testmeat photoblog

get the cool shoeshine

i waited a while before i attempted to climb cotopaxi due to catching a cold when i arrived in latacunga. after my health improved i returned, found a partner and walked up to the refuge. i settled into my sleeping bag at 6pm and tried to get some sleep before the 1am start. after listening to a few albums on my ipod as well as the other people in the refuge go to bed i suddenly felt my cold return. combined with the actual cold which you can't escape when you're sleeping in a wooden shack at 4800 metres i only managed about 1 hours sleep before i set off for the ascent. my symptoms subsided on the way up, but then returned on the way down and have become stronger since. boy my immune system knows how to piss me off. also whilst i was hiking up cotopaxi i paused to get some energy sweets from my pocket, taking off my mitten to open the packet. a strong gust of wind then threw the mitten out of my hand, i turned and ran after it as it was disappearing into the darkness when i was suddenly tugged backwards. i'd forgotten that i was roped together to the guide and my fellow climber. the mitten was lost into the night so i had to do the rest of the trek wearing a thin cotton glove. the snow, ice and freezing temperatures meant my hand was really, really cold - and even now i have a numb feeling in my fingertips. so a cold... numb fingers... what else can i complain about? oh yeah, i went back to my favourite (south american) curryhouse today and they had no aloo gobi so i had to make do with bombay aloo. so a cold, numb fingers and i'm gobiless. life can be cruel sometimes.

here's the original

6th February 2012 ]]>

monkey in the snow

following on from yesterday's entry - i really wanted to post a photo of the view from the top of cotopaxi - and what a view it is. unfortunately this didn't happen and i didn't even make it to the summit, partly because of the weather and partly because i was cheap. i mentioned yesterday that you can pay more to go by yourself, or split the cost with a partner. however if your partner quits then you have to go down as well, as you're both roped to the same mountain guide. that's what happened about 97 metres for the top. i know that sounds like barely nothing, but we'd been walking for over 6 hours and the final 200 metres are the most demanding. physically i was ready to quit as well, but i've got a stubbornness that would make me keep going. alas my portuguese accomplice did not. in fairness the weather had turned and there was really thick cloud all around us, so if we had made it to the 5897 metre summit all i would have captured would be a grey canvas. it was annoying as the trek started at 1am to an almost full moon, which along with the stars, illuminated the volcano. as we continued to walk the moon morphed into a bright orange sphere and created amazing effects with rings of clouds. in hindsight i wished that i'd photographed those skies, but naively i thought i'd save my energy (and battery) for the crater. this was my favourite of about 5 photos i took on the hike, the snow-battered monkey who made the journey to 5800 metres on my head. lazy ape.

here's the original

5th February 2012 ]]>

fox in the snow

there's a volcano near the town of latacunga called cotopaxi. it's fairly common for people to attempt the almost 6000m summit, and i wanted to give it a go when i was there, unfortunately my cold made meant that it would have been dangerously difficult. the closest i managed was a short walk to the refugio which is just below 5000m. that's where i met this furry little guy. i travelled to quito afterwards, and when i started to feel better i returned to latacunga a few days ago. like when i climbed huayna potosi it's standard practice to have two people per guide. the downside of going with an extra person is if they can't make it to the top you all have to give up and go down. the downside of doing it by yourself is that it's 67% more expensive. i've now spent three days waiting for an extra person without any luck, so if i can't find a partner today i think i'll bite the bullet and pay the increased price. i'll let you know how i get on, and if i run into any more hungry foxes.

here's the original

4th February 2012 ]]>

two heroic arms

i don't want to sound like a broken record, but banos was beautiful. i think i must have been in an overly positive mood for the few days that i was there, as i recall there were a number of occasions where i'd just stare at (and of course photograph) the landscape without saying a word... y'know, for longer than is normal. i took this on the same drive where i saw the view of the town. i was with three other friends that i'd met in montanita, and apart from the french driver we all had slr cameras. this is the best for me as i didn't feel uncomfortable asking to stop the vehicle, or spending a bit too long framing or taking pictures. i guess the downside is that we probably all ended up with similar shots, but as far as i know the other 2 guys don't have websites, so lets just assume that mine came out the best

this shot was brought to you with the magic of raw... and here's the original

3rd February 2012 ]]>

the air hangs heavy

if i spend a long time in a place it's usually because i either like it there, or i'm too ill or unmotivated to leave. or, as was the case in tena, because i'm working. despite it being in the amazon the internet connection was actually pretty strong, so i thought it wise to stay and work instead of risk moving. the signal wasn't so strong in my room so i set up a desk next to the kitchen on a terrace/balcony area. it had a view over the whole city, which was pretty on the outskirts and a little ugly in the middle. part of this middle was a fairground which i would see light up and down each night that i was working. before i left i made a point of heading down there with my tripod - and this was the result. i still prefer my german shot i took over 5 years ago, but like back then i still enjoy the combination of long exposure and light.

here's the original

2nd February 2012 ]]>

everything beautiful is far away

it's not uncommon when you're travelling to keep on bumping into the same people. actually it's a little uncommon for me as i travel particularly slowly, but it's a general truism. there's this israeli dude who is also travelling at a slower pace, i probably shouldn't use his real name, lets call him joey joe-joe junior shabadoo. anyway i met him in mancora in november, montanita in december and then in quilotoa in january. he's friendly and sociable enough, but he also has some questionable political views. i didn't hear this first hand, but apparently in montanita he came out with some pretty misogynistic views on rape. like i say i wasn't there so i don't know the context. he said that when he's out and drunk and acting like a dick he tells people he's from egypt. after he walked to this lake and back he took off his sweaty t-shirt and washed his face and body in the sink. as he reached for a towel i asked him if he'd just showered, to which he replied he had an arab shower. another guy in the room couldn't help but ask why he called it that, and he responded y'know cause they're so dirty. there was a different israeli i met in montanita who said something even more offensive, but i can't bring myself to type that out. well, after all that unpleasantness, here's a beautiful lake in a volcanic crater.

here's the original

1st February 2012 ]]>

beautiful ground

this is the city of banos in ecuador. i've posted about it before - and already mentioned that i thought it was beautiful. as well as hiring buggies and bicycles we also hired a 4x4 and drove across a bridge to the other side of the town. we wanted to get a good view of a volcano which hides behind some of the mountains, but for me the best view was looking back on the town balanced on a cliff, with waterfalls poking out and pouring into the river below. sure is some beautiful ground.

here's the original

31st January 2012 ]]>

the perfect cleft

yesterday my excuse for not having much to write about was down to laziness and a hangover. today it's because i've been too productive - an alien feeling for me. i had a fairly long list of things i wanted to see and do in quito. this plan was scuppered slightly when me and my friends were kicked out of our hostel due to a lack of availability, so we also had to look for a new place to stay. in addition to this i managed to walk around the historical centre, do my laundry, do some work and eat a curry from my favourite (south american) curry house. you know, when you see it written down it really doesn't look that productive... hmm... well it was a long walk/lot of clothes/few hours of work/spicy curry... if that makes a difference. oh and in the spirit of recommending referenced songs - this photo's title is from a grizzly bear song i couldn't get out of my head in trujillo, so i'll ask you kindly to make your way

here's the original

30th January 2012 ]]>

matter not to me

i'm struggling to think of something to write about today. that may or may not be related to the fact that last night i went out for the second consecutive night, both of which were the first time since new years eve. i heard a rumour that you can't buy alcohol on a sunday in quito, not that i need an excuse to take a break. so today has mostly been about chilling out, listening to music and not making any sudden movements. i highly recommend you give it a go. i was going to be obvious and suggest you listen to in my tree, the song from which i stole this photos title. but after listening to the album today, i much prefer the next track - don't it make you smile?

here's the original

29th January 2012 ]]>

mercy, mercy me

this is my sixth shot from sauce in peru. i mentioned in my first photo that the pouring rain presented a bunch of new photo opportunities. the most unexpected of these was a cloud of bats (yeah i looked that up) who began circling the hammock shelter. they were so fast and agile that it became really difficult to try and capture them. this was my best effort, which is far from perfect but i still thought it was worth of posting as a) it's the first time i've seen bats in the day and b) i'm inexplicably smug of my kanye referenced title. because it was the first time i'd seen bats in the day i had to double check what they were with my spanish friend. despite a thick castilian accent i managed to make out the word murcielago. i learnt that word after hearing that bruce wayne drives a lamborghini murcielago as it's the spanish word for bat. just goes to show watching the dark knight isn't just fun - it's educational... just like this blog (ahem)

here's the original

28th January 2012 ]]>

smoke signs that you'll never get

so i finally made it back to quito today. i was here in early december before flying to the galapagos, and then back into the highlands and jungle. the first time was fairly short, so there's still quite a lot i want to see and explore. for me one of best parts of getting to a big city is being able to sample a wider range of food. in the smaller towns and villages the cuisine can become fairly similar and boring so i appreciate the opportunity to add more international flavour to my meals. last time i was here there was a curry house round the corner from where i was staying. by english standards it was average, by south american standards one of the best that i've tasted here. i think i ended up going twice in the two and a half days i had in town. and i'm already looking forward to going again tomorrow

here's the original

27th January 2012 ]]>

in a wheelbarrow

whilst in misahualli we were crossing a bridge when a large group of americans joined us with a rope. they then proceeded to tie it to the bridge, jump off and swing from the rope. despite my reluctance to jump from scary heights it looked like a lot of fun. i wasn't really dressed for the occasion (no, honestly) so i just stayed and took photos. after about 20 minutes of hearing american twangs transform into splashes this fairly young local boy came on the scene. he then proceeded to climb up the thick wire of the bridge like a monkey, pull himself to the very top and then without a moments hesitation launch himself into the water. he drew gasps of amazement and disbelief from the crowd that had gathered. to quote bill hicks, he must carry his balls in a wheelbarrow man

here's the original

26th January 2012 ]]>

don't look up

this is the third photo i've posted from parque la carolina in quito. when i went there they had a little festival going on with (surprisingly aggressive) live music, a food arena and other bits and bobs. these bits and bobs included a tightrope walker, jumping cyclists and a group of parkour, er, people. out of everyone (musicians included) i think the cyclists were the most talented showmen. in fact that's what enticed me into the festival in the first place. unfortunately due to extending queueing before hand, and then extended raining afterwards, i only managed to catch a few flips and jumps before i had to ran for the shelter of the food tent and grab a hot dog.

if it isn't obvious, i rotated this photo 180 degrees, it looks more normal when you see the original

24th January 2012 ]]>

god don't make no junk

banos is quite a touristy spot in ecuador, i'd spoken to a lot of people that went there, which conversely lowered my expectations. i thought it can't be that special if everyone goes there. well i was wrong, it was special, and this photo serves as pretty good evidence. there's a road called la ruta de las cascadas which directly translates as route of the waterfalls. as the route was mostly downhill i hired bicycles with some friends to take in the scenery. this was the last waterfall we saw, and after stopping for some sandwiches, we decided to go for a swim in the pool below. it was colder than it looked, but still a lot of fun, and seemed to act as a catalyst for all the other visitors to get wet. as we were drying off and preparing for the steep ascent back to la ruta this rainbow appeared in front of the waterfall. the effect was mesmerising and magical - so much so that after about 15 minutes i had to leave because it was too beautiful. i could have easily stared at it for hours.

here's the original

23rd January 2012 ]]>

from a basement on the hill

my cold is slowly dissipating, but still hasn't gone completely. i don't think it helped matters that on friday i went to the small village of quilotoa which was cold, foggy and very, very wet. there's a big lake there which you're supposed the be able to see from the village, however it was obscured for most of the day by this mist. the clouds cleared the next morning and i tried to walk to the edge but only lasted about 10 minutes before my headache grew too uncomfortable. as i stopped for a rest it began spitting again, before that turned into hailstones which was followed by several hours of very heavy rainfall. it was somewhere in the middle of this bone-soaking weather that we discovered that there were no buses out of town, so i had to squat in the back of a wet camioneta on a long journey back to a warm bed. despite not really doing that much exercise i still feel like i've earned today's day of rest.

here's the original

22nd January 2012 ]]>

that man's a balloon

i have a lot to write about my shaman experience a couple of days ago, but yesterday i travelled from the jungle to the highlands of ecuador and i was immediately attacked by a cold. i've spent most of the day in bed with no energy to read, write, or look at and process photos. so i'm choosing a shot i took in the same park in quito as the men on wire. i think i'll be returning to the capital in a few days time, there was a lot i didn't get around to seeing due to planning around christmas and new years. anyways, that's all i feel like typing write now, not the best entry i know but rambling nonsense is better than silence right? right?? hello??? fine, sometimes silence is better, in which case

(whisper) here's the original (whisper)

19th January 2012 ]]>

you can't spell shaman without sham

last week when i was in misahualli i went with some friends to see a shaman for an ayahuasca ceremony. if you didn't know, ayahuasca is a plant which when mixed with other plants create a powerful hallucinogenic drink. side effects include powerful, psychedelic visions and violent vomiting - sounds fun right?! i actually tried it before a few years ago when i first went to peru. i don't think i ever got around to writing or posting about that experience. well this experience was altogether different - and not in a good way. i suppose i should have guessed something wasn't right when the canoe driver that took us revealed that the shaman was his girlfriends father. small things like the non-traditional dress, the lack of music and chanting, and the fact that the preparation was pure, un-mixed ayahuasca - which tasted a little like bacon - also didn't sit right. i think he was a shaman of sorts, he performed a cleansing ceremony which looked, sounded and felt legitimate, but all three of us felt no effects at all from the drink. on the positive side i learnt that i can sit pretty still for 13 minutes whilst my spirit is being cleansed. plus i've got a lot more appreciation for the shaman that i saw last night, and will see again tomorrow. but that's a whole other story.

here's the original

16th January 2012 ]]>

looks like that's the one

in the first fifteen or so months that i've been travelling in south america i somehow managed to avoid going into the amazon. that's some achievement seeing as the amazon basin makes up about 40% of south america. it hasn't been an intentional omission, just something that i haven't got around to. the closest i previously got was in bolivia when i had the choice of going into the jungle or the pampas, and i chose the pampas. anyway this has changed now i'm in ecuador and i'm both writing and posting a picture from amazonia. after all this time i feel like i should say something insightful about the rainforest... it sure rains a lot.

here's the original

15th January 2012 ]]>

don't let me go

the boat that i was sailing around the galapagos on had three levels. one day when we were anchored for lunch and had a few hours to kill i decided to jump off the first level into the water. it was only a few metres above the water so it wasn't particularly valiant of me, but fun nonetheless. some other passengers saw me doing this and wanted to get involved, so they climbed to the top level of the boat and jumped from there. i wanted to join in, but as soon as i got to the edge and looked over i felt paralysed. it was just that little bit too high for me to trick my brain into thinking it was a good idea. i ended up sitting on the edge for over half an hour, looking down at the ocean and waiting for that 'what the hell' feeling i needed to make the final step. it never came and i climbed the ladders back down a failure. the next day i came back from a snorkelling trip, walked straight up to the top, asked another guy if it was clear down below and then without thinking too much i took three quick steps off the boat and into the water. it was scary, and i didn't repeat it, but i was proud that i overcame my rational fear. it was because of this experience, specifically spending 30 minutes looking over the edge and failing to convince myself to jump, that i knew that i couldn't get involved in the bridge jumping that was happening around banos. bridge jumping, or puenting as it's called in spanish, is like bungee jumping, only the rope doesn't stretch like the bungee does. to me that sounds like an even more uncomfortable experience, and one that i was certainly a lot more comfortable photographing as opposed to participating in.

here's the original

14th January 2012 ]]>

para-ski-scend-glide-diving

who here remembers kytv? almost no-one? right. who remembers the para-ski-scend-glide-diving sketch in kytv? no-one? huh. well it is an obscure reference which you'll probably only get if your british, a similar age to me, and perhaps a blood relative. after a not so quick search on youtube i managed to find the clip in question which comes from an episode spoofing holiday shows. it's strange watching it again for the first time in over 15 years, i'm not sure if i find it funny for nostalgic reasons, or because it's a well made comedy show. either way i had a smile on my face for almost all of the 10 minute video clip so any deeper analysis seems fairly redundant.

i used the clone tool amongst others to photoshop this image - here's the original

13th January 2012 ]]>

mandango

well this blog hasn't really progressed as i would have hoped in 2012. i could blame a lack of internet, which is partly responsible, but it seems as though i haven't really found the time in the first week and a half of this new year. i'm not sure when or where i'll find the time next, i don't like planning things in advance, so here's the first entry of the year. like me, this mountain is in ecuador - vilcabamba to be precise - and is called mandango. as soon as i heard the name i knew that i had walk there, like firemen and baggy trousers, it's a fun word to say in spanish. the hotel where i was staying provided maps, advice and guides for a series of walks around the area. this one was given 4 out of 5 on the difficulty scale and it was recommended for experienced hikers only. plus there had also been recent robberies on the trail, rare for the town, so you were advised against bringing money, valuables or cameras. but y'know it's called mandango, so i figured it was worth the risk and effort. part of the instructions on the trail guide included the line turn left into the field and pass the barking dog. i thought that was pretty funny when i first read it, as though the dog was part of the landscape that always remained barking in the same spot. after passing up and over this mountain i made it to said field and was introduced to the dog in question. it turns out that he does like to bark, and it's a lot less funny experiencing that at a close proximity compared to reading it on a page.

here's the original

9th January 2012 ]]>

best of 2011

there seems to be a tradition among photoblogs, and various other sites as well, to compile a retrospective 'best of' at the end of each year. this is something that i haven't really adopted, the closest i came was a couple of years ago when i did a 12 months of gigging post. well this december i'm a little more organised, and i'm also prouder of the shots i've taken in this calender year. i did an alphabetic best of at the start of the month, and 5 of those have made it onto this list. if you're viewing this on a regular, non-mobile computer you can click on each image to go to the original entry. if not then there are some links with the thoughts below:

january - smoke mountain
i've seen a few volcanoes this year, this was the only one that was smoking, and when the sun was setting it turned into a magical sight. i processed this so that it would look exactly as it did with my eyes at the time
february - did you love this town... and this town not love you?
for me this shot is a perfect example of why people photos work so much better when the person doesn't know you're taking it. i love his body languange, expression and honesty
march - mercifully free of the pressures of grace
i took thousands of photos at the gualeguaychu carnival using my 50mm prime lens. it's a fiddly lens with no auto-focus so i had to discard a lot of them for being a bit blurry. i'm so glad that this wasn't one of them, read the original post and you'll see why this was my funniest moment of the year
april - salar de uyuni
the salt flats in bolivia are a magical place, and i think this is more true for the months when it's wet. the endless horizons combined with perfect reflections create a huge mirror and make this the best landscape i've seen all year
may - wonder what we're doing here
not only is this my favourite photo of the year, but also my favourite photo on this website which by extension makes it my favourite photo that i've taken. i was still getting used to taking star-trail photos, and as with all long exposure shots it was somewhat of a mystery how it would turn out. far better than i could have hoped for
june - pretty girls make graves
i've seen plenty of parades and festivals this year, i think every week there's a celebration of some sort somewhere in the continent. i remember i was pretty under the weather during this one in la paz, but i forced myself to push through the crowds and a pretty smiling face was my reward
july - newborn
i've done quite a lot of trekking this year, and ascending to over 6000m proved to be the most difficult. i was shattered upon reaching the summit and completely empty after the subsequent descent. but despite walking desperately slow i still managed to beat the sun and saw the best sunrise of my life
august - martin
volunteering at la senda verde was an unforgettable experience and martin became my favourite animal of the year. we went for walks, played games and fed each other - i gave him fruit and nuts, he gave me sticks and leaves. it was tough to say goodbye
september - perpetual motion machine
i liked the simplicity of both the composition and processing in this shot, and because of that it edges out my machu picchu shot for favourite of september
october - a reflection of something we're missing
i was proud of most of the photos i posted in november, but didn't have to think twice about choosing this as my favourite. this was another occasion where i'd been ill for some time and left the hostel for the first time in days, after the paraguayan stars i think it might be my favourite of the year
november - to discover loss
putting modesty aside again, which i guess you have to do in a post saying how great your photos are, i had a hard time choosing my pick of november. quite a few have worked there way to my favourites page but i like the atmosphere and feeling that this picture evokes
december - little blue planet
this is the most processed photo on the list, and part of me is including it because of the time i put in creating it. but i put that time in because i liked the symmetry, the colours and the sense of depth from the buildings

well that's the list, i'd be interested to know which you liked the best, or if there were any you others think should have been here. here's to a photogenic new year - have a good one

and here's a static/non clicky version

31st December 2011 ]]>

little blue planet

lima was another place on my trip where i had difficulty leaving, not because i liked it so much but just because i was stuck in an unmotivated rut - one of the less favourable ruts you can get stuck in. i remember that i was pleased to break this one morning and made it my mission to buy a bus ticket out of town. you could buy these at the hostel, but they were overpriced so i went about searching for one myself. i found a few companies close by who didn't go to my chosen destination, and they suggested some agencies downtown near the national stadium. for some reason i thought that it would be as simple as getting the metropolitano to the stadium and waltzing into a travel office. over two hours of aimless walking later the cold that i thought i'd shaken off had returned, my feet were sore and i was still lacking my ticket out of town. there was little that caught my eye on this long walk, with the exception of this roundabout. it was surrounded by grand, blue buildings and i immediately thought it would work well as a little planet. however i was tired and ill, and it was cold and dark, so it wasn't the right time to take pictures. i made a mental note to return here on my planned stop back through lima, and this is proof that i kept my promise. whilst processing it i was reminded why i never used to create print quality versions of my photos. the original photoshop file was pushing 2gb and it was painfully slow to make any changes. and there was a lot of processing to do - particularly on the buses and taxis. i persevered and despite it's imperfections it's now my favourite little planet, so i think it was worth the effort.

here's a smaller version

30th December 2011 ]]>

is there another ghost?

i really shouldn't be posting this as it is really similar in both name and content to my halloween offering. and i do have plenty of processed and unprocessed photos from other places that could justifiably take its place. but there's still something that i like about it, and i don't want to wait until october 31st next year to use it. besides this is my website, so i make the rules.

here's the original

29th December 2011 ]]>

count every beautiful thing we can see

i've been to many beautiful places in south america that sometimes it's harder to get excited when i go to new towns. this was not the case when i arrived in vilcabamba - and i'd like to think this picture explains why. i was staying in a luxurious hostel which boasted a pool, spa and a restaurant with this view for a handful of dollars a night. but in addition to the scenery, there was a really nice vibe to the people and place. for example i asked the receptionist if it rained much in the afternoon, having experienced strong downpours in loja and cuenca. her reply epitomised the positivity of the place when she said yes, and that's the reason why it's so green and beautiful here. in fact vilcabamba is referred to as the valley of longevity and people supposedly live longer here than anywhere else. whilst those claims probably wouldn't hold up to scientific scrutiny, i think it still says what you need to know about the stress-free lifestyle that exists.

here's the original

28th December 2011 ]]>