Kathmandu Street Life

Kathmandu in Nepal is the stepping stone to many of the Himalayan mountain treks and it is usual for visitors to spend a few days here before or after heading to the many popular trekking areas in the mountains. Kathmandu is the gateway to tourism in Nepal and is also the nerve center of the country’s economy. It has the most advanced infrastructure of any urban area in Nepal, and its economy is focused on tourism, which accounted for 3.8% of Nepal's GDP in 1995–96. (Tourism in Kathmandu declined thereafter during a period of political unrest, but since then has improved.)

The city has around 2.5 million population and sits at a height of 1,400m in the Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal. It is a bustling, chaotic city with poor roads and infrastructure but offers some  great photo opportunities of daily life.

Jungle City

"The city is not a concrete jungle, it is a human zoo."

Desmond Morris (b. 1928), British anthropologist. The Human Zoo, introduction (1969).

Bukit Nanas Heritage Buildings

Right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and under the shadow of the KL Tower at Bukit Nanas are a variety of wonderful old heritage buildings which have been left to decay and rot in the hot tropical heat and humidity. On the main Jalan Raja Chulan road is a row of houses which in their day probably represented the very best and elite accommodation in the city. These 8 houses in a row have an elaborate crest on the wall with the letters OES and the date of 1931 but there is little else I can find out about them.

Amazingly there are some people still living in one or more of the houses but no doubt these wonderful heritage buildings will eventually disappear and this prime land be re-developed.

Walking behind this row of houses I came across another magnificent old house right below the KL Tower. This house was habited by an Indian family who were more than welcome to me taking photographs of their house and even their dog posed for the photo! This location is rather unique being on the Bukit Nanas hill surrounded by jungle trees and foliage but yet it is right in the middle of the city.

There were also a number of other rundown and decaying buildings I discovered close by which similarly in their time must have been prime real estate.

Angkor Thom South gate

Angkor Thom (literally: "Great City"), located in present day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by king Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman's state temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites clustered around the Victory Square immediately to the north.

Angkor Thom was established as the capital of Jayavarman VII's empire, and was the centre of his massive building programme. One inscription found in the city refers to Jayavarman as the groom and the city as his bride.

Angkor Thom seems not to be the first Khmer capital on the site, however. Yasodharapura, dating from three centuries earlier, was centred slightly further northwest, and Angkor Thom overlapped parts of it. The most notable earlier temples within the city are the former state temple of Baphuon, and Phimeanakas, which was incorporated into the Royal Palace. The Khmers did not draw any clear distinctions between Angkor Thom and Yashodharapura: even in the fourteenth century an inscription used the earlier name. The name of Angkor Thom — great city — was in use from the 16th century.

The last temple known to have been constructed in Angkor Thom was Mangalartha, which was dedicated in 1295. Thereafter the existing structures continued to be modified from time to time, but any new creations were in perishable materials and have not survived. In the following centuries Angkor Thom remained the capital of a kingdom in decline until it was abandoned some time prior to 1609, when an early western visitor wrote of an uninhabited city, "as fantastic as the Atlantis of Plato" which some thought to have been built by the Roman emperor Trajan. It is believed to have sustained a population of 80,000-150,000 people.

Central Park from Top of the Rock

For the best views of the New York City skyline and Central Park head to the Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Centre on 50th street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. From the top 3 floors there are wonderful viewing galleries with glass walls which gives you a commanding view of the city from all directions. Looking to the south it's also the best place from where to get probably the bets view of the Empire State Building and see it in context with the rest of the city buildings

Dutch Tricycle

This lady was transporting her children back from school in a neat little tricycle which seemed a perfect way to get around the city; environmentally friendly and offering a little exercise for the person cycling.

Eco Building

I loved some of the great advertisements and billboards around the Times Square area of New York and this colourful building was worth a picture. This building is the Ernst & Young Building and looks like they are trying to portray some kind of eco message with this large picture of the half globe half plant.

Top of the Rock

Probably the best view you can get of New York is from the top of the Rockefeller Centre building or "Top of the Rock". From here and looking to the south you can get a wonderful view of the Empire State Building and the whole of Manhattan Island which really gives you a great perspective of the city. If you look from the north side of the building you will see a great view of Central Park - look out for a post on this view later.

Times Square - Crossroads of the World

Times Square is probably one of the most recognised and iconic city centres in the World. Situated in Manhattan at the junction of Broadway and 7th Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets this commercial area has an incredible concentration of neon advertising with gigantic Jumbotron video screens now taking up much of the real estate creating a dynamic and colourful vista on all the tall buildings.

This larger area around Times Square from 6th to 8th Avenue and from 40th to 53rd Street is known as the Theatre District where most of the Broadway theatres are located as well as many other theatres, movie theatres, music halls, restaurants, hotels and other entertainment outlets. This whole area just buzzes with peope and happenings and at night with all the neon lights on can be quite spectacular.

Our hotel was situated on West 49th street so we were right in the heart of this area and Times Square was a short 2-3 minute walk away.

Kampong Kuala Lumpur

This traditional malay kampong style wooden house sits right in the middle of the city in Kuala Lumpur on Jalan Raja Abdullah. The stark contrast between buildings like this and the high rise development around it highlights the rapid development that has taken place in Kuala Lumpur over the last few years.

Barcelona Balconies

These beautiful balconies were seen in the La Rambla district of central Barcelona, Spain. The ornate ironwork, wall murals and painted shutters all add up to architectural  perfection.

The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernisme architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026.

San Sebastian City Hall

This magnificent sandstone building used to be the casino in San Sebastian in the Basque region of North Spain. It is now the city hall where the city council govern after the casino closed in 1924 due to the prohibition of gambling. The building was built in 1887 in the Gardens of Alderdi-Eder of San Sebastián. On April 14 of 1928 an agreement was reached to open in this building the Center of Attraction and Tourism. On 20 January of 1945 the council was moved to this building. The architects Alday and Arizmendi amended the initial project in 1943 and transformed the former casino in council. 

Tri-Wheeler Power in Vietnam

Two wheels are definitely king in Vietnam but three wheelers are not far behind as having some street cred as you can see from these images hot in Ho Chi Minh.

Singapore Transformation

Singapore has always been close to my heart as this was the first place I lived when I moved to Asia in 1984. The Singapore River waterfront has changed dramatically since then, from rows of run down godowns to a modern high-rise bustling financial centre. The river front now offers a wonderful variety of local and international restaurants, bars, night spots as well as museums, galleries and pedestrian walkways or river cruises to take in the views of the city.

The old post office that I remembered back in the early 80's has now magically been renovated into the top class 5-star Fullerton Hotel which commands a strategic location right at the river mouth and offers its visitors a nostalgic flash-back to those earlier colonial days of Singapore.

Dataran Merdeka

The Dataran Merdeka (or Merdeka Square) is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It was here the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on August 31, 1957. Since then, Dataran Merdeka has been the usual venue for the annual Hari Merdeka Parade (National Day Parade).

Literally Independence Square, it was formerly known as the Selangor Club Padang or simply the "Padang" and was originally the cricket green of the Selangor Club (now Royal Selangor Club).

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which grandly overlooks the Dataran Merdeka, is one of the most significant landmarks built by the British. Designed by A. C. Norman who was inspired by Indian Moghul architecture, this building was completed in 1897 and housed the Selangor State Secretariat and later the Supreme Court before being abandoned for a number of years. It now houses the Ministry of Heritage, Culture and Arts.

The Padang was officially renamed Dataran Merdeka on 1 January 1990 in conjunction of Visit Malaysia Year 1990.

On August 31, 2007, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi shouted 'Merdeka!' on midnight celebrations, where thousands of Malaysians celebrated 50 years of nationhood.

Lost City of Angkor

One of the problems facing a photographer is how to display your work. Websites, video slideshows and large framed prints are good but I guess the most traditional way of presenting your photo story is in the form of a book. This has been on my list for some time now and at last I have completed my first photo book, now currently at the printers for final production.

During my time in Cambodia, when I did the project on the orphans of Siem Reap as part of the Gary Knight/Philip Blenkinsop VII Photo Agency Workshop, I had the opportunity of course to visit many of the wonderful Angkor complex temples around Siem Reap. As a photo subject they are awesome but when you dig deeper there is a fascinating story going way back to the 9th century when these temples were built as part of a highly complex and extensive city .... the city of Angkor.

My book focuses on some of these temples and briefly describes the background of Angkor and the ultimate demise of this sophisticated society.

I have some ideas for further photo books so watch this space for more news.

Coliseum Theatre .... Pawagam Coliseum

The Coliseum Theatre is a movie theater in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One of the oldest movie theaters in the country, it was built in 1921 by the Chua family led by Chua Cheng Bok. The Art Deco-style building is capable of seating 900 people and also features a balcony.

The famed Coliseum Café and Hotel are located behind the theatre, just down the road. The oldest and continuously running cinema hall in the country (save for a break during the Japanese occupation during World War II), most of the movies premiering in the building are Indian movies. After Chua Cheng Bok's demise in 1940, his estate continued to administer the Coliseum until its acquisition in 1973 by a company owned by his nephew Dr Chua Boon Teck and his wife Mdm Khor Joo Saik.

In 2006, the Malaysian government proposed to close the theater and turn it into a cultural heritage center, but relented when there was a public outcry to the scheme.The government later decided not to close the cinema. Instead, they planned to build a parking lot nearby.In that year, Dr Chua Seong Siew, elder son of the late owners Dr Chua Boon Teck and Mdm Khor Joo Saik, had successfully appealed for the cinema theater to remain open, and so it continues to operate to this day.