections (nomadasia) helped me to make the choice. I wouldn't otherwise have submitted this photo, in fact.

Also, on some journeys I  had never thought to go - I have never heard of the place, Mount Bromo, until the month before the trip where my well-read friends told me about it, and were so big-hearted that they didn't mind me tagging along. Liking to explore slowly as well, they left me with enough time in one place to be able to take my time to capture interesting shots. One of my facebook friends recently went to Mount Bromo and he said he went there based on the photos I took of the place, he had never heard of the place prior to seeing them on facebook! To me, that is really an accomplishment in my travel journey, to inspire others to make their own travel adventures!

Originally, I had intended to take photos just as a hobby, to sidetrack me from dwelling too deep in the intensity of my dark moods, and also, they serve as an accompaniment to my writings - I felt that travel writings are boring without photos. So it is strange to me still that my photos are well-received.  It has been just a year when I started with my Hong Kong trip. In Singapore, I photographed all the old buildings and alley cats, scenes of my daily life. I hope to share these memories with a loved one someday. =)

Bali in a weekend: Trekking up the Batur Caldera area

There are several hiking spots in Bali, but I chose the Batur Caldera trek because it afforded great views of the lake and the surrounding village, to my surprise, quite a modern village - and of course sunrise views of both mountains framing us. It was also a less strenuous trek compared to climbing Moung Batur or Agung. I'm not really a sporty person, so I just prepared myself by hiking every Saturday early morning, with Dad, on the trails in Singapore - Dairy Farm Road, Trail Route 3 on Bukit Timah Hill, Wallace Trail, Pulau Ubin. It was a weekly 2-4 hour activity that left me immensely sleepy right after.

 

Ground level mountain plants with morning dew


Being afraid that it would be quite chilly as we had to start the journey around 4-5 am to catch the sunrise on top of the trail at 6:20 am, I brought along an autumn jumper, a windbreaker, and wore a sleeveless thing underneath. My pants were those cool three-quarter length yoga type sport pants, and quite-new Columbia hiking boots. It was a pain finding the right socks here in Singapore, all sports socks seem to be at an irritating ankle length or just slightly above the ankle, this length always bites my ankles and seem to roll down one foot at times. I finally found my dream socks - I cannot remember the brand, but they had extra thick towel-like material on the soles, moisture-wicking technology, and at the desired length of above ankles! Earlier I had bought for Dad a spanish brand sport jacket and track pants because I was afraid he would be cold too, but the jacket only came in handy at our airport, brrrrr, and he trekked in a thin white cotton shirt, blue jeans and Caterpillar boots.

The road uphill was not too bad, it was actually paved over 2-3 years ago and it was neither slippery nor narrow, in fact, there were many villagers' motorbikes and vans passing us on the trek. We were the only non-locals on the road to the amusement and curiosity of the friendly village children. We were told that it was off-peak season (though there were throngs of tourists at Kuta), and during peak season our guide could do up to 5 treks a day!

I realised I was still not very fit, indeed! I had to stop at quite a few places when it got too steep - lucky for me my Dad was doing the same thing, the cold mountain air and breathing in deeply had caused me to stop and catch my breath until it regulated. My Dad got his 'second wind' and after years of being a police trainer came back to him, he bounded along happily at the last third of the trek, together with the guide, talking enthusiatically about cows (they are called 'lembu' in Indonesian) and everything about the village. I was content to lag behind and slowly strip off the windbreaker and the jumper, taking photos, in a happy bubble with the Quechua walking stick (this stick is really good, I want to buy it) and the morning sounds of the village awakening: motorbike sounds, rooster crowing, villagers waking up. It was really quite noisy compared to the stillness and silence I had experienced on Ijen Crater!

 
Cabbage crops


These baskets are used to keep the roosters inside from wandering about. They are reared to be sold as fighting roosters, a popular sport with the villagers.


Being his first trek in a foreign place with a guide, my Dad held the same kind of wonder and excitement as me when I went on my first trek. I hope I never lose this sense of wonder and wanderlust - to a city girl it is novel to witness everyday village scenes such as chickens running across the road, rows of cabbages, wildflowers in the mountainous foilage, framed with tall skinny pines, clouds that were on your eye -level, no longer above you, but right in front of you, and if the wind takes them nearer, you will be in the middle of them, blown into clouds, seeing nothing but white mist and the indistinct outline of the hazy mountains beyond.

Later we went to the Hot Spring for an hour, ahhhh... that was just perfect to soak into for the aching toes!

I have always loved baths and it was a long time since I had such a long bath until my fingertips was 'pruned'. Hoping that all parts of my body would benefit from this supposedly therapeutic experience, I made sure that the top of my head, all the way to the tips of my toes, were focused on the splish splooshy pressured water pipe coming out of the mouths of the cute statues! The place was very relaxing, no other tourist was there, and the view of the mountains was just indescribable.
      

Amazing Balinese style arrangement for a pleasing view as we relaxed in the Hot Springs which was also bereft of tourists. The view on the other side was of the lake framed by mountains, I couldn't decide which was better.

We felt like millionaires who booked the whole place for ourselves! (It turns out that many people came just when we were leaving, so I guess we were the early birds.) 

I'm not a fan of beer usually, but the price of a small Bintang anywhere is less than S$2. The rather touristic padi fields was still a nice view to gaze at while eating.



The guided trip ended with a lunch overlooking the ricefields. It was empty at first but later many other tourists (who did not climb the mountain) joined us at the Ubud area. We could also choose to go to the other sights such as batik-painting, silver craft, wooden souvenir making, but we only wanted to go to an organic coffee plantation where I saw the maker of Kopi Luwak, the civet cat, for the first time. I had tried Kopi Luwak in East Java last month - at $5 for a pot of 3 cups, it was at a much better price than in Bali - $5 for a cup. I didn't really taste the difference, but the coffee was really good coffee anyway, and as a coffee drinker I had to try it at least once in my lifetime, without any queasy feeling to the way it was produced, as the locals will happily describe to you. The two civet cats looked like a cross between a bat and a fox (actually I have never seen a fox before), a kind of evil-looking non-kitty-like cat. Also, they looked ready to tear my fingernails off, so I was immediately quite terrified of spending too much time looking at them.
 
On the same level with clouds, what a great feeling! 





 The top right of the map (from LonelyPlanet) shows the area we went to, the largest lake in Bali, Toya Bungkah Village/Hot Spring, Mount Agung - tallest peak in Bali, and Mount Batur.

I did some research online and decided to be guided by the team from Nyoman Gede Mahayuna. He's an experienced guide and mountain lover who decided to form a guide team. Due to the whole area having really low wi-fi and internet reception - as well as being in the mountains, they took a few days to reply but it was all arranged in due time as I had messaged them almost a month in advance.

Yon Ariono was our driver and co-guide, he prepared breakfast for us and provided us with hiking sticks and mineral water. He is the type of happy driver, passionate and looking like he's always up for a good laugh. I am really thankful that he brought much joy to our trip. Later I still had some energy to walk around quite a fair bit of Kuta before being totally tired and I realise, that when I get totally tired I am unable to talk to anyone, unable to talk at all, just making grunting sounds and wanting to snuggle up and fall into a deep slumber without any alarm clock waking me up at unearthly hours. =)

 
Adorable village kids and puppy found at the entrance areas to the Toya Bungkah Hot Springs, cute!!!

Photo Friday: View from La Caravelle

On Couchsurfing Marseille there is a list of things to do while in Marseille, suggested by locals and travellers. The list has since grown to 200 over suggestions.
One of the places which was a must-visit was the Old Port, known as Le Vieux Port.
We decided to have a café at La Caravelle, a restaurant with a small balcony overlooking the boats that were docked just right in front of us.
 
My other photo was selected for the exhibition in conjunction with Marseille-Provence being the European Culture Capital 2013. Here is the site, it's lovely to spend a quiet afternoon looking at the photos, especially those that are quite ancient. I have grown quite fond of the place while looking at the photos and wonder if I will have the chance to spend more than just a few days there, in future.

http://www.mp2013.fr/chercheursdemidi/?cdm_page=serie&id=177&cdm_paged=5

Photo Friday: Cloud Yoga

Cher contributeur et chercheur de midi,

Nous vous informons que votre photo «Cloud Yoga» se trouve désormais dans la collection «Personnages» et dans la série «Au bord de la mer» =)

Was really happy to receive the news at mid-week (a rather emotional week at that) that my photo 'Cloud Yoga' was added into the collection of Les Chercheurs De Midi, it is a photo compilation of Marseille and Provence, as this year in 2013, Marseille and Provence is themed as the capital of European culture.

There on the album of 'Researchers at Noon' are really great photos - vintage photos and people's memories at the beach front, boats, places or lands they know as paysages. It's really interesting how the French people are the original peoples of the land and everywhere you go there is a natural blend of the ancient and the new. I was able to find harmony in the old rocks and the dwellings carved into it. In the old church of Abbaye St Victor and the 'new' church that is built above it, a superb idea of moving on but not forgetting what is in the basement. There, in the basement, lies 4th century evidence of christianity, old sculptures and niches.

I really like this photo because it was accidental, it was at the end of the French Foreign Legion grounds and someone took off his clothes and climbed the rocks. As we made ourselves presentable and got ready to depart, along came a small little cloud, just appearing like a tiny fluffy thing! I screamed hysterically and told him to pose, 'holding' it. A little while later the cloud dissipated, and we left. I particularly like the rocks at the side.

The colors are pinkish and purplish because I used cross processed tungsten film.


http://www.mp2013.fr/chercheursdemidi/

Having a café at La Caravelle with Julien - Things to do in Marseille

The super sunny view from the small balcony of La Caravelle.

On Couchsurfing Marseille there is a list of things to do, while in Marseille, suggested by locals and travellers. The list has since grown to 200 over suggestions.

One of the places which was a must-visit was the Old Port, known as Le Vieux Port.
"Have a café at La Caravelle" was the suggestion.

We decided to have a café at La Caravelle, a restaurant with a small balcony overlooking the boats that were docked just right in front of us. What a good suggestion!

What do I enjoy most about travel?
Getting lost.

It's about getting lost, and finding things you never even thought about finding.

Being in a place for the very first time, I don't really need an agenda or a walking guide. I used to be nitpicky about this aspect, always, always looking at lonely planet, tripadvisor, travel forums and printing out or buying a street map. When friends ask me about 'Why this place or the other? What's there to do?' I would always be able to reply that I would be going there to: Ride an elephant/ go to the night bazaars/ just lie on the beach, etc. Especially for weekend trips, the short time in the destination meant that you had to plan a day of doing something.


I love to wander around alleyways and street corners, entering into interesting shops not found on tourist maps, often conversing with the locals or admiring the differences, the strange trees, the different ways the people carry themselves. In any case, you don't know what to expect, or where to go since you are there for the first time. And finding things on your own becomes more significant than following a map of must-sees and must-dos.

Walking around the city centre near Le Vieux Port, we stumbled upon an interesting statue. It was a man of marble, in the classical style, with his ass being attacked (bitten) by a lion. Whaaaaaat? 'Julien, why is there a sculpture in the square of Marseille, of a lion biting a man's ass?' Julien, my companion, immediately grounded to a halt, and whipped out his iphone.

Okay. Let's wikipedia that!

Reading from the french version of wikipedia, Julien informed me that this sculpture was supposed to be a legendary six-time winner, Olympian Milon de Crotone - back in the ancient faraway days where they used to do all kinds of sports naked. The story of his infamous death was where, he was walking in the woods one day and decided to test his strength by prising open some trees using his bare hands. However, he had a muscle cramp and stood there unable to move. Thus he was reputedly devoured by wolves, and died. Legendary!

(I'm not sure if what I wrote is truly accurate as I can't really read French.)



So why depict a lion instead of wolves? There are no lions in Europe, informed Julien.
Apparently it was considered a romantic classical style back then to use lions. And why is Mister Milo in Marseille, and not, one might assume, Italy as he originally hails from? Well, the sculptor was a well-known artist, Pierre Paul Puget, born in Marseille. Aha.

We spotted, on other days walking and driving around the city, some other morbid sculptures: a random giant foot without its body, standing in a hotel courtyard,  a finger (could be a thumb, and creepily looking very similar to Julien's thumb), sprouting from a traffic roundabout, both sculptures made from the same cast-iron material and seemingly by the same artist.

I may consider to document all the sculptures and their interesting history the next time I visit Marseille.
But I'd rather build a large sand turtle on the amazing mini-beaches scattered around the coastline!

So here's a few things on my list I would definitely enjoy doing again when I return to Marseille.

1. Having a café at La Caravelle.

 

My cappucino and the world map notebook that has accompanied me on many travels.

2. Take a ferry to Chateau d' If.
This is the small island and prison where the classic book 'The Count of Monte Cristo' is based.

3. Le Corbusier - Cité radieuse.
Julien was surprised that I knew about this place, an odd apartment building made of rough concrete that does not seem like anything special. Jerome, a friend who was from Marseille had informed me about the place as a must-visit, and this is one of the most famous architectural projects of Le Corbusier.

 
4. Lunch in the restaurant in the garden facing the Old Port (Vieux Port).
Little sparrow looking birds will come and snatch your breadcrumbs. We lured one for a photo-op.

 

5. Calanque de Marseilleveyre (and Sugiton). Amazing white rocks that turn salmon pink in the sunset.
So many Calanques, so little time! Don't forget to soak up the sun on the white pebbled beach or take a dip...

6. Notre Dame de la Garde - The church on the hill with a golden statue.


7. Abbaye St Victor - enter into one of the oldest churches in Europe, dating from the 5th century! I just spent my time there running my fingers lightly on top of the chiseled designs on the olden sculptures, signs, and tombs and wondered how they stood the test of time.

8. Watched a football match at Stade Velodrome!
It was the UEFA Europa league and the atmosphere was electrifying even for non-soccer fans, I was just staring, open-mouthed at the burly and super powerful looking, armed-to-the core gendarmes stationed at every entry point, they looked so suave!

9. The Corniche area - great views of boats, houses overlooking the coastline, white rocks. This is a long stretch of road on the waterfront where many people can be found doing a morning jog.

 

 Holding a small cloud in one hand while near the French Foreign Legion grounds!

10. Well, just get lost walking the streets!
I spotted cute laundry, amazing street art, chic French ladies, many dogs, and old buildings with historical significance.

Oh look honey! A Singaporean!

La Vieille Charité

Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille or Cathédrale de la Major

 On the street below La Caravelle, vintage looking souvenirs.

So long for now, Marseille...Quand pourrai-je vous revoir?

La Caravelle is at 34, Quai Du Port, 13002 Marseille.
http://www.lacaravelle-marseille.com/

Couchsurfing Marseille's FB page
http://www.facebook.com/groups/33477637857/

Marseille-Provence 2013
http://www.mp2013.fr

Sculpture of Milo of Croton by Pierre Puget
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_of_Croton

All photos taken by Rachel using Lomography Sunset Strip, Lomography Color 800, Rollei Black and White, Lomography Redscale; shot in Marseille, France.
Camera: Vivitar UWS (Superheadz)