Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Monday, June 07, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Guatemala
I'm slowly scanning images from my recent trip to Guatemala -- was detained in the country for three days by the Pacaya volcano and tropical storm Agatha, but finally made it out by way of El Salvador. Above, Doña Caterina roasts fresh coffee beans at her home in San Juan Cotzal in the country's western highlands.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The Salton Sea: A Virtual Tour
The Salton Sea is a saline lake in the southeast corner of California that was created when the Colorado River diverted in 1905.
Up until the 1960s large luxury communities were established around the Sea's perimeter, until the lake's lack of any outlet induced fish die-offs, high levels of bacteria, and general nastiness. The shore is coated in a fine layer of fish skeletons and recently deceased tilapia. It smells really, really bad.
Currently, the Salton Sea supports a few tent cities (more like RV camps, actually) and various other small neighborhoods.
One small community is called "Slab City" because it was founded on the leftover foundations of an old army base.
Bombay Beach, on the eastern shore of the Sea, is surrounded by submerged trailers and trucks.
One fellow, Leonard Knight, built a small monument he named Salvation Mountain at the entrance to Slab City. It's made from hay bales and mud, and is very colorful. Knight is very friendly and welcoming (he sleeps in his truck), if slightly deaf.
Despite the generally overwhelming stench, the lake itself is glassy and beautiful. The occasional submerged telephone pole, tree, or crumbling dock creates wonderful reflections in the water. There are flocks and flocks of birds (gulls, pigeons, egrets, sandpipers, pelicans, etc.), though I'm not sure how they've managed to survive on dead (/dying) fish.
I think I'm going to have to go back soon.
Up until the 1960s large luxury communities were established around the Sea's perimeter, until the lake's lack of any outlet induced fish die-offs, high levels of bacteria, and general nastiness. The shore is coated in a fine layer of fish skeletons and recently deceased tilapia. It smells really, really bad.
Currently, the Salton Sea supports a few tent cities (more like RV camps, actually) and various other small neighborhoods.
One small community is called "Slab City" because it was founded on the leftover foundations of an old army base.
Bombay Beach, on the eastern shore of the Sea, is surrounded by submerged trailers and trucks.
One fellow, Leonard Knight, built a small monument he named Salvation Mountain at the entrance to Slab City. It's made from hay bales and mud, and is very colorful. Knight is very friendly and welcoming (he sleeps in his truck), if slightly deaf.
Despite the generally overwhelming stench, the lake itself is glassy and beautiful. The occasional submerged telephone pole, tree, or crumbling dock creates wonderful reflections in the water. There are flocks and flocks of birds (gulls, pigeons, egrets, sandpipers, pelicans, etc.), though I'm not sure how they've managed to survive on dead (/dying) fish.
I think I'm going to have to go back soon.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
NOLA Photos
I'm slowly going through the 2200+ images I shot while in New Orleans for the past few days -- they're being uploaded slowly but surely to a Flickr set.
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