Hamilton Zoo 2013

Tikitere Gardens Rotorua

Dont sweat the small stuff

Have a puuuurrrfect day

Rotorua Camera Club Sept 2012 Topic "Glass"

"Glass with a View" Honours

 

Strong use of colour in this image is very effective in holding the viewer. Glass blocks come in various ranges of translucency and pattern in the surface. The photographer here has seen something and captured it very well. The arrangements of the chairs behind the screen is in a repeat pattern which fills the frame very well and the detail achieved has been handled very well.

Day 7 Beautiful Hue 17/5/2012

Hotel Pilgrimage Village, Hue

Cooling off in the pool (photo with me in it

to show I really was in Vietnam)

Amazing setting

Inside our appartment

Dragon fruit

 Tomb of Tu Duc (1848-83)

flanked by beautiful lotus pools

National Flower Vietnam, Lotus Flower



Day 6 Halong Bay - Hanoi - Hue 16/5/2012

Halong Bay

Waiting for sunrise Halong Bay

Getting creative while waiting for sunrise

Taken with my I Phone

I Phone App

Heading to Luon Cave by small Bamboo boat

So colourful

We could touch these caves, one way in and one way out

Why use your hands when you feet are just as fast.............

 

Floating fishing village Halong Bay.

Fish are kept fresh and alive in these hand made tanks in the sea

Siesta time in Halong Bay

Back to Hanoi to catch train

to Hue overnight

Heading back to Hanoi with a fruit stop of bananas,

pineapple and fresh coconut

Meg and the local children

Local factory that makes handnade pottery and ceramics

(NB mould where liquid mix is poured)

getting a bit arty farty

more clay pots

Another stop Community Vegetable garden getting their

crops ready for market. NB Family burial plots

in the background)

 

Back on dry land. Vietnamese carry all their

possessions on their motor bikes.



Day 5 Hanoi - Halong Bay 15/5/2012

Arriving Halong Bay, boarded our sailing Junk "Marguerite" to discover

this World Heritage site, known as the ‘land of 3000 islands’.

Rising from the sea the islands offer a wealth of

opportunity for the local people. Our visit included

 exploring the beauty of this area close up.

We enjoyed a seafood lunch and a swim (even Volley ball with the locals)

 In the afternoon, visit a grotto before dropping

anchor for the night in Halong Bay

During our 4 hour bus trip to Halong Bay from Hanoi we had a

 "Happy Place" (toliet) stop where these amazing people

where designing and creating these double silk stranded embroideries.

NB they copy the picture/design upside down onto their

fabric.  Their long and short stitch was so fine.

Result was photo like quality embroideries as seen below.

Finished silk embroidery

.

Silk thread

Arriving at Halong Bay

Heading out to our sail.ing Junk Hotel Boat

View from Bo Hon Island, one of the many islands in Halong Bay

just before we head inside  Hang Sung Sot or Cave of Awe.

Floating Village in Halong Bay

Day 4 Hanoi 14/5/2012

We had a early wake up call 5.30 am as Roseann

wanted to join in with the locals

enjoying their morning Tai Chi around

Lake Hoan Kiem

 

Empty streets of Old  Quater of Hanoi 6 am before locals 

and their bikes invade the footpaths.

Tai Chi Hoan Kiem Lake

The Huc (Sunbeam Bridge) Hoan Kiem Lake

Colourful mixed busy architecture in Hanoi NB "telecom" lines
strung above all the streets

Lovely Dragon Fruit

Water Puppet Theatre: dates back approx 1000 years "roi nuoc"

 or water puppetry authentic expressions of

Vietnamese culture. Puppeteers maneover their

puppets to traditional live music.

Day 3 -May 13th 2012 HANOI

We started the day with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Being a Sunday there where a lot of locals and tourists alike which did not allow cameras. This is where Ho Chi Minh lies entombed and we all file past his toomb.



Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

We visited the grounds of the Presidential Palace located next to the Mausoleum. French Architecture was very obvious and Ho Chi Minhs Stilt house  was located in the grounds as he believed the Palace was to grand for him.

Presidential Palace

From there we visited One Pillar Pagoda built in AD1049 built to represent a Lotus Flower. Here Meg was acosted by local Vietnamese school kids wanting their photo taken with her





Next was visit to  Temple of Literature, built in 1070 during Ly Dynasty. One of Hanoi's finest architectural complex's. Founded in honor of Chinese philospher, Confucius. Consists of 5 courtyards.

Local Vietnamese girls visiting the Temple

Roof architecture of the Temple

Our last stop for the day was the Musuem of Ethnology. Here we learnt about the many (approx 54 recognised ) ethnic groups of Vietnam. A lot of the housing outside reminded me of the Polynesian stilt and Pa like houses.