Costa Rica:
Costa Rica is in a tropical zone, very close to the equator. Because of this the temperature and average amount of sunlight each day varies very little throughout the year. However, the country does consider itself to have two seasons: summer and winter. The summer in Costa Rica is its dry season, with little or no rain. Costa Rica ’s summer is the opposite of what is generally found in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere as it lasts from December through May. Winter in Costa Rica, also known as its green season, sees a great deal of rainfall and lasts from June though November. The only exceptions to this summer/winter pattern are in the country’s mountain regions which tend to get more

Montaverde
Population: 7.202 (1997)
Location: 80 miles northwest of San Jose

History and Information:

Monteverde, Costa Rica (Spanish for green mountain) is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. It is about a four-hour drive up into the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range from the SJO (Juan Santamaria International Airport) airport. It is often considered a major tourist destination in Costa Rica, primarily frequented by ecotourists drawn by the high biodiversity of its numerous reserves, the most famous of which is the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde. The area is also frequented by researchers and naturalists who come to study specialized areas of mountain and tropical biodiversity. The Monteverde area has been christened number 14 of the Americas in Newsweek’s 100 Places to Remember Before They Disappear, has been deemed one of the Seven Wonders of Costa Rica by popular vote, and has been called by National Geographic “the jewel in the crown of cloud forest reserves”.

Various indigenous artifacts, such as pots, containers, ceramics and grinders suggest a small population of Clovis Native Americans once farmed in villages in the Monteverde area, around 3000 BC. Intense deforestation accompanied horticulture, and stone foundations dating to this period can be found. Jade objects became prominent characteristics of these villages. From AD 300 to 800, complex chiefdoms supplanted simpler chiefdoms and more intricate villages appear, with cemeteries, public squares, gold-work and inter-tribal trade and conflict. Around 1300, a general decline in population occurred, possibly due to Arenal Volcano’s increased activity.

Elevation: 1400 meters above sea level
Temperature: Annual mean 64.4 Fahrenheit
Annual Rain Average: Annual rainfall averages around 3,000 millimetres / (18 ft) of precipitation per year.

Internet Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiKZTp_k9Rk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtbjrqeTrZ0&feature=player_embedded

Internet Links:
http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/
http://www.monteverdeextremo.com/

The Vibe:

Coming soon…

Experiences: 
Going nowhere – photo# 21
On a clear night in Montaverde I was able to see the stars above me in numbers I’ve never seen before. Traveling with a heavy duty tripod and remote trigger, I decided to take advantage of the luminescence above. I collected my gear and headed for the taxi corner. When asked for my destination I said “en ninguna parte,” nowhere. I explained that I needed no city lights, “buenos vistas y mucho estrellas,” good views and lots of stars.  He thought of just the place and drove me about 20 minutes out of town where nowhere literally existed. He asked me if I needed him to return and I told him sure. “En una hora o dos horas por favor,” one or two hours please. Stepping out in excitement, my remote trigger/aperture lock fell out of my cargo-pocket and was left in the cab. The driver unknowingly took off with the one tool necessary for me to capture the stars. I was now draped in darkness in the middle of nowhere unable to take photos for one to two hours. I decided to make the best of it so I climbed up about a 6 foot dirt embankment to be out of the way in case a car did come by. I set up my gear and shot my my first exposure which revealed nothing because my lens cap was still on. It was so dark that I could not tell. Remaining optimistic about my circumstances and first exposure, I decided to try again. I physically held my pointer finger on the shutter button for a bit over ten minutes again. For ten minutes I had to control my breathing and body movements to move the camera as little as possible. During that second exposure a two cars drove by, casting enough light to expose the shot to the environment around me. Fear rushed through my heart when the cars came. Will they see me? Were they looking for me? Did the cab driver send them so come rob me? Being on the embankment and a few steps into the brush might have been the best decision I made that night. Ether way, the shot eventually revealed itself to me in the camera and I was happy with the results given the circumstances (photo# 21).

Crime is an imminent risk, especially to travelers with large cameras around their neck in the middle of nowhere. I was told that this city was on the low side of crime, but its hard to ever be sure. Being a traveling photojournalist entails a lot of risk taking and possible life endangering. I weighed the possible risks at hand when I got in the taxi cab and was driven nowhere, my passions out weighed the risks. I encourage you to be safe while traveling. You equipment is never worth your life, that’s what travelers insurance is for.

more coming soon…




Costa Rica:
Costa Rica is in a tropical zone, very close to the equator.  Because of this the temperature and average amount of sunlight each day varies very little throughout the year.  However, the country does consider itself to have two seasons:  summer and winter.  The summer in Costa Rica is its dry season, with little or no rain.  Costa Rica ‘s summer is the opposite of what is generally found in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere as it lasts from December through May.  Winter in Costa Rica , also known as its green season, sees a great deal of rainfall and lasts from June though November.  The only exceptions to this summer/winter pattern are in the country’s mountain regions which tend to get more

La Fortuna
Population: 7.202 (1997)
Location: 80 miles northwest of San Jose

Information:
La Fortuna (Spanish for “The Fortune”) rests at the base of Volcano Arenal and was founded in the early 1930’s. La Fortuna was originally named Caserío El Burio until 1948. Its natural beauty inspired Rufino Quesada, Isolina Quesada and Antonio Hidalgo to change the name to La Fortuna. It was recently placed into the region of San Carlos due to a majority wining vote. The vote was one of the first of its kind in Costa Rica. Its potential at the moment is the cattle raising, although the tourism is already displacing revenues. It is a beautiful city that is very rich with culture.

Elevation: 350 feet above sea level
Temperature: 67-88° F year round
Annual Rain Average : 13 inches/month

Internet Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiKZTp_k9Rk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtbjrqeTrZ0&feature=player_embedded

Internet Links:
http://www.fortunawelcome.com/la-fortuna-san-carlos/
http://www.cabanitasresort.com/english_resort_aboutcostarica.html

The vibe: Like the rest of Costa Rica , they are very green and eco-friendly. Trash is divided up into recyclables, garbage, and organics. There is very little litter around. You can see easily how tourism has impacted the city. Directly behind the novelty shops and main street restaurants are very poor ghettos. You can go from shopping for fine art to seeing barefoot children in the mud within twenty steps. The people are very friendly, I felt safe at all times. Like any other city in Central America , even an attempt to speak Spanish is much appreciated; and there are dogs everywhere!

Experiences:
Soccer – Photos 25-46
I was walking through the ghettos and I came across a few kids standing on the side of the street, one was holding a red soccer ball. I approached them with my broken Spanish. I politely asked them their names, and attempted to ask them where it was they were playing. They pointed to the field behind them. I asked them if I could come in with them. Kevin, Jonathon, John, Steven, Henry, Manual, Felipe, and Aron said yes and asked me if I was going to take photos (they signed taking a photo with their hands). I said no, juego!!! Their faces lit up. We stepped over the sewer channel, crawled under the barbed wire fence, and ran into the field. They made me a captain; I picked all the littlest guys for my team, then jugamos!!

The children ran happy and barefoot through a cow/horse feces littered field. There was a giant pile to dodge every few seconds. Beneath our feet laid about seven leafcutter ant paths that were scored through the field, thousands of ants marched as we played. The goals, two sticks wedged into the ground as deep as a 10 year old can push them. Directly adjacent to the field was a 10 foot tall barbed fence. If the ball was accidentally kicked over, the children were forced to wedge themselves under the gate to retrieve their ball. I kept thinking to myself, I wonder if these children have ever played on a real field before. I live near several soccer fields, and hardly ever see them being used. I never thought a field to play in would be something that I took for granted. After about 30 minutes of playing we stopped. We played hard, and a lot sweat was shed. One of the children asked me to take my shoes off as we stood about 2 feet from a steaming pile, I said “necesito mis zapatos.” The score was tied, 2-2. I wanted to take all the kids out for ice cream, but I forgot how to saw that word in Spanish. I started to draw an ice cream cone and before it was complete their faces lit up. They all started to yell helado! I said si, nosotros.

They walked proudly and next to me towards the local market. Most of them were explaining to the locals what it was that I was doing for them on the way. We walked into the market, and they immediately began to ransack the ice cream cooler. The cashier/owner was frantically trying to add up the costs on paper as he watched the indecisive children take one and put on back, the total came to about $3.00 US. Outside the market we all enjoyed our helado, and I took a group shot.

Soon after one of them brought me and a few others back his home to meet his pet parrot. I hung out there for about 15 minutes and took a few photographs. I had a good rest, said my goodbyes, and ventured off to explore more.

Rent – Photos 10-24
As I walked through the ghetto I saw many barefoot and muddy children and homes hardly standing, yet these children were anything but unhappy. As I was photographing a house (photo 10-11), a man that spoke good English approached me. He was short, clothing slightly disheveled, barefoot, and had a deformed nose. He was very polite and told me that he was a volcano tour guide. I asked him questions about the ghettos, such as how much was rent on the street. He told me an average of 40,000 colones a month, that’s about $80.00 US. These homes had no windows, dirt/concrete floors, and had no more furnishings then a few chairs, maybe a bed. I know because I was invited to walk through a few, the locals were very hospitable.

Population: 83,992

Information:
Bath is located in the ceremonial county of Somerset, south west England. The city was first established by the Romans in 43AD as a spa resort, and was recently granted its city status in 1590 by Queen Elizabeth I. The spas were built over naturally occurring hot springs. The water was channeled using many underground pipes which still work today. The spas were warmer then bath water.

Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973. Much later, it became popular as a spa resort during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.

Climate:
The weather is generally milder then the rest of England. Annual average temperature is 50F.

Experiences:
Unfortunately I was not in this amazing city long at all, just a few short hours. I spent about one hour of my time there just walking around the baths, and the rest exploring the city. I was so fascinated that I stayed too late and almost missed my bus out, which may or may not have been too bad of a thing. There was something about this city that flabbergasted me. It felt like I was walking around in a fairytale, or I had traveled back in time. I did not go in any shops, in fact I sort of despised their presence. I felt that the touristy side of the city ruined it. I wish I had more time in this city, and it is defiantly on my list of places to return to.



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This entire trip was shot on 35 millimeter film with my Nikon N2000

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Teaching Enghish

I taught english at this school in Quzhou for about a month and a half in the summer of 2005. My class had an age range of 13-15.

Stories coming soon..

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This entire trip was shot on 35 millimeter film with my Nikon N2000

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The road construction:
Upon arrival from Shanghai, some of the English teachers and I were brought to this road. Our eyes were still sheltered and culture shock still flowed through our systems; we were unable to make out what was happening here. Was this a war zone? Is this where I will be living? A lot of questions flooded my mind, but my tongue was unable to voice them. Blindly following our group leader, we walked to a hotel that was in the center of this chaos; which we shortly nicknamed Bay Rough.

With in a few days my eyes adjusted to the turmoil, faces grew familiar, and I started to document the construction. There were about 5-8 men building the road. Located on the end of the street was the school where I taught English. There they were building a walking bridge for the children to cross. This job had 4 men of its own. The construction of the road lasted over a month and a half because the road was almost entirely built by hand. Every manhole was hand placed, and the rim upon which it set was hand chiseled. Every road side block was hand cut and adjusted into place. Even the heavy machenery was removed off trucks by about 8 pairs of hands.

Throughout the construction process the crew slept on the job. I was informed that the life of a Chinese construction worker was one of solitude. They travel with their work, sleeping where ever possible. Late at night once, I walked under the bridge and was yelled at by the workers sleeping in makeshift beds hung in the bamboo rafters. I was not sure what they were saying, but I assumed they feared that I was there to steal their tools.

The day the road was finally paved, all of the people that lived or worked on the street walked on it in rejoice, the road was finally here. In America, if our road gets paved, the construction that last merely a day of two activates us. Here its as if they were celebrating. I knew I took things for granted, but living here opened up my eyes. I was astonished that something so routine in America as road paving could be such an elaborate and appreciated service; I had a lot to learn.

Amsterdam

My initial impression of this city was beauty, followed by the sensation that everyone wanted to steal my camera, sell me drugs, or hurt me. I must have been asked to buy cocaine over 100 times with in a few days there. As I walked around the city, I saw what it was and what it could be. The feeling I had was that the whole downtown area was taken over by a college frat.

How does this city function? How is its government viewed by other governments? How can anyone take this city seriously? These are some of the questions that ran through my mind as I strolled around and over the canal guided streets. This city was in a cloud; latterly.

Experiences

As my friends and I sat in a burger shop booth with a street view, we witnessed a homeless man panhandling, and someone out of the kindness of their heart handed him a basket of fries. This man did not seem like the homeless I am used to back home, he appeared to be seriously deranged, disturbed, and possibly psychotic. His hand shook with tremor, the fries scattered out on the streets in small bursts, and his whole body jolted as me murmured sounds. With in seconds there were few fries left, and in one last spasm he threw the basket in the air; leg twitching and screaming.

The red-light district, this place was very unique. Here you were subjected to seduction from some of the most beautiful women alive, and simultaneously some of the most repulsive women alive. As tempting as it was, I did not allow myself to succumb to their requests; I don’t risk disease.

For a moment, my friends and I stood still just people watching and talking about our journeys through Europe. All of the sudden I heard music very loud, as if a I was in the middle of a club dance floor. I looked over to see that one of the red-light girls opened the door to seduce a passerby. I looked in awe at the soundproofing of the door, and decided to ask her if it actually was.  Her ears battered by the sounds of her boom box, she could not make out what I was saying so I repeated my question “is that door sound proof.” My mind was flourishing with thoughts by the millisecond about how it was, and why. I thought maybe they did it so the streets were not flooded with the sounds of happy customers, but wouldn’t that make great advertising? With in moments after the third repeat, she called me a fucking fagot loser, and laughed at me and the passerby joined in on the ridicule as well. I was called a faggot loser by a prostitute, awesome!

The Climate
I was there in March, and the weather was similar to a late spring afternoon. It did not rain while I was there, it sunny most of the time.

Story coming soon.

Antigua – Description coming soon.

The Climate
Warm and comfortable day and night. I was there during their winter so it was not that bad.

The Vibe
Description coming soon.

San Pedro – Is a very small and deselect city that’s about a 5 hour bus ride west of Antigua. The city is one of the few that exist around lake Atitlan. The lake is known for its beauty and treasured by the locals and travelers world wide. Sadly it is becoming heavily polluted. The lake was littered with plastics and garbage in all the areas that I could access it. I was told by a local in Guatemala City that I must see it while its still beautiful, and I am glad I took her advice.

The Climate
Warm and comfortable day and night. I was there during their winter so it was not that bad.

The Vibe
Three steps off the bus and even while a few still remain on, you are bombarded with beggars and people looking to get you into their hostels and hotels. Tired and not looking forward to walking around or price shopping, I decided to go with a guide to the first hostel offered. On the walk I bartered all the way down to 30q a night from 100q, that’s about $4.00 US.

The night life was great. I met up with a woman from Switzerland and we went to a bar right on the lake. The steps to the bar were lit with about 30 red candles. Live music and cheap mojitos made my night in San Pedro very pleasant.

Tikal – Is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now modern-day northern Guatemala. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala’s Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, ca. 200 to 900 AD, during which time the city dominated much of the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica, such as the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the distant Valley of Mexico; there is evidence that Tikal was conquered by Teotihuacan in the 4th century AD. Following the end of the Late Classic Period, no new major monuments were built at Tikal and there is evidence that elite palaces were burned. These events were coupled with a gradual population decline, culminating with the site’s abandonment by the end of the 10th century.

Getting there
Being completely exhausted, I forgot what day it was and deemed it impossible to make to Tikal by bus from Antigua. Thinking it was a day ahead, I missed my actual chance at the 9 hour bus trip to Tikal because I only had 3 days left in Guatemala. Determined to see the ruins I was not giving up. I immediately began price shopping for plane tickets, and soon enough I was off to tikal. Arriving in Flores at 9:00pm I spoiled myself with the only hotel with a pool being that I was not going to have enough time to enjoy the town. Asleep by 12:00am, I was up at 5:00am to catch the 1.5 hour bus to the temples.

The Climate
Very Very Very Very Very Very hot.

Being in the Mayan Ruins
Walking off the bus, I was starving and the only thing available to eat were pre-made sandwiches and tea. I bought one and opened it up. With first look it seemed something had died in it. The English girl I met on the bus said that it looked good to her. After her first bite she nearly vomited and we both requested our money back.

Site Map

With in a few steps into the jungle at about 7:00 am you are able to hear the jungle come alive. Monkeys and birds are screaming and high and low pitch, it was quite intimidating.

Being around all the temples was an experience like none other. They were massive, everywhere, and extremely far apart.  To walk from one side of the takes about 2 hours. I met up with a private tour guide and picked his brain in the main plaza for about an hour and a half. He taught me all about the Mayan calendar and the temples all around. They were very smart people, with mathematical skills more superior then ours today.  He also told me that this site would be similar to the Las Vegas of today.  He said that there was no trees, the jungle was completely cleared out like the metropolises of today.

There was no food available in the inside the ruins other then chips and cola. Other then drinking mostly water and a few colas, I had not eaten that entire day till 5:30 pm. I photographed the first meal that day, and its in this gallery

Walking aimlessly through the rain-forest, I found a worker excavating a newly found pyramid. Being by his side for about 20 minutes and talking, I was able to influence him into giving me a few Mayan ceramic fragment artifacts.

Getting out
I had only one day in Tikal, and spent every ounce of it at the ruins. The bus driver decided to skip the 4:00 shuttle back to Flores and force everyone to wait for the 5:00 shuttle because there was not enough people to make a profit. With a plane ticket for 7:00 out of Flores to Guatemala city and a quick turnaround from there back to the states, I was completely helpless. Nevertheless, we departed from Tikal at 5:30, and went out of the way to drop off all the drivers friends that worked at the ruins. trying to be nice, he knew that I had to go the airport, and without telling me went even farther out of the way to bring me directly there with out telling me. We showed up at the airport but my bag was still at the hotel. Now I had to get to the hotel and back to the airport in 15 minutes; I made it.

Thinking that they would not allow me to keep the artifacts, and not wanting to go to a third world jail, I decided to hide them in my checked luggage. One of them slipped my eye and remained in my carry on. I was extremely frightened that they would know what it was and call the local authorities. A tourist who saw it said, “oh wow that’s that?” I replied with, “ohh I don’t know, I found it.” I was allowed to run back to the baggage check and reinsert it into my bag;after a lot of convincing. After rechecking my bag, I then walked right onto the plane; sigh.