Street Art

We went to Penang, Malaysia a couple weeks ago, and I was fascinated by their street art.  There is a Lithuanian artist named Ernest Zacharevic who has painted murals all over George Town for George Town Festival 2012.   It was fun taking a tri-shaw around the downtown area looking for various forms of street art.

We found the tri-shaw much more comfortable than the rickshaws in Bangladesh :)

The following motorcycle and bicycle were chained to the wall for the exhibit

A close up of my favorite one.  It is located at Chew Jetty where the Chew community have lived in houses on stilts for over a century.

Also at Chew Jetty, notice the Chinese lettering on the door.

Wire street art

Feeling a Bit Claustrophobic...

My last photography field visit to Mirpur, Dhaka was with a fellow photographer and friend, Beyond the Cornfields, who I am sad to say goodbye to.  One of the many difficult things of living the foreign service life is that people are always coming and going, and you never know when you'll see them again. 

The last time I went to the loading docks of Mirpur, I was with a male friend, while this time I went with a female friend, who was also blonde.  The difference between the two trips was huge, and I'm sure you can guess why.  There were a number of times when 40+ men gathered around us in a circle, and I have to admit I felt very claustrophobic.  As long as we kept walking, we were ok.  Plus, I never felt threatened - they were just incredibly curious.  Lots of smiles and questions in Bangla that unfortunately we couldn't understand.  

It's always a battle of emotions when hundreds of men and women crowd around you and stare.  I understand their fascination, and for the first 30 minutes or so I am happy to smile and talk to them in my limited Bangla.  But after awhile, I can't help but feel frustrated and nervous - and that's when I know it's time to go.

Most women in Bangladesh can be tricky to photograph, as you never know how they'll respond, whereas men are always eager to have their pictures taken.  Because of this, I'm always looking to get a really good photograph of a Bangladeshi woman.  Their clothing is always beautiful and colorful, and it really makes for a great picture.

Although I had a wonderful time photographing that day, I'll be sure to have a male companion with me from now on!

My Final Bali Post

I know my Bali posts have been going on for months, but I just had so many pictures to share! My last few days in Bali were spent in Sanur, located on the east coast of the island. I spent my days lying on the beach, island hopping to nearby Nusa Lembongan, eating delicious salads and Balinese cuisine, and reading some great novels.

Sanur beach at sunset

Seaweed farming

View of Mt. Agung volcano from the beach

Nusa Lembongan

Just 20 minutes away from Sanur via speedboat is the small island, Nusa Lembongan.  The island atmosphere is very laid back and quiet, and everyone travels via foot or motorbike since there are virtually no cars on the island.  I only had 5 hours, so I visited two of the beaches: Dream Beach and Mushroom Bay.  

More seaweed farming

Dream Beach

Mushroom Bay

I can't believe it's been 2 months since I was in Bali - I'm ready to go back!

Puras and a Ceremony

A pura is a Balinese Hindu temple which differs from the indoor Indian Hindu temples. Puras are open air complexes surrounded by a wall with beautifully decorated gates. All of the temples I saw had traditional split gates, which are guarded on both sides by temple guards. Each family has their own pura as well as a village pura.  

Split gate from a family temple

    Split gate from Pura Tirtha Empul                   A temple guard at Pura Tirtha Empul

The first temple I visited was Goa Gajah, also known as Elephant Cave, which dates back to the 11th century. There are also holy water bathing pools within the complex.

The next temple complex I visited was Gunung Kawi, which also dates back to the 11th century. The 10 shrines are carved out of the existing rock, measure about 23 feet high and are very impressive. The complex is situated in a beautiful jungle with a flowing creek and towering trees throughout.

The last temple I visited, Pura Tirtha Empul (Temple of Holy Water), was built on a large, bubbling spring in 926 AD. The spring is regarded as very sacred, and is said to have been created by Indra, the King of Gods in Hindu mythology, and to have curative properties. While I walked around, I stumbled upon a small ceremony.

The spring that provides the water to the bathing pools

 Offerings to the Gods

Check out #3

I know my Bali posts have been going on forever, but that's because I saw so many amazing things.  I only have 1 left, and I hope you've enjoyed them!

Stunning Beaches of Bali

One of the things I really wanted to do in Bali was visit the beaches of the Bukit Peninsula. I'd heard that they were gorgeous with dramatic cliffs and temples, and I just had to see them. I started off going to Padang Padang Beach, where a surfing competition was taking place. The beach was packed with surfers and spectators as well as food and beer stands. This made for a pretty good afternoon.

Padang Padang Beach

Uluwatu Temple

My next stop was Uluwatu Temple, located on the top of a steep cliff overlooking the vast Indian Ocean.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  There were monkeys everywhere at the temple, and I was told to take my sunglasses off the top of my head so they wouldn't steal them.

Suluban Beach

Suluban Beach is very close to Uluwatu Temple, so I stopped there for a beer before heading to Jimbaran. Suluban Beach is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen (thanks Steph!). I must have taken over 50 pictures in a span of 30 minutes. The incredibly wide sand beach with rocks and coral visible from at least 50 feet above was very impressive.

Jimbaran Seafood Barbecue

On my way to back to Sanur, where I'd be spending the rest of my time, I stopped in Jimbaran for their famous seafood barbecue. The tables are set up right on the sand, and you select the live seafood you want from the many tanks set up in the restaurant. I felt a tad guilty as the waiter pulled the crab out of the tank and took him to the kitchen, but the guilt went away as soon as it arrived on my plate. Wow, was it delicious!

YUM!