Photo Friday: Peruvian Child From The Sacred Valley

July 22nd, 2011

I have thirty minutes to post my Photo Friday.  I almost didn't make it, and I was hoping to get a picture up from Comic Con today, but today was quite a busy day so maybe that will have to wait till I post about the Con.

I love taking pictures of local children when I travel, and I don't mean that in a pedophile/sicko type of way!  I always try to get permission from the parent first, but from my experience the kiddos love having their photos taken!  Digital cameras have certainly made it more fun for them, often times they run over to me to look at their photo, or they ask if they can use my camera to take a photo of me. 

This particular child I met on my way to Ollantaytambo, Peru while driving through The Sacred Valley.  I had stopped through a village that made hand woven scarves, and she was looking at another group of people to her right.  I was watching her for a bit, and as we eventually made eye contact I smiled and waved.  She then just started laughing, it was almost like she was a little embarrassed that she was caught looking at other people.   She was such a ham for the camera...a total natural!

Taken with a Canon SD870

Photo Friday: Meerkats

July 15th, 2011

 Meerkats at the San Diego Zoo

You might be quite surprised that I took this photo at the San Diego Zoo rather than in Africa (but be sure that I'll have some Africa animal photos in future Photo Friday posts).  I surprisingly didn't see one meerkat during my month long trip to Africa.  We had a few close calls, but with closer inspection it always ended up being a plain old squirrel.  Major Sad Face!

I love Meerkats, and can watch their little curious statuettes all day long.  I happened to catch a shot of these little guys (or gals) after something to their left caught their attention.

Taken with a Canon 7D

Photo Friday: Colonia, Uruguay

July 8th, 2011

 

No the photo isn't from Santorini, Greece.  It is from a little coastal town in Uruguay called Colonia.  I took a solo day trip into the town via Buenos Aires, Argentina  (I also got 4 passport stamps in one day taking a ferry between the two countries!). 

It's a charming little town covered with cobblestone streets and fun colored doors (I'm a sucker for bold colored doors).  The town was completely walkable and safe, and filled with cute little shops and old cars.  It is definitely worth a visit if you are in Buenos Aires.  My only tip would be to take the Buque Rapido ferry.  I wish I had!  The regular ferry ride was extremely uneventful, and I spent a good 6 hours of my day on the regular ferry, versus 2 hours total on the Buque Rapido.  If you are on a time crunch or not on a strict budget (or maybe you just can't stand being on a boat/ferry) then take the Buque Rapido!

Taken with a Canon SD870

Photo Friday: Child From The Himba Tribe

July 1st, 2011

 

I thought I would join the bandwagon and also start a Photo Friday series.  I take so many photos and I think more than half my hard drive is filled with photos I have taken through the years.   I always say that one of the best souvenirs you can take home from a trip are your photos.  I like to pack light, and I don't usually buy any souvenirs unless they are small and light (and near the end of my trip).  I do however, lug around two cameras.  I usually bring a point and shoot for the evenings, and in my last few trips I have also brought my digital SLR (Canon 7D).  It is a bit of a pain to lug around a huge camera, but quite honestly, I always go home and am so glad I had after looking through my photos. 

The first photo is one of my favorite little kiddos when I visited the Himba tribe in Namibia (I need to post about that experience soon).  While all the other children were following us around and trying to peek through our purses and steal our packs of kleenex, this little one was playing away with a half full pot of dirty water, and a ratty rag. She was so focused, and didn't even notice me snapping photos.  It was fun watching these innocent souls enjoying life with simple things, and it proves to me that you don't need materialistic things to make your life content and happy.

Taken with my Canon 7D