I can say without reservation that this trip to Ladakh’s Hemis National Park was a great return to the Himalayas. I found the snow leopards extraordinarily difficult to photograph at close range. And yet with time and serendipity it is quite possible a snow leopard could walk directly through camp. Unfortunately, we experienced neither. We literally worked our butts off. I lost about 7 pounds in a week, hiking the trails every day at elevations between 12 and 14,000 feet. The dance ceremony was at the Likir Monastery, near Leh. Held annually, it commemorates the “letting go” of the previous year’s hardships. While at times disappointing, on a whole, the trip was fascinating and ultimately rewarding.
So begins our trek to Husing, which, purportedly, is one of the better areas to spot the elusive snow leopard as they move to lower altitudes to follow their prey, such as the bharal (blue sheep).
Nestled in the Indian Himalayas Ladakh is one of the best areas to see the elusive snow leopard. I am also getting to know more about the people who live here, and taking in the spectacular scenery and other wildlife.
The first couple days we spent in Leh getting acclimatized to the high altitude before heading out on our snow leopard expedition. The city and the surrounding valley and mountains are home to many imposing palaces and monasteries.
Click play to see all of Art’s favorites from Kerala, or click HERE
India is just such a colorful and amazingly diverse country. We’ve been traveling in Kerala, home to vast tea plantations, and then in the arid border regions of Kutch. One tribe has beautifully painted homes—these people are artisans who stay in one place. The others live in huts made from sticks, hides and plastic and are truly nomadic, looking for forage for their herds of cattle and camels.
For the last couple weeks I have been traveling in India with some very good friends. As a last minute change in our itinerary, we decided to head off to Kanha, where we enjoyed seeing the abundant wildlife and the adjacent villages. Then we headed off to Mumbai and the Dhobi Ghat (the world’s largest laundry), which couldn’t be any more different than the bucolic countryside.
Click the play button to see all the photos, or click HERE
Though I am on my way to Thailand, I am able to share some photos from Sri Lanka before take off. While staying in the beautiful Southern Province I fell ill with a terrible head cold. A few days out capturing the beauty- the rest of my days were spent close to the hotel. As you can see- it wasn’t such a horrible sick chamber! (Click the play button below the photo to see them all.)
Art was able to travel to Kenya and visit with the Maasai during their Emorata ceremony. A circumcision ceremony is the most vital initiation of all rites of passage in the Maasai society. This initiation is performed after puberty in a large group of young men called an age-set. Young men are eager to be circumcised and become warriors. Once the boys become warriors they resume responsibility of security for their territory. Circumcision, or emorata, initiation elevates an individual from childhood to adulthood. In order for the boy to be initiated he must prove himself to the community. The boy must exhibit signs of a grown man, by carrying a heavy spear, herding large herd of livestock, etc. The boy must endure the operation in silence. The healing process will take 3–4 months, and boys must remain in black clothes for a period of 4–8 months.
Art is just returning from a quick trip to the Galapagos Islands. He was really looking forward to getting great images of the Marine iguanas- which it appears was a success! Also some images of the rich landscape as well as the enormous Galapagos tortoise.
