China-Chongqing 2011

 f/13  1/100  +0.33  ISO 400  25 mm

 f/13  1/100  +0.33  ISO 400  18 mm

 f/10  1/125  +0.33  ISO 400  20 mm

 Korean Restaurant-All workers including cook was Chinese

f/5.0  1/20  +0.33  ISO 400  65 mm

 Jellyfish at a Korean Restaurant  f/6.3  1/20  +o.33  ISO 400  46 mm

f/10  1/200  +0.33  ISO 400  270 mm

f/6.3  1/100  +0.33  ISO 400  38 mm

Most people pass thru Chongqing as they sail done the Yangtze River. I have a friend that lives there with her husband and now a 4 month old baby girl. There's not much to sight see there but lots of places to shop and eat, if you like hot spicy food that is. I don't. They now have the most modern malls with all the high end brand name stores and many ethnic restaurants like Thai, Korean, Japanese and even steak houses. Its a very "hilly" city, so you won't see many bicycles. You will still see many "bang bang" or stick men with their stick or pole and rope being hired to carry anything that you can imagine up and down those steep hills.

King Kamehameha Day Parade 2011

Despite the occasional rain and arriving a bit late, I managed to get some good shots.

f/11  1/200  ISO 200  200 mm

f/8  1/640  ISO 200  135 mm

f/8  1/400  ISO 200  170 mm
Loved how this horse bows on que

f/8  1/400  ISO 200  150 mm

f/8  1/640  ISO 200  155 mm

f/8  1/250  ISO 200  200 mm

f/8  1/500  ISO 200  180 mm

f/8  1/1000   ISO 200  82 mm

f/8  1/320   ISO 200  102 mm

f/10  1/320  ISO 200  105 mm

f/8  1/320  ISO 200  135 mm

Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri La and Pu Dacuo National Park

When I first arrived at Tiger Leaping Gorge, the grey mountains and brown rushing water didn't seem like it would make a great pic. But the contrast against the blue sky and green foliage made for a pretty pic.

f/10  1/250  21 mm   ISO 200

At first glance I just saw the rushing water, but looking to the left and right corners at the size of the people gives you an idea how awesome and "larger than life" nature can be.

f/10 1/640 32 mm  ISO 200

f/20  1/60  25 mm  ISO 200

f/16  1/160  18 mm  ISO 200

First Bend of the Yangtze River

f/20  1/250 20 mm  ISO 400  +0.33


 I love the vibrant colors that most foods add to the pic.

f/8  1/50  60 mm  ISO 200

f/5.6  1/100  60 mm  ISO 200

f/13  1/125  100 mm  ISO 400

f/9  1/60  70 mm  ISO 400

f/22  1/40    23 mm  ISO 200  +0.67

 This little guy was just about the happiest squirrel in the park. 

 f/16  1/50   270 mm   ISO 200


Great athleticism!!!

f/9  1/160  270 mm  ISO 200


The bowls held condiments for the rice porridge. It made for a great shot.

f/7.1  1/50  27 mm  ISO 200

f//7.1  1/50  38 mm  ISO 200

Lijiang, China 2011

f/8  1/500  ISO 800  60 mm

f/8  1/15  ISO 400  18 mm

f/5.6  1/100  ISO 400  100 mm

f/9  1/100  ISO 400  55 mm

f/8  1/160  ISO 200  85 mm

f/8  1/500  ISO 200  270 mm

Larva of the dragonfly-Fry and eat   f/11  1/200  ISO 200  240 mm

f/9  1/160  ISO 400  55 mm

Zhongyi Market  f/11  1/60  ISO 200  32 mm

f/11  1/50  ISO 200  21 mm

Square Street in Old Town  f/11  1/400  ISO 250  18 mm

f/7.1  1/640  ISO 200  42 mm

I visited Lijiang 2 years ago and returned to enjoy Old Town and all it had to offer. They have a new airport, but the road in and out is still very bumpy, unpaved and under construction. Went to check out the fantastic stage shows at the numerous bars and restaurants. the music was loud, the places were packed with tourists and everyone was definitely having a great time. the many shops offered a variety of handcrafted items, along with ethnic snacks. The people's open market, Zhongyi Market,was positively worth the return trip. This is the heart of any city. People shop for fresh fruits, vegetables and meats daily.

Kunming,China 2011

f/10  1/50  35 mm  ISO 400

f/7.1  1/160  21 mm  ISO 400

f/8  1/100  35 mm  ISO 800

f/11  1/160  23 mm  ISO 200

f/11  1/100  60 mm  ISO 200

My first stop was Kunming, China. I asked my local guide to take me to where the locals shop for fresh food. At one outdoor market, after snapping a few pics, two "security" guys approached and asked if we could accompany them in their van to their office because they thought that I was a journalist and they wanted to ask me a few questions. Needless to say we got out of there pretty fast. As you can see, smoking is not prohibited while handling food. But the meat, vegetables and fruits are very fresh. In most cases, slaughtered or harvested the day before.