As Seen by TV

This is pretty crazy.

Check out this image compiled by UK scientists consisting of thousands of images taken of space via satellite over the course of 10 years.  STUNNING, to say the least.  It is said to show 1 billion stars (!!!).  Dubbed project “Vista Data Flow System”… well, I’m just gonna have to stop typing because it is quite truly beyond words.  Check it out!

Static Link:
http://djer.roe.ac.uk/vsa/vvv/iipmooviewer-2.0-beta/vvvgps5.html

BBC article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17539315

PS- FROM NOW ON, MY PHOTOGRAHY WILL HAVE LARGER IMAGE SIZES!!!

The final night in Phuket.

These images were captured on a pier in Rawai, and FYI the street that extends straight onto this pier is a go-go bar street.  Filled with about 30+ bars on either side and packed one right next to the other, it boasts an amazingly friendly atmosphere and was great fun for some drinky drinks.  I really couldn’t think of a better [and more unholy] place to spend Christmas Eve!!

Early the next morning saw us take on our first journey of the trip.  An almost full day trip consisting of a taxi / van / bus / ferry / jeep to our remote abode on the northern coast of Koh Phangan.  The island synonymous with the infamous full-moon party.  Which was happening that night.

Motorbike cruisin’ through the hills and beaches of south-eastern Phuket.   Stopping by Rawai beach and Nai Ham, while concluding with a beautiful sunset (sort of) at Phromthep Cape (“God’s Cape”), which was made quite spectacular by in a very brief incoming storm.

Motorbike excursion up the mountain to visit the Big Buddha.  Nuff said.

Well.  After over a decade of hesitation, finally on December 23, 2011 I got my cojones together and decided to visit the #1 country on my list… Thailand.  Something had been holding me back for several years… nasty images of tourist-cluttered beaches and young Thai girls with super-old European men, ah yes… the infamous seedy sex-trade.  Both were expected, but I could only wonder how much.

Yes, some areas were indeed packed with pot-bellied tourists being obnoxious and begging the question, why on earth would you fly severalteen hours to lie down on a crowded beach filled with foreigners like yourself!? (Actually, I could give you a couple reasons… one rhymes with “no-no car”).

Luckily, I’m not into the “beach scene” (or the sex trade for that matter) as many others are, and right off the boat hired a motorbike and ventured off into the unknown.  My hotel wasn’t even located in Patong or Karon, or even Kata… but in Phuket Town, with the locals and far enough away from the loud Germans and Russians (no offense to either nationality, but these two groups were the loudest and outnummbered the rest 5 to 1… either by their sheer numbers or noise pollution alone).
But much more on all of this in the upcoming posts…

Two weeks o’ Thai comin’ right up!  Phuket, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Surat Thani, Pattaya, Bangkok and some hidden gems inbetween… BLAMMO!
Enjoy.

Some daytime shots around Suzhou… a boat trip down the canals and a visit to one of the famous ancient gardens (forgot the name, ha!).  Check out the last pic below to see the fullframe version of the pic above… quite amusing!

ps- Thailand pics coming next!

YO!  Sorry for the hiatus, but I just got back from the Philippines.  Chillin’ hard.

Back to business…. these are some shots from the ancient watertown of Suzhou, China.  From my last post you can see I had to follow a Russian delegation around for a week and half… well, their trip ended in Suzhou, so I got some much needed free time to go out and shoot my own thang.  Holla!