Tonga

Continuing on with the Pacific theme, this time it's Tonga. The first humpback whale of the season has arrived. On the day of arrival it will be a beautiful 25 degrees and sunny. A few days at a resort then city exploration.

Solomon Islands

Ahhh, a new destination nears - the beautiful Solomon Islands, full of interesting history and culture. A very significant place in the Pacific battles of World War II, I'm looking forward to learning more. Plus after the rush of the Middle Kingdom, time for a bit of rest and relaxation under a palm tree and by the pool. With the incidence of Malaria high, I'll be off to collect some anti-malarials for my journey tomorrow night and I've already got the reef shoes, so now maybe, just an underwater camera. Can't ever have enough cameras can you?

The Middle Kingdom

Only two letters now remain for the Alphabet Travel quest in Y and Z - no simple task to accomplish so instead a deviation to visit the Middle Kingdom of China. Shanghai, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shaolin and Xian. A cold time to visit with temperatures expected to be around -1C but potentially to -9C here's hoping for some snow but not too much. A bullet train ride and the Longmen Grottos look to be the highlights.

P's and Q's

For those following along with the Alphabet Quest only four letters remain - P, Q, Y and Z. Countries with the letters P and Q will soon be visited - namely Poland and Qatar. Poland has a long and interesting history and many people when asked to name a country that starts with the letter Q struggle to identify that Qatar is the only one. But this trip will also visit many other countries: - Denmark (again); - Sweden (for the first time); - Finland (for the third time but the first to properly explore Helsinki); - Estonia, Russia, Belarus and Poland (all for the first time); - Germany (first time to Berlin, having made many prior trips to Germany); and - Czech Republic and Hungary (both for the first time). The many different currencies is a step back in time to my very first trips around Western Europe, now most countries of which all use the Euro - Zlotys (means gold), Korunas, Kronas, Krones, Rubles, and Forints - will be fascinating to see all the different currencies. Ahh and the Riyals of Qatar. And then there are the many languages. That's the great thing about travel - opens the mind.

Sri Lanka

Well Sir Roger, it's almost that time again. Off to Sri Lanka this time the mission includes an elephant orphanage, wild life park, heritage tea factory, a number of temples and a train ride into the mountains, which I am looking forward to. I rendezvous with some locals on my arrival for lunch and will make sure I pick up a gift for them before I travel. The case is all packed, the cameras ready and the countdown begins.

Alphabet Travel Quest continues

In a previous post I outlined my current travel quest, which is letters of the alphabet, with the letters remaining as D, P, Q, Y and Z. The letter D will soon be retired with a visit to Denmark. As part of this trip the other destinations visited include Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. I am especially excited about visiting Greenland and the Faroe Islands because of their remoteness and these are not common places for Australians to visit. Both places as well as Iceland should contain some spectacular scenery and I am travelling to some remote parts of Iceland that should give some great photos.

Kind regards,
Derek.

Top Ten Most Photogenic Places

For my most recent trip to Borneo and Brunei I visited the Omar Ali Saifuddein Mosque in Brunei and this is easily one of the most beautiful places I've seen - incredibly photogenic.

So here is my top ten most places I like to photograph the most.

Siem Reap, Cambodia - home of Angkor Watt, Bayon, Ta Prohm and other amazing places

Omar Ali Saifuddein Mosque, Brunei

Sedona, Arizona, USA

Antarctica

Borobodur, Indonesia

Uluru, Australia

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Venice, Italy

New York, USA

Capetown, South Africa

The last three will likely fall off this list when I get to Egypt, maybe Pagan in Myanmar, Petra in Jordan, Peru, India and the Greek Islands. And a few places you thought might have been on the list but are not - the Grand Canyon, London, Paris and Rome. Ottawa in Canada just missed out.