Vandrelysten – Aching for the Distance
The Americas
Paddleboarding
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, U.S.A. – February 13th, 2011 The sign said: ‘Free Paddleboard Demo’, and a half dozen people were braving the fifty degree weather (frigid by Floridian standards) to give it a try. The beginners were standing up slowly and carefully – a February morning swim was not on anyone’s agenda. That was … Continue reading
Mountains in the Rearview Mirror
Where: Rocky Mountain National Park, U.S.A. When: July 2010 Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i ——————————————- A reflection in a crystal-clear mountain pool? A break in the fabric of dimensions? Actually, it’s just an interesting way my camera dealt with my rear-view mirror while I was driving on Colorado’s Highway to the Sky. /American Road Trip … Continue reading
Notes from the Cloud Forest
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica – June 10th, 2008 When I was a child, I saw a cartoon set in the cloudforest of South America, and I had wanted to go there ever since. I was reasonable about it – I knew one couldn’t truly expect to find ancient ruins, hidden caves behind waterfalls, or … Continue reading
USA 2010
American Road Trip Plus July 10th-27th, 2010 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: This trip started with a email from my penpal, Liisa, who I visited in Finland in 2008. She wanted to come to America – see my haunts, and maybe a litte more – and since I’m pretty well spread out over the continent, … Continue reading
El Mercado de Heredia
Heredia, Costa Rica – June 6th, 2008 Heredia was much like San Jose. Exteriors were dirty concrete and rusted metal, with the junctures between the two often neglected. To say there was no insulation would be an understatement – a Missouri rainstorm would whip in through every crack. We were assigned a scavenger hunt in … Continue reading
Photo: Toxic Environment Cow (Costa Rica)
Where: Costa Rica When: June 2008 Camera: Canon Powershot A550 ——————————————- When I visited San Jose, the city was holding a CowParade public art exhibit. Dozens of artists had decorated cows, placed throughout the city, in ways that were sometimes beautiful, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes expressed a poignant social or political message. I made it … Continue reading
Cereal with Milk and Iced Tea
The first time I saw cereal prepackaged with milk in Costa Rica, I thought I was going a bit crazy. But, once I remembered that most of the milk sold in Latin America is super-pasteurized and doesn’t need refrigeration until it’s opened, I got used to it fairly quickly. And then I saw cereal packaged … Continue reading
The Jungle Fights Back
Where: Costa Rica When: June 2008 Camera: Canon Powershot A550 ——————————————- I took this picture from the bus as we were driving in western Costa Rica. I loved how the lush, tangled green of the forest suddenly parted to reveal the brightly coloured touristy towels hanging by the shop. I guess the photo could be … Continue reading
Treasure Island Kite Festival
Where: Treasure Island, Florida, U.S.A. When: January 2011 Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i ———————————————— The uninformed might be forgiven for looking out their window yesterday and thinking the world was ending, that their city was being invaded by an army of giant, flying centipedes, lizards, squid, and… purple people eaters. The real explanation was the … Continue reading
Little Norway on the Great Plains
Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.A. - July 19th, 2010 I had been puzzled by the billboards and flyers touting a Norwegian Stavkirke in South Dakota’s Black Hills. I had seen one or two of the old wooden churches in Norway, but why would there be one in South Dakota? What could it amount to? On … Continue reading
