Taking Photographs of Animals can be a Tricky Proposition

We have seen many different animals throughout our travels, some of them more interesting than others. As we prepare for our safari, we know that we will come home with many more animal photographs than what we even have today. We are always on the lookout for motion in the trees that surround us, the rustling of bushes, or even shadows moving across the ground so that we don’t miss out on a possible animal sighting. Many of the animals are cute and adorable, some colorful, and others perhaps a little strange or even dangerous. Taking photographs of animals can be tricky at times and sometimes it all comes down to a little bit of luck.

Llama in Bolivia
Barbary Monkey in Gibraltar
Anteater in a Tree in Panama
Big Horn Sheep in Colorado
Monkey on the Rocks of Halong Bay, Vietnam
Three-Toed Tree Sloth
Poisonous Frog in the Amazon

It obviously helps to have a telephoto lens, but that also comes with its own set of challenges. It can be difficult to go from the naked eye to the camera and get it to the location where you just sighted the animal. Another interesting thing that we found from several of our trips now is the trick of using binoculars and a cell phone to capture a photograph. The binocular acts as a telephoto lens for the camera on your phone and the images are often as good as those captured with a digital camera.

Agouti in Panama
Friendly Donkey in South Dakota
Turkey in the Bolivian Jungle
Camel at the Pyramids in Egypt
Up Close and Personal with Monkeys in Panama
Colorful Wire-Tailed Manakin in Ecuador

One thing that is clear is that you don’t have to go to exotic locations to captures photographs of animals in the wild. There are obviously birds of all different kinds wherever you travel, but it isn’t surprising to see snakes, lizards and other creatures as well. There are also places that have allowed the animals to remain in the wild at certain tourist locations like the monkeys in Gibraltar or even the wild donkeys in South Dakota. All it takes is a little patience and a willingness to take several photographs so that you just might get the one that you were looking for. Do you take photographs of animals in the wild?

Lizard Standing on a Rock in Utah
Tarantula Crawling Out of a Tree
Bird Along the Trail to the Top of Gellért Hill in Budapest
Colorful Details of a Hummingbird Moth in Our Backyard

Iconic Skylines and Cityscapes Around the World

Traveling the world, there are places that you visit where the view of the skyline is entrenched in your memory. As soon as you see it in a picture or in a movie, you immediately know exactly where you are. It is amazing how the simple image of a cityscape can suddenly transport your mind back to a location and the sights, sounds, and even aromas are almost tangible in your mind. It helps that almost every major city has a location with an observation deck that allows you to get high above the city in order to see it in all of its grandeur. Whether viewing Paris from the Eiffel Tower or looking out at the skyscrapers of New York City from the top of the Empire State Building, the views will forever take you back to that moment when you first visited the city.

Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock in New York City
View from Piazzale de Michelangelo in Florence
Cologne, Germany

How can one not see the Duomo in Florence and not immediately be transported to that amazing city. One glimpse of the Parliament Building in Budapest and you will find yourself standing on the walls of the Buda Castle District. Sometimes it is the view of the towers of a gothic cathedral like in Cologne and other times it is the uniqueness of the city landscape like seeing the canals of Amsterdam. Regardless of what it is that draws your eyes, these iconic views can bring back that sense of awe that you first experienced when visiting a location.

Amsterdam from the Roof of Our Hotel
Arc de Triomphe in Paris from the Eiffel Tower
The Views of Panama City are Amazing

There are other times when it isn’t just the city, but the surrounding area that makes a cityscape iconic. Whether it is the ruggedness of a city sprawling on the hillsides like those of La Paz, the lush jungles surrounding Panama City, Panama, or even the peaks of Colorado looming over the city of Denver, these views make each location unique. Just like we can never pick a favorite travel location, we can also never pick a favorite skyline. Each are special in their own ways and will always remind us of our visit when we see their images on the screen.

Cairo, Egypt
View of the Roman Forum and Colosseum from the Rooftop
Sunset Behind the Acropolis in Athens

Bratislava Castle in Slovakia

Sitting on the hill above the city of Bratislava is the historic Bratislava Castle, the Bratislavský hrad in Slovak. The original castle dates back to the 13th century, but it was obviously modified many times over the centuries. By the early 1800’s, the castle was in a state of deterioration and was being used by the military for barracks. It was also damaged more during the world wars, but in 1953 the decision was made to restore the castle to its former glory and it is now a popular tourist site within the capital city of Bratislava.

Two of the Four Towers
Castle Garden
View from the Castle

We visited the Bratislava Castle in May, so the gardens were just beginning to bloom, but we can certainly can imagine what they must look like in the summer months. The castle itself is a rectangular building with four towers, one on each corner. Although there is apparently only a single window left from the original building, the castle is still quite beautiful. We spent about an hour walking the grounds and enjoying the wonderful views of the city below. There is also a statue of King Svatopluk that was added to the courtyard in 2010, which apparently caused some controversy.

Bratislava Castle as Viewed from the War Memorial
Statue in the Courtyard
One of the Gates

The history of the region, with its importance to Hungary and then recent gain of independence, the Bratislava Castle is a source of pride to the people of Slovakia. It is an interesting theme that we found during our tour of Bratislava of how the castle and the city were a seat of power for Hungary for centuries, which obviously is a frustration for Slovakians, but at the same time the country has recognized the importance of this period as part of their own history.  Add to that the other occupations, including that of the Soviet Union, and the country has overcome a variety of historical obstacles. Needless to say, any visit to Bratislava should include going to the castle that overlooks the city.

Another View of the Garden
Entrance to the Castle
Part of the Wall that Surrounds the Castle