Mustang

I spotted this classic 1st generation Ford Mustang on the streets of Perth, Australia distinctive in its red livery and the distinctive stallion badge on the front grille. The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car.Introduced early on April 17, 1964, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A.

The Mustang created the "pony car" class of American automobile — sports car-like coupes with long hoods and short rear decks — and gave rise to competitors such as GM's Chevrolet Camaro, AMC's Javelin, and Chrysler's revamped Plymouth Barracuda. It also inspired coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were exported to the United States. Current competitive marques include the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro, neither of which can claim to have maintained continuous production since original introduction, a Mustang-exclusive class distinction.

..... Also note that this guy has a parking ticket decorating his front windscreen wiper!!

Rural Sumatra

The current eruption of Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, Indonesia brought me back to the wonderful few days I spent in the Lake Toba area. The scene above was a very common sight with many pockets of fertile farmland being worked by the locals growing rice, vegetables, coffee and fruits. This simple agricultural lifestyle has been going on here for hundreds of years using simple, handworked techniques and tools.

Paris Pyramid

The Louvre Pyramid (Pyramide du Louvre) is a large glass and metal pyramid, surrounded by three smaller pyramids, in the main courtyard (Cour Napoleon) of the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) in Paris. The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. Completed in 1989, it has become a landmark of the city of Paris.

Wash Day Blues

You think you have wash problems? ..... check out the dhobi ghat in Mumbai where thousands of clothes are hand washed every day, dried, ironed and sent back to the customer in an amazing and somewhat disorganised operation that can only be done in India. Most tourists stop at the overhead bridge overlooking the dhobi ghat to take their photographs but of course I wanted to get right in to the middle of the action. So after a "small donation" to a doorman at one of the entrances I got in and captured a wonderful sequence of images throughout the large complex.
More images here.

Budapest Basilica

St. Stephen's Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c 975–1038), whose mummified fist is housed in the reliquary.

Waterfall

The sight and sound of a waterfall is compelling and we sometimes walk for miles up a valley or mountain just to watch the beauty of the water falling over rocks to the pool below. This waterfall is located in Milford Sound in the south island of New Zealand and is special in that it plunges directly from the vertical sides of the fjord into the sea.

Santillana del Mar

Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Certain features of this historical town includes Altamira Caves (Cuevas de Altamira) and many historic buildings, attracting thousands of holiday-makers every year.

There is an old saying that Santillana del Mar is The Town of Three Lies, since it is neither a Saint (Santo), nor flat (llana) and has no sea (Mar) as implied by the town's name. However, the name actually derives from Santa Juliana (or Santa Illana) whose remains are in the kept in the Colegiata, a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery.

This colourful balcony was spotted in the middle of the town as everyone seemed to be trying to outdo each other in the presentation and upkeep of their homes.

Reflective Mood

Japanese gardens are wonderful places to visit when you need some peace and quiet from the hustle bustle of city life. The Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji) in Kyoto is a wonderful haven where you can enjoy the beautiful gardens, historic buildings and water features with dramatic reflections.

Sunrise Over Angkor Wat

Getting up at 5am in the morning is not high on my agenda normally but it was certainly worth it to do so when witnessing the stunning sunrise over Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Walking into the temple complex at pre-dawn in total darkness there was definitely an atmosphere about the place which is hard to describe but you realise that this site was a significant civilization may centuries ago. 

A recommended plan for a visit to the temple complexes in Siem Reap is a dawn visit to Angkor Wat, the rest of the day visiting the many other magnificent temples around the area and then return to Angkor Wat for the sunset which is even more spectacular than the dawn visit by my experience.

Siem Reap Sausages

The New Market (Phsar Leu Thom Thmei) in Siem Reap, Cambodia is a great place to explore and see a wide variety of fresh meats and vegetables.  The word Phsar means Market, Leu means Upper, Thom mean Large and Thmei means New. Now this market is very popular and crowded. It is located about 2 km from Siem Reap, on the right side of National Road #6 when travelling from west to east.