Snap!

Boats, Cinque Terre

2006-09-24T12:31:00.000+10:00

Boats, Cinque Terre
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Corniglia, Cinque Terre, Italy

2006-09-24T07:50:00.000+10:00

Corniglia, Cinque Terre, Italy
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Cinque Terre is a group of 5 coastal villages on the Italian coast, connected by a series of spectacular walking tracks, a trainline and hordes of tourists.

Opatija, Croatia

2006-08-27T07:31:00.000+10:00

Opatija, Croatia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Opatija is in western Croatia, on the Adriatic, and is a lovely old resort town. The statue is the "Lady with the seagull" (or two seagulls in this case).

The Cotswalds, England

2006-08-19T07:07:00.000+10:00

The Cotswalds, England
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Doesn't quite compare to a Venetian bridge, but pretty nonetheless.

Masks, Venice

2006-08-08T07:05:00.000+10:00

Masks, Venice
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Piazza San Marco, Venice

2006-08-05T06:58:00.000+10:00

Piazza San Marco, Venice
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Site of the most expensive coffee in Italy.

Venice

2006-08-05T06:55:00.000+10:00

Venice
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

One of Venice's 539 bridges.

Grand Canal, Venice

2006-08-05T05:32:00.000+10:00

Grand Canal, Venice
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

90 Euros for a tacky gondola ride complete with serenading gondolier? I don't think so. But we did take the traghetto - a 50 cent gondola ride across the grand canal (in a much more utilitarian gondola than this one). The locals all stand and look cool - one even read his newspaper.

Scooter, London

2006-07-22T04:49:00.000+10:00

Scooter, London
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Scooters are the perfect London vehicle - exempt from congestion charge, no parking charges and cool to boot.

Restaurant, Mayfair

2006-07-22T04:45:00.000+10:00

Restaurant, Mayfair
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

More from the photography course (the patterns assignment).

Man & Dog, Mayfair

2006-07-22T04:43:00.000+10:00

Man & Dog, Mayfair
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

I was on a photography course when I took this photo - man who looks like his poodle - perfect!

Notre Dame, Paris

2006-06-29T10:56:00.000+10:00

Notre Dame, Paris
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

O2 Wireless Festival, Hyde Park

2006-06-24T07:13:00.000+10:00

O2 Wireless Festival, Hyde Park
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

It was a very chilled out festival until James Blunt came on stage, whereupon every female member of the audience leapt to their feet and started singing along.

The Shambles, York

2006-06-11T06:41:00.000+10:00

The Shambles, York
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The Shambles used to be the meat selling area of the city in medieval times. The overhanging nature of the buildings ensured that the butchers' carcasses hanging from the hooks outside remained out of the sun.

Cycle rickshaw, Picadilly Circus, London

2006-06-03T07:15:00.000+10:00

Cycle rickshaw, Picadilly Circus, London
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Two modes of open air transport on a London Saturday night - the environmentally responsible one...

Ferrari, Picadilly Circus, London

2006-06-03T07:14:00.000+10:00

Ferrari, Picadilly Circus, London
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

... and the unfriendly one. These guys were doing the show-off laps of the block thing, complete with duff-duff music, engine revving and make-up checks in the rear vision mirror. Hilarious.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

2006-05-28T10:00:00.000+10:00

Lake Bled, Slovenia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...equally as lovely, in a a different way. We were expecting to find Lake Bled swarming with tourists, but like the rest of Slovenia it was blissfully quiet.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

2006-05-27T08:14:00.000+10:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

One last pic from lovely Ljubljana before moving on to somewhere else...

Evening walk, Ljubljana

2006-05-27T08:03:00.000+10:00

Evening walk, Ljubljana
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia

2006-05-27T08:00:00.000+10:00

Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The green dragon is the symbol of the city.

Markets, Ljubljana, Slovenia

2006-05-27T07:17:00.000+10:00

Markets, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

2006-05-27T01:03:00.000+10:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The Tube, London

2006-05-26T00:59:00.000+10:00

DSC_0120 copy
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

An empty tube station is worth a photo. Michael had just arrived from Mexico.

Portobello Markets, London

2006-04-22T05:27:00.000+10:00

Portobello Markets, London
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...full of quality items such as these (just in time for the World Cup).

Portobello Road, London

2006-04-22T05:22:00.000+10:00

Portobello Road, London
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Portobello Road is of course home to the Portobello Markets...

Louvre, Paris

2006-04-17T22:01:00.000+10:00

Louvre, Paris
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Classic Belgian tipple

2006-04-15T10:20:00.000+10:00

Classic Belgian tipple
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Mmmn, Leffe...

Classic Belgian snack

2006-04-15T10:18:00.000+10:00

Classic Belgian snack
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Mmmn, chips and mayo...

Flags and rooftops, Bruges

2006-04-15T09:41:00.000+10:00

Flags and rooftops, Bruges
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Lactating Mermaid, Bruges

2006-04-15T09:34:00.000+10:00

Lactating Mermaid, Bruges
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Chocolate shop, Bruge

2006-04-15T08:38:00.000+10:00

Chocolate shop, Bruge
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...and this not so innocent one.

Easter chocolates, Brussels

2006-04-14T08:35:00.000+10:00

Easter chocolates, Brussels
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Belgium is full of amazing chocolate shops and they pull out all the stops for the Easter window displays, including this innocent one....

Apartment windows, Mayfair, London

2006-04-08T18:24:00.000+10:00

Apartment windows, Mayfair, London
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Mayfair really is an absurdly rich area - great fun to walk around as long as you bring your own food and drink. It's also one big auto porn show with Ferraris, Lambos, Bentleys in the leading roles (the Porsche is for the au pair to drop little Chloe at ballet class).

Tania at St Andrew's, Scotland

2006-04-01T06:01:00.000+11:00

Tania at St Andrew's, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This castle was beseiged in 1546 - the attackers dug a mine under the fortifications and the defenders successfully dug a little zig-zagging counter mine by tunneling towards the sound of digging!

Cottage, Pittenweem, Scotland

2006-03-18T05:05:00.000+11:00

Cottage, Pittenweem, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Easy to imagine these houses hunkered down in a storm. Or housing hobbits - that door is a good head shorter than me.

Glasgow

2006-03-11T04:55:00.000+11:00

Glasgow
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The Tiber, Rome

2006-02-05T16:53:00.000+11:00

The Tiber, Rome
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Shutters, Rome

2006-02-05T07:09:00.000+11:00

Shutters, Rome
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Trevi Fountain, Rome

2006-02-05T05:42:00.000+11:00

Trevi Fountain, Rome
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

And yes, we did throw a coin over a shoulder so we will supposedly be returning to Rome someday.

Swiss Guard, St Peter's, Rome

2006-02-04T19:06:00.000+11:00

St Peter's, Rome
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Guard's outfits were apparently designed by Michelangelo.

St Peter's, Rome

2006-02-04T19:01:00.000+11:00

St Peter's, Rome
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The Vatican

2006-02-04T19:00:00.000+11:00

The Vatican
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Tania at the Vatican.

The Vatican

2006-02-04T18:57:00.000+11:00

The Vatican
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Notice any similarity between this statue and the one below (other than both being naked men)?

The Vatican

2006-02-04T18:55:00.000+11:00

The Vatican
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Yes, they both seem to be missing their penis. As do most of the male statues. When I noticed this in Rome itself I assumed it was just a bit of vandalism - but in the Vatican itself? There must be an explanation. Maybe Dan Brown can address it in his next novel.

The Vatican

2006-02-04T18:53:00.000+11:00

The Vatican
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The Vatican gave me a sore neck, as so much art is on the ceiling.

Guinness Factory, Dublin

2006-01-15T18:37:00.000+11:00

Guinness Factory, Dublin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Hogmanay, Edinburgh

2005-12-31T07:05:00.000+11:00

Hogmanay, Edinburgh
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...all of whom end up in a big scrum on Princes St for the midnight fireworks.

Hogmanay, Edinburgh

2005-12-31T07:04:00.000+11:00

Hogmanay, Edinburgh
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

New Year is a pretty big thing in Edinburgh, bands, fireworks, enormous numbers of people...

Reichstag Mirror, Berlin

2005-12-29T08:17:00.000+11:00

Reichstag Mirror, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This amazing construction sits inside the glass dome atop the Reichstag building and directs virtually all the sunlight hitting the dome down into the parliamentary chamber. I reckon they stole the idea from James Bond - I'm sure Moonraker had something similar...

Jewish Museum, Berlin

2005-12-29T06:02:00.000+11:00

Jewish Museum, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This is a very impressive building - the exterior is a dramatic zinc clad zig zag, criss-crossed with jagged slashes; the interior is divided into several axes each with a theme and each broken up by dramatic open spaces (the architect calls them "voided voids").

Museum Island, Berlin

2005-12-27T08:23:00.000+11:00

Museum Island, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...and about 10 degrees below zero. Had to wedge the camera against a pillar to stop my shivering from ruining the photo.

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin

2005-12-27T06:15:00.000+11:00

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

PWC Building, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

2005-12-27T06:10:00.000+11:00

PWC Building, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...to contrast with beautiful ones like this, a Renzo Piano creation.

(East) Berlin

2005-12-27T06:08:00.000+11:00

(East) Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

While swathes of Berlin feature beautiful, uber-modern new buildings popping up like mushrooms, there are still plenty of examples of communist-era buildings...

XMas tree at the Potsdammer Platz, Berlin

2005-12-27T05:41:00.000+11:00

XMas tree at the Potsdammer Platz, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

More on the christmas decoration theme, with another self portrait hidden in there too.

XMas in Berlin

2005-12-27T05:40:00.000+11:00

XMas in Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

I've never been to a place that take their xmas lights so seriously. They are everywhere, and not the half arsed efforts that I'm used to.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

2005-11-28T05:11:00.000+11:00

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Still gives me a little thrill checking out the castle every day on the way to and from work. Though the trip to the office is usually in the dark of course, this being Scotland in winter. This was taken at sunset (about 3:30!) on my last day of unemployment.

Seagull, Highlands, Scotland

2005-11-27T05:32:00.000+11:00

Seagull, Highlands, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Even the seagulls look rugged in these here parts...

Highlands, Scotland

2005-11-27T05:30:00.000+11:00

Highlands, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

No trip to the highlands would be complete without a castle pic. I'm sure the one in the photo has a long and bloodthirsty history, but as we only passed it by from afar I'll not be boring you with any of it.

Road nr Connel, Highlands, Scotland

2005-11-27T05:24:00.000+11:00

Road nr Connel, Highlands, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Highlands, Scotland

2005-11-26T05:17:00.000+11:00

Highlands, Scotland
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

We hired a car for a chilly but atmospheric weekend in the highlands.

Fluffed up for the weather

2005-11-20T05:14:00.000+11:00

Fluffed up for the weather
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Snow on the way... and even the birds look cold.

Shop window, Cologne, Germany

2005-11-04T06:32:00.000+11:00

Shop window, Cologne, Germany
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

I love shop windows in this country - and delis most of all.

Bonn, Germany

2005-11-01T06:20:00.000+11:00

Bonn, Germany
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Bonn was full of doorways overlooked by busts. She looks so sad.

Museum, Bonn, Germany

2005-11-01T06:16:00.000+11:00

Museum, Bonn, Germany
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Being such culture vultures, we walked past this museum of something-or-other every day and never went inside.

Bonn, Germany

2005-11-01T06:14:00.000+11:00

Bonn, Germany
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

What a contrast to Jordan - so neat and clean... and cars without dents!

The Red Sea, Aqaba, Jordan

2005-10-29T05:55:00.000+10:00

The Red Sea, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This was taken from the room of our hotel in Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport (other than the price the view was the only good thing about the hotel, mind - absolutely filthy little dump). That's Israel (or Egypt maybe) in the background.

Mosque, Aquaba, Jordan

2005-10-29T05:44:00.000+10:00

Mosque, Aquaba, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

We unfortunately were travelling during Ramadan - so as well as difficulty in eating during the day, we had mosques blasting us out of bed at 4am.

Camels at sunrise, Wadi Rum, Jordan

2005-10-29T05:39:00.000+10:00

Camels, Wadi Rum, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

After getting up for the sunrise we were treated to this romantic little caravan of camels trekking across the desert. Looking more closely though we realised that they were a group of tourists from our camp. Their trek ventured about 5 minutes into the desert before turning around and coming back.

Wadi Rum, Jordan

2005-10-28T05:23:00.000+10:00

Wadi Rum, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Our driver Mohammed spent most of the trip travelling in convoy with his uncle and continually berated the poor bugger for his rubbish off-road driving. The little 4wd in the distance of this photo is uncle's, and is comprehensively bogged in a sand dune.

Wadi Rum, Jordan

2005-10-28T05:10:00.000+10:00

Wadi Rum, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Wadi Rum, Jordan

2005-10-28T05:09:00.000+10:00

Wadi Rum, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

We did a 4wd overnighter in Wadi Rum, best known as the base of T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). Fantastic scenery and colours.

The Monastery, Petra, Jordan

2005-10-27T09:38:00.000+10:00

The Monastery, Petra, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Staggeringly large, this amazing temple is reached by a sometimes precipitous climb. Made more treacherous by the locals charging down the path on their donkeys, hoping to pick up another fare before the end of the day.

Tombs, Petra, Jordan

2005-10-27T09:31:00.000+10:00

Tombs, Petra, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Camels and donkeys are the main forms of tourist transportation in Petra (other than walking) as well as being the best way for local Bedouin to extract money from visitors. Tania spent a bit of time on donkeys after spraining her ankle climbing down from the tombs in the background of this photo. And a donkey vs camel bidding war resulted in us riding cheap camels out of Petra at the end of the day - a not very comfortable but amusing sequence of "excuse me"s & "sorry"s as the rather bad-tempered camels barged through the remaining tourists.

Petra, Jordan

2005-10-27T09:10:00.000+10:00

Petra, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Petra was once famously described as a "rose red city half as old as time"; easy to see why.

Camel, Petra, Jordan

2005-10-27T09:05:00.000+10:00

Camel, Petra, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

A generally well behaved camel, quite used to having tourists thrusting cameras into his face, but with quite an effective snarl/spit/sneer available to use on those that got too familiar.

The Treasury, Petra, Jordan

2005-10-27T09:00:00.000+10:00

The Treasury, Petra, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Pretty cool, huh? Never actually held any treasure; entire thing is carved out of the sandstone cliff and there's only a little unadorned square room down the bottom. They filmed some of the third Indiana Jones movie here.

Treasury viewed from the Siq, Petra, Jordan

2005-10-27T06:29:00.000+10:00

Treasury viewed from the Siq, Petra, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The main entrance to Petra is via the Siq, a deep and narrow canyon-like defile (only a couple of metres wide at its narrowest) that used to channel water into the city.

View from Karak Castle, Jordan

2005-10-26T09:36:00.000+10:00

View from Karak Castle, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This castle was laid seige by Saladin during the Crusades. Being more chivalrous days than now, when Saladin learnt of a young couple having their wedding night in the castle he gave instructions to his catapults not to bombard that area of the fortress.

The Dead Sea, Jordan

2005-10-26T09:30:00.000+10:00

The Dead Sea, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Ah, forgot to mention the other thing about the Dead Sea - the salt content. This is why it is so buoyant... but it also makes the taste more foul than anything I've ever tasted. And it stings! Any little cuts, shave rash etc, ouch ouch.

The Dead Sea, Jordan

2005-10-26T09:26:00.000+10:00

The Dead Sea, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Quite a surreal experience, the Dead Sea is so buoyant it is virtually impossible to sink. Even floating upright half of your chest bobs out of the water! It actually makes it impossible to swim with any conventional stroke as even on your stomach so much of your body is protruding from the water. Oh, and that's Israel in the background.

Church at Mt Nebo, Jordan

2005-10-26T09:20:00.000+10:00

Church at Mt Nebo
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

I could give you some historical background to this significant site... but instead I'll bitch about the driver who took us up the windy mountain road to get here. One word can be used to describe 90% of drivers in Jordan (including ours) - maniac. Driving in this country is like dodgem cars - every car is covered in dents, every manoeuvre flirts with disaster and every young man (like our driver) is doubly idiotic. We saw at least one accident every day we were here - amazingly none of which involved us.

View from Mt Nebo, Jordan

2005-10-26T09:12:00.000+10:00

View from Mt Nebo, Jordan
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This is apparently the hill from where Moses saw the promised land.

The 5* look

2005-10-21T09:10:00.000+10:00

The 5* look
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Time for another daggy digicam self portrait. The relaxed look comes from Tania finally being boil-and-rash-free -- and a few nights of luxury in a 5* resort. Our grubby backpacks and unglamourous aura brought down the tone of the place but we didn't care; we'd been on an island with no hot water for 2 weeks so we really were stepping up in the world.

Kayak off Ko Tao, Thailand

2005-10-17T09:00:00.000+10:00

Kayak off Ko Tao, Thailand
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

No, it's not Tania and I - if it were us one of us would have the paddle planted in the other's head (kayak + couple = trouble).

Tania gets a tat

2005-10-11T08:54:00.000+10:00

Tania gets a tat
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

... oh, and an on-beach tattoo service too.

Sunset, Ko Phangan, Thailand

2005-10-11T08:40:00.000+10:00

Sunset, Ko Phangan, Thailand
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Ahhh, sunset on a Thai island, just picture cheap cocktails by the pool, karaoke, bbq fish on the beach etc - you get the idea...

Bus out of Cambodia

2005-10-04T18:15:00.000+10:00

Bus out of Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Again, the warning signs were all there - the bus had a broken windscreen, a smacked up front bumper, a missing rear bumper, massive holes in the exhaust, most of the seats were broken and torn and it was covered in mud. But hey, the tickets were just $12. Big mistake. By the end of the 8 hour trip to the border (for 140kms!) everyone was plastered with red dust, Tania had a faceful of mud from a 4wd going the other way, I had a graze on my head from where I hit the ceiling of the bus (I hadn't yet learnt to hold onto the seats in front) and we both needed attention from a physio. I've never seen a "national highway" like it. And apparently it is not a bad road for Cambodia.

Preah Khan, Angkor, Cambodia

2005-10-03T09:34:00.000+10:00

Preah Khan, Angkor, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Another very evocative overgrown temple. Walking under a tree of this size is quite disconcerting, despite the fact that the temple's stonework must have supported it for hundreds of years!

Banteay Srey, Angkor, Cambodia

2005-10-02T09:28:00.000+10:00

Banteay Srey, Angkor, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

A small temple with beautiful, delicate carvings in a lovely pink sandstone.

Sunset at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2005-10-01T09:21:00.000+10:00

Sunset at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The traditional spot to watch the sun set over Angkor Wat is actually on top of a small mountain nearby, which we did the day after taking this shot. An absolute circus! Hundreds of people clambering along a steep and slippery little path in the dark.

Bas reliefs, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2005-10-01T09:08:00.000+10:00

Bas reliefs, Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Angkor Wat is absolutely huge - the largest stone temple in the world in fact. But the fine detail is interesting too if you have the patience - whole corridors of reliefs telling all sorts of stories.

Ta Prohm, Angkor, Cambodia

2005-10-01T08:54:00.000+10:00

Ta Prohm, Angkor, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Overrun by the jungle and mostly left in the state in which it was rediscovered by the French in the 19th century, this place is an amazing testament to the power of the jungle. Half of it is in ruins and the other half is overgrown with enormous Banyan trees like this one. Some of Tomb Raider was filmed here - checkout Angelina in the pic!

Bayon, Angkor, Cambodia

2005-10-01T08:29:00.000+10:00

Bayon, Angkor, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

About 800 years ago the city in which the Bayon once stood was one of the most modern in the world - it's population was about a million people at a time when London was only 30,000! The temple looks like a pile of rubble until you get close enough to make out all the sculpted faces - apparently they are a likeness of the emperor at the time, Jayavarman VII.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2005-10-01T08:14:00.000+10:00

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Had to get up at 4:30 in the morning to get this photo, and anyone who knows me knows what an effort that required. Not that we exactly had the place to ourselves, as many many other people had just the same idea...

Performers, Phenom Penh, Cambodia

2005-09-30T07:56:00.000+10:00

Performers, Phenom Penh, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Quite by accident, we ended up visiting an orphanage in Phenom Penh where these kids were preparing for a dance performance that evening. The orphanage wasn't strictly just for orphans - it was a "home away from home" of sorts for disadvantaged kids from the country, run by a lovely couple and financed by their restaurant and donations.

Russian Markets, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2005-09-30T05:10:00.000+10:00

Russian Markets, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Tania, markets, need I say more?

Menu, River boat, Cambodia

2005-09-29T00:25:00.000+10:00

Menu, River boat, Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Boat to Cambodia number 3 (this one on the Cambodian side of the border - after hours of form stamping and stuffing around of course) had a quality menu of food and services, conveniently listed on the back of the driver's (captain?) seat. [Click on the photo if you want to check out the fine print.]

Leaky boat to Cambodia

2005-09-28T22:27:00.000+10:00

Leaky boat to Cambodia
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

Travel in Cambodia seems to go with mishaps. We should have read the not so subtle warning signs with boat number 2 - it was all mangled up from an incident the previous day when the rudder had broken and the boat had crashed into a house. Unsurprisingly, the rudder broke again and we ended up having to get a tow up the river in the dark. Which was actually very pleasant, unlike our trip out of Cambodia...

Floating village, Vietnam

2005-09-28T00:54:00.000+10:00

Floating village, Vietnam
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

The floating village makes its living from fish, largely raised in big floating farms. These are like a big shed floating on the surface of the Mekong, with a big cage sitting under the water. The cage is absolutely chokas with fish of several different species. The most expensive part of running the farm is fish food - costly because of the antibiotics and other chemicals required to keep the fish "healthy".