Opening Doors To the World

Opening

Doors To the

World ...

This is a photo series of doors, gates, and other entrances I have encountered on my journeys to other parts of the world. I have found the world to be a most gracious and extremely friendly host. By stepping through various doorways I have met many wonderful people who have shared their part of the world with me. Included are links to several of my travel columns that will share what's behind the doors.

Knock on any door to enter! (click any door to open the full size photo)

Photos 1-5 are from Cambodia
Angkor Wat Angkor Wat The South Gate
Southern Gallery Western Causeway Angkor Thom

Doorways Ta Phrom Ta Phrom Outer Gate Citadel of Ayutthaya

Waharoa pa Tamaki Answering the door Gargoyle Balconey
Maori village NZ Mykonos Greece Catania Sicily

A rainbow of doorways and stairways from the labyrinth like
maze of alleyways of Mykonos in the Cyclades Islands of Greece.

Doors and knockers from the twisting alleyways
of the Cyclades Island of Paros Greece

Where ever you may be, just knock on any
door to enter, the natives truly are friendly!

(click any image to open a door to the full size photo)

An Elephant Walk to Remember

When I was in Cambodia, I partook of an elephant safari ... an elephant walk. This late afternoon journey took us through the steaming jungle near Siem Reap and Angkor Wat to the mountain top of Phnom Bakheng and its ancient Buddhist temple to watch the sunset.

When walking at a leisurely pace, elephants lumber and plod along, swaying back and forth. Perched up in the throne you do have a commanding view as your Mahout guides the beast along the path. The rocking motion is not exactly gentle and you have to keep an eye out for low hanging vines and branches.

The photos might be oddly composed and a bit blurry. The first being a "no-lookie-self-portrait" snapped at arm's-length. The second image captures the sway of not only my fellow safariers perched in their throne, but is compounded by the low-light of the encroaching evening in the jungle and by me being rocked by my own elephant. As for the odd angle of the third pic...I can only assume their elephant shifted when my safari mates clicked the shutter.

This is the Wat on top of Phnom Bakheng. It was the first of the mountain temples built in the Angkor area in the late 9th century by the Khmer king Yasovarman.

And lastly, the temple in silhouette against the sunset.