Temples of Japan

As I am going to spend the next few months recuperating from surgery, I figured it would be a good time to go through my archives of my travels.

I distinctly remember Nachi Taisha, a beautiful temple complex near the Nachi falls. I had seen photos of a famous red pagoda rising from the verdant greenery against the backdrop of Nachi falls, and as I was exploring the Kii peninsula, I found out where that photo had been taken - the pagoda by the Nachi Taisha. I made my through the multiple levels of the complex, until I came to this viewpoint. And despite it being the Golden week in Japan, when seemingly every Japanese traveled around the country, it was remarkably empty.

The vermillion orange of the four-tiered pagoda was striking against the mountainous landscape draped in contrasting greenery. The Nachi falls, a 400ft waterfall, looked positively tiny when juxtaposed next to this beautiful pagoda. I spent quite a bit of time exploring this relaxing temple complex, absorbing the sights and sounds of a traditional Japan.

Nachi Taisha

Nachikatsuura Japan

Welcoming the New Year

I have spent many a New Year's eve welcoming the turn of the midnight clock in various different ways: from witnessing flare guns going up in the Galapagos, to dancing along atop the walled colonial city if Cartagena, to gathering around with friends and enjoying the fireworks launched from the iconic Space Needle of Seattle. But perhaps nothing was as unique as watching the clock turn while monks chanted away through the night.

I was walking through the bustling night market of Chiang Mai on New Year's eve when I noticed an old temple decked out with lamps and festive lights. As I wandered in, the din of the crowds outside died away, leaving behind a peaceful chant of monks from within the temple. As I proceeded further, I came across this beautiful setting: a Golden Buddha sitting beneath a festive Bodhi tree with oil lamps flickering all around. As I watched, monks, young and old, walked silently along a bamboo pathway, and kneeled down interspersed between the lamps. And they started praying, recreating the famous enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama under the Bodhi tree, with the disciples receiving blessings from him.

I paused from photography, put my camera down, and closed my eyes to immerse myself in the moment.

Chiang Mai

Thailand

In Memory of National Parks

One of the country's best kept treasures are it's amazing systems of 60 National Parks. I have spent countless sunrises and sunsets exploring nooks and crannies of many of the parks, and every one of them has managed to surprise me, not just in their natural beauty, but in the people who have worked to preserve this for posterity. It takes incredible foresight and effort to manage the many competing goals of such a system, and that has constantly left me in awe of this challenge.

And now, the unneeded shutdown, instigated by the theatrics of a clown, has thrown a wrench in a delicately balanced environment. While federal employees all over the country do suffer, it pains me to see the what the park system is going through to continue it's mission. Full props to the brave people who have worked tirelessly to this effort. And if you are a fan of the National Parks, I urge you to do your part: volunteer your time or money to the various Park foundations that assist the National Park System.

When my hands are finally healed, I hope to lend my hand to heal the National parks as well. I feel it is a moral obligation to return the favor for all the joyous moments I have experienced in the amazing National Park System. You can help too: purchase my 2019 calendar, and all proceeds will be split between the National Park Foundation and WildAid

Seattle

WA USA

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Welcoming Spring

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The cold winds blowing down from the Cascades chills me to my very bone. The count of weeks without seeing the blue sky even a single day keep increasing. The struggle to wake up at dark to leave in the freezing hours of the morning, and return hours after sunset is getting to me. The dreaded Seasonal Affective Disorder is upon the Pacific Northwest, and trying to keep spirits up in these trying times requires a spirited effort.

It is this dearth of light that makes spring and summer glorious here, where the rays of sunlight evokes a new awakening, a warmth that revitalizes the soul. And that is why I look forward to the next spring, where the bloom of the tulips heralds the welcome to the new year.

Find this image in my 2019 Calendar.

Skagit Valley

WA USA

Beckoning the New Year

I am super excited to announce this year's 2019 Calendar. It features 13 photos that highlight the diversity of the National Parks all over the country, and the spectacular beauty of the Pacific Northwest, which I now call home.

And remember, this calendar is for a good cause - all proceeds will get donated to two charities whose work I empathize with: National Park Foundation and WildAid.

Having visited 40 National Parks, I have come to realize the vital importance of our National Park system in protecting and preserving nature, culture, wildlife, and landscapes for the future. The National Park Foundation helps safeguard our national heritage, ensuring generations of national park enthusiasts can enjoy the parks we love.

Illegal wildlife trade has had a serious impact on the populations of many endangered species. While there are efforts to curb poaching, WildAid believes in attacking the demand side of the equation by persuading consumers and strengthening enforcement. I do hope that they succeed in their mission.

You can now purchase this calendar at Lulu.

Heralding Spring

The grass, green after their long winter slumber, carpeted the rolling hillscape. Skeletons of oak trees dotted this early spring landscape, awaiting warmer temperatures to don new leaves. And it was in this beautiful setting that I was wrapping up one of my last spring hikes of the East Bay foothills before I moved out of California.

The various parks and preserves that dot the eastern side of the Bay Area were a haven of peace and solitude, a welcome retreat from the bustling activity of the Bay. While they stay golden through most of the year, in spring, the life-giving rains paint the hills with a verdant green quite reminiscent of England. And for a short time that the green lasted, the trails here were my pathway to multitudes of photographic opportunities.

As the New Year approaches, nostalgia for one of my favorite hiking destinations rises strongly in my mind. I hope I get to hike there once again.

Sunol Regional Wilderness

CA USA

Light of the Night - II

It was hoping for another night with a clear sky. I was eager to see another light of the night.

My body was still recovering from a lack of sleep from the previous night in northern Iceland, while my mind recovering from witnessing one of the best displays of the Northern Lights. I had been held in a trance by that display, unable to move from the camera even as the mercury dropped below freezing. My camera died before I did.

The second night, I was out by a village in the remote reaches of Westfjords, and was hoping I would be able to get a similar display tonight. And after dinnertime, I bee-lined out to one of the vista-points I had scouted earlier, parked my car, and waited for the clouds to part.

And the sky did not disappoint. The dance of this light of the night was ethereal, a scintillating display of auroral glow that I would never forget. It was dimmer, but still brilliant.

Flateyri

Westfjords, Iceland

Light of the Night

"As dark as the night sky": the fairly common phrase ran through my mind as the bright band of the Milky Way stretched from horizon to horizon. Thousands of dazzling specks of light illuminating a dark canvas, interrupted here and there by scintillating flashes of a meteor, the steady pulse of a transpacific flight and the long slow march of the communication satellites. The mercury continued to drop as night settled in deep in the heart of the Central Cascades of Washington, but I continued my obsession with the ethereal dark night sky.

The night sky is something we all take for granted. Only when you experience the light of the night and see the Milk Way traverse the sky, however, do you realize the importance of a wilderness where you can really feel that the earth is but a mere mote of dusk floating through the vastness of space. It is a treasure that helps you experience the cosmic perspective. And every few weeks, I yearn to return to such a wilderness.

Goat Rocks Wilderness

WA USA

Fading Footprints

I watched as the sun slowly set behind the distant dunes and as my footprints slowly faded away into the sand; wind wiping away memories just as the sun wiped away the day, setting up for a new dawn, a new beginning amidst the mighty dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in CO.

As I reflect upon the year that is almost ending, this image seemed an apt metaphor for the multitude of events that happened this year. And just as the sun set on that day, so it will on this year. And just as the footsteps were erased by the wind, the canvas will be wiped clean for the next year, a canvas where we can forge new stories and new experiences.

In the last remaining month of the year, lets take a moment to remember the defining moments, and carry over the learnings to the future.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

CO USA

Memories of Summer

I peered over the edge, nervously balancing my tripod. It was a long way down, and I couldn't afford to slip, even as I was hurrying to catch the last of the sunset colors. My heart was still rushing from the nerve-wracking drive to catch this sunset, and with the sky turning a vibrant crimson on the western side, it was not going to slow down anytime soon.

Palouse falls was just as I had remembered it. I had visited this amazing destination many years ago, at the time it was just starting to get well known. The cavernous canyon formed by the waterfall cuts through the bedrock as it makes it way downstream is a sight to behold. And the roar of the waterfall is certainly unforgettable

As the sun descended on the horizon behind me that day, the clouds lit up, the colors reflecting gently on the winding river below. I paused for a moment, trying to soak in the sights and the sounds, know that it will be a while before I return back here. With the Pacific Northwest getting ready for a cold and dark winter, memories like these keep me going until the next summer.

Palouse Falls State Park

WA USA