Natural bridges, Wadi Rum

There are some rock climbing areas in Wadi Rum, the closest we got to these were two natural bridges.

Basel at night

The other night with a full moon I went out to take a few photos of Basel, Switzerland.
Basel Munster

Bridges over the Rhine

Les Trois Rois hotel

Old bridge in Hoi An

There is an old bridge in the old city, it is not large but the architecture and details are worthy of a visit.

For details of the bridge, click here.

The bridge spans a small canal that flows into Thu Bon River.

Looking onto the bridge from the old town.

Pagoda in the bridge.

Looking onto the bridge at night

Dog got the bread

First thing this morning, I went to the bamboo bridge to try and get a better photo. After the bridge I stopped at a small bakery and purchased two small baguettes, they have a soft crust and are a little sweet. On the way home I thought I needed to try a different breakfast spot and I stopped in at a place across the street from the school I had my language lessons in. You can see the language school behind the tree on the right hand side of the photo.



I knew breakfast would be expensive, prices here were always high and I was right, breakfast was $1.00. It was a larger breakfast than most, rice, chicken (with just a few bones), a meat soup, salad and tea. The chicken was quit tender with a very nice oriental (imagine that) glaze. The salad was cucumber, ginger, onions and a touch of hot peppers with vinegar and oil. The soup was beef and had two bones in it that the restaurant cleaning crew (the dog) really liked.



While I was eating I noticed that someone was pointing at my moto. I thought they wanted me to move my moto because I had parked behind a bicycle and I was blocking the way. I got up and walked toward my moto. The lady who runs the place told me that a dog had stolen the plastic bag of bread I left on my moto. I said no problem. This gets me back for the other day chasing a dog (not the same one) away from my muffins.

In almost all Cambodian restaurants the top of the tea pot is tied to the tea pot. I don't know if it's because people steal the tops or they don't want them to fall off.

Monday morning started early

I awoke at 04:30 and could not get back to sleep. Yesterday a friend told me that the current blog header photo does not say Cambodia or even Asia. "That bridge could be from anywhere, across the Rhine or across the Mississippi" she said. I was thinking "the best sun on the bamboo bridge (which says all of the things that the current bridge does not) will be about 05:30 to 05:45" I should drag myself out and see what it looks like.

I dragged myself into the kitchen to find my cleanest dirty shirt for the outing. Then shuffled back into the bedroom to pick up the Nikon D200 with the big lens. That camera has gotten quite heavy overnight. The bed was calling to me "you don't need to go out at this hour, come back to sleep". I was so close to giving in, but I shuffled out to the living room, pushed the moto outside. Now that I am out of the house I cannot hear the bed calling me.

I road past the breakfast stall near the market and then to the overlook for the bamboo bridge. I thought, "what's the best angle that will work as a header for the blog?" The blog header photo is much wider than high. I looked at how to move closer, I had to walk through the trash pile and down the hill a little. The angle was still a little too straight on.

I climbed back up the hill and hopped on my moto to go to this end of the bridge. Three are two or three spots that almost work for a vantage point but there's garbage and bushes that I cannot get out of the photo. Moving even closer I thought I had the right spot. I just missed two horse (OK pony) drawn carts full of tobacco crossing the bridge. I took several shots and I was lucky another two pony drawn carts crossed the bridge.



I walked out onto the bridge about 50 meters and was greeted with a surprise, there was a fishing boat not far from me and the man in the bow was about to throw his net.




 


After 30 minutes of shooting, it was time for breakfast. Back to the breakfast stand near the market. I was greeted with a warm smile and a great breakfast.