20121225

Aeg maha

Time Out


[(have) beautiful holidays & colourful new (year)]

20121214

Täiskäik edasi!

Full On!

Viimasel ajal on mul olnud õnne külastada mitmed väga vaheldusrikkaid ja värvikaid Aasia riike, ent Nepaal on erilise auraga maa, millel minu jaoks eristaatus. Iga kord, kui mõtisklen paikade üle, kuhu tahan naasta, on Nepaal vaieldamatult esimene, mis meenub. Esmakohtumine oli müstiline - kindlasti on kuningriik väärt väisamist ka tulevikus.

I have been fortunate enough to visit some of the most vibrant and colourful Asian countries recently, but in my mind and memories Nepal has the most special status on its own. Every time when I consider the places that I would like to return to, Nepal pops up in my mind as having the first priority. My first visit was extraordinary enough - it is definitely worth returning to the kingdom again. 

20121203

Turg

Market


Vahel on tunne, et elu on kauplemine ja vastupidi. Aasias reisides on tingimine ja sõbralik vägikaikkavedu on igapäevaelu oluline osa. Idamaades tundub see läänepoolkeralt pärilt inimesele vahel kui komejant, halvemal juhul kui kelmus, oriendielaniku jaoks on see aga elustiil ja meelelahutus. Niipalju kui on (maailmas) inimesi, on arvamusi.

Sometimes it feels that life is trade and trade is life. In Asia bargaining and higgling is one of the most vital parts of everyday life. At first westerners (when entering the Orient) are thinking of it as some comically outlaid play or worse, as a fraud. The Easterners think of it as lifestyle and entertainment. There are as many opinions as there are people (in the world). 

20121120

In Time

Kuala Lumpur

Mõni päev tagasi ilmus taas Estonian Airi pardaajakiri In Time, kus kiire fotodega ülevaade ühest Aasia peamisest lendude sõlmpunktist Kuala Lumpurist, kus kohtuvad ja segunevad ida ja lääne arhitektuur, religioonid, köögid ja kultuurid. Loodame, et 1. detsembril 21. sünnipäeva tähistav rahvuslennufirma suudab leida sisemise tasakaalu, et jätkata Euroopa ja Eesti ühendamist. 

A few days ago the new issue of Estonian Air on-board magazine In Time was released where there is a quick overview of Kuala Lumpur. KL is one of the main air transport hubs of Asia where East and West meet. The outcome is a mixture of architecture, religions, cuisines and cultures. 
I really hope that the well-loved airlines that will celebrate its 21st birthday on the 1st of Dec this year has the inner willpower to continue servicing Estonians as well as Europeans. 

20121111

Reisijad

Travellers

Bussi-karusell Põhja-Laoses. Bus-rollercoster in Northern Laos

20121104

Uus hooaeg

New Season


Samal õhtul, kui Läänemaailm tähistas Halloweeni, peeti Luang Prabangis pidustusi, mis tähistasid 2012.a. vihmahooaja lõppu. Ohtralt oli inimesi tänavatel, templihoovides ja Mekongi kallastel. Süüdati ujukküünlaid, paugutati püssirohuvigureid, kohtuti tuttavate-sugulastega, söödi perekeskis.

As the Western world was celebrating Halloween the people of Luang Prabang were marking the end of monsoon for the year 2012. The beginning of the dry season was celebrated by floating candles on the Mekong, visiting local temple grounds, lighting firecrackers, meeting friends and eating together with ones family.

20121026

Sees-väljas

In-out

Miku trumm. Mikk's drum

Vahepeal viibisime paikades, kus oli vaid värske õhk, jahe vesi ning suurepärased vaated. Tundsin, et tõesti on hea meel viibida eemal internetist jmt lääne tsivilisatsiooni igapäevasustest. Pikslite asemel olid pilved, asfaltist sai kruus, ning km/h asendusid vertikaalsete meetritega päevas. Oli suurepärane offline periood, ent tasakaalu võti on vaheldus.
Lisaks muule oli lahe avastada linn, kus tõepoolest tänavatel pole nimesid: Katmandu. @U2

Meanwhile we have been to places that featured only fresh air, cold water and superior views. I felt that it is unbelievably great to be outdoors and away from the modern western world comforts like internet and such. Pixels were replaced by cloudscapes, tarmac turned into gravel, and KPH transformed into vertical meters per day. It was a magnificent period of offline, but the secret of keeping life balanced is change. 
Also, I managed to find the place "where the streets have no names": Kathmandu. @U2

20120815

Hemingway



Kunagi olevat Ernest Hemingway öelnud, et igas maailma sadamas on vähemalt üks eestlane. Selle fakti vettpidavust polnud mul võimalust Christchurchi külje all Lytteltoni sadamas täpselt kontrollida, ent nägin üht härrast sadama piirdeaial nõjatumas ja laevu silmitsemas. Astusime kahe sõbraga sisse Fisherman's Wharfi ja poole tunni pärast sealt väljudes oli Hemingway-teisik ikka veel samas kohas seljaga meie poole mõttesse vajunult seismas. Lähenesin tasa, küsisin luba portreeks, ja tegin paar kiiret võtet. 

The commonly known tale among Estonians is that Ernest Hemingway once wrote something along the lines "In every port in the world, at least two Estonians can be found." This gentleman was standing quietly at the fence looking over the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch. After about a half an hour when I had finished my Corona at Fisherman's Wharf he was still there. I decided to take my chance and ask the Hemingway look-a-like for a permission to take a casual portrait of him. And I was lucky - after few exposures I thanked him and we drove off to Riccarton. 

20120805

Lund, palju lund

Snow, lots of snow
Double Cone

Sarnaselt kultusfilmile Matrix, kus Neo ütleb "Guns,..lots of guns", kõlab ka homse päeva moto "Lund, palju lund". Nimelt panen homme taas 3 kihti riideid ja 3 paari akusid kaasa, et minna mäele vastavatud the Stashi kuvama. Loodetavasti on peale lume ka palju head valgust :)

Similarly to the cult movie Matrix where Neo says "Guns, ..lots of guns", there is a motto for tomorrow lingering in my mind "Snow, ..lots of snow". In fact, it will be another day in the mountains tomorrow, so I'll put on 3 layers of garment and pack 3 sets of batteries to be ready to shoot the Stash. Hopefully there will be a lot of excellent light as well :)

20120726

Maast lahti!

Take-off!

Vanakooli koodlukuga esmaabikapp hoovõtu rajal.
Old school first aid cupboard at the take-off strip.

   Tema elukeskkond & minu töökeskkond. Her living environment & my work environment @2600ft

20120722

Ebatavaline

Unusual
Basket of Dreams by Caroline Robinson 

Tavaarusaama kohaselt peaks pildistama valgel ajal, päeval või veelgi parem "kuldsel tunnil" (koidu- või ehatund). Sarnast mustrit võib rakendada ka jalutamisele. Ent keegi pole kehtestanud seadust, et pimedamal ajal ei võiks eelpool nimetatuga tegelda. Nii võtsingi jalad selga kui päike loojus, et jõuda mäele "ebatavalisel" tunnil: ainsaks valguseks oli pilvedelt allapeegelduv linnakuma. Palja silmaga oli näha vaid metsa ja Unistuste/Unenägude Korvi siluett. Maa oli must ning sellest ei seletanud silm tükkigi. 

By the common understanding the preferred time for photographing is during the daylight hours or better yet on the golden hour (the hour during the dawn or dusk). The same pattern usually applies to strolling. But nobody (at least to my humble knowing) has not yet placed a law that would prohibit doing the previously mentioned things during the dark. So just as the sun was setting I decided to get up the mountain and got there for the "unusual" hour - only city lights were reflecting of the clouds. I could only see the silhouettes of the Basket of Dreams and the fores around me. The ground was dark as black velvet, so I couldn't recognize a thing in front of me. 



20120713

1093"


Kuuvalgustatud lake Wakatipu, paremal Bob's Peakil Skyline'i kondlijaam ning tagaplaanil keskel lumine Ben Lomondi mäeahelik, vasakul Fernhill. Vahel pole palja silmaga näha kõik detailid kui mõnest "stseenist" läbi või mööda jalutada (eriti öösel),  pikem säritus toob nii mõndagi välja..

The moonlit lake Wakatipu, Bob's Peak with Skyline's gondola station on the right, Ben Lomond on the background in the centre, Fernhill on the left. One can't craps enough visual information when walking into/by a "scene" (especially at night) but longer exposure can reveal much more..

20120615

Tongariro

Mt Tongariro & Mt Ngauruhoe


Alpiõied. Alpine petals

Ketetahi kuumaveeallikad asuvad eramaal, mis kuulub kohalikele hõimudele. Ligipääs on õigustatult piiratud, et maoori pühapaik hoida selleks ettenähtud pühitsetud talitusteks. Ka naaberahelikult saab aimu allikate võimsusest ja müstilisest mõjust.
Ketetahi Hot Springs are situated on private land that belongs to the Ngati Tuiwharetoa people. Access to the place is restricted on purpose to keep the maori sacred place untouched for the religious acts. You can get the impression of the mightiness and mystic influence from the neighboring ridge. 

Keskkraater, Punane kraater ja kõige taga Ngauruhoe mägi. Must mass keskplaanis on kivistunud laava. Viimasel ajal pole purskeid esinenud, ent siiani loetakse vulkaane aktiivseteks. Vänge väävlilõhn tuletab pidevalt meelde varitsevat ohtu. 
The Central Crater, the Red Crater and Mount Ngauruhoe. The black land mass in the middle ground is petrified lava. There has been no eruptions recently, but the area is still considered volcanically active and the strong sulfur fumes are constant to remind you the evident danger. 

Sinine järv. The Blue Lake

Keskkraatris on tunne justkui oleksid sattunud mõnele võõrale planeedile: ookrikarva kivid ja liiv, mitte ainsatki taime ega elusolendit, peakohal kalgilt kiiskav päike. Tühjus. Kuna silma ei hakka ühtki tuttava kuju või suurusega objekti, kaob ka mastaabitunne. Tuleb meelde Stanley Kubrick.
In the Central Crater it feels like being on an alien planet: red and ocher rocks and sand, no other living being or plant around, only the cold radiating sun above your head. Emptiness. As there is no familiar sized objects around it is impossible to assess the distances. It reminds me of Stanley Kubrick

Emerald Lakes

Punase kraatri serval (1911m abs). On the ridge of the Red Crater

Keskkraatrist väljumas. Exiting the Central Crater




20120603

Pilves selgimistega

Cloudy w clearings 

Cecil Peak (1978m)

Suhtelised kõrgused on petlikud: tundub, nagu oleksin mäe ees hõljuva pilvega samal kõrgusel. Reaalsus on aga teine: Wakatipu järv on 310m üle merepinna, pildistades seisin u 400m peal ja taamal olev mäetipp on aga pea 2000m, seega konkreetse pilve keskmine kõrgus merepinnast on pigem 1000m kanti. Peale fakti, et olen veetnud enamiku elust ühes maailma mägedevaeseimas riigis, saab "süüdistada" veel eriti puhast ja selget Uus-Meremaa õhku.

The relative height seems different from the reality: looks like that the height of my viewpoint is the same as the centre of the cloud that is floating in front of the Cecil Peak. In fact, Lake Wakatipu is 310m from the sea level, I was standing at 400m and the peak is almost 2000m above mean sea level. Visually measured, the cloud is at about 1000m AMSL. Besides the fact that I have lived most of my life in one of the world flattest countries, New Zealand has very clean and clear air that makes assessing the heights and distances even harder. 

20120530

Peidetud saar

Hidden Island


 Lake Wakatipu & Cecil Peak

The Remarkables 



Hidden Island

20120521

Kona Downhill 2011 / 2012


Kuna siinpool maakera käib Päike kõrgemalt jõuludel ja kõige jahedam on jaanipäeva paikku, siis vastavalt on siin sügis märtsis. Aprilli lõpus pandi Healesville´s Kona 2011-2012 Victoria Downhill Mountain Bike Series hooajale punkt demo päevaga, et proovida radasid ja rattaid.
Rohkem materjali uues ajakirjas Sport Extreme.

As on this side of the globe the Sun is traveling it´s highest and longest way over the sky during the Christmas season therefor autumn is in March. Just a month ago bikers celebrated the Kona 2011/2012 Victorian Downhill MTB Series end of season with a demonstration day in Healesville (VIC). Guys (and couple of girls) were trying out the tracks and testing bikes. 
See the new mag Sport Extreme for more (printed in Estonia). 

20120430

Läbi mandri

Through the continent



Kord ammu-ammu võtsime paari sõbraga ette tee põhjast lõunasse otse läbi kontinendi südame, pikkusega suurusjärgus 4500km. Eesmärk oli näha Austraalia mandri keskosa ja samas läbida erinevad kliimavöötmed. Lendamine on praktiliselt igal pool sama: checkin, pagasi- ja passikontroll, boarding. Siis lend koos tasuta võileivaga, maandumine ja siis jälle sama kontrollirada..
See tasus end igati ära: kui ainuüksi vaadelda pinnase ja taimestikutüüpide vaheldumist saab päris hea elamuse. Spekter on lai ja tasub igati seda aega ning alguses lõputuna näivaid sõidukilomeetreid. Alustasime Darwinist ja seitsme päeva pärast olime Melbourne'is. Käkitegu.

Once appone a time we took the long way from north to south straight through the heart of the Australian continent that was about 4500km in length. Our aim was to see the beauty of the central regions of the continent and see the different climate regions as well. Passenger flights are practically the same everywhere: checkin, luggage and passport check, boarding. Then a free sandwich, landing and then the same row of checks and double checks..
That was well worth it: even if you observe the differentiations of the soil and flora types you will get a good sense of the vastness of the country. The spectrum is wide and is worth the countless hours plus the seemingly endless kilometers. We started in Darwin and in seven days arrived in Melbourne. Piece of cake. 


Northern Territory


Daly Waters



A.H. Tammsaare



Põlenud kõrb, esiplaanil sipelgapesad. 
Burnt desert, ant mounds in the forground.


Devils Marbles (NT)



Mõned väiksemad mängukivid. Some of the smaller marbles




Uluru aka Ayers Rock







Elusloomade transport. Live stock transportation





Coober Pedy (SA) on kaevanduslinn, kus suvel tõuseb temperatuur 50 kraadini Celsiuse järgi ning inimesed elavad keldritüüpi majades maa all. Ilmselt kui siin ei leiduks maavarasid, poleks ka asustust, vähemalt mitte nii suurt kui viimase rahvaloenduse andmeil (1916 hinge 2006.a.). Peatusime vaid tankimiseks.

Coober Pedy (SA) is a minding town, where the temperature reaches 50 deg C and the people have built their houses under ground like cellars. Seems that if there wasn't such a large amount of mineral resources there wouldn't be such a large population - according to the 2006 census there are 1916 habitants. Stopped by only to fill the tank. 









Lake Hart, Woomera (SA)





Adelaide Hills (SA)


Port Augusta


Victoria

Lambad. Sheep


Veel lambaid. More sheep