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Reader Photo Album
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Valero Tegon
"Beach Soccer": I took this photo after a long walk (about 8 Km) under the hot African sun, necessary to reach the Tsavo River outfall, near the Diani Gold Beach in Kenya. Landscape full of flamingos, pelicans and hippo in the river compensate all my efforts. Then a young boy told us to wade through the river to see hippos in the ocean. I thought it was a joke but it was true! I've never seen a hippo in the ocean bathing quietly near some fishermen! I was completed enchanted about this wonderful landscape and the happiness of this young boy who was playing with our ball. After the photo we played together for more than an hour. Surely one of the best places I've ever seen!
DIY: Kenia's coast is full of wonderful landscapes and the sunset you can see on the beach is something special! Ask one of the great number of "beach boys" to organize your trip to attempt an adventurous tour in improvised boat or jeep. In that way you'll see what the other tourists never imagine!
Marjorie Variano
This photo was taken in Valle de Bravo, Mexico from a mountain top called El Torre. It is one of several paragliding launch sites in the area. The launch overlooks the beautiful city with its unique architecture and spectacular lake. The sunsets over the lake are exquisite especially from the air in a paraglider. You won't find a McDonalds or Wal-Mart anywhere in this area of Mexico. The spirit of the people fills the streets. It's a place I'll return year after year for the people, the culture, and of course the consistency of exceptional paragliding conditions. Every January, Valle de Bravo hosts the Monarch Paragliding Open; an international paragliding competition attended by top pilots from across the world. The local paragliding club received the bid to host the world championships in 2009.
DYI: The best way to experience this area of the world and the exceptional paragliding is to book a tour. Eagle Paragliding (eagleparagliding.com), which operates out of Santa Barbara Californiais head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to running the tours in Mexico. They have top level instructors, the best accommodations, and make the experience safe and fun. A tour to Valle de Bravo with Eagle Paragliding includes all transportation once you arrive in Mexico, top notch accommodations in a gorgeous villa with spectacular views, gourmet meals prepared by their own renowned top chef, tandem flights and individual paragliding instruction from several of top ranked pilots and instructors. They take care of everything and all you have to do is show up ready to have the experience of a lifetime. If you have an interest in the sport of paragliding or are a seasoned veteran, this is the trip that will change and enhance your flying forever. Eagle also has an amazing year round training facility in Santa Barbara California. They offer one and two day lessons for those who want to get in the air and week long course for people wanting to become pilots.
THE MURRAYS
I took this photo of Shipwreck beach on the Island of Zakynthos, Greece. The one of only two ways a photo can be taken not just with either a digital camera or a film camera.
One is by sea, as it is the only way to access the beach by boat, that you can do with many of the small local charter companies or with one of the large ships that circles the island. The other is the best and quite literally a cliff hanger; imagine standing out over a ledge that is at least 500 feet out over the edge of a cliff over the water. Now, imagine that the platform you are standing on is only the size of a standard kitchen table top, yes it had a railing on it but the floor was a metal grill that you can see through. The shot depicts the fantastic water color that is fabulous, a surreal blue.
DIY: Great way to get to Zakinthos or Zante as it's also known and part of the Ionian Islands is from Britain. Find your way to London from the US or Canada and then consider Kosmar Holidays, www.kosmar.co.uk a company that provides packaged vacations to Greece and Turkey.
We stayed at the Letsos Apartments, just 2 minutes from an outstanding long sandy beach. A week at this hotel for two would run $1400 which includes flights from London and hotel. There the best family run beach walk-up café is called Amos and right on the beach, mom does the cooking and her son is your server. The Lemon Tree in town is open-air set among the lemon trees and serves outstanding sea food. One thing in Greece the seafood is always fresh and we have had some of the biggest prawns we have ever seen there.
The neighboring resorts of Alikes and Alikanas share the breach and are overlooking the island of Kefalonia. Both have several tavernas, supermarkets and bars many right on the beach. Why not while you are there rent a car from one of the many big name and local companies in town and tour the island as you please? www.autoeurope.com is a great car rental broker in Europe. Then take time to take the ferry over to Kefalonia, the island where Nicholas Gage was filmed in Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
English is widely spoken, however; a few simple Greek phrases go a long way.
RYAN GRAY
Mount Ararat is the supposed resting point of Noah's Ark. However, neither the relic nor the mountain have yet to be discovered by the world. With 14 Slovenians, I embarked on an unforgettable four day adventure, climbing close to 9000 vertical feet, overlooking the friendly borders of Iran, Armenia, and Georgia. Recently open to tourism, this trek up such a historic mountain was more than a mere vertical challenge. Our group also emerged itself in Kurdish culture, learning the perspective and lifestyle of an misunderstood people. Undoubtedly, I reached many cultural, physical and emotianal summits on such a trip and will forever be changed as a result.
DIY: There are numerous ways for travellers to get to Mt. Ararat, non of them particularly easy. Number one is for people to fly into one of the grandest cities in the world, Istanbul. From there, many take a 75 minute domestic flight to Van or Erzurum. Believe it or not, the Turkish bus system is my favorite in the world, with attendants pouring rose water on your hands and feeding your drinks and food. Hence, the 3 hour (more or less) bus ride from Van to Dogubazit ( a small town 30 minutes outside Mt. Ararat) is more than enjoyable.Make sure to book the trip well in advanced, since the Kurdish guides (and the Turkish government) only give out a certain number of permits.
DANIEL GRAB
I took this photo on the 10.06.2006, shortly after sunrise in the remote southwest part of Bolivia on the 'Salar de Uyuni', at 3650 m.a.s.l. The temperature at the time was -8 degrees C. Crossing the dried up salt flat diagonally for 130km, meant that we had to camp out on the vast and open salt flat (with 10582 square km it is the largest salt flat in the world). In the background, one can see the over 5000m high volcanic summits of the Andes building the natural borderline to Chile. My Swedish friend, Gabriel Albertsson can be seen looking out of the tent.
Crossing the 'Salar de Uyuni' was one of the highlights on my 27000 km bicycle journey from the Arctic Ocean in Alaska down to the bottom tip of South America.
DIY: Tips for other cyclists wanting to cross the 'Salar de Uyuni':
To enjoy the cycling on the high Bolivian Altiplano, being acclimatized before setting off is a prerequisite. A basic map is needed (and a GPS would be useful). Coming from the northwest one can buy food and water in the little village of Llica and to the south, the village of San Juan has basic supplies. Off to the east, the town of Uyuni will also have basic supplies. Most of the access routes leading to the Salt lake are very sandy, making the going very strenuous. Cycling across the gigantic salt flat is easier but also slow due to the crusted and cracked surface. The temperature drops rapidly well below freezing as the sun sets. June is the dry season on the Bolivian Altiplano and therefore a great time to cross the salt lake when it is dried up in most places, forming lovely patterns and crusts on the thick salt surface. (In the rainy season, the salt lake fills with water!)
Carrying enough water, especially in the more remote, western area is a 'must'.
Kapperzootie
Here is the blurb. I shot this picture on the third day of an epic five day low pressure system in the atmosphere that produced 105 inches of light and fluffy low moisture contented snow that hit the Southern Colorado Rocky Mountains. My friend Scott Ogrodnik and I were at Wolf Creek Ski Area that is between the towns of Pagosa Springs and South Fork Colorado. Wolf Creek is a small area by resort standards. However this ski area has over 1600 acres and a base at 10,300 feet and a summit at 11,900 feet and is located in the Rio Grande National Forest. We were skiing a run by the name of Gun Barrel under the Raven named Quad passenger chairlift . The snow was hitting me mid chest and blowing fluffy snow up over my head. Just like in the ski movies. I new the same was happening to Scott who was not too far behind me. I took this rare opportunity to record him blasting through the fluff of the 63 inches that had already fallen. Wolf Creek is a six and a half hour drive from the Front Range city of Denver. Wolf Creeks's moniker is "the most snow in Colorado". They average over 460 inches of the light dry snow, fortunately to be wedged between weather systems. Northern storms tracking south and southern storms tracking north through the United States. Website: www.wolfcreekski.com, ski report 1-800 ski-wolf (754-9653).
Jim Kapp, Member of P.S.I.A (Professional Ski Instructors of America)
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