The Blue Zone

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.

- Yeats

As the last light of the day withdrew from the cloudy skies, I noticed something strange: the turbulent waters churning to a shade of deep blue , reflecting colors that were present nowhere. All around, the sky was socked in clouds with nary a shade of blue, and yet, these waters in the northeast of Maui displayed a fascinating hue I hadn't seen before.

I thought that was the last I would see of these mystical blue waters, but in the early hours of the next day, the same shades showed up at a different beach whilst under cloudy skies and yellow morning light.

Maui
Hawaii

Colored Reflections

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Every year, the Pacific Northwest gets blanketed by clouds like clockwork during the winter, leading to an long period of colorless grey skies. These unending gloomy conditions, coupled with the short days, can take a toll on personal happiness. My escape out of this is to reminisce the past by looking at my colorful archives of photography, and enjoying the play of light that I see for my images.

After all, as is often said, “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

Here, I attempted a cinemagraph from an old clip I had shot in Acadia, during the peak of its fall foliage.

Acadia National Park
ME USA

Getting High in Canada

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds…

Edward Abbey

O Canada
Why is one part of your country nothing but magnificent snow-capped peaks, glacier carved valleys and glistening blue lakes?
Why do you make it so photogenic and expansive?
Why do you make it so easy to immerse oneself in nature?

A weeklong trip to the heart of the Canadian Rockies near Banff yielded these and many more questions as I worked my way from one scenic location to another. I wish I could go back and check out these rocky monoliths one more time.

Canadian Rockies

Heart of the Isles

I had never expected a country filled with beautiful scenery, with windswept mountains alternating with blissfulyl green hills, with rugged coastlines interspersed by petite towns, to be also so culturally rich and full of character and passion. It was a study in contrast going from the capital city of Dublin, where tradition and modernity wove a tangled web of commerce and industry, to the pastoral countryside replete with old castles, charming town centers, delightful bed-and-breakfasts, and the ever-ubiquitous Irish pubs with lively folk music.

It wasn't a country that wowed me with grand spectacle the likes of Iceland and Chile, but it was the hidden charm of the little things that I got to discover exploring around. I wish I could return there under better conditions. Meanwhile, here is a sampling from the heart of the isles

Ireland

The Paths We Follow

If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads...

- Anatole France

For me, nothing excites me more than packing on a backpack and camera gear, and taking my first step on a path that leads into the mountains. Around every corner is a new surprise, a new sensation, and a new vista. And in the mountains of the French Alps, every turn brought about a new scenery, whether it be snow-capped peaks trailing into the horizon, the bountiful growth of colorful wildflowers or the sound of the cheerful cowbells of the local herd.

And on glorious mountain days like this, I cared not where the path took me, but where I currently was.

Tour du Mont Blanc
Europe

Granite Wonderland

I had stumbled upon this esoteric wilderness destination while sightseeing on Google Maps: a land of glistening blue lakes wrapped by granite monoliths in the least populated states of the country. I had docked the thought in my mind, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd actually get to visit this unspoilt backpacking destination.

It happened in the summer of 2015, as I was scouting for locations that did not require an advanced permit to visit, and realized that this backcountry was one of those destinations. But getting there wasn't going to be easy: a flight to Salt Lake City followed by a 5hr drive to a frontier town that was a last outpost of civilization, and a 15mi hike to the heart of the wilderness area in conditions that were nothing short of miserable.

But once the skies cleared and the sun shown, the vastness of the landscape oozed with an inescapable and indescribable beauty like no other.

I hope to return back to this remote backcountry area just to explore it's nooks and crannies once again.

Bridger Teton National Forest
WY USA

The Wild West

Soaring spires rising from a desolate rocky landscape interspersed by dusty road threading the undulating red rocks. This was the scenery that I found myself immersed in a sojourn in the desert southwest. Coming from the greenery of the Pacific Northwest, the stark red terrain felt as alien as the landscape on the moon. And as the glaring desert light started to fade, the hues tempered to the deeper shades of red and finally black, leaving behind inky dark silhouettes against a pastel shaded sky.

And this cycle reversed again in the morning: the light from the rising sun slipped through the fingers of earth and filtered through the clouds, creating fleeting visions of shadow and light on the monumental landscape around.

All this in one 24 hour cycle. The photographer in me wonders what an entire year would bring.

Desert Southwest
UT / AZ

Broken Earth

Going through my archives, I came across a series of images from Yellowstone showcasing the kaleidoscopic colors of a volcanically active area. But mere images cannot convey the steam-engine like hiss venting from fumaroles, the bubbling sounds of geysers, and the splashing sounds of scalding waters, nor can they bring out the pungent sulphurous scent of a broken earth. The raw power of Yellowstone brought all my senses to a halt. But it refreshed me like no other National Park did.

Yellowstone National Park
WY USA

Resting Places

We hardly think of where we go when we die. And even if we build elaborate structures to allow our mortal remains to decay, we will never get to experience it. And yet, all around the world, humans have built grand mausoleums, cemeteries and burial grounds to allow the dead to pass on to afterlife. Whether it be the mighty Pyramids of Gizeh, elaborately decorated structures of Recoleta and Pere Lachaise, or the grand mausoleums like Taj Mahal, they all strive to glorify their silent inhabitants to an exalted status.

Dating back to the 12th century, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, belongs to this exclusive club of grand final resting places. Walking through metropolis replete with mausoleums and ritual buildings was a walk back in time. I made my way through sunlit passageways lined by pain-stakingly-restored blue shrines with exquisite architecture, admiring the intricate decorations and opulent tombstones.

I hope I get to see similar treasures around the world.

Shah-i-Zinda
Samarkand Uzbekistan

Last of 2019

As the last light sets in some parts of the planet, there are others celebrating the turn of the decade. And it has been a tumultuous decade with rapid changes in economy, politics, science, technology and art. Parts of the planet which were previously politically and economically unstable are now new frontiers to explore, while others have turned the opposite way. Travel and exploration, which used to be an fulfilling activity of discovering new places, immersing in new cultures, and getting inspired by new art, have now transformed to a social-media fueled hunt for the next glamorizing place to broadcast to the world.

The broadening of the mind and the sense of respect that used to be the essence of travel, has now been thrown to the wayside, replaced by a fleeting five-second window of the predictive highlights of a location. Perhaps it is time to slow down, and travel for the sake of travel. Will the new decade bring a reversal of these trends. I would hope so, but I fear not.

My 2 cents as the decade winds to a close

Haleakala National Park
HI USA