Images by Sheena

Friday, November 25, 2011

Macau - A hidden gem

After our travels in Japan we flew to Hong Kong and took a turbo boat from the airport to Macau island which was originally a portuguese colony. We checked into our expensive motel room that we had booked the day before practically and we're met with a tiny, smelly room. To make things worse the bed was so hard it felt like sleeping on concrete. I was beginning to miss our mat on the floor we slept on in japan shared with my husband and brother in law.

The next day we ventured off into the city and discovered just around the corner from our grungy motel a historical dream. Pastel coloured buildings in Senado square (top image) giving that mediterranian feel had me questioning whether I was in China at all. Walking in and around little alleyways were reminders of the chinese culture like food stalls, shopping and the beautifully dirty high rise apartment buildings with various clothing items hanging out to dry.

Just when I thought I couldn't be happier I came across Ruins of St. Paul (images below). Originally a chuch built in 1602-1640 and later destroyed by a fire in 1835. The remaining piece has become an "alter to the city" and is officially a UNESCO World Hertitage site.

And it would not be complete if I didn't include an image of the casinos. Macau is known to be the Las Vegas of Asia. It has 5 plus star hotel's like Wynn and Venetian. The contrast of this little island is immense from old styled portuguese buildings and flare to luxurious shopping and hotels. Macau truly was a hidden gem that I hope to revisit in the future hopefully in more luxurious accomodations.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Day 365 ~ Harvest Festival ~

The final images of my 365 day photo challenge!!!!

This was taken at a small festival in Osaka, Japan celebrating and praying for a good harvest. The floats were so heavy and painful for the people carrying it as you can see in the bottom picture.

Although I didn't succeed in taking a photo every single day of the year, I feel satisfied that I didn't just give up and throw my camera in the corner. Life is always going to be busy and there will always be obstacles in your way. I have found that the best thing to do when you trip is to just keep going.

My camera has become my little friend that comes along with me everywhere I go now. I still have a lot to learn about photography and can continue to improve and grow. I believe that I have grown as a photographer and I now see the world through different eyes.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 364 ~ Kyoto Collage ~

We spent the day in Kyoto visiting many different temples and seeing all of the tourist sites. I was surprised at how big this city was but it is really unique because throughout the city there are hidden little gems just around the corner or down an alley. The temples were so beautiful and people watching here is amazing especially in the gion district where we saw traditionally dressed Japanese women going about their day. I took so many photos that I couldn't choose which ones to put on the blog so I made this collage of some of my favourites of the day.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Day 363 ~ Japanese Pancake ~

We spent the day in Osaka shopping and eating. We tried the Japanese styled pancake also called Okonomiyaki. It is made with batter, shredded cabbage and other grated vegetables. You can add all sorts of other ingredients including meat and fish. This was actually the worst thing I ate in Japan, I was not a fan of this.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Day 362 ~ Arashiyama ~

We spent the day in Kyoto in the Arashiyama district. We visited the bamboo groves, monkey park and also went canoeing on the river. This was one of my favourite places in Kyoto because it was small and quaint with lots of shops and restaurants.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 361 ~ Osaka Castle ~

Our day at the Osaka Castle in Japan! In the top image the two people are drawing a picture of the castle from the distance.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Day 360 ~ Takoyaki ~

Ryan and his brother eating Takoyaki aka baby octapus balls in Osaka Japan where it is a very popular vendor food. I am not as brave with food unfortunately so I just take the pictures:)