The Three Sisters Back in the Dreaming, there were seven sisters who lived in the Jamison Valley in Australia …
Stories abound.
Sitting high above the Jamison Valley, in theUNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains of Eastern Australia, three unusual rock formations stand out. Collectively known as the Three Sisters, Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo were formed by the ongoing erosion of wind and rain against the soft Narrabeen sandstone of these mountains.
According to locally-told tales, these three sisters – who were members of the Gundungurra people living in the Jamison Valley – were turned to stone by their father, an Elder named Tyawan. In one version of the story (q.v.: Myths and Legends), he is protecting his daughters from an evil bunyip – a locally feared creature with a terrible voice and a penchant for eating young girls and women. The bunyip, angry at being woken and deprived of his meal, chased and cornered Tyawan, who used his magic bone to change himself into a lyre bird and escape. Unfortunately, in the process, he dropped the bone! To this day, lyre birds scrabble in the undergrowth looking for the bone, and the stone sisters wait to be changed back into the beautiful young women they once were.
Another version of the story is more like the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet: the three sisters fell in love with three brothers from the neighbouring Nepean tribe, but marriage between these groups was forbidden by tribal law. The brothers decided to capture the young women by force; Tyawan turned the girls to stone to protect them, but was killed in the ensuing battle and could never change them back. It has been suggested that this popular narrative is likely to be the recent invention of a non-Aboriginal Katoomba local, Mel Ward, rather than a genuine Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend.
Whatever their stories, these outcrops are amazing in their own rights, especially as their moods and colours change in the shifting light. They are also extremely accessible:just 110 km (68 mi) west of Sydney, they are visited by busloads of tourists – mostly foreign – daily.
Rather than wrestle with parking at the popular Echo Point Lookout, my husband and I chose to walk the 2.3 km down the hill from our charming 1930s guesthouse in Katoomba, the chief town in the Blue Mountains.
Come join us!
Rhododendrons on the Street Katoomba, with its elevation of 1040 metres above sea level, has a subtropical highland climate. On our visit in October, the spring flowers were in full bloom.
Petals on the Ground
Spring Blooms in the Trees
Flowers on a Wall The town of Katoomba came into its own in the late 1800s with the start of ‘Crushers’, a commercial metal crushing plant, the opening of the Katoomba Coal Mine, and the development of health and recreation facilities. Some of the buildings and infrastructure date back to this time.
‘Kapsalie’ Built between 1915-1916, this lovely federation bungalow is typical of houses in the Katoomba area.
The Jamison Valley As we cross from Lurline Street to Echo Point Road, we start to get views through the trees …
The Jamison Valley … and over the valley.
Echo Point Lookout Services Just before we reach the Echo Point lookout itself, we stop to have a peek into the very modern shopping and food centre, …
Coffee Shop with a View … where customers sit with panoramic views over the valley.
“Katoomba” The viewing area at Echo Point lookout is perched overlooking the Jamison Valley and the iconic Three Sisters. I always enjoy visiting the Echo Point Visitor Centre – which has added a roof of solar panels since my last visit. What was more surprising was the lack of crowds! In spite of the beautiful spring weather, there were not the usual hordes of tourists.
Walkway to the Three Sisters Echo Point is the gateway to a number of walks: along the clifftops or into the valley below. We settled for the easy 500 metre pathway to the Three Sisters themselves.
Flowers and Roots In contrast with the non-native flora of Katoomba, the Australian bush features delicate flowers and subtle colours.
Blue Tongue Lizard Australian fauna can be skittish and hard to spot. These delightful life-size sculptures along the pathway represent those animals hiding in the bush.
Track to the Three Sisters The concrete pathway winds along the cliff edge …
Taking in the Views … with overlooks giving access to panoramic views.
Moss in the Crannies The porous sandstone in the cliff-side walls along the walkway are home to mosses and small plants.
Echidna A life-size sculpture of one of Australia’s unique monotremes.
Sister! We catch our first glimpse of one of the sisters from the walkway. Until 2000, the Sisters were popular with hang-gliders and rock climbers; these activities were stopped on on environmental grounds and out of respect for the Gundungarra and Darug people.
Archway to the Sisters The Giant Stairway down to the valley floor and the Honeymoon Bridge across to the first Sister were officially opened to the public in 1932.
Stairs down to the Honeymoon Bridge
Honeymoon Bridge People take photos on the steps to Meehni, the first of the Sisters – and the only one that visitors are now allowed on.
Grass on the Sister A closer view of the rock formation shows off the strong vertical jointing properties of the Narrabeen sandstone, interspersed with erosion-resistant ironstone.
A Quiet Moment A man checks the photos on his phone at a Jamison Valley overlook.
The Three Sisters Ironically, the best view of the Three Sisters is from the Echo Point lookout – back where we started from! The coloured striations show the effects of erosion: with the lighter orange and yellow sections being the freshly exposed rock.
The Three Sisters are a unique Australian icon and a symbol of the Blue Mountains. I was very impressed with how much Echo Point and the pathway to the Three Sisters had been improved since my last visit; the whole area was enjoyable and easy to explore.
Of course, we still had a long walk back up the hill to town centre, to a well-earned lunch, and to our hotel.
Stone Buddha The Marble Mountains, just outside Danang in Vietnam, are a honey-comb of niches, many with a shrine or deity inside.
The Marble Mountains: I kept calling them “Magic Mountains” by mistake.
But they are a bit magical!
Near Non Nuoc Beach, nine kilometres south of Danang in Central Vietnam, five marble and limestone outcrops rise up dramatically from the flat plains around them. According to legend, a dragon climbed out of the East Vietnam Sea onto the beach and laid an egg. After a thousand days and a thousand nights, the egg hatched, and a beautiful girl emerged. The broken pieces of shell that were left on the beach eventually grew into the five mystical Marble Mountains. (Story paraphrased from Hotels.com; I want to know what happened to the girl!!)
Craggy and steep, these impossible-looking mountains are topped with Buddhist pagodas, and riddled with tunnels and caves. Alcoves and crannies are filled with Buddhist and Hindu temples and shrines, many many of them more than 300 years old. More recently, the tunnels provided hiding places for the Vietcong, very near the military air base maintained by the Americans during the Vietnam War.
It is not just me who finds these peaks magical. They are a popular tourist attraction and well-known pilgrimage site.
Their name in Vietnamese is Ngũ Hành Sơn, or “five elements mountains”: referring to the five elements that, according to ancient Asian philosophy, make up everything in nature. The individual outcrops are named for – and said to represent – one of these elements: Thuy Son (water); Moc Son – (wood); Hoa Son (fire); Kim Son (metal); and Tho Son (earth)).
My husband and I were staying at a coastal resort nearby (see: Resort Living) and it was an easy cycle to Non Nuoc Village at the foot of Marble Mountains. The village is famous for its stone sculptures and handicrafts – although, these days the marble used by the local craftsmen comes from nearby provinces or China, so that the precious mountains here are not destroyed.
We had a look through the shops before heading to the entry to Thuy Son or Water Mountain. We bought our modestly-priced tickets and started up the 150+ stone steps that rise and wind through the caves and alcoves to the lookouts at the top.
Vietnamese Fishermen Non Nuoc Village is crowded with outlet shops selling marble carvings: from the smallest jewellery, through souvenir knickknacks, to the largest religious and decorative objects for public spaces.
Bright Lights and Crafts The shops carry a range of local handicrafts; the teapots come in all shapes and sizes.
Stairs up the Mountain There are said to be 156 steps up to the viewpoint at the top of Thuy Son, …
Kwan Yin (Quan Am) in a Niche … but there are plenty of things to look at along the way.
Marble Bodhisattvas and Nagas Around every corner, the visitor is met with Buddhist imagery.
Buddha over a Reflecting Pond The rising steps are broken by landings …
Buddha in the Garden … where visitors stop to rest and pose for pictures.
Tam Thai Pagoda
Inside Tam Thai Pagoda Some of the shrines are wildly colourful and garishly decorated.
Shrine in an Alcove Others are more subdued: carved from stone and aged with a patina of moss.
Prince Siddhartha on Horseback Buddhism has strong ties to it’s Hindu roots: the Kshatriya Warrior Prince Siddhartha, was the ninth incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, the second god in the Hindu triumvirate. After his enlightenment, he was known as Siddhārtha Gautama, or the Gautama Buddha.
Buddha in an Alcove As we follow the tunnels through the limestone caves, we come across more altars, …
Standing Buddha … and more Buddhas.
Buddha Teaching Images of deer are often found in Buddhist gardens. They remind us of the first sermon Buddha gave after his enlightenment: to five beggars in Sarnath, a deer park in what is now Uttar Pradesh, India.
Pagodas in the Garden
Danang From our first vantage point, we can see north west to Danang …
Marble Mountains and Prickly Pear … and west over the outcrops towards the mountains.
Coconut Seller Coconut is a refreshing energiser after a long hard climb!
The Bodhisattva of Compassion All over Vietnam, you will see statues of Quan Am, the Bodhisattva of Mercy or Compassion.
Quan Am Local Buddhists pray to her for guidance, fertility and protection.
Stairs into the Caves In most places, the stairs up and down through the caves are well formed.
Look up through the Limestone In other sections, we were literally climbing through rough gaps in the craggy limestone rock.
Shrine in a Cave Another cave: another shrine; …
Buddha in a Niche … another alcove: another Buddha.
Tháp Xá Lợi We come back out into the open behind the Xa Loi Tower.
Heaven’s Gate We make our way through Heaven’s Gate …
View over Non Nuoc Village … and up to another lookout.
Marble Carvings Back at the bottom of the mountain, we admire the sculptures awaiting packaging and transport …
Giant Kwan Yin in Marble … as we pass under the blessings of a giant Quan Am …
Bố Đại … and past a Laughing Buddha who looks as though he’s been abandoned.
Before finding our bicycles and pedalling back to the resort, we stopped into the shops for another look around. We found a small piece of marble to take home with us; the stone might have its origins in China, but the carvers live right here – in the shadow of these magic Marble Mountains.
Twin Upper Falls, Linville Falls It’s a short walk through a lovely wood to the upper falls at Linville Falls, North Carolina.
We had started planning the year before …
My husband and I had been driving, in our usual hurry, from a friend’s house in North Carolina to an airplane in Nashville, Tennessee. Not far from Asheville, NC, we pulled a short way off the highway to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. A working wifi, a clean toilet, a few interactive displays, and I was hooked!
I picked up numerous pamphlets and maps, and started dreaming…
Dreams Start Here! The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, has just about everything a Blue Ridge trip-planner needs.
So, when I was mapping out our trip to visit family in Tennessee and Ohio the next year, I expanded the loop with a drive down the Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Park and then into the Blue Ridge Mountains via the Blue Ridge Parkway (see: Blue Ridge Parkway, Part 1 and Stepping into the Past, Part 2). Naturally, the days we had originally allotted to the drive had long-since eroded, and here we were: after two days of driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway, we had a fast-approaching deadline, but a lot more road to enjoy.
In the car, I alternated between thumbing through the maps and guide books and watching the road and scenery, while my husband drove. I had to try and pick the highlights as time slipped through our fingers like sands through the hourglass…
Morning View It is hard to believe that people get up to this glorious view every day! Skyline Village Inn, Spruce Pine, NC.
That is how, on our third morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we came to be driving backwards.
Because I had booked our overnight accommodation based on where I thought we would/should be, we ended up backtracking from the tiny hamlet of Spruce Pine (Mile 330.8), north to Linville Falls (Mile 316.3). The waterfall looked too good to miss.
As it turned out, the town of Linville Falls wasn’t too bad either!
“Turkey in the Straw” The wild turkeys at the side of the road were a morning treat as we drove north. Unfortunately for me and my camera, they move pretty quickly for a heavy bird!
Fishing in the Linville River The river is quiet near the car park and National Park’s Visitor’s Center – clearly it is a good spot for fly fishing.
Into the Linville Woods There are many short trails leading to waterfall over-looks; all of them are well maintained.
Tree Roots The extensive roots of the trees form an intricate webbing underfoot.
Hikers on the Trail
Linville Falls Our first breath-taking view of Linville Falls as it plunges down through Linville Gorge, was from an upper over-look. The river drops a total of 46 metres (150 ft) down several tiers.
Flowers on the Edge Wildflowers cling to the steep drop-off next to our viewing platform. The canyon floor seems a long way down!
Upper Linville Falls Just a short walk away, there is a completely different perspective over a different section of the falls.
Fungus The walking paths are full of colour and beauty, from the fungus at our feet…
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia) … to the spring flowers on the trees.
Rocky Fall Base At every turn, there is a new view of the racing water.
One of the Twin Upper Falls
Rhododendrons at the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center After completing our morning’s walk, we drove back further, to the Linn Cove Viaduct (Mile 304.4). We had driven over the 379 metre (1243 ft) concrete bridge in the dark the night before, and were determined to get a better look.
Growth under the Linn Cove Viaduct The Viaduct was the last section of Blue Ridge Parkway completed – designed to protect the ecology of Grandfather Mountain,one of the world’s oldest mountains. It’s hard to get a good look while you are one it, and there is nowhere to stop, so we decided to take a walk that was meant to take us to a viewing platform.
Under the Linn Cove Viaduct We clambered through greenery, …
Path under the Linn Cove Viaduct … and over rocks and roots, …
Car on the Linn Cove Viaduct … but we never found a clear and unobstructed view.
Grandfather Mountain Completed in 1987, the bridge comprises 153 concrete segments, only one of which is straight. It snakes around the slopes of Grandfather Mountain.
Stack Rock Creek (Mile 305)
Linville Falls Post Office (Mile 317.5) Heading south once again, we stopped in at the charming town of Linville Falls for lunch – and even made use of their quaint Post Office. (iPhone6)
Road Tunnels Here are two of the vehicle tunnels along the Blue Ridge Parkway; 25 of the 26 Parkway tunnels are in North Carolina.
Green Knob Overlook (Mile 350.5) After our long morning, we were fast running out of time, so stopped only briefly at overlooks that appeared interesting.
Craggy Dome The weather turned, …
Into the Rain Clouds … and we drove up into the clouds …
Looking Glass Mountain from Log Hollow Overlook (Mile 416.3) … and out the other side.
Storm Clouds over Graveyard Fields ( Mile 418) It seemed fitting that black clouds should roll over Graveyard Fields when we stopped there; no one is sure where the name comes from, but all the proposed explanations are gloomy! (Phone6)
Visitors on the Highest Point (Mile 431) Like any good tourist, we had to stop at the highest point on the Parkway: the Richland Balsam Overlook (6,047 ft/1843 m).
Thomas Divide Overlook (Mile 463.9) After over-nighting in Cherokee, we were back on the Parkway just so we could say: … (iPhone6)
The Final Marker: Oconalute River (Mile 469) … “We finished it!”
It was a beautiful drive, and we can’t wait to do it again –
Man in a Colourful Rajasthani Turban At the Camel Fair in Pushkar, the turbans are as colourful as the “characters” you meet!
That direct, forthright gaze!
Eyes red from the ubiquitous dust and the smoke from the dung-fires; skin weathered by time and the elements; teeth broken and stained by hard-living and tobacco – but still happy to stare at the foreigner’s camera with a complete lack of self-consciousness.
For me, one of the many joys of being in India is the ease of making “environmental portraits”: candid, street-style pictures of people (or animals) in their natural environment.
The annual Pushkar Camel Festival –orKartik Mela – in Rajasthan, Northern India, ends with the full moon this Saturday, November 4th. A number of my friends – including photographer Karl Grobl and local guide DV Singh – are there, and I can’t help but feel a little envious as I watch all the pictures coming through my news feed, especially as it has been four years since I was there with them and enjoyed the Camel Fair myself.
But seeing their pictures reminds me that I still have countless photos I have yet to process. So, I was motivated to return to old files and revisit some of the wonderful faces from Pushkar’s dusty fair grounds. I have shared some pictures from the fair before (See: Scenes from a Fair and A Gypsy Portrait), but it has been a while!
Please enjoy these environmental, candid portraits of some of the fabulous faces at Pushkar’s Camel Fair.
Around the Fire The people who bring their animals or other trade-goods to the Pushkar Fair grounds sleep on site: in tents or under their carts. When I arrived on my second morning there, it was cold, and still dark. Those people who were up were huddled around their camp fires.
Young Man at a Fire There are only small twigs and branches in the surrounding desert – the resulting fires are thin, and don’t give off much warmth against the cold November morning.
Pushkar Campsite The campsite comes to life slowly, as dawn starts to lighten the horizon.
Feeding the Horses The Camel Fair is not just about camels: the prized and rare Marwari horses, with their strong bodies and inward-curving ears, are also a feature.
Man in a Blanket
Camels and Ferris Wheels The camels, with their carefully shaved coats and painted markings, are everywhere.
Camel and Ferris Wheels Their soft eyes and long lashes, and the flowers and pom-poms they wear, belie their notoriously bad tempers.
Man in a Green Turban
Man in an Orange Blanket Cigarettes, pipes, and cheroots are everywhere.
Impromptu Family Group If I see a camera, I duck for cover, so I’m always surprised by how enthusiastically I am met when I walk around with mine! A patriarch in this household (the man whose picture leads this post) insisted I stay at his campsite until he gathered up the whole family for a group shot. He then proceeded to give them stage directions from over my left shoulder, so that half the group is looking at him rather than me!
Man in a Cream Turban Rajasthan is an arid, sandy place. November days are hot, but the nights are cold, necessitating the twig- and dung-fires that burn all around the campsite. It is not surprising that everyone has red and irritated eyes.
Woman in a Green Dupatta These people spoke no English, so I’m not sure how many of the children in this group belonged to this woman. I can’t imagine how difficult her life in the desert must be.
Camel Herder Camp Cover a camel cart in tarpaulin and throw a few woven mats on the ground, and Presto! you have a campsite.
Young Man and his Rajasthani Horse My presence there prompted the youngest member of the group to leap up on his Marwari horse …
Young Man … to practice his Bollywood smoulder.
Marwari Horse – Equus Ferus Caballus From the Marwar (or Jodhpur) region of India, these beautiful horses were originally bred by the Rathores, the rulers of Marwar until the 12th century. Today’s horses are descended from a careful cross between native Indian ponies and Arabians. During the feudal period, only the Rajput families and the Kshatriyas (the warrior caste) were allowed to ride them, as they were considered divine.
Camels Feeding Smoke and dust hang in the winter morning air.
Camels at the Water Trough One of my favourite spots was the water trough …
Camels Bellowing … where the beautifully decorated animals gave voice to their discontent.
Watering the Camels The job of giving the huge animals their drinks can fall to the very young.
Man in a Blue Scarf That direct gaze with strangers – so common in India – is something I see much less often in other parts of the world.
Man in a Blue Scarf Once you have eye contact, it doesn’t take much to elicit a radiant smile.
Girl in Yellow The rising sun finally cuts through the smoke and dust, …
Boy in a T Shirt … casting a yellow glow over everything, and reflecting in the children’s eyes.
Man Drinking The central water supply is a busy place.
Shaved Camel I just loved all the different shaving and painting designs the camels sported, …
Decorated Camel … and their colourful pom poms!
Man in a Red Turban But, it was the people, and that direct gaze, that I kept coming back to.
Oh Ursula Dear, what a joyous look back on our time together at Pushkar !! That was probably my favorite part of the entire India trip and now thanks to you, I get to relive it again. So thank you for your pictures and for your studied research and narrative. Seeing you in my Inbox always, and I do mean always makes my day. Do hope you are well and yes, we are good too. We love to go, but we love being home too.
Thanks again and keep them coming. . . .ReplyCancel
Darling Jan!
So glad you enjoyed the pictures and the memories. You do make me smile. ?
I’m happy you and the Handsome-One are enjoying some home-time.
Catch you again on the trails one day! xReplyCancel
Gabe -November 2, 2017 - 1:36 pm
Beautiful portraits & animal shots. Love the horse earsReplyCancel
[…] while I’ve already shared some of the images I made there (see: A Gypsy Portrait, Faces at the Camel Fair, and Scenes from a Fair) – I still have a large body of work to […]ReplyCancel
[…] DV Singh Jagat. We had spent a lot of time on the dusty fairground amid the camels and horses (see: Faces at the Camel Fair, and Among the Camels and Horses), so a walk into town was a welcome […]ReplyCancel
[…] Jagat, included the annual autumn Camel Fair in the Northern Indian town of Pushkar (see: Faces at the Camel Fair, and Among the Camels and Horses). Pushkar Lake has attracted pilgrims at least as far back as […]ReplyCancel
Bull Elephant in the Afternoon Light Raising dust as he trudges the well-worn path in the afternoon light, an old bull elephant approaches the King Nehale Waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia.
It was mesmerising.
Elephants in the wild move with a lumbering grace that lulls one into a trance.
At the King Nehale Waterhole, on the eastern side of Etosha National Park in Namibia, there is a fence that keeps the people out of the animals’ domain – and vice versa. Thanks to photographer Ben McRae and local guide guide Morne Griffiths, I was camped for three wonderful nights right next to the waterhole.
I spent hours and hours, across four days, just sitting there, on a bench behind the fence, with my camera on a tripod and the remote in my hand. The air was soporific, buzzing with heat and insect noise, tranquillising me into a dreamlike state as I watched the animals come and go (see: A Day at the Waterhole; Birds and Beasts on the Veld).
It was the elephants and their waltz-like rhythms that really captivated me. Perhaps is is the hot, thick air that slows these pachyderms down; they wade through it like we move through water, with sedate, measured strides. They are in almost-constant slow motion: plodding, swaying, swishing a tail or tossing a trunk in smooth, unhurried movements, then, for no apparent reason, the whole group stops still for a few moments. It is like watching a tableau where almost nothing happens for ages; then you lose focus and let your attention drift, and all of a sudden the whole scene has shifted.
It’s hypnotising.
Elephants at the Waterhole My first visits to the waterhole were rewarded with family groups of elephants.
Elephants at the Waterhole In the heat of the day, the elephants come …
Elephants at the Tree … and go. The single tree growing at the edge of the waterhole provides little escape from the unrelenting heat of the day.
Incoming Elephant New elephants approach the waterhole periodically. Apparently, these huge pachyderms have tender feet, so they follow the winding paths they have cleared through the rocks that surround the waterhole.
Splash! Elephants can drink up to 200 litres of water a day – but their time at the waterhole involves as much splashing as drinking.
Elephant Afternoon They are mottled with water and mud as they follow the well-worn path away from the waterhole.
Elephant on the Horizon On a morning drive, through the veld in Etosha National Park, it is not long before one of these magnificent creatures comes into view.
Elephant Walking Without pause or change of pace, the great animal approaches, crosses the road directly in front of our jeep, and lumbers off.
Pied Crow – Corvus Albus Back at our campsite, the birds watch carefully, lest we leave food scraps anywhere.
Elephants at the Waterhole Other animals seem to give the elephants a wide berth …
Elephants at the Waterhole … as they nuzzle and play. Elephants – especially the females and immature males – are very social animals, and bathing together reinforces group bonding.
Giraffes and Oryx Even when the elephants aren’t around, giraffes approach the waterhole very gingerly, watching their surrounds carefully.
Elephant Clans It is as if there is a secret roster system: when one group of elephants has been enjoying the water for a period of time, another batch comes into sight on the horizon.
Incoming Elephants The newly-arrived clan files into the back of the waterhole …
Face Off … while the original group continues to play a while, before moving off.
Afternoon at the Waterhole The late afternoon light bounces off the water as the elephants splash about.
Giraffes at the Waterhole The poor giraffes look very ungainly when they do, finally, decide to get a drink.
Black Backed Jackals (Canis Mesomelas) As the light and temperature drop, the jackals come out.
Dust on Fire The angled afternoon sun lights up the dust the elephants raise as they leave the waterhole…
The King Nehale Waterhole … and casts an orange glow over the whole scene.
Sunset on the Veld The sun drops quickly over the veld, but there are special lights around the waterhole, so I can continue to sit and wait and watch as the animals come and go.
Bull Elephants Everything looks different around the waterhole after dark. In the blue light after sundown, two males approached each other …
In the Blue Light … and spent a lot of time engaging in the elephant equivalent of arm-wrestling. This is how they fight for dominance, although – from where I sat – it didn’t feel like there was any real aggression happening here.
Tree at the Waterhole Under the protective cover of darkness, the rhinos, who have been elusive during the day, come out to drink.
Elephant After Dark I sit, half daydreaming, watching as a bull wanders off, before taking myself off to bed.
As I lay in my sleeping bag at night – in complete safety – I listened to the roars of the lions in the distance. Jackals were yipping and yowling as they scrabbled through a tent nearby, where some silly fool had left meat jerky unattended.
But it was the rhythm of the elephants’ slow waltz that lulled me to sleep, even as the night’s parade of animals at the waterhole continued.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
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It was a beautiful spring day visiting this lovely scenic spot.
‘Twas indeed! 😀