(click to enlarge) The elegant library in Drottningholm Palace, built by Queen Louisa Ulrika when she remodeled the palace in the mid-18th century.
(click to enlarge) Woodworking was a trendy pastime of the nobility in the 18th C. This is the workshop of King Gustav III.
(click to enlarge) As you approach Drottningholm Palace -- the private residence of the Swedish royal family -- via boat from Stockholm, you first see the Royal Bath House.
(click to enlarge) And then the Palace itself comes into view. It's not on the scale of Versailles, but it's impressive nonetheless.
(click to enlarge) YACSWB (Yet another cobblestone street with bicycle)
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(click to enlarge) It's nice to have a big brother to hold your hand.
The streets of Gamla stan, Stockholm's old town, are paved with cobblestones. They're picturesque, but often hard to walk on.
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Objects used for quite functional purposes sometimes assume the character of works of art. Here are three sculptural examples from our cruises on the Stockholm Archipelago.
(click to enlarge) Two cranes painted as giraffes
(click to enlarge) Apartment complex built on the site of a former industrial district along the waterfront
(click to enlarge) The smokestack and lights of our cruise vessel to Drottningholm
(click to enlarge) A cruise through the islands of the Stockholm Archipelago is a delightful way to spend a few hours, especially if the weather is good and the clouds are dramatic.
(click to enlarge) Another voyage through the archipelago, on our way to Drottningholm to see the royal palace.
(click to enlarge) We took a cruise through the Stockholm Archipelago. These are reflections of our boat, seen as we were waiting to board.
(click to enlarge) Once on board, I noticed this charming little section of the harbor wall.
(click to enlarge) The spotless subway
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(click to enlarge) According to Wikipedia, "Strandvägen (Swedish for "Beach Street") is a boulevard on Östermalm in central Stockholm, Sweden. Completed just in time for the Stockholm World's Fair 1897, it quickly became known as one of the most prestigious addresses in town."
(click to enlarge) An eye-catching detail on an apoteket (pharmacy) near Strandvägen.
(click to enlarge) The Nordisk Museet, on the island Djurgarden across a causeway from the Stockholm waterfront, is a large and impressive museum of Swedish culture. As you enter, you are confronted by this large and impressive person. We never did learn who he is -- presumably some king from long ago.
(click to enlarge) The other end of the socioeconomic spectrum.
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From Wikipedia:
"Vasa ... was a Swedish warship that was built from 1626 to 1628. The ship foundered and sank after sailing less than a nautical mile (ca 2 km) into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. Vasa fell into obscurity after most of her valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century. She was located again in the late 1950s, in a busy shipping lane just outside the Stockholm harbor. She was salvaged with a largely intact hull on 24 April 1961. She was housed in a temporary museum called Wasavarvet ("The Wasa Shipyard") until 1987, and was then moved to the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. The ship is one of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions and, as of 2007, has attracted more than 25 million visitors.
"Vasa was built top-heavy and had insufficient ballast. Despite an obvious lack of stability in port, she was allowed to set sail and foundered a few minutes later when she first encountered a wind stronger than a breeze. The impulsive move to set sail resulted from a combination of factors. Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was abroad on the date of her maiden voyage, was impatient to see Vasa join the Baltic fleet in the Thirty Years' War. At the same time, the king's subordinates lacked the political courage to discuss the ship's structural problems frankly or to have the maiden voyage postponed. An inquiry was organized by the privy council to find someone responsible for the disaster, but no sentences were handed out."
(click to enlarge) On our first afternoon in Stockholm we walked to the old town, Gamlastan, where we encountered the half-marathon in process. Judging from the number tags, there were well over 20,000 participants.
(click to enlarge) Of course, runners (and spectators) have to answer the call of nature occasionally. There were more porta-potties than we've ever seen in one place before. Here are just a few, under the watchful eye of King Carl Gustav II.
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Some Stockholm shop windows are intriguing.
(click to enlarge) We were in Sweden (Stockholm and Uppsala) in September. I've always enjoyed the way they use old buildings for new purposes ...
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Private pain, public revelry
(click to enlarge) Statue of Adam Mickiewicz, considered, along with Pushkin, the greatest Slavic poet
(click to enlarge) Sculpture outside the Vilnius sports arena celebrating Lithuania's international success and renown in basketball
(click to enlarge) A hoard of coins in the Trakai Castle Museum
(click to enlarge) Chairs lined up for a performance in the Trakai Castle courtyard
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According to the Lithuanian National Tourist Office, "Trakai is a fabulously picturesque little town on water. The former capital of Lithuania nestles between several lakes, 30km west of Vilnius. It is a must and a delight for every tourist to see its spectacular Island Castle on Lake Galvė. Initially a defensive castle, later a residence for Lithuania's grand dukes, today it is a popular museum of medieval Lithuania as well as being a well-used stage for concerts, festivals and films. The fairytale castle was rebuilt in the 1950s and is now known for being the only castle with a lake as its main defence in the whole of Eastern Europe."
(click to enlarge) Woman selling berries along the causeway to the castle
(click to enlarge) In one of the many Catholic churces of Vilnius
(click to enlarge) The bookstore of the University of Vilnius, ceiling decorated a la the Sistine Chapel.
(click to enlarge) This is a small but charming museum in a refurbished old house in Riga. The guide was knowledgeable and happy to pose in her period costume in front of the grand staircase.
(click to enlarge) The wall decorations were graceful and elegant.
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The broad facades of the Art Nouveau buildings in Riga are impressive, but the real fun comes when you look at the details.
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The "Historic Center" of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because it boasts the largest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe. According to
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/riga.html
"Between 1896 and 1913, the city expanded and a housing boom followed. The style which developed in Riga was influenced mainly by German, Austrian and Finnish architects. Mikhail Eisenstein is one of the most famous proponents of the style in Riga.
After the revolution of 1905 a distinctively Latvian variation of Art Nouveau developed, known as National Romanticism. Architects started to use traditional Latvian folk elements and natural building materials. Typical elements were steep roofs, heavy structures and the use of ethnographic ornamental motifs. "
(click to enlarge) Building facades in Riga are often striking. Some are very old...
(click to enlarge) ... while others are turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau.
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Many of the streets in the Old Town of Riga (and the other Baltic capitols) are narrow, winding, and paved with cobblestones. It makes for nice historic atmosphere - and nice photos with S-curves.
(click to enlarge) Painter editing out the foreground
(click to enlarge) Chess here (and pretty much everywhere) looks like an old-timers' game.
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The Central Market in Riga has a fish section that features dried (and perhaps salted) fish. This is a common dish in the Baltics and around the North Sea, but I've not seen it displayed like this before in a market.
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Shopkeeper and shopper
(click to enlarge) Riga has a large and lively central market. Looming in the background is the Soviet-era Academy of Sciences building in familiar Stalinist skyscraper style. According to the Wikipedia article on "Latvian Academy of Sciences",
"The Academy of Sciences edifice was built after World War II, between 1953 and 1956, as a gift from the workers and peasants of the other Soviet republics to the Latvian people and also to mark the borders of Stalin's empire, and is appropriately decorated with several hammers and sickles as well as Latvian folk ornaments . Most Latvians consider themselves lucky that the giant portrait of Stalin that was supposed to be a part of the facade never came to fruition. Being 108 metres (353 ft) tall, it was the first skyscraper in the republic and was the tallest building until the construction of the Hansabanka Central Office (121m or 396ft), and at the time, one of the highest reinforced concrete buildings in the world.
The building, designed by Lev Rudnev, is a cousin to similar Stalin-era skyscrapers, which were representative of what became known as Stalinist architecture (sometimes referred to as Stalin's Empire style or Socialist Classicism). The architecture of the skyscraper resembles many others built in the Soviet Union at the time, most notably the main building of Moscow State University. Local nicknames for this building include Stalin's birthday cake and the Kremlin."
(click to enlarge) The Statue of Liberty Freedom Monument. According to a web site about the monument,
http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/worldstatues/SOLRiga/solriga.htm ,
"This monument is located in downtown Riga, Latvia, Brìvìbas street, dedicated "To Fatherland and Freedom".
The Monument was executed by Kârlis Zâle (1888-1942), a well-known Latvian sculptor. Ernests Shtalbergs was the architect . The 42 meter high monument is topped by a Liberty Statue - a woman with three stars symbolizing regional parts of Latvia: Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale. At the base of the monument are several sculptural groups symbolizing different values - Labor, Strength of the Nation, Spiritual Strength, Freedom, Family; relief on the lowest block represents historical events.
The Freedom Monument was unveiled in 1935 during Latvia's brief period of independence between the wars. Known locally as Milda, it was a powerful symbol of anti-Soviet resistance serving as the focus of gatherings in the late 1980's during early stages of the drive for independence. It is puzzling why the Soviets did not tear it down, but certainly the natives' predictable wrath was a deterent. Now it is a shrine to national independence.
People still bring flowers to the monument which are tended to by the city's elderly women. During the Soviet era, a running joke, not completely untrue, was that the monument was a travel agency, because anyone who dared place flowers at its base got a free, one-way ticket to faraway Siberia. "
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The narrow streets and alleys of old-town Riga, coupled with some bright paint, make for some pretty abstractions.
(click to enlarge) The Shroud Bridge, one of five crossing the Daugava River, was built during the Soviet period. We saw bridges of similar design in Vietnam.
(click to enlarge) The railing of the walkway along the Daugava casts striking shadows.
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As in most large cities, Riga has some street musicians trying to make a buck (or a Lat, in this case). But it's rare one encounters tuba players.
Riga is best known for its Art Nouveau architecture, of which we'll see examples in a few days. However, the Old Town has a fair number of impressive Baroque buildings, including this cathedral...
(click to enlarge) ... and the spectacular House of the Blackheads (the building on the right). According to Wikipedia,
"House of the Blackheads ... is a building situated in the old town of Riga, Latvia. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of the Blackheads Guild, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. [Their patron saint was Mauricius, a black man, hence the name.] Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornamentations.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999."
After Estonia we went to Latvia, spending most of our time in the capital, Riga.
(click to enlarge) Part of an exhibit of sculpted heads, arrayed on loading docks along a street in Riga
(click to enlarge) Is this what we look like when WE'RE taking pictures?
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Home interiors simulate the details of life many years ago. Window light is attractive, though you might not want to read by it.
(click to enlarge) Weaving is certainly a craft, sometimes an art.
(click to enlarge) Is keeping the birds away a craft or an art?
From the Estonian Open Air Museum's web site, http://www.evm.ee/keel/eng/ :
"Nuki handicraft farm is open every day from May to September where the types of national handicrafts are demonstrated.
Built in the 1890s, Nuki farm has been the Open Air Museum's handicraft farm since 2006, where in the summer season, one can see various national handicrafts in action and learn the techniques behind them. Our goal is not to demonstrate the crafts precisely as they were practiced hundreds of years ago but instead to show the national handicraft tradition in its current development. After all, even the farming households of old did not shy away from innovations and often embraced more effective techniques and methods. Handicraft experts from across Estonia are at work and ready with helpful advice for aficionados."
(click to enlarge) These diagonal fences were common throughout the grounds of the museum.
(click to enlarge) A more familiar up-and-down design.
This is a very pleasant, well-done museum. According to its web site, http://www.evm.ee/keel/eng/
"The Estonian Open Air Museum is akin to a village, with 12 farms, as well as its own church, tavern and schoolhouse. There are a number of mills, a fire station, fishing net sheds as well as a dancing area and a village swing.
The museum is located in a lovely, well-maintained forest park on a high sandstone bank on Kopli Bay, just 15 minutes drive from the center of Tallinn."
(click to enlarge) Above a gate through the Old Town walls
(click to enlarge) In the new part of Tallinn
(click to enlarge) The walls of the Old Town are tall, thick, and impressive - but softened by a chamber group playing in an outdoor cafe nestled into a corner.
(click to enlarge) An alcove in the wall provides shelter for weary tourists.
(click to enlarge) Flasks in the Apteegi Apothecary, supposedly the oldest pharmacy in Europe
(click to enlarge) The painter stepped away from his easel for a moment.
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The narrow, curving streets and sharply peaked roofs of Tallinn's Old Town give rise to striking geometries.
(click to enlarge) Grounds of the Kadriorg Palace
(click to enlarge) White "Estonia" grand piano
The Kadriorg Palace and Park was built by Peter the Great in the 18th century as a summer residence for his empress, Catherine. "Kadriorg" means "Catherine's Valley". The white piano was a specialty of the Tallinn Grand Piano Factory, whose instruments were well-known throughout Europe.
(click to enlarge) Old Hansa is a restaurant featuring medieval recipes (very tasty). We dined outside, where we were serenaded by recorders and a drum (not shown).
(click to enlarge) Trumpeters in a band playing in the town square
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Some things should never be replastered or repainted.
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The medieval center of Tallinn has been preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The buildings are old, the streets are narrow and curving, maintenance and restoration have been effective. The results are remarkably attractive.
(click to enlarge) Period display in the Tallinn City Museum
(click to enlarge) Tallinn Museum of Photography. This museum houses an exhibit about the invention of the ultraminiature Minox spy camera, an amusing contrast in size to the big view camera depicted here. The invention of the Minox is an honor also claimed by Riga in Latvia. See
http://www.xomba.com/minox_miniature_camera_riga_s_little_wonder
for a detailed account of the history of this camera and its inventor, Walter Zapp.
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I was amused by these two dolls in the window of an Old Town store. They look so world-weary, so cynical, so much like teen-age girls dissing one of their less-favored high school classmates.
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In late June - early July we went to the Baltic countries. I've already posted photos from the Lithuanian Millenium Festival and Jewish sites in the Baltics, but there were many additional interesting sights. In the charming Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) of Tallinn, Estonia there are many clever, almost life-size dolls or mannequins pointing out places to shop or eat. Here are two.
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If you win one of these stuffed animals, what do you do with it?
(click to enlarge) View of the State Fair midway from the top of the ferris wheel, at sundown
(click to enlarge) A quiet lunch in the sun
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Machinery Hill at the State Fair used to be covered with tractors, combines, and other big farm machinery. No longer. Only some trucks, though even by themselves they convey the feeling of heavy, tough farm work.
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The carnival rides part of the State Fair is a big part of the fun -- and the spectacle.
(click to enlarge) The Minnesota State Fair has a whole building devoted to Fine Arts. The stuff is juried, and it's usually pretty good.
(click to enlarge) Outside, a cutout for posing as Mona Lisa.
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At the State Fair, colorful booths selling tasty but unhealthy foods are everywhere.
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Once the animals are fed and groomed, there's not much for exhibitors to do until show time and judging. So they hang out with each other.
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And then, finally, the lineup for the judging arena.
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Usually, horses in the Horse Barn at the State Fair are not all that photogenic: lots of big rumps sticking out while they eat their feed. Occasionally, however, one sees something interesting.
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Exhibitors spend much time patiently grooming and caring for their animals.
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Over-the-top colors and signs are among the great photographic treats of a state fair.
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About a month ago I photographed the opening day of the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. It was a gorgeous day and attendance records were broken. State fairs are terrific places to photograph: over-the-top color, animals, people, food, ...
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A peaceful and pretty end to our stay in the Ozarks.
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Two more photos from our early morning hike to the base of Cedar Falls.
Eliot Porter and James Gleick collaborated on a book of Porter's photos entitled "Nature's Chaos". The idea was that the photos exemplified the processes of nature that, although not random, lead to results that seem indeterminate. From Wikipedia:
"Mathematically, chaos means deterministic behaviour which is very sensitive to its initial conditions. In other words, infinitesimal perturbations of initial conditions for a chaotic dynamic system lead to large variations in behaviour.
Chaotic systems consequently look random. However, they are actually deterministic systems governed by physical or mathematical laws (predictable in principle, if you have exact information) that are impossible to predict in practice beyond a certain point."
I photograph such scenes with a similar aim. The challenge is to find some aesthetic order in the scene.
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Cedar Falls is one of the prime attractions of Petit Jean State Park. Unfortunately, there was very little water flowing when we visited in August; but the hike from the lodge to the base of the falls is very pleasant (if fairly steep downhill at the beginning, and therefore steep uphill coming back). We made the hike early in the morning, when the dim light emphasized the green of the vegetation and its reflections in the water.
(click to enlarge) A spectacular view over the Arkansas River Valley
(click to enlarge) At one's feet on the overlook, picturesque rocks and grasses
Petit Jean State Park is the first of Arkansas' state parks, and the flagship of the state park system. The legend of its naming (probably not true) is romantic. According to Wikipedia,
"According to legend Petit Jean was actually a young French woman. When she discovered that her fiancee had signed on with De Soto to explore the area, she cut her hair, disguised herself as a boy and managed to find a position as a cabin boy. She survived the voyage and the expedition began their exploration. Once they had reached the area of the mountain, the young woman became ill, on her deathbed she revealed herself to her fiancee, and was buried on the mountain, not under her own name, but under the name she had been known by on the ship 'Little John'."
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Rocks, greenery, moss, tangles of sticks ... lovely hiking.
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The striking layered rock seems to occur widely throughout the Ozarks, not just in Eureka Springs.
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The Lost Valley Trail is a great place for close-up landscape photography: not broad vistas, but intimate interactions of trees, plants, rocks, and (sometimes) water. It appeals to the part of my aesthetic sense that searches for order in complexity and seeming chaos.
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The Lost Valley Trail in Boxley Valley along the Buffalo National River is one of the prettiest and most popular trails in Arkansas. It was named a state park before the Buffalo River received its national status.
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Two more details of the pioneer cabins in Boxley Valley near Ponca in the Buffalo National River. To quote the web site for the Buffalo National River
http://www.buffalonationalriver.com/
"The Buffalo River, America's first national river, begins its 132-mile tumble down toward the White River in the upper Ponca wilderness, some of the most remote and rugged country in the Ozarks. This stretch of the river is not suitable for floating, has little access and is mostly seen only be dedicated hikers. But the river reaches the historic Boxley Valley and begins a peaceful meandering that stretches the length of the long, narrow break in the hills before it begins its magnificent sweeps around the high limestone bluffs for which it is famous."
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Log cabin dating from the 1830s in Boxley Valley in the Buffalo National River area near Ponca, Arkansas.
(click to enlarge) I didn't notice until later that the curb paint is the same color as the bridesmaids' dresses.
(click to enlarge) Even the painted walls are gentle and refined.
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Two examples of the striking rock formations that make Eureka Springs noteworthy.
(click to enlarge) We saw a few things in Eureka Springs that amused us. One was perky fireplugs like this, painted white with a bright blue or green top, located in wooded areas.
(click to enlarge) Another was this dog, looking like funerary statuary and sprinkled with flowers. Speculations about the relation between dog and fire hydrant, if the dog were mobile, are strictly your own business.
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Eureka Springs is built on a series of steep hillsides, so many houses need substantial stairs to reach their back yards.
(click to enlarge) The back yards of houses in Eureka Springs are often showplaces. Sometimes very pretty...
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Eureka Springs is built on steep layers of sedimentary rock, which in many places is incorporated into beautiful gardens.
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The houses and yards of Eureka Springs are full of attractive details.
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Eureka Springs, Arkansas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state. The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places, largely because of its Victorian style architecture. This house was perhaps the most elaborate we saw. Can you imagine refreshing the paint job every few years?
(click to enlarge) The summit of Thorncrown Chapel in the trees
(click to enlarge) Even the Thorncrown administration building is attractive and beautifully sited.
Between the Truman and Clinton presidential lbraries, we spent a few days exploring the Ozarks in Arkansas. We began in Eureka Springs, a picturesque Victorian town. One of its major attractions, on the outskirts of town, is the Thorncrown Chapel. According to Wikipedia: "The building was selected for the 2006 "Twenty-Five Year Award" by the American Institute of Architects, recognizing structures that have had significant influence on the profession. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000."
It is indeed an imaginative, attractive, and peaceful structure, in lovely surroundings.
(click to enlarge) Glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly in Clinton Library.
(click to enlarge) Sculpture portrait of Harry S. Truman
I think these two images may convey as well as anything the difference between the Clinton and Truman Presidential Libraries. Clinton: modern, sophisticated, impersonal. Truman: old-fashioned, common-man, personal. Ironically, Clinton is reputedly more outgoing and personable than Truman was (HST relished his privacy), but their libraries don't show it.
(click to enlarge) Recreation of the Clinton Cabinet Room, with a little family touch added.
(click to enlarge) According to Wikipedia: "While the physical building is the second-largest presidential library after the Ronald Reagan Library, the archives of the Clinton Library are the largest, containing two million photographs, 80 million pages of documents, 21 million e-mail messages, and nearly 80,000 artifacts from the Clinton presidency." Each of the blue boxes in the vertical pillars is filled with presidential papers.
(click to enlarge) An old railroad bridge that crosses the Arkansas River just outside the Wiiliam J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park (the official name). We were told there are plans to convert the bridge to a pedestrian walkway, but there have been considerable delays.
(click to enlarge) Silhouette of a docent on an upper floor of the library.
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Two exhibits from the Truman Library, showing typical scenes and concerns of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
(click to enlarge) Photo and model of the caboose from which Pres. Harry Truman, with wife Bess and daughter Margaret, made his 1948 whistlestop campaign tour.
(click to enlarge) An armored limousine that conveyed Pres. Clinton.
These two exhibits are striking illustrations of how concern for presidential security has escalated in recent decades. Remember that Truman was a sitting president in 1948.
(click to enlarge) Truman Oval Office
(click to enlarge) Clinton Oval Office
Earlier this summer we drove south from St. Paul, Minnesota through Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas on our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We stopped at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri and the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. They're very different places, reflecting each president's character, the times in which they governed, and the challenges they faced. These recreations of the Oval Offices give some feeling for the differences.
(click to enlarge) A painted fence along a road leaving Taos. There's a lot of mural and public art in New Mexico, but this seemingly modest painting is one of the most affecting I've seen.
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Two religious carvings from the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico
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The Millicent Rogers Museum on the outskirts of Taos has outstanding collections of Native American and Hispanic artifacts, jewelry, weaving, religious items, and more. Here are a couple of sculptures on the outside of the museum.
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The New Mexico approach to fences is often pretty rudimentary: Find a bunch of (mostly straight) long sticks, push them together, and nail them upright. Seems to work.
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From the patio of the Stakeout Grill and Bar outside Taos.
(click to enlarge) The front of Sugar Nymphs Bistro, an excellent breakfast and lunch place in Peñasco, New Mexico. The building also houses a theater which hosts circus performances.
(click to enlarge) Taos, NM - Two's company, three's a crowd?
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The last set of b&w photos of conifers along the highway to Sandia Crest.
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It's fun to return temporarily to the austere abstractions of black and white photography, after doing so much for so long in color. These images print really nicely, with deep blacks and good tonal range, on satin-surface paper.
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Along the road (NM 536) to Sandia Crest. Sometimes black and white works best.
(click to enlarge) Tree bark
(click to enlarge) Decaying fallen tree
The Sandia Mountains, on the eastern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico, rise to over 10,000 feet. Hiking at that elevation, especially when it's hot in the city, is a good way to get cool and comfortable. The trails are dense with trees, but also with damaged and fallen trees. Fluctuating temperatures, high winds, and stony ground make it difficult to stay healthy and upright. The cycle of life is much in evidence.
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On the Survey Trail in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque
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We're done with the Baltics for a while. Back to New Mexico. These are a couple of sculptures in the Uptown shopping district in Albuquerque. Big white clouds enhance any photo.
(click to enlarge) Birch trees outside the cemetery
(click to enlarge) The only stone remaining in the cemetery
This is the cemetery where my wife thinks some of her ancestors are buried. Now it's just a mowed field, with virtually no headstones or other markers, typical of the way Jewish history in Lithuania is ignored, hidden, or forgotten.
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(click to enlarge) Bright green was a particularly popular paint color for these old houses. Why?
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Pasvalys is a town in northern Lithuania near the Latvian border. Some of my wife's family came from there, but fortunately left around 1910 before pogroms and the Holocaust virtually obliterated the Jewish population. We went there to see whether there were any remnants of past Jewish settlement, and found some old buildings.
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Anyksciai is a small town In the northeast of Lithuania. According to Wikipedia, "it was a shtetl (typically a small town with a large Jewish population in pre-Holocaust Central and Eastern Europe) with a Jewish population of 2754 in 1900." Now it has a population of about 12,000, but very few Jews.
(click to enlarge) Bunker in the Rundninkai Forest
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The Rundninkai Forest is about 40 km southwest of Vilnius. It was a forest where those who managed to escape the Vilna Ghetto hid and mounted guerilla attacks against the Nazis. For more information, see
http://samgrubersjewishartmonuments.blogspot.com/2009/06/lithuania-time-to-save-jewish-partisan.html
According to my internet searches, other "partisan forests" in Lithuania were used as bases to attack the Soviet occupiers after WWII.
(click to enlarge) Gravestones in untended Jewish cemetery
(click to enlarge) House in old Jewish section
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Kalvarija is a city in southwest Lithuania, near the Polish and Russian borders. Some of my wife's ancestors came from there. According to Wikipedia:
"In 1705 the first wooden church was built. In 1713, local Jews received permission from King August II to build a synagogue and Jewish craftsmen were first permitted to practice their crafts without having to be members of the craft guilds. In 1791 Stanisław August Poniatowski recognized that Kalvarija had the right to call itself a town and confirmed the municipality's coat of arms. Kalvarija developed rapidly when the new St. Petersburg-Warsaw road was constructed at the beginning of the 19th century. 1840 saw the construction of a new Catholic church, which still stands today. By the outbreak of World War I, Kalvarija had over 10,000 inhabitants; the destruction of two-thirds of the town during the war caused the population to decline."
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It's not certain that this was a synagogue; but the shape of the windows, and of a round section in back that would have held the Torah, suggest that it is. As so often in Lithuania, evidence of a Jewish past is obscured.
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The Choral Synagogue in Vilnius is the only one (of approximately 100 before the war) to have survived the Holocaust, because it was used by the Nazis as a depot for medical supplies.
(click to enlarge) Zydu Gavte, or Jewish Street, in the Vilnius Ghetto.
(click to enlarge) The Center for Tolerance, a branch of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum in Vilnius. This is an attractive museum in a modern style, with a wide range of historic and contemporary exhibits. For more details:
http://www.muziejai.lt/Prev_vers/vilnius/zydu_muziejus.en.htm
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More than 100,000 civilians, including 70,000 Jews, were killed here. The executioners included both Nazi Germans and their local sympathizers. According to the web site
http://www.vilnius-hotels.net/tours/paneriai.htm
"During World War II, the Nazis turned the Paneriai forest into mass killing site. Between 1941 and 1944, at least 100,000 innocent Vilnius civilians, prisoners of war, priests, partisans and underground fighters were killed here and buried into pits. Seventy thousand of those killed were Jews, who were systematically annihilated from the time the Germans arrived in Vilnius in 1941 up to 1944 when Soviet army drove out German troops. The territory of several kilometers has become a common grave for the people of different nationalities: Lithuanians, Russians, Poles and Jews.
"The first monument in Paneriai was erected in 1948, but in 1952 it was replaced by the new one. Probably, because of the fact, Jews on the first monument were mentioned among the victims of fascism. That was unacceptable in the country, where the policy of anti-Semitism was carried out. The second inscription was more "correct": "Here the Nazis shot over 100,000 Soviet people." Only in 1990, with the beginning of the Lithuanian Revival Movement, a new text in Hebrew was added."
Comments on the web site http://www.pbase.com/chmoss/2004_07_11_panariai emphasize the difficulty in finding this memorial and understanding its significance, indicative of many Lithuanians' unwillingness to come to terms with this terrible episode from their past.
(click to enlarge) This was the only Jewish cemetery we saw in the Baltics that was intact and well-tended. A caretaker oversaw a database of those buried there.
(click to enlarge) Unmarked graves of Holocaust victims
(click to enlarge) Stones at memorial in Bikerkieku Forest, outside of Riga. The lanes between the stones are named with the cities from which prisoners were transported to the camp.
Friom the web site of the Jewish Community of Latvia:
http://www.jews.lv/en/about_us/memorials/memorial_in_bikernieki_forest/
"The biggest site of mass killing and burial of victims of Nazi terror in Latvia is located in Biķernieku Forest. From 1941 till 1944, 35,000 people, including Latvian and Western European Jews, Soviet war prisoners, and the Nazis' political adversaries, were killed here. To date, 55 mass graves have been found in Biķernieku Forest. The total number of Jewish victims lying in the mass graves of Biķernieku Forest is about 20,000. The first Jewish victims were several thousand men arrested in the first weeks of July, 1941 who were kept in the Central Prison and later brought to Biķernieku Forest to be shot. In 1942 about 12,000 Jews from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia were shot here. In 1943, Riga Ghetto prisoners who were not transferred to the "Kaizerwald" concentration camp were killed here, followed in the autumn of 1944 by those "Kaizerwald" prisoners no longer able to work."
(click to enlarge) Memorial outside Kaiserwald Concentration Camp
From Wikipedia:
"Kaiserwald was a Nazi German concentration camp near the Riga suburb of Mežaparks in Latvia.
Kaiserwald was built in March, 1943, during the period that the German army occupied Latvia. The first inmates of the camp were several hundred convicts from Germany.
Following the liquidation of the Riga, Liepaja and Daugavpils (Dvinsk) ghettos in June, 1943, the remainder of the Jews of Latvia, along with most of the survivors of the liquidation of the Vilna Ghetto, were deported to Kaiserwald.
In early 1944, a number of smaller camps around Riga were brought under the jurisdiction of the Kaiserwald camp.
Following the occupation of Hungary by the Germans, Hungarian Jews were sent to Kaiserwald, as were a number of Jews from Łódź, in Poland. By March 1944, there were 11,878 inmates in the camp and its subsidiaries, 6,182 males and 5,696 females, of whom only 95 were gentiles.
Use of the inmates
Unlike Auschwitz or Treblinka, Kaiserwald was not an extermination camp, and the inmates were put to work by large German companies, notably Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft, which used a large number of female slaves from Kaiserwald in the production of electrical goods, like batteries.
Evacuation
On August 6, 1944, as the Red Army advanced westwards and entered Latvia, the Germans began to evacuate the inmates of Kaiserwald to Stutthof, in Poland. Those who were not thought to be able to survive the trip from Latvia to Poland were shot.
All Jews in Kaiserwald who had ever been convicted of any offense, no matter how minor, were executed just prior to the evacuation, as were all Jews under 18 or over 30. By September, 1944, all the inmates of Kaiserwald had been moved to Stutthof.
The Red Army liberated the camp on October 13, 1944."
(click to enlarge) Representation of the tallies prisoners marked on the wall to count the passing of the days.
(click to enlarge) Soviet-era sculptures symbolizing the indominability of prisoners.
From Wikipedia:
"During World War II, the Nazis established Stalag-350-s, a camp for Soviet prisoners of war, in Salaspils. Two km outside of the city, in the nearby forest, the Nazi SS also established the largest civlian concentration camp in the Baltics. The exact numbers of those who died at Stalag-350-s is the subject of ongoing debate. According to a report compiled in 1944 by the Soviet authorities, 43,000 captured Red Army personnel were either killed or died from diseases and starvation there] Three other numbers have been mentioned in accounts published subsequently by Soviet historians. The history of the Latvian SSR printed in 1959 claims 56,000 people were killed. The Little Latvian Encyclopedia published in the 1970s claims 53,000 were killed." Other Soviet-era estimates were as high as 101,000.
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Details from the memorial at Rumbala Forest. Each stone bears the name of a family whose members were murdered, and the interstices are filled with small red flowers, presumably symbolizing the blood of the victims.
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According to the web site http://www.rumbula.org/remembering_rumbula.shtml ,
"Rumbula Forest, near Riga, Latvia, became the mass murder site and grave of 27,800 Jews from the Riga Ghetto on November 30 and December 8, 1941. ... Only 3 people who arrived at the Rumbula killing site escaped death. "
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Two details of old houses in the former Jewish section of Riga, Latvia. I chose these for esthetics rather than socio-historical significance. There will be plenty of the latter in photos to come.
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(click to enlarge) Ruins of the old Choral Synagogue in Riga
(click to enlarge) Monument to the Latvian gentiles who helped Jews escape the holocaust
(click to enlarge) The entryway to the newly-remodeled Riga synagogue is in bright Art Nouveau/Art Deco style, in keeping with the architecture for which Riga is renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(click to enlarge) The windows in the synagogue proper face onto a crumbling old wall.
We were fortunate to be able to see the Riga synagogue a few days before it officially opened.
(click to enlarge) Wall and benches of new synagogue in Tallinn, Estonia, displaying the Tree of Life theme that is repeated imaginatively throughout the building.
(click to enlarge) Menorah (with shadow) in the courtyard of the newly remodeled synagogue in Riga, Latvia.
Today I begin a series of photos of Jewish sites in the Baltic countries: Estonia, Latvia, and (especially) Lithuania. Seeking out these sites was the prime reason for our trip to the Baltics this summer.
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Historic Castle Hill rises from the park in the center of Vilnius where the Millennium Song Festival was held. Many participants and onlookers climbed the hill to enjoy the view, socialize, explore the castle museum, and just hang out.
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On the midway at the Song Festival.
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The young girls looked like they were having a good time in their colorful costumes and flower-bedecked hair.
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Consistent with the state fair atmosphere at the Song Festival, there were a couple of pens of barnyard creatures. No blue ribbons were awarded, however.
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These men were not performing on a stage (at least not when I saw them) but they were making good music with their friends while sitting in the park.
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Trying to get a good photograph of dancers is hard. But they were having a good time, and managed not to trip over the lights or microphones.
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The singing was heartfelt and joyous. Some interesting tonalities and timbres; I wished I were a musicologist.
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There were a couple of smaller stages, but this was the main one. I don't know the significance of the mask-like face surrounding the stage, but it was striking. And the singers were full-throated.
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Groups at the Song Festival walking to assemble near the stage before their performances.
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Participants in the Song Festival are in a festive mood, decked out in their finest costumes, and generally pleased to be photographed. (But it's always polite to ask.)
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Having gathered in their small groups, the participants wait for their turn on stage.
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The Lithuanian Millenium Festival in Vilnius extended from July 1-6. We were there on July 4 to catch part of the Song Festival (not the competitive part, as far as we could tell; just a lot of nice, rather informal, performances). There were also lots of crafts booths and food stands, rather like a state fair in the U.S. But the costumes were much more striking.
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Two final photos from the Lithuanian Millennium Dance Festival. Modern dancers in spirit costumes shared the field with dancers in traditional dress. The overall effect was magical.
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Another two photos from the stirring and remarkable Lithuanian Millennium Dance Festival, showing dancers in traditional costumes.
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Two more photos from the Lithuanian Millennium Dance Festival, showing dancers in the heat of action.
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Lineups of dancers from the beginning of the Millennium Dance Festival.
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Two photos from the beginning of the Lithuanian Millenium Dance Festival. This one shows the waiting crowd in the dramatic sunset light.
(click to enlarge) This one shows one of the stadium's light towers, before the lights were turned on, with a TV crew hanging off the side. Sort of a stationary version of the Goodyear blimp.
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Last night we had the privilege of attending a dance festival at the athletic stadium in Vilnius, Lithuania. The festival celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Lithuania. It was extraordinary in its scope: we were told that there were 7000 dancers from all over the country performing traditional dances, and there were about 20,000 spectators. Here are two photos from the very end of the event, showing the exhilaration of the occasion.
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I'll conclude my series of photos from Vietnam with this picture, which incorporates many of the elements we found so engaging in Hanoi and the rest of the country: motorbikes, colorful walls, incongruity, and an atmosphere of optimism and high spirits.
Tomorrow I'll begin a new series, on travels in the Baltic countries.
(click to enlarge) The Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi is one of the most interesting museums in Hanoi. It displays cultural artifacts and exhibits from the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Our arrival there coincided with that of a class of pre-schoolers.
(click to enlarge) This is a large cluster of fishing baskets attached to a bicycle (not seen). This is emblematic of the incredibly large loads carried by bike or motorbike in Vietnam.
(click to enlarge) If you're a tourist, you can travel around Hanoi in a pedicab.
(click to enlarge) If you're a resident, you'll probably take your motorbike.
(click to enlarge) Hanging a banner in the midst of Hanoi's tangled electrical system.
(click to enlarge) As someone pointed out to us: "The weight on those poles is about ten pounds in each basket. Imagine carrying that on your shoulder 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 50 years."
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The Vietnam Fine Art Museum in Hanoi has an interesting collection, ranging from old traditional sculptures to recent paintings celebrating the various wars of resistance. Here are two charming sculptures of Buddhist monks.
(click to enlarge) Dragons in a Hanoi temple.
(click to enlarge) Water puppets - a favorite form of entertainment.
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The prison museum in Hanoi has some startling exhibits, mainly testifying to French oppression of the Vietnamese. We see a lifelike display of shackled prisoners, and a ready-to-use guillotine.
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People wait to enter the grounds of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to view the embalmed body of the former leader. According to Wikipedia:
"In his will, Ho Chi Minh stated his wish to be cremated and to have his ashes scattered in the hills of north, central, and southern Việt Nam. He said that he preferred cremation because it would be "more hygienic than burial and would also save land for agricultural purposes". By building this mausoleum, the succeeding Communist government violated Ho's wishes. Ho Chi Minh's body is preserved in the cooled, central hall of the mausoleum. There is a military honor guard. The body lies in a glass case with dim lights."
(click to enlarge) Our tour visited a pottery village near Hanoi. Women painted teapots ...
(click to enlarge) ... while our driver (the man on the far right) played Chinese chess with friends.
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In Hanoi we stayed at a hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake. According to Wikipedia:
"Hoan Kiem Lake ... "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword" ... is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life. According to the legend, emperor Le Loi handed a magic sword called Heaven's Will, which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty, back to the Golden Turtle God ... in the lake and hence gave it its present name.... The Tortoise Tower ... standing on a small island near the center of lake is linked to the legend."
Early in the morning many people do tai chi and other exercises by the lake.
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Walls in Hanoi, along with the things in front of them, are often strikingly attractive.
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Life on the side-streets of Hanoi was particularly colorful.
(click to enlarge) The streets of Hanoi are busy and crowded with people living much of their lives in public.
(click to enlarge) Nestled in a tree growing out of a busy sidewalk, a little shrine.
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About 1600 people live in floating houses in fishing villages in Ha Long Bay. They both catch fish and raise them.
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(click to enlarge) Surprise Cave with artificial light.
From Wikipedia:
"The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves.
Ha Long Bay was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, in recognition of its outstanding, universal aesthetic value. In 2000 the World Heritage Committee additionally recognized Ha Long Bay for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value, and its World Heritage Listing was updated. ...The New Open World Foundation has included Halong Bay on its list for nomination as one the World's 7 Natural Wonders."
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Two more photos of the rice fields on the way from Hanoi to Halong Bay.
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We flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Driving east from Hanoi toward Halong Bay, we passed these rice fields.
(click to enlarge) Motorbike in front of a gaily painted wall
(click to enlarge) Saigon wedding reception, in a restaurant entryway just off the sidewalk opposite our hotel
(click to enlarge) Sculpture and photo of American soldiers. There was an extensive exhibit of war photographs when we visited the museum
(click to enlarge) Sculpture of a prisoner
From Wikipedia:
"The War Remnants Museum ... primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War, and is a major tourist attraction.
Operated by the Vietnamese government, the museum was opened in September 1975 as the "The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government [of South Vietnam]." Later it was known as the Museum of American War Crimes, then as the War Crimes Museum until as recently as 1993. Its current name follows liberalization in Vietnam and the normalization of relations with the United States, but the museum does not attempt to be politically balanced..."
(click to enlarge) A lecture/briefing room in the former Presidential Palace in Saigon, now the Hall of Reconciliation in Ho Chi Minh City.
(click to enlarge) Construction viewed from the second floor of an art gallery in Saigon.
(click to enlarge) Some young women join the motorbike crowd at the Night Market in Saigon.
(click to enlarge) Others have to tend the store.
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At the Night Market in Saigon, you can either eat with your friends and your motorbike, or alone.
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One of the main streets in Ho Chi Minh City has beautiful night lights. The motorbikers come out in force to enjoy -- and contribute to -- the spectacle. (The central lanes are for cars, the side lanes for bikes.)
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Somehow, things get done.
(click to enlarge) The items in the right foreground are not bikini tops, they're face masks for motorcyclists.
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A person could get lost in all that tightly-packed stuff.
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Ho Chi Minh City markets are notable for their profusion of goods. Not necessarily lots of significantly different things ... just lots of things, crowded into small spaces.
(click to enlarge) Photo of Ho Chi Minh in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Post Office
(click to enlarge) Ho sheltering a child in front of the opera house.
(click to enlarge) Stack of Ho Chi Minh t-shirts
Ho Chi Minh seems virtually worshipped in Vietnam. He is often spoken of as "father" or "uncle", with the Vietnamese people as his children.
As we cruised into Saigon Harbor, we saw modern cargo-handling facilities... (click to enlarge)
... and yet another bridge under construction. (click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge) Passing the other way as we traversed the last canal before entering Saigon harbor was this cargo boat. Surprisingly, it seemed empty; but as usual it had the prow painted with the big eyes to ward off crocodiles and other evil spirits.
(click to enlarge) We got caught in a traffic jam that stretched for several miles and lasted for several hours. Downstream there is a bridge with an opening wide enough for just one boat, which has to accommodate two-way, slowly-moving, widely-spaced traffic.
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On our journey through a canal from the Mekong River into Saigon harbor, we passed this huge coconut depot. Coconuts are used for many things around here: food, drink, rope, building material...
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In My Tho we visited a Cao Dai temple, which was strikingly clean and orderly compared to the Hindu and Buddhist temples we'd been visiting. According to Wikipedia, Cao Dai "is a relatively new, syncretist, monotheistic religion, officially established in the city of Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926." It has only three saints: Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm (1491–1585), a Vietnamese administrator, educator, poet, sage; Victor Hugo; and Sun Yat-Sen. A somewhat strange collection, we thought.
(click to enlarge) Customers even ride their motorbikes into indoor markets.
(click to enlarge) Comment seems superfluous.
(click to enlarge) Vietnamese department stores don't seem to pay much attention to attractive displays of the merchandise.
(click to enlarge) Nor do the clerks pretend to look busy, when they're not.
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A law was recently passed requiring motorbike drivers and passengers to wear helmets. The only exception is for young children, and that will change soon. So there were many shops with helmets on display. The emphasis seemed to be more on style than safety. I like the lady in the conical hat sitting in the middle of the scene.
(click to enlarge) As I wrote yesterday, the shopkeepers often seemed bored.
(click to enlarge) This fellow had just gotten a digital camera, so he took my picture while I took his. We were all amused.
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The market at My Tho was just as crowded and colorful as the others we had seen. The second photo, however, is one of the only instances of levity that I saw. Shopkeepers here tend to be serious -- or bored.
(click to enlarge) Typical town dwellings along the river. One wonders how they stay up.
(click to enlarge) Land near the cities (we're not too far from Saigon) is very expensive, so people build up on narrow plots. No elevators.
(click to enlarge) Many bridges are being built over the Mekong in Vietnam. They all seem to share the same design, though the cables are painted different colors.
(click to enlarge) Approaching the city of My Tho, we were confronted by this formidable armada.
(click to enlarge) Cruising through the Mekong Delta from Vinh Long to My Tho we passed many barges like this, heaped to the brim with rice hulls (?) and painted in the front to ward off crocodiles.
(click to enlarge) The towns along the rivers and canals look poor (and probably are) but TV antennas are much in evidence.
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Near Vinh Long we visited a plantation that was part of the basis for the film "Indochine", starring Catherine Deneuve, which we viewed aboard our boat cruising down the Mekong. The plantation home was ornate in period style. The old mistress of the estate, now about 90, sat quietly off to one side.
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We toured a brickworks and pottery factory in Vinh Long. I liked the shafts of light and the geometry of the stacked bricks. I was also struck by the petite women tossing the heavy lumps of clay around. A tough, hard-working people.
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Vietnam runs on motorbikes. Not motorcycles, and certainly not cars: too expensive for all but a few. And bicycles are too slow, except for kids. Motorbikes are just right, and you'll see lots more photos as we get to Saigon and Hanoi.
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In the Vinh Long street market, the chickens don't get much sympathy or attention. The pigs, on the other hand, get a fair bit of good-humored attention. But people are not always kind. We saw one pig, about the size of those you see here, stuffed -- squealing madly -- into a small barrel on the back of a bicycle and trundled off.
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The Vinh Long market provides most anything you need: tablecloths, whisk brooms, a pedicure, ...
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Vinh Long was the third Vietnamese city that we visited on our cruise through the Mekong delta to Saigon. It was the first place that I became conscious of the prevalence of motorbikes in Vietnam -- something we'll see a lot more of in future pictures.
The face mask screens air pollution, but also -- along with the long gloves -- guards against the sun to maintain a valued pale complexion.
The peppers are anything but pale.
The fish display may not look too sanitary, but they're very fresh, coming from the river just down the banks. (click to enlarge)
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Like all the towns we visited, Sa Dec has a lively market scene. Here the conical hats that one sees throughout Vietnam (but not Cambodia) are much in evidence, as is the French influence in the French bread.
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Marguerite Duras's mother was headmistress at a school in Sa Dec. We visited the school and talked with some of the students and teachers. The red neckerchiefs indicate membership in something like the Young Pioneers: high performance both in scholastics and in communist youth actiivities. One wonders whether the girls are aware of the Duras part of the school's history.
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Our next stop cruising down the Mekong was Sa Dec. This is the town where the very young Marguerite Duras, who would go on to become a famous French novelist, had an erotic liaison with a wealthy and refined Chinese man. The liaison was described in Duras's novel "The Lover", which was adapted in a movie of the same name. We watched the movie one evening on board our boat. It's probably the most sensuous movie I've ever seen. There's a long review of the movie at
http://blogcritics.org/video/article/the-lover-duras-politics-and-lust/
that ably captures the many complexities of the film.
These two photos are from the house of the Chinese man's parents in Sa Dec. They give some idea of wealth and refinement of the upper class in French Indochina (not all of whom were French), but little idea of the emotional complexities behind the decor.
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Our floating hotel, the Toum Teav, was moored on the embankment at Chau Doc. It's a busy place, as is all of Vietnam.
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Despite the busyness, there's still time to put yellow flowers on the tracks of a steam shovel, to celebrate the New Year.
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Depth markings on the side of the embankment.
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This Buddhist temple in the city of Chau Doc was colorful and crowded inside and out.
(click to enlarge) Floating village near Chau Doc. The planks are atop underwater pens buoyed up by floating barrels. The pens contain thousands of fish, one of the main products of this part of Vietnam.
(click to enlarge) A Buddhist temple in Chau Doc, around the time of Tet, the New Year. Yellow is an auspicious color, and yellow flowers were everywhere.
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The Cham are Vietnamese Muslims. These photos were taken in a Cham village near the floating village of Chau Doc. The woman works in a silk fabric store.
The Mekong is so over-fished that even with three fishermen pulling up a big net, they caught very little. (click to enlarge)
One of the many floating villages along the way. (click to enlarge)
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Ferries take people from one bank to the other, and there are lots of small boats as well.
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After some negotiations by the captain's wife with the customs officials at the border, our boat proceeded into Vietnam. The Tonle Sap joins the Mekong at Phnom Penh, so we were finally on the Mekong River. It's big and busy, though evidence of traditional farming on the banks, such as these water buffalo come to get their evening drink and bath, was plentiful. There was strikingly more activity -- commerce and construction -- on the Vietnamese side of the border, including many barges hauling sand. Vietnam is not as laid-back as Cambodia, and one got the sense that the Vietnamese are intent on catching up with the developed world.
A joke that local people tell about the differences between the four countries in the region:
The Vietnamese grow rice, the Cambodians watch rice grow, the Laotians listen to the rice growing, and the Thai sell rice.
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As we were about to leave Phnom Penh and sail down the Mekong, we were treated to a on-board concert by Kong Nay, the "Ray Charles of Cambodia". He's a master of the chapey, the Cambodian lute, and a lively, gravelly-voiced singer with loads of charisma. It was a fine end to the Cambodian part of our journey.
Starting tomorrow: Vietnam.
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One evening in Phnom Penh our Elderhostel group went to the theater. The story was of a soldier whose wife betrayed him - and murdered his mother when she discovered the betrayal - when he went off to war, and who consoled himself with his faithful dog. The performance was a fascinating blend of traditional dance, puppetry, and modern theater. The flashing orange cloths represent flames from the soldier's mother's burning house.
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According to Wikipedia, "The Killing Fields were a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the totalitarian communist Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately following the end of the Vietnam War. ... At least 200,000 people were executed by the Khmer Rouge (while estimates of the total number of deaths resulting from Khmer Rouge policies, including disease and starvation, range from 1.4 to 2.2 million out of a population of around 7 million)."
This is the best-known of the killing fields, Choung Ek, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The ground is covered with shallow pits, which are excavated mass graves. The recovered skulls are housed in a commemorative stupa.
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Cambodia seems to be best known for two diametrically opposite things: the exquisite Khmer civilization exemplified by the Angkor temples, and the brutal torture and murder perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge (Red Khmer). These photos are from Security Prison 21 (S-21), now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, in Phnom Penh. It's an appalling place.
Moonlight Pavilion, sometimes used as a stage for Khmer classical dance. (click to enlarge)
According to Wikipedia, a stupa is a mound containing Buddhist relics. It may be a simple pile of dirt, or an elaborate edifice like this. (click to enlarge)
The grounds of the Royal Palace is a large complex of buildings, including the home of the King of Cambodia. It's been unclear for a long time just what function is served by the king, but the palace grounds are attractive.
As we approached Phnom Penh, I saw this image of a fisherman casting a net in the time-honored way, with a big bridge across the Tonle Sap under construction behind him. (click to enlarge)
In a park in Phnom Penh, a sculpture memorializing the difficult struggles of the Cambodian people. (click to enlarge)
About to get back on our boat/hotel, the Tuom Teav, I noticed these this cow and calf on the bank above. They seem even more emaciated than the usual cattle. (click to enlarge)
One of the many gorgeous sunsets we experienced. (click to enlarge)
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Our guide on the Tonle Sap part of the trip was Soun Cheoun, shown here telling us about some temple carvings. He won everybody's respect and affection through his knowledge, intelligence, and sensitivity.
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Soun has made it his goal to get water wells into the villages he visits with tour groups. He argues convincingly that lack of convenient potable water is one of the things that most holds back Cambodian villagers. He had no trouble planting the idea in the minds of us Elderhostelers to contribute enough for one well, perhaps two. Recently he sent this photo of the lucky family standing with him (in the blue shirt) in front of "our" well.
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On the grounds of a temple near Kampong Chhnang, a young girl and a monk.
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Part of the purpose of taking photos is just to show what the place looks like, without attempting an explanation.
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Just down the road from the pottery village was a coconut palm farm. The young lady is boiling the coconut milk to concentrate the sugar.
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A couple of the ubiquitous skinny white cattle are getting a meal.
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In another part of the village, some men were using molds to produce clay cookers.
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After the Kampong Chhnang market and temple, we went to a small village where the residents specialize in making pottery. They don't use a wheel; instead, they walk around the pot.
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There's always a bunch of kids: some shy, some hamming it up.
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After walking through the Kampong Chhnang market, we went to the grounds of a temple, where we saw these figures of a guardian and a deity.
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We also noticed these onlookers, more attuned to the 21st century, I think.
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From the street market of Kampong Chhanong, one has a good view of the water, reminding one of how this town depends so heavily on the river. I suppose the barber, whose shop is right at the end of the street, has to turn his back to keep from getting distracted.
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Some of the produce vendors look traditional, some have a modern touch. The produce looks uniformly wonderful.
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Walking down the main street in Kampong Chhnang, one encounters the same businesses as in most other towns: a hardware store, a grocery, ...
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Chickens are dealt with unsentimentally in the Cambodian and Vietnamese markets. Sometimes they're ignored spectators, more often they're tied up and awaiting a pot. One can see why bird flu might be a big concern in Asia.
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You can see the water from gaps between the stalls in the market. People here seem almost amphibious.
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Nothing goes to waste. Dry palm fronds and straw become roof thatching and baskets.
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For the next few days we'll take a stroll down the main street of Kampong Chhnang. Today we see the monks with their begging bowls marching down the street and a mid-morning coffee break.
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Journeying down the Tonle Sap toward Phnom Penh, we disembarked at several villages. The first was Kampong Chhnang (yes, it is spelled correctly), which has a bustling, crowded waterfront. The second photo, which captures the scene up the riverbank and compresses perspective, shows just how crowded it seemed.
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Life in the floating villages on the Tonle Sap seems so different from ours, and yet so familiar: a commute, a trip to the grocery store, and a protective dog.
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Leaving Siem Reap, we boarded a small motorboat and journeyed for several hours across the Tonle Sap lake (too shallow at this time of year to accommodate a larger draft vessel) to board our "hotel" for the next ten days or so, the riverboat Toum Teav. We saw many scenes like those in these photos: a couple of people in rowboats fishing or traveling on the waters that constitute their home.
From Wikipedia:
"The Tonlé Sap ... is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997.
"The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: 1) its flow changes direction twice a year, and 2) the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year's heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.
"For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. During the monsoon season, however, the Tonlé Sap river which connects the lake with the Mekong river reverses its flow. Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to nine meters, flooding nearby fields and forests. The floodplain provides a perfect breeding ground for fish.
"The pulsing system with the large floodplain, rich biodiversity, and high annual sediment and nutrient fluxes from Mekong makes the Tonlé Sap one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, supporting over 3 million people and providing over 75% of Cambodia's annual inland fish catch and 60% of Cambodians' protein intake. At the end of the rainy season, the flow reverses and the fish are carried downriver."
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Some of the silk at this factory near Siem Reap gets woven into elaborate pieces of fabric.
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Following the process at the silk factory near Siem Reap.
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"If the animal is allowed to survive after spinning its cocoon, it will release proteolytic enzymes to make a hole in the cocoon so that it can emerge as a moth. This would cut short the threads and ruin the silk. Instead, silkworm cocoons are boiled. The heat kills the silkworms and the water makes the cocoons easier to unravel." (Wikipedia)
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I like the way old bicycle rims are used to wind the silk threads.
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Silkworm pupae in cocoons on a frame. The cocoon is spun from silk threads. (click to enlarge)
From Wikipedia:
"After they have molted four times (i.e., in the fifth instar), their bodies turn slightly yellow and their skin becomes tighter. The larvae enclose themselves in a Cocoon of raw silk produced in the salivary glands that provides protection during the vulnerable, almost motionless pupal state. ...
The cocoon is made of a thread of raw silk from 300 to about 900 meters (1,000 to 3,000 feet) long. The fibers are very fine and lustrous, about 10 micrometers (1/2,500th of an inch) in diameter. About 2,000 to 3,000 cocoons are required to make a pound of silk. Based on 1 kilometer (about 1,100 yards) per cocoon, ten unraveled cocoons could theoretically extend vertically to the height of Mount Everest. At least 70 million pounds of raw silk are produced each year, requiring nearly 10 billion pounds of mulberry leaves. According to E. L. Palmer one pound of silk represents about 1,000 miles of filament. The annual world production represents 70 billion miles of silk filament, a distance well over 300 round trips to the sun."
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Actually, the silk purses come from silkworms, as we'll see in the next few episodes.
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Space in these markets is so limited that the vendors must share it with their wares.
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Shoes in these markets seem always to be displayed in great heaps. Contrast with the small bunches of vegetables. Does this say something about the transition from agricultural to industrial society?
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The markets in Cambodia and Vietnam were among the things that struck me most strongly. The Old Market in Siem Reap was one of the best: dark, crowded, seemingly disorderly but actually orderly, multitudes of individual shopkeepers with tiny stocks, sanitation standards far from our own but probably adequate. Great tourist fun!
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Most of the houses in this region are built on stilts: to guard against floods, to provide access to cooling breezes, and to provide shade for people and animals.
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Two things we frequently encountered on our trip: motorbikes and skinny white cattle.
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Two more photos of young students at the school near Siem Reap in Cambodia.
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Elderhostel tours often include visits to schools. This one is supported by an American couple who recognize the great need for education, especially in rural areas, if the kids (and the country) are to have a viable future.
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The stone apsaras are from Angkor Wat, the modern beauties from Angkor Thom, where they pose for photos with tourists.
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The walls of Angkor Wat are covered with bas-reliefs of apsaras: supernatural, beautiful dancing girls.
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Angkor Wat is not only the largest of the ancient Khmer temples, it also struck me as the most geometrical. Lots of straight lines and right angles, albeit richly decorated.
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Angkor Wat is the largest temple complex in the world. It's surrounded by a great moat, and the reflections in the water at sunrise are a photographer's dream (and cliche, but that's OK). One has to elbow one's way through many other photographers to get to the water's edge.
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On the drive back from Banteay Srei to Siem Reap, we passed a group of water buffalo grazing their evening meal.
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We stopped at a village that specializes in basketry. This stand also sells petrol in one-liter bottles, right-sized amounts of fuel for the ubiquitous motorbikes.
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This mother was happy to pose with her young child. We found people in Cambodia and Vietnam generally very willing to be photographed.
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A last pair of photos from Banteay Srei. The figures in the lower photo are modern copies of the originals, which are in the national museum. They are rather jarring given the harmony of the rest of the site, but I think the image is striking just for that reason.
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Two more of the wonderful sculptures from Banteay Srei. These may be representations of the Hindu god Krishna.
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A couple of the exquisitely detailed carvings from Banteay Srei. Whole walls and buildings are covered with this!
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The most exquisite of the Angkor temples is Banteay Srei, renowned for the intricacy of its carvings. According to Wikipedia,
"Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the 'jewel of Khmer art.' "
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The Central Terrace at Angkor Thom is richly decorated with bas reliefs of elephants and the sacred Garuda, and the stairs have statues of the cobra Naga and lions.
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From Wikipedia:
"Angkor Thom 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 ..."
"The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak."
It's not clear whether this great four-headed carving over the entrance gate to Angkor Thom represents the Buddha, or King Jayavaraman VII who caused the complex to be built, or someone else. (click to enlarge)
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A short bridge leads to the great temple complex at Angkor Thom. On the left are gods; on the right, demons. In Khmer mythology, together they churned the Ocean of Milk and liberated the elixir of immortality. According to Wikipedia
"The churning of the Ocean of Milk was an elaborate process. Mount Mandaranchal was used as the dasher (churning tool), and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the churning rope. The gods held the tail of the snake, while the demons (Asuras) held its head, and they pulled on it alternately causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn churned the ocean. However, once the mountain was placed on the ocean, it began to sink. Vishnu in his second incarnation, in the form of a turtle Kurma, came to their rescue and supported the mountain on his back."
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Sala Bai Restaurant Training School in Siem Reap. We had a good lunch and tour at this school, which trains young people from underprivileged families (income below the Cambodian poverty line is REALLY low) to work in the hospitality industry. Some were learning to be chefs and waitstaff, some maids and laundry workers, others hotel clerks and managers.
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Elephant and mahout at Angkor Thom. If you wished (our group didn't) you could ride an elephant (dyed black) into the ruins.
The Angkor civilization in Cambodia, centered near the city of Siem Reap, is so full of fascinating ruins that it's easy to forget about the people who make it possible for us tourists to enjoy the wonderful sights.
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Was this little boy sitting there hoping for a small payment for being photographed? (I didn't offer to pay, and he didn't ask.) Or was he just enjoying the people-watching?
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A group of musicians who had lost limbs to land mines. A reminder of the tragic history of Cambodia, which despite that history seems like a remarkably good-humored country.
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According to Wikipedia, "Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors."
Chinese New Year shrine in Borei Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap. (click to enlarge)
Partial eclipse of the sun seen from the Preah Ko temple. (click to enlarge)
Our photographic journey through Cambodia begins with a couple of auspicious events: Chinese New Year and a partial eclipse of the sun.
I've just published my photo books on Cambodia and Vietnam at the Blurb site. You can see a preview of the first 15 pages of each at the site.
Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay (click to enlarge)
Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of the city of Singapore in 1819
I conclude this collection of Singapore photos with two icons of the city.
Next, Cambodia.
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For the last photos from the Singapore Zoo, a few flashes of vivid color.
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Most people seem to think that orangutans are cute or otherwise attractive. I think they're strange -- stranger than the other great apes. In any case, the Singapore Zoo has a good orangutan exhibit.
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A pygmy hippo, with a young spectator reflected in the glass. Looks a bit otherworldly to me.
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The Singapore Zoo has a lively colony of Hamadryas baboons from Ethiopia. Here are three shots of life in the colony.
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Singapore has a wonderful zoo, one of the best we've seen. Both the animals and the landscaping are superb. Perhaps the biggest attraction is a group of white tigers. The black gibbon also caught our attention.
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The Singapore Botanic Gardens has several pretty little waterfalls.
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In the Orchid Garden (click to enlarge)
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Despite its heavy commercialism, Singapore has not neglected its scenic and recreational aspects. The Botanic Gardens is a lovely respite from the concrete and steel of the business district.
My photo book on Singapore, most of whose pictures have appeared on this blog, has just been published by Blurb. Log on to see a preview.
The Merlion (think mermaid) on Marina Bay is an icon of Singapore. (click to enlarge)
Here it is spouting at three casinos going up across the bay. (click to enlarge)
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Suntec City Mall is the big new shopping center in Singapore. I'd guess that it's at least as big as the Mall of America in Minnesota (though without the amusement park; in Singapore, business is all business). I was particularly struck by this colorful display of bicycles.
Singapore Flyer (photo modeled after Joel Meyerowitz's "St, Louis and the Arch"). (click to enlarge)
Singapore Memorial Tower, in the middle of the business district. (click to enlarge)
These four skyscrapers, whose lower floors comprise the Suntec City Mall, surround the Fountain of Wealth, the world's largest fountain (not shown). \click
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The old buildings and street markets of Chinatown have been largely torn down and replaced by modern glass and steel.
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The Abdul Gafoor Mosque is a few blocks from the center of Little India. It's a pretty, peaceful place. You have to take off your shoes before you enter the grounds.
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Two more photos from Little India's colorful Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.
