Blog

After taking my mother to the airport in Venice I decided to spend the rest of the day in this fascinating city.

Short morning walk around this beautiful lake, the autumn colours were amazing.

A fun hike and photography session with Benedetta and Martino.

A perfect day for a hike in the mountains near Trento.

Annual Airshow in Trento, 14 September 2019.

First three pictures are from La Paz and the rest from Uyuni and the Salar (south of Bolivia). Catching up with the last few pictures from my 10 month travelling which ended in Sardegna a few days ago.

The locations represented in these photographs are Cuzco, Saksayhuaman and the Sacred Valley (Pìsac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, Salinas de Maras and Urubamba).

Copacabana in Bolivia is a perfect place to take a boat and visit Isla del Sol, a very special island in the highest navigable lake in the world (3,812 metres above sea level). Isla del Sol was once regarded as the home of the supreme Inca god Inti and there is definitely a special atmosphere there.

This five day hiking was rewarded by one of the great travel destinations in the world: Machu Pichu.

This has got to be one of the best places to go hiking: absolutely spectacular!

Just a mish mash of pictures from my stay in Equador. Featured are pics from Quito, Mindo, Banos and Cuenca

These are a few shots from my visit to the markets of Saquisilì and Otavalo. The Thursday market in Saquisilì (first 9 pictures) is mainly for locals from the highlands, whereas the Saturday market in Otavalo has developed over the years into a more touristy attraction.

A shrine was first built in this location in the middle of the 18th century after an apparition of the Virgin Mary instigated popular pilgrimage to the site. This Roman Catholic cathedral was built in Gothic Revival style between 1916 and 1949. It's definitely worth a visit if you're crossing the border at Ipiales to enter Equador.

San Agustin is a small town of about 30,000 located in the southern department of Huila in Colombia. The area is mainly known for its pre-Columbian archaeological sites that were declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. It contains the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in Latin America. It is also considered the world's largest necropolis.

Some pics from my last day in Popayan

The Holy Week in Popayan celebrates the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. The processions in the "White City" (as Popayan is also known) are one of the oldest traditions in Colombia and have continuously been performed since the sixteenth century. People come from all over the world to witness this festivity, so it's been quite a stroke of luck to have come here at the right time of the year.

Here I just want to show a small selection of the people (not only) I met during my stay at the Mayapurita EcoYoga farm in Guayabito. Some are locals others are obviously not, but all are linked to may stay there. Many more are missing, but that's just because I didn't systematically take a portrait of everyone. In retrospect I think I should have; but hey, you live and learn!

Here are some of the interesting faces I came across in Trinidad

This almost perfectly preserved Spanish colonial city was declared World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1988. The best way to see Trinidad is to stroll through the cobbled streets and admire the colourful buildings and rich Spanish colonial architecture. The last two pictures show the Valle de los Ingenios were huge sugar plantations developed in the 18th century. The pictures were taken from a 45m high tower, probably used to check on the slaves who worked on the plantations.

The beautiful Viñales Valley is where the tobacco for the island's famous cigars is grown. The valley is surrounded by mountains and dome-like limestone hills (Mogotes) rise abruptly from the flat plain. I visited the area with its farms of tobacco, corn and other crops both by bike and on horseback. Smoking a freshly made cigar and eating freshly picked pineapples was also part of the experience here...

What a unique city this is. You feel like you're in a movie set, with all the Chevrolet from the 50s, the crumbling colonial buildings and the incredible street life you can witness by just walking around Habana Vieja.

Just a few more street shots from my stay in Cartagena.

Here I'll show you some of the street art I saw today as I was wandering the streets of this barrio of Cartagena. Once a haven of prostitution and drugs, just outside the walls of the historic old city, Getsemani is now one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Cartagena.

Weather wasn't ideal because of the strong winds but my 2 days on Hook Island in the San Blas archipelago were still great. The inhabitants of the over 300 islands are the Kunas who run them with their own set of laws and customs and protect them from tourism. Think of your small island with white sand and waving palms in turquoise water and that's San Blas. Unfortunately most Kunas wanted money for their picture to be taken which kind of takes the spontaneity away... Last picture was taken hand held in nothing but moonlight.

This is a busy city where modern contrasts with old, glistening skyscrapers with crumbling neighbourhoods. Casco Viejo is the historical part of town with beautifully restored buildings alongside others in disrepair. The canal was obviously a must visit because of it's importance to the economy of Panama.

Christmas week in Isla Solarte at the awesome Bambuda Lodge. Tom, Dan and the rest of the crew were super and created a great atmosphere. The guests were pretty cool too. Didn't take many pictures there, but here are a few...

Spent a week in this beautiful part of Costa Rica; haven't been too lucky with the weather though... The Cahuita Park was definitely worth the visit; Edoardo, the guide, was great for spotting animals and practicing my Spanish. Puerto Viejo was also colourful and vibrant; but the highlights for me have been the long walks on Playa Negra with nobody in sight for hours... Not to mention the interesting people I came across.

Spent a few rainy and windy days in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and surrounding area. The zip lines and suspension bridges added to the thrill of walking through the forest as well as the night walk. The Don Juan Coffee Plantation was a great way to learn about the process of harvesting coffee, cacao and sugar cane from plant to final product. The encounter with the Hummingbirds, however, was pretty special.

Spent a week in this small Caribbean island. Did some snorkelling, reading and generally chilling by the beach. It rained quite a lot, but hey, can't complain... Meet my host, Mister James, who's lived on this island for over 70 years. Next stop, Monteverde in Costa Rica.

I spent a few hours at the main bus station in Leon, La Terminal. I was drawn by all the activity happening around the Chicken buses with people traveling, selling and buying stuff. Here are some of lovely faces.

Cerro Negro is an active volcano just outside Leon and it's a very recent one, being 162 years old. It's 728m above sea level and the hike takes less than an hour. The view was great but the slope looked a little too steep at first...

Leon might not be rich or super clean but there is life and a positive vibe. Here are some pictures of the Cathedral and people I met on the streets; there's also a volcano shot from the inside of a Chicken bus.

Because of the rain and clouds I won't be able to climb the vulcanoes here, so will be moving on to Corn Island. Had a wonderful day albeit a tiring one, riding a Yamaha around the island through mud, rocks, pigs, chicken, horses, cows and happy people. Just a small selection of pics...

After a day spent around La Isla de Ometepe I was treated to this beautiful sunset. This was the last ferry back to mainland San Jorge. Spending another day or two on the Island...

These pictures were taken at the market and around town... It's time to move on after a week of Spanish Lessons and just chilling in Granada. Tomorrow heading for la Isla de Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua.

Short boat ride in Lake Nicaragua through the Granada Islets. As a result of a violent eruption of the Mombacho Volcano, 365 islets were formed in front of Granada. Some islands are inhabited by fishermen, some accomodate hotels or luxurious houses and others are uninhabited...

Found a cheap taxi from Managua and got here around lunch time. The lady that runs the hostel is really friendly and helpful. Today I just went for a stroll through the streets of this beautiful town. Meet my friend Carlito...

Spent just over a day in Managua, but will be moving swiftly on to Granada. Can't get myself to like this place and it probably shows in the pictures... Doesn't feel safe to take my camera out on the street.

just a few more pics from Miami...

The Florida Keys are a chain of coral reef and limestone islands connected by the 113 mile-long "Overseas Highway" and its 42 bridges. Key west is at the southernmost tip of Florida and only 90 miles from Cuba. This is a must drive if you stay in Miami!! Couldn't go snorkelling to the reef because of the windy conditions but the day and a half in Key West was still great.

People enjoying Halloween in Lincoln Street

The flight went really smoothly and the Alps are always a sight. After arriving at the Freehand Miami went for a quick stroll along the ocean. 30 degrees here!

A day out sailing in Lake Garda with Sally, David, Danny, the skipper Matteo and myself.

This was my first flight in an ultralight and what an experience. The pilot was my cousin Giorgio. The mountains are the Dolomites in Trentino, Northern Italy.

Details of modern buildings.

Nikon FM2 is cool