Forbidden City

Beijing hutong

Hutongs are small alleys off the modern main streets where regular people live.

Delivery guy on bicycle riding through the neighborhood meat and vegetable market. Check out the workers efficiently catch a quick wink between customers.

Photographing the nice refurbished door on a hutong.


Heritage trees, generally more than 300 years old, are preserved.

A one-half Hour Walk in San Filipe

After three hours of writing keywords and captions, I went for a short walk down the street from my hotel in San Filipe. (Just in case you were wondering what I'm doing in San Filipe, I'm visiting and photographing wineries and vineyards. What else? San Filipe is the closest town that has accommodation. So here I am.)

So You Think Photography is Glamorous

One of the most important aspects of photography is doing laundry. Here I am in San Filipe in the Anconcagua Valley at the Hostal Almendral perfecting those skills and doing my part to create world peace.  And it's even my birthday.

The World Seen from Ezzaruziz Winery

A French couple who have lived all over the world, a Chilean tour guide whose parents were exiled so he grew up in Australia and an ol' Latvian American boy solve the world's problems at a tasting in the historic Ezzaruziz winery tasting room.

Will write more here, but have to see the Andes right now.

The vineyards of Aconcagua Valley

Toe to Horizon View from My Room

Here's the view from my 23rd floor Santiago hotel. That's the main drag right below your toes, Avenida Higgins, named after Chile's liberator, but everyone here calls it Avenida Alameda. No one seems to know why.

Not a bad view for a budget traveler, eh? A suite with king bed, separate living room and kitchen with stove, microwave and refrig. Next door was the Crowne Plaze but my room was higher than the Crowne.

OK, so tell me how this photo was created? I'm also working on one that goes from day to night.