My 7 Super Shots

Here we are. Another day, another travel blogger meme. Though, unlike those silly little meme’s on Facebook, these are much more fun to do. Though it does tend to take a bit longer to put together. You gotta think a little to do these!

The always wonderful, and ever sexy, Tom of Waegook-Tom tagged me in this current meme that’s making the rounds. This one was started by the folks over at Hostelbookers and is dubbed the HostelBookers 7-Super Shots. Now that my trip is over, I have the luxury of being able to go through all 23,000+ photos to try to find the right ones for this particular trip down memory lane.

So sit back, relax, and marvel at how amazing my photography skills are.

Or at least, I think they’re amazing skills.

1. A Photo that . . . Takes my Breath Away

When I began my little trip around the world, my first stop was Peru in South America. Almost a month into the trip I did my first multi day trek into the massive Colca Canyon. This was the first glimpse of the world’s Second Deepest Canyon(even deeper than the Grand Canyon in the USA). It’s hard to really convey the sheer size of it but if you look on the right hand side of the photo, you see a set of viewing platforms. That should give you an idea.

2. A Photo That . . . Makes me Laugh/Smile

On a little bike ride in rural Cambodia, I came across these two calves. I’m not sure why I find this so amusing. Probably because it sorta reminds me of growing up on the farm and seeing our own cows doing exactly this. I love cows too. So docile and calm. Well, usually.

3. A Photo That . . . Makes me Dream

Sunsets always fascinate me with how different they can be around the world and this is no different. I see this and can see myself completely at ease and in love with what I’m doing. Relaxed would be a good word. And seeing such a calming sunset, with the grey’s and blues over Lake Titicaca, just invokes a feeling of serenity and peace.

4. A Photo That . . . Makes me Think

Ignoring the obvious thing of wondering what the signs actually say, this photo - taken during one of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt - also makes me think of home and what things would be like if people actually demanded democracy and accountability in the government like the Egyptians. It also makes me think of the power of social media and the internet, major players in creating the Arab Spring. As a political studies graduate, seeing such a grassroots movement take form is intense fodder for inspection and study.

5. A Photo That . . . Makes My Mouth Water

Happy Birthday to me! My birthday meal in Lisbon, Portugal. Portuguese steak topped with an egg and surrounded by chips. Cheese and bread. Olives(which I don’t eat so we’ll ignore those). Fried shrimp. And a bottle of Port Wine all to myself. I love shrimp, I love steak, I love wine. This entire meeting is just oozing in mouth watering goodness. I could eat this every day. And port wine is probably the best kind of wine I’ve ever had. The caramel flavour is to die for!

6. A Photo That . . . Tells a Story

Not entirely by accident(geocaching helped), but completely out of the way, I found this small lake in a small residential area of Hanoi. Besides a Kiwi couple that also happened to stumble upon this site by accident, I was the only tourist in the area. The lake is the final resting place of a fighter jet that was shot down during the Vietnam War. The residents left the wreakage where it was and erected a sign commemorating the event. It’s the bigger story of what this represents that fascinates me. It’s a symbol of a countries pride at winning a war against a larger adversary. Not pictured, on the left side, is a school. Makes me wonder what their history class says about the events that led to this planes demise.

7. A Picture That . . . I am Most Proud of(aka my National Geographic Worthy photo)

So often with my photos I have no idea how well they turn out until I see them on a bigger screen. This was one of those photos. As much as I hate smog for all its pollutants, the mix of it with the clouds and sunset over Rio de Janeiro made an amazing photo. This would most certainly be one of those “On the cover of National Geographic” photos. So if you’re from National Geographic, I am willing to negotiate a price.

 

And now to tag a few other travelbloggers:

Chris from Fat Hobbit
Dani and Jess from Globetrotter Girls
Jaime from Breakaway Backpacker
Val from Silly America