Travel

Updated: Jul  '09.

The company I've work for about two decades has sent me to most corners of the world. I've been fortunate to enjoy many countries and it would take pages to talk about them all, so I'll let only a few pictures speak of Japan, Australia, Indonesia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, Panama, Colombia, Oman, UAE, Turkey, Morocco, England, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg, Norway and the Philippines.

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A very silly movie of my trip to Morocco so long ago

Short excerpt of a trip to Utah

Click images below to enlarge.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, international astrophysical installations at 8000 feet, lots of white domes, blue sky and the volcano (not in view) plainly visible, great place to work. I enjoyed a wonderful private tour and pleasant lunch with view of the volcano cone. My host, a British radio Astrophysics engineer, was most generous with his time, and his own work made me envious.

Abbots Pass Hut, second highest building in Canada at 9568 feet, incredible building put together by horse and Swiss men in 1922. Up the glacier dropping into Lake Louise thousands of feet below. Access is usually via a steep narrow rocky field 3000 feet, prone to avalanch or occasional falling rock which have been fatal. You ascent is flanked by towering mount Victoria and Le Froy which mostly block your view of most of the world, until you reach the last metre and arrive at the hut where a startling view at a diminutive saddle (the huts 'front lawn') bears itself to you; the effort pays off.

The author up the slopes of mount Le Froy, above Abotts hut, about 11,000 feet.

Tenerife, Canary Islands towering rock formation in the caldera of the Teide volcano. A touristy 45 minutes hike about the formation and others snaking passed it offers a pleasant self guided geological tour.

Dubai desert adventure pit stop; show off drivers, expensive outing culminating with a desert dinner under the stars, belly dancing, single camel, ATVs. As is per usual when west meets arab nation, culture is commandeered for profit.

Omani boat captain, what a life, knew only the few english sentences which he repeated at every question I posed. Nice man, local champion swimmer, big feet. Deck in rough seas near Telegraph Island. Doesn't show, but it was very rough seas, cold day. Quite a large powered boat. My colleague and I were alone as the town nestled in the cliffs at the end of the newly constructed highway was under dark cold gray skies. Frigid snorkeling.

Sunset in Oman from the boat, wondrous sight. Lack of colours is untouched. Rocky barren mountains and light fog formed layered image.

Nottingham electricity generator plant cooling towers loom as a permanent fixtures visible from far; the 'sheriff' must have loved them.

Switzerland rust tree, strange thing. Returning from Luxemburg, our CAE car got lost and stumbled upon this atrocious yet intriguing giant 'sculpture'.

Dubai's famous hotel, the Burj Al Arab in Jumeira. Exceedingly expensive, even just to visit; overhanging heli pad on roof [where a famous tennis player strutted his stuff for Nike], submarine trip to a restaurant, 180 metres atrium has its own micro-climate, marvel of engineering mixing steel, concrete and woven fabric.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands twin pumper trucks. The firemen did not enjoy my trespassing in their courtyard to snap up this unusual set of pastels.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands opera house, bizarre shape, completely tiled with glossy ceramic bits. No picture can fully show the proportions and curves to this building. It is constructed on the shores of the island with the Atlantic beating constantly and hard at its feet. Looking both boat and wave, it dances mockingly in the face of... gravity.

Pico del Teide's shadow on haze from top of Volcano at sunrise, 12571 feet. Usual ascent includes overnighter at refuge (11000 ft), followed by a 4 am ascent to the cone  in the dark before sunrise; very cold, large sharp volcanic rocks with gaping holes can prove dangerous to shins and boots.