August 15th, 2007
Today brings a double dose of photos of Manchester places of worship with images of St. Ann’s Church and St. George’s Church.
The former is still a practicing church in the middle of downtown, while the latter, just outside the city centre, has been transformed into apartments when it fell into disuse (and I would love to see the interior renovation some time in case a resident of the apartments is reading this and would like to invite me around).
St. Ann’s Church:
St. George’s Church:
June 28th, 2007
While I already have a number of photos available here of the exterior of the Manchester Town Hall, the building’s architectural wonders do not cease once you step inside. The first two floors of the building (at least the parts open to the public) make for a particularly good wander and I now have a gallery of photos of the interior to prove it.
A couple years ago, my wife brought two of her co-workers over to Manchester for a visit. They both worked in the city hall of the small city of Ichinoseki in northern Japan and they were blown away by Manchester’s building. I’m told they turned green with envy because the Ichinoseki city hall, well, it lacks some of the grandeur of Manchester’s municipal headquarters. Not that a Victorian Gothic building would make much sense in small-city Japan… Still, it’s nice when architects give the occupants of their buildings a treat.
June 18th, 2007
Though I had passed through Wales on a previous trip years ago, I recently had the chance to pass through again, but this time I got to stop in a few more spots. A lovely little family vacation weekend down to North Wales yielded sojourns to three castles and one exceptionally weird resort town.
Caernarfon, Criccieth and Harlech Castles were the old forts where I got to imagine myself as a knight. That favourite childhood pastime of mine is made that much easier when I don’t have to do much imagining of the sets - the castles are all right there. I could happily explore these old forts for days and I feel so lucky to be over here in the UK with the opportunity to see more of some my favourite buildings.
In addition to the castles was the surreal town of Portmeirion. I really wish I could impart to you just how confused I felt here. I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around the bizarre architecture and seemingly incongruous sculptures thrown together in a post-modern stew. I felt a little like I had wandered into a Salvador Dali painting.
Hopefully my next trip down there will allow me to get further South and explore even more of the country. For now, here are some photos to draw me back there.
June 8th, 2007
A semi-hidden gem here in downtown Manchester is the Barton Arcade shopping mall. Tucked in between Deansgate and St. Ann’s Square, the arcade doesn’t show much of itself from the outside, especially on the Deansgate side. But once you step inside, it reveals a beautiful glass and iron roof that fills the hall with light.
It’s always nice to cut through here even just for a glimpse when walking in the area.
See the photos here.
May 28th, 2007
I know it has been too long in putting these up, but here they are: a small batch of my first photos from Manchester. Believe me when I say I have a rather sizable bunch of photos still requiring processing and uploading.
Manchester is my new home and, in these first few months, it has been been good to me, photographically speaking. There’s plenty to explore here in terms of architecture and sights, the accessible countryside has plenty more to shoot and the number of events that make their way through here is formidable (the only limit is my cash and time!).
I wanted to be able to deliver a few relatively complete collections of photos before I started uploading, and while I could always shoot more shots of these fine sights, I now have a few solid and somewhat comprehensive collections of images to share.
Check out a few starter photos here and find lots more in the gallery:
March 27th, 2007
The red sandstone of Banteay Srei, 20km from the main group of temples, and a bit further still from Siem Reap, is a well-preserved exhibition of ancient carving skill. The intricate details decorating the walls of this small temple are truly gorgeous and hint at how spectacular the Angkorian temples must have been in their prime. Imagine Angkor Wat covered in these beautiful carvings and the mind boggles.
Banteay Srei’s red shapes gleam in the morning sun and, if you can make it there early enough, you might be able to find some peace inside the small temple. Soon after the sun has risen, however, tour buses will unleash piles of visitors into the small spaces of the ancient site so an early trip out to the countryside is worth the early wake up.
See more photos here.
January 16th, 2007
Seeking a private visit to any of the temples in Angkor is a near impossible task. Wherever you go and whenever you arrive, there will be hundreds if not thousands of tourists sharing the sites with you.
One notable exception, however, is Beng Mealea. This temple ruin is located almost 80 km outside of Siem Reap, so most people don’t make the journey (especially considering the state of some of Cambodia’s roads). But for those hardy enough to sit on the back of a rattling motorbike on bumpy for close to two hours, you will be rewarded by an extraordinary sight.
The jungles surrounding Beng Mealea have been left to take over the massive temple. Most visitors to Angkor get a similar experience with the enormous trees of Ta Prohm and their constricting roots. Beng Mealea takes the union of jungle and temple to a new level. Here, the temple is often indistinguishable from the vines and trees attempting to reclaim it. If ever you’ve had fantasies of being Indiana Jones, this is the place to be.
Visitors to Beng Mealea are free to explore the collapsed walls and buildings. There are few indoor areas left intact, but the many crumbling courtyards reveal themselves only after adventurers climb over piles of rubble.
The one modern touch at Beng Mealea is a walkway built for the filming of the movie Two Brothers. Other than this addition and the few other tourists that make it to the temple, it’s easy to forget what year it is. A solitary trek through Beng Mealea will make you believe you live in a time when there was much more left to explore in the world.
See my photos of Beng Mealea here. And a couple samples:
November 27th, 2006
If only my trip’s budget had allowed me to stay at the Grand Hotel in Taipei. Though my accommodation was perfectly comfortable, I’m sure the luxury of the Grand Hotel would have been a happy addition to my accommodation itinerary.
The best I could really do is have a wander through its exquisite lobby and around the grounds where my photos were taken.
November 15th, 2006
Longshan Temple was one of my favourite locations to visit in Taipei. I visited the temple twice and both times, it was as busy as it could be with the devout engaging in the rituals common to Taiwanese temples.
When I visited one evening, I found I had become the companion of a young Taiwanese girl and her mother who seemed thrilled just to have a foreign friend to show around the temple. I’m sure it could have been quite educational had either of them spoken a word of English (or if I knew more than to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in Mandarin). The girl grabbed me by the wrist and enthusiastically dragged me to different parts of the temple, chatted to me about who-knows-what for a while and would usually take a photo of me wherever I happened to be standing.
I’m not sure what she was trying to tell me, but she was giddy while telling it. That was enough for me to consider her a temporary friend while I wandered through the temple wondering where she might drag me next.
November 10th, 2006
Over the coming days, I hope to add a number of galleries to reflect my travels in Taipei. Taiwan was my first stop on the journey I began at the beginning of 2006, so these photos are long over due, but I hope that I can soon make up for the delay be showing off some of my adventures there.
While I did manage to get out of the capital city for a few days, I’m going to start off with the island nation’s entry point and show you around Taipei. This first batch of galleries includes shots from the Snake Alley Night Market, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Bao-An Temple and the Confucius Temple.
Keep checking back for more from this fascinating city.
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