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La Digue Island

September 18, 2009 – 8:49 am

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If it were for sale, La Digue would attract keen competition from the world’s billionaires. This is an enchanting tropical paradise. The fourth-largest island in the Seychelles, La Digue extends to an area of 10 sq km and lies to the east of Praslin Island.

It supports a population that used to survive on fishing, copra and vanilla production, but nowadays tourism is the name of the game and the whole island is geared to providing a memorable holiday experience. There are several hotels and guest-houses that offer simpler accommodation and it’s also possible to see this magical place by making a day trip from nearby Praslin.

The beaches, especially Anse Source d’Argent and Anse Pierrot, are fabulous, often set off by tumbled rock formations that seem like dramatic granite sculptures. There are plenty of hidden coves to discover, too.

Getting around is a matter of foot or pedal power, as there are few vehicles and the locals use ox-drawn carts, which perfectly match the unchanging pace of island life.

Focal points are the harbour at La Passe on the west coast and L’Union Estate where traditional activities like copra production and boat building are still practised. A working vanilla plantation welcomes visitors.

La Digue’s interior rises to Eagle’s Nest Mountain (also known as Belle Vue), a peak that is 300 m (985 ft) above sea level and rewards the active visitor with wonderful views.

The densely forested Veuve Nature Reserve occupies much of the interior, and there are picturesque swamps, pools and inlets.

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Reykjavik - The Most Northern Capital in the World

September 8, 2009 – 8:51 am

Reykjavik is one of Europe’s “hot” cities, thanks to its music scene and famed nightlife, with bubbling geysers and thermal springs nearby. Reykjavik’s special energy draws on its unique physical and cultural landscape.

The northernmost national capital on Earth is a city of breathtaking contrasts. Small wooden houses with corrugated-iron roofs stand alongside futuristic glass buildings. Sophisticated cultural centres are just minutes away from newly created lava fields. Reykjavik is also a city where international influences blend seamlessly with Icelandic traditions, creating a unique European culture with roots that are ancient, but an outlook that is supremely modern.

The founders.
In 874, Ingolfur Aranson became the first settler to step onto Icelandic soil. He called the place where he settled “Smoky Bay” because ghostly vapours rose out of the earth near his home. Where they came from and why, no one knew, Over the next thousand years, very few people settled along the widely spaced inlets leading into Smoky Bay.

Reykjavik would not prosper until well into the eighteenth century, when Governor Skiili Magnusson revitalized Iceland’s economy by promoting wool manufacturing, fishing and shipbuilding. In 1749, he ordered that new harbours and shipyards be constructed on Smoky Bay, making Magnusson the city’s founding father. Reykjavik received its city charter in 1786.

Independence.
Once under way, Reykjavik thrived. Nevertheless, Iceland was still under Danish sovereignty and subject to the ups and downs of political and economic decisions made in distant Scandinavia. Iceland danced to the tune of the Danes until 1944, when everything changed. British and American troops stationed in Reykjavik during World War II brought Iceland a level of prosperity it had never known, leaving Reykjavik poised to become an important commercial centre. On 17 June 1944, the city finally gained independence from Denmark. Since then, Reykjavik has continued to thrive, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

Not just for the scenery.
Many visitors to this far-flung island in the North Atlantic come for the amazing, unique scenery, but there are many sights to see in Reykjavik itself. The Old City, located on a small plot of land between Tjornin Pond and the sea, has a number of eighteenth-century buildings, and Tjornin Pond is a bird watchers’ paradise. The new city hall (1992) is located on its northern bank.

The relief map of Iceland on display in its exhibition hall is a must-see. The Fogetinn (1751) is the oldest building in Reykjavik, and currently houses a restaurant serving traditional Icelandic food. Across the street is the newly restored monumental statue of Ingolfur Aranson, built in part with basalt columns said to be similar to those from his original homestead.

Hallgrimskirkja church.
The modern Hallgrimskirkja is the symbol of Reykjavik, and a great place to begin a tour of the city. It was built on a hill and looks down over the entire city. Rising 73 metres, the church’s central spire offers the best view of Reykjavik with the wide expanse of ocean in the background. A statue of Leif Ericson stands in front of the church’s main portal.

It was a gift from the United States in honour of the 1,000-year anniversary of the founding of Iceland’s parliament, the Althing, the first democratic assembly in Europe. Valley of the hot springs. The Laugardalur hot springs are just 3 km outside the city. Nearby are a huge camping site, a youth hostel, large open-air baths, a botanical Garden, a zoo and a sculpture garden. Hot water is pumped from numerous holes drilled in the earth. The steaming water is then circulated to heat the turf of Reykjavik’s football stadium, among other things. Geothermal heat is the basis of nearly every heating system in Iceland. For centuries, Reykjavik’s residents have derived their hot water and winter heat from the Earth.

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Kiev City Snapshot

September 6, 2009 – 8:51 am

Despite numerous invasions and devastating destruction, the Ukrainian capital of Kiev is still one of the most beautiful cities of Eastern Europe. The Communist period, which lasted barely seventy years, did it little harm. On the contrary, the new potentates of the post-WW-II era built parks and created green spaces, along with the inevitable television tower found in every former Soviet city.

Cradle of the Slavs.
The earliest mention of Kiev dates to the early sixth century. Three brothers founded it as a fortress, naming it the “City of Kyi” (Kyjiw) after the eldest brother. Over the course of many centuries Kiev has been the administrative, political and religious centre for numerous different rulers and empires One of these was the medieval state Kievan Rus, which included parts of what are now Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus. In light of this, Kiev has justifiably been called the cradle of the Slays.

A Russian culture.
Kiev was one of the great centres of medieval Europe in its ninth, and tenth-century golden age under the leadership of the grand dukes Sviatoslav, Vladimir and Yaroslay. Through its valuable commercial agreements with Constantinople, Kiev was always in close contact with the Byzantine Empire. This led, in 988, to the conversion of Kievan Rus to the Orthodox faith. This brought not only new sacred structures, but also an influx of Russian culture.

This influence continued during the Middle Ages when nearly all of south-eastern Europe was under the yoke of the Mongol invasion (12401569). In 1667, Russia annexed Kiev, the “mother city of Russia”, which in the meantime had been reduced to a simple provincial capital. Following its annexation, Kiev quickly made up for lost time, becoming the commercial and cultural centre of the Ukraine and, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. in 1991, the capital city of an independent Ukrainian state.

The cave cloister.
Currently, Kiev is the undisputed centre of Ukrainian life, with its theatres and museums defining the cultural landscape. Kiev is also home to a number of sites that relate to its long history. The old city includes buildings and other structures built over a period of 1,500 years.

The greatest of these is probably the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin), built in the year 1050 by immigrant monks who dug caves into the Dneiper escarpments. Eventually, the monastery was expanded to include a complex of churches and cloisters both above and below ground.

This spiritual and cultural centre of the early Kieven Rus Empire is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1991, St. Sophia Cathedral was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Begun in the eleventh century, the expansion and decoration of this exceptionally ornate church with its opulent frescoes and mosaics was completed in the seventeenth century. The cathedral was a focal point of cultural and political life during the early years of the Russian State.

Kreschatik.
In comparison to Kiev’s many magnificently decorated historical facades, those along Kiev’s main thoroughfare, the Khreschatyk, are no less impressive despite their more recent vintage. Completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt since, many of the newer buildings, while conspicuously Stalinist in style, are somehow less staid, and perhaps more southern, than buildings from this period elsewhere in Eastern Europe. The street is lined with sidewalk cafes where young and old gather to share a drink and some conversation. Kiev’s own particular variety of joie de vivre is most palpable along the Khreschatyk, and one even runs into the occasional tourist.

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Republic of Mauritius

September 6, 2009 – 8:51 am

Part of the Mascarene Islands, the Republic of Mauritius is off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, 900 km (560 mi) east of Madagascar. The republic consists of five islands: St Brandon, Rodrigues, two Agalegas Islands and Mauritius itself.

The latter was originally uninhabited, but the Dutch named the island and established a colony that was seized by the French in 1715. They renamed the place Ile de France and built a prosperous economy based on sugar. But the British took the island in 1810 and it reverted to the original name.

Independence was granted in 1968 and this Commonwealth country is a stable democracy with one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes. This might be guessed by a visitor to Port Louis, who finds a sophisticated place with a cluster of high and medium rise buildings that might be mistaken from afar as the downtown area of a small American city, were it not for its location beside the azure Indian Ocean, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

Tourism has become an increasingly important sector of the economy, which had hitherto been based on sugar plantations and off-shore financial services.

The effort to attract visitors is proving successful, and might not even need the boost of a move to duty-free status. Mauritius is the most accessible island in the Indian Ocean, with wonderful beaches and crystal-clear waters.

Important though these essential ingredients of every tropical holiday destination may be, Mauritius has something extra, friendly people and a vibrant cultural mix that will leave an indelible impression.

There is a festival or fiesta practically every week and a tempting variety of ethnic cuisines. The place must be good. Author Mark Twain remarked that Mauritius was made before heaven, and heaven modeled on Mauritius.

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Elephantine Island of the Nile River

September 6, 2009 – 8:51 am

Known to the Ancient Egyptians as Abu or Yabu, meaning elephant, Elephantine Island is a truly ancient site resting as it does at the First Cataract of the Nile, and creating a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia.

Being the largest island at Aswan, it was easily defensible and at one time was thought to be a major ivory trading centre, possibly giving rise to its name. But rumour has it the name may also arise from the elephant-shaped granite boulders lying around its shores.

It is said that Khnum, the ram-headed god of the cataracts, dwelled in caves beneath the island and controlled the waters of the Nile. Nowadays, the southern tip of the island holds the ruins of the Temple of Khnurn, which was rebuilt in the 30th dynasty. Up until 1822, there were also temples to Thutmose III and Amenhotep III here, but the Ottoman government in their wisdom destroyed them.

Elephantine is an exquisite island, steeped in ancient history and blessed with significant artefacts. Transported instantly back in time, you wander under banana trees and date palms through colourful Nubian villages with narrow, dusty alleyways and mud houses painted or carved with crocodiles and fish.

On the edge of the island is one of the oldest Nilometers in Egypt. It is a stone `yardstick’ used to measure the height of the River Nile. It was last reconstructed in Raman times and was still in use as late as the 19th century. Its 90 steps, leading down to the river, are marked with Hindu-Arabic, Roman and hieroglyphic numerals, and inscriptions carved deep into the rock during the 17th century can be seen at the water’s edge.

Elephantine Island is a green, flower-festooned oasis of calm lapped by the turquoise waters of the Nile and clinging quietly to its exotic past.

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Saint-Louis Senegal

September 6, 2009 – 8:51 am

In the north-west of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, lies the town of Saint-Louis, capital of French Senegal from 1673 until independence in 1960.

The centre of the old colonial city lies on a narrow island in the river, measuring just 2 km (1.2 mi) long by about 400 in (1,312 ft) wide, although the modern city now sprawls on the mainland either side.

The first permanent French settlement in Senegal, Saint-Louis was founded in 1659 by French traders on an uninhabited island. Named after the French king Louis, the town commanded trade along the Senegal River, exporting slaves, animal hides, beeswax and gum arabic.

Between 1659 and 1779, the city was administered by nine different chartered companies. A Metis (Franco-African Creole) community soon developed, characterized by the famous signares. These bourgeois women entrepreneurs dominated the economic, social, cultural and political life of the city, creating an elegant urban culture with time for refined entertainments. They controlled most of the river trade and financed the principal Catholic institutions.

Louis Faidherbe became the Governor of French Senegal in 1854, and spent a great deal of money modernizing the town, including bridge building, setting up a drinking water supply, and providing an overland telegraph line to Dakar. The fortunes of the town began to dwindle as Dakar became an ever more important city. Saint-Louis’ port proved difficult for steam ships to access, and a railway between Saint-Louis and Dakar, opened in 1855, took most of its up-country trade.

Today Saint-Louis is a sleepy backwater which retains its lovely colonial architecture. In 2000 it was added to the World Heritage List, and many of its beautiful buildings are being renovated. Among the sites and monuments to see on the island are the Governor’s Palace, a fortress built in the 18th century across from Place Faidherbe, the Gouvernance which comprises the town’s administrative offices and Pare Faidherbe in the centre of town, named for the French governor.

The museum at the southern end of the island tells the story of Senegal’s history and peoples, with displays of traditional clothes and musical instruments, and there are various mosques and catholic churches to visit.

The heritage of the signares lives on in Saint-Louis today, with the festivals for which the town is famous. Fanals, a night-time procession of giant paper lanterns, takes place at Christmas, usually coinciding with the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival, the most important jazz festival in Africa. The annual pirogue race, organized by teams of fishermen from Guet-Ndar, takes place on the river and makes a vibrant spectacle.

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Penang Island in Malaysia

September 6, 2009 – 8:51 am

Situated on the north-western coast of the Malay Peninsula at the entrance to the Straits of Malacca, Penang Island covers an area of 292 sq km (112 sq mi). The island is separated from mainland Malaysia by a channel of sea varying between 3 km (1.9 mi) and 13 km (8 mi) wide, and they are linked by the 13.5 km (8.4 mi) Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world.

The island has the oldest British settlement in Malaysia, which was founded by Captain Francis Light in 1786 while he was searching for a docking place for ships of the East India Company. Captain Light made a treaty with the Sultan of Kedah who gave him permission to colonize the sparsely populated island.

Penang today is a fine mixture of old and new: bustling, industrial port meets historic Old Town. In the capital, Georgetown, modem skyscrapers tower above one of the largest collections of pre-war buildings in south-east Asia. Colourful produce markets compete for space with high-tech electronics manufacturers. There is also a fascinating mixture of cultures here. Hundred year old churches, Chinese temples, Indian temples and mosques stand side by side.

In the middle of the bustling modern city is Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera), at almost 900 m (2,953 ft) high, with its cool, clean air. From its summit there are amazing views of the town, the island, and even the mountains on the mainland when the sky is clear. There is a Swiss-built funicular railway to take visitors to the summit, which creaks its way up through the beautiful tropical forest. At the top of the hill there is a cafe, a Hindu temple and a mosque.

If you want to escape the busy city, there are other attractions on the island, including plenty of lovely beaches, some quaint fishing villages, beautiful stretches of forest and cascading waterfalls. Among the less crowded beaches are Muka Head, Pantai Keracut, Monkey Beach, Pantai Acheh and Gertak Sanggul.

Penang Island is enriched by its numerous ethnic communities, among them Malays, Chinese and Indians, which live side by side in harmony to create a multi-faceted culture. Each community maintains its cultural identity through religious festivals and cultural shows, including angsawan, Boria, flag processions, the Chingay Parade, the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, the Hungry Ghosts Festival and Thaipusam. This succession of colourful festivals unravels throughout the year and when one big celebration is finished, another begins.

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Shape and Form in Photographs

September 5, 2009 – 8:50 am

A camera captures reflected light. If the light source is directly behind the camera, reflections bounce back directly off the subject and give an idea of its shape but not so much of its forms, scale and dimensions. But if lit from behind or from the side, the camera captures more light reflected off the subject’s angles. There are more brighter highlights and fewer shadow tones, contrast is higher and the subject’s shape and form become more distinct.

When the light comes from behind the camera, a scene has less contrast, lighter-coloured areas stand out and shadows are filled with light and contain visible detail. But the photograph’s overall impact is often drab and flat. However, when the camera is pointing into the light, edges and shadows become much more distinct.

In a landscape, for example, the sun may shine through leaves, making them stand out, showing the different types of trees and silhouetting trunks and branches. Light also bounces brightly off water and other surfaces. This results in an image with much more of a sense of depth.

Also consider the quality of light. Strong, raking light is often better able to show the form of angular structures, but diffused light can reveal more subtle forms in faces and other softly rounded objects.

As well as the angle and quality of light, the physical composition of a subject’s edges is important for conveying its shape. This is especially important in outdoor portraits. With the sun in the subject’s face, and less contrast, the shape of the head is not clearly defined against a background lit by the same light. But with the sun behind the subject, the light is diffused by the many individual hairs and forms an attractive fringe that brings out the shape we expect to see in a portrait.

Objects with multiple angles are great for exploring shape and form, especially when they are shiny or wet. Very bright specular (mirror-like) highlights can bounce off many angles, and even on a particularly drab day, shapes with such surfaces can stand out.

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Green shoots of recovery or brittle monetary yoyo?

September 5, 2009 – 8:50 am

Japan is the most current in a long line of administrations who have deduced that a meager positive oscillation in GDP as their economic benefactor, but is this just an aspiration or a honesttrue shift in the direction of recovery?

With administrations vying for position in the race to pronounce that their recession has ended, have we attained a point where the politicians who talked us into it are now attempting to persuade the general public that we should now put our rose coloured spectacles back on.

It is tempting to believe that technology and industrial prosperous economic systems lead the way in providing positive economic indicators, but in reality both Germany and Japan have used small monthly swings as political propaganda. Can it truly be the position that in such a small period of time that imposing industrial titans have taken hold of the initiative and brought their collossus to a stop and reversed them through 180 degrees?

It seems unlikely.

However, the people in financial services, and the people in foreign exchange devour such activity as an almost de-facto reason to enter into transactions. It seems to me more reasonable that they are charged with a knee jerk reaction.

I’m sure that governments depend on the fickle nature of the people to coeorce their view of way that they view their economy , but at the lower levels of the economic engine, we can only decide based on the doctrine that is leaked down to us. Being kept completely absorbed by the practice of earning a crust leaves less time to inspect the enormous amount of beurocratic documementation that allows the individual to make an informed decision.

In time, a new roller coaster will be set in motion, and that unsteered machine will rely on innovation and innovative people to guide it. Make certain that you are first in the queue waiting there with us as innovators to support you when you climb on board.

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Kihnu Island in the Baltic

September 3, 2009 – 8:53 am

Kihnu lies 12 km (7 mi) off the coast of Estonia and is the largest of more than a dozen islands in the reefs and shallows of the Gulf of Riga. It is 16 sq km (6 sq mi) in area with a low ridge running down the middle and only 9 m (30 ft) above sea level at its highest point.

The island farmsteads are enclosed by forest, which prevents soil erosion as well as protecting the islanders from the bitter northeast winds.

Huge broadleaf trees stand like sentinels in the coastal meadowlands that lead to a 36 km (22 mi) long shoreline of dunes and shifting sands where the scent of juniper is everywhere in the air. The island is a nesting place for hundreds of bird species and the coastal reef is home to the last grey seal colony in the Baltic.

The first historical documents relating to Kihnu date from the late 14th century but excavations show that the island was inhabited, at least during the summer months, from around 1500 BC.

It has at various times been under Danish, Swedish, Estonian, Polish and Russian rule, reflecting the turbulent history of the Baltic.

Since time immemorial the men here have been seafarers and fishermen, skilled at woodwork and shipbuilding, while the women are wholly responsible for working the land and keeping alive the rich island culture of music, dance and poetry.

A trip to Kihnu transports you back in time into a fascinating folk culture. The inhabitants speak their own language and wear traditional homespun costume. Each woman makes her family’s clothes with intricately knitted, woven and embroidered patterns symbolising ancient legends.

The islanders are symbiotically bound up with their harsh environment, their survival entirely dependent upon cultural loyalty and community sharing. Against all odds, they have managed to hang onto their heritage at the same time as welcoming strangers to their shores.

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