Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 208

Caci Village Dance in Indonesia

I used my Android phone to take this photo while visiting the Caci Village in Indonesia. A tiny amount of color adjustment was done on the phone using Snapseed.

The post Caci Village Dance in Indonesia appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Shangai in Cambodia

This photograph was taken using an iPhone 6. I don’t claim to be a professional photographer and so, I have not altered anything in this snap. Would rather let the image do the talking!

The post Shangai in Cambodia appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

I Love A Parade in Norway

Canon TLb. 55mm Canon lens. Scan from a slide and colour corrected in Photoshop.

The post I Love A Parade in Norway appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

The Walking Dead: Día de los Muertos in San Miguel de Allende

Photo by Vincent Evangelista

In the heart of Central Mexico, some 170 miles northwest of the nation’s capital in the state of Guanajuato, lies a quiet but vibrant town, colored by the many artisans who call it home. San Miguel de Allende is one of Mexico’s designated Pueblos Mágicos (or magic cities) — and it’s easy to see why: Replete with colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and steep drives that cascade into an Old World city center dubbed Zona Centro, San Miguel vibrates with life, warmth, and tradition. And once a year, it explodes with the dead.

Photo by Vincent Evangelista

While other parts of the world look forward to spooky Halloween festivities each autumn, Mexico remembers the dead during Día de los Muertos, a multi-day celebration with November 2 dedicated to children and the following day to all others. It’s not an occasion to scare off but to invite back, tempting lost loved ones to rejoin the living by offering bits of what they once treasured here on Earth — sweets for the sweet toothed, combs for the well groomed, pens and pencils for the prolific — all arranged in ofrendas, or offerings, alongside photos of the dearly departed.

Photo by Vincent Evangelista

It’s when catrinas and catrins fill the streets, the faces of locals and visitors alike painted like skeletons; when entire markets dedicated to sugar skulls pop up in church-adjacent walkways; when brilliant orange marigolds are purchased by the wheelbarrow rather than the bouquet to decorate every surface, to line every doorway. It’s when we the living call on the dead to come back and play, even if for just one night, one drink, one dance.

Click to view slideshow.

Against the backdrop of San Miguel de Allende, the celebration is extra sweet, drenched in colonial hues and spiced with people from all over the world showing up with both heart and mind equally open, ready to soak in a new culture. It’s an experience made richer by those you meet along the way, be it the local husband-and-wife team who transform your face into a masterpiece of the dead, the ex-pats taking up residence at Fabrica de Aura, or your own compañeros de viaje.

Click to view slideshow.

Of course, those companions come stock when you opt to travel with a group, like Eat the Peach Travel — a boutique small-group tour company that launched in 2017 that donates $500 from every trip to Casa de Los Angeles, a charity based in San Miguel that nurtures local children in need. While tour companies vary, Eat the Peach founders Sharon Gonzalez and Tom Travers offer an itinerary with a fair amount of autonomy, given that each day there’s just one main activity.

Click to view slideshow.

One day might set you off on a four-wheeled exploration of San Miguel’s outskirts, with the power of an ATV roaring beneath you as you ride through the cobblestone streets and out of the city, visiting an old church hidden among a tree grove and climbing a high hill to cast your gaze down and see it all from a different perspective.

Another day you’ll be riding a tractor through the vineyards of Cuna de Tierra, a nearby winery that sells its tasty experiments (think a dark rosé made from 100% granache) exclusively on site. After a tour of the chic facilities and visit to the cool underground cellar, you’ll be treated to a light lunch, introduced by the chef, and sip hefty pours of the winery’s various vintages before heading back to town for a siesta at the hacienda.

Click to view slideshow.

You’ll stay all seven nights at Hacienda El Santuario, just steps from where all the action takes place in the jardín, Zona Centro’s core. The heart of the hacienda is in its stunning, plant-draped open-air courtyard, centered among a labyrinth of steps and walkways that lead to elegantly but minimally decorated rooms, of which no two are the same. The courtyard is where you’ll take your breakfast of chilequiles, pan dulce, eggs, beans, and fruit each morning as the crisp air warms around you. And it’s where you’ll get to know the staff, who offer unparalleled service and genuine warmth as they disclose the hacienda’s secrets (like the must-see rooftop garden) and teach you idiomatic español.

Click to view slideshow.

Spend your afternoons and evenings wandering — to explore the tiny shops tucked away down every street, yes, but also to build up an appetite so that you can eat, and eat constantly. For an afternoon snack, head to the Mercado de Artesanias, a massive, mostly indoor marketplace where hundreds of purveyors peddle their wares from stalls adjacent to a produce and food hall, where you can munch on hot elote (grilled corn on the cob) or sweet gorditas de nata (griddled clotted cream pancakes) as you browse.

For a boozy sit-down closer to the jardín, enter a restaurant called Pueblo Viejo then veer to the right and follow the staircase up to La Azotea, a rooftop bar with next-level mango margaritas and the jicama tacos topped with fried leeks.

Once the sun sets, sit for dinner at La Parada for an outstanding three-course Peruvian meal, sipping a pisco cocktail to temper the heat of the side of diced green chiles you should absolutely ask for and then slather on everything.

Click to view slideshow.

As the main event draws nearer, the city gets denser, both people and public ofrendas filling the streets. The day before the parade, make your way to Instituto Allende’s courtyard, where makeup artists set up shop to show their Día de los Muertos portfolios. Make your rounds and discuss pricing (most run $15-$20 USD, an absolute steal considering how they’ll artistically transform your face to look like a beautifully painted skull), then select the artist you’d like to sit with. Arrange a time to meet the following day, when you’ll arrive dressed in your Día best and mingle over margaritas at the Instituto before embarking on a rhythmic march through the streets for the annual parade, spilling out into the jardín and its wild energy.

No two Día de los Muertos celebrations are the same in San Miguel, which means there’s always more magic to discover in this Pueblo Mágico.

An award-winning journalist with an ear for music and an eye for adventure, Hannah Lott-Schwartz tells stories for National Geographic Traveler and Adventure; the in-flight magazines on United, Delta, and Hong Kong Airlines; Robb Report, and others. She’s quick to say “yes” — most recently to motorcycling Morocco with a mustachioed stranger — and is a well-versed guacamole snob. While San Diego may be basecamp these days, Hannah is a woman at home in the world.

Journalist, Hannah Lott-Schwartz, and photographer, Vincent Evangelista, were hosted by Eat the Peach for this Día de los Muertos San Miguel de Allende experience but all opinions are her own.

The post The Walking Dead: Día de los Muertos in San Miguel de Allende appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Firewood on MainThe post appeared first on We Said Go ...

Firewood on Main

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

No Longer Afraid of the Dark in New Zealand

I took this photo using a tripod and a mirrorless camera. I post edited it in Lightroom as I originally shot in RAW. This was a long exposure shot so it took some time to decide on the appropriate exposure and finding a focus area was a challenge with the manual focusing.

The post No Longer Afraid of the Dark in New Zealand appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Slow Loris at night on Kinabatangan River in Borneo

Philippine slow loris surprised to see people at night on Kinabatangan River in Borneo

To take this image I used Nikon D300, Nikon 80-400mm lens and Nikon SB 800 flash unit. I post-processed image in Photoshop to slightly crop and sharpen it.

The post Slow Loris at night on Kinabatangan River in Borneo appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

An Endless Journey in India

The photo is captured through a Canon DSLR camera. No alteration was done on the image.

The post An Endless Journey in India appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

Machu Picchu, late afternoon in Peru

I have a simple camera, almost a throw-back: a small, hand held Sony Cyber-shot with a 10X Optical Zoom. I have not altered or photo-shopped this image.

The post Machu Picchu, late afternoon in Peru appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

{{unknown}}The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

{{unknown}}

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.