Around the world in ten photos: day five
Early morning, and the sun has just climbed above the volcanoes that encircle the lake. A fisherman in a rowing boat drifts slowly, checking the net that he hopes will have captured some fish overnight.
Around the world in ten photos: day four
A woman crouches beside the fast-flowing river, panning for gold. Hers is a simple life in a rural village, but success here could change it forever.
Around the world in ten photos: day three
A king and his queen are buried here, an unexpected sight in a country where much of ancient history has been forgotten, ignored, rewritten or even erased.
Around the world in ten photos: day two
The landscape here is a series of horizontal stripes in blue, green, beige and brown. It creates a calm backdrop for the flamingos as they feed, their pale pink feathers reflected in the still pools of water.
Around the world in ten photos: day one
Fog hangs low over the outlying islets, and huge tree trunks almost block our path to the beach, but it is worth the scramble for the wonderful photo opportunities that we find there.
The story of frankincense in Oman
To the Omanis, frankincense is a basic necessity of life – an essential purchase along with food and fuel. Its musky scent fills the air wherever you go, wisps of soft grey smoke curling upwards from chunky pottery burners.
Precious moments at Virtual Tourist Euromeets
Travel is not just about the places we travel to; it is about the people we meet along the way. And when such meetings develop into friendships that are sustained long after the journey has been completed, that is precious indeed.
Meeting Maximón, the idol of Santiago Atitlà n
The small boys who meet the boats arriving in Santiago on the shores of Lake Atitlà n know that the visiting tourists are here to see one thing above all others. They want to meet Maximón. It’s a good idea to accept the children’s offer as this intriguing Mayan idol (part saint, part devil) doesn’t have a permanent home in the town. Instead he is hosted by a local family, moving to a new house every few years.
Gallery: a walk on the streets of old Hanoi
In the Old Quarter of Hanoi life is lived on the street. Meals are cooked and eaten, food and other goods sold, games played by young and old alike. Shops spill out on to pavements, while rickshaws, cyclo-rickshaws, bicycles, scooters and motorbikes all weave amongst the shoppers and strolling tourists.
The Angel of the North
Angels typically fly or float in the air, but not this one. The Angel of the North is firmly rooted in the ground, in recognition of the miners who once toiled beneath this spot. Whether you arrive in Newcastle or Gateshead by road or by rail, you’ll be greeted as you approach the city by this amazing figure of an angel with outstretched arms, who appears to be watching over travellers.