Capturing History Through the Written Word

On May 22, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, Egypt, Ireland5 Comments

In this digital age, we actually still are fans of owning physical books that we can open and read. Throughout history, the sharing of stories by writing them down has been an important part of preserving knowledge about the cultures that they represent. To some extent, everyone who has a web site and shares their stories is continuing in this same tradition, but obviously on a grander scale in this world where we are all connected electronically. One of the things that we find fascinating is when we come across an ancient text during our travels. Whether it is the Book of Kells in Ireland, papyrus hieroglyphs in Cairo, or just an ancient bible in a church, seeing the care given to these books and manuscripts is an important reminder of how much respect needs to be given to what has been written by our ancestors.

Writings and Books in the Sigmund Freud Museum

People Enjoying the Trinity College Library

When the People Move On

On May 15, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, South America5 Comments

No matter where you travel, you will often find towns and cities where the people have left in large numbers because they couldn’t make a living where they were. They aren’t necessarily ghost towns, but they will be in time if nothing changes to keep the people from leaving. This is true no matter the country or part of the world. There is something very sad about seeing these places, but you certainly can’t blame the people who have left in order to try and make a better life for themselves and their families. There are times when these places find a way to transform themselves and revitalize their economies and there are other times when they simply disappear into history never to be heard from again. When we happen to come across one of these places with their dilapidated buildings, we try to take the time to document them through photography. One of our favorite such memories was visiting one such village, Chimboata, during our time in Bolivia.

Making an Effort to Get the View

On May 1, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge3 Comments

We all love those panoramic photos with breathtaking views, but it is often a struggle to get to the location to take those pictures. Whether hiking to the top of a large mountain, making your way up a steep set of stairs, or even climbing up a ladder it can be exhausting and even sometimes risky to get that perfect shot. There have been a few times when we have looked at a rickety ladder or seen a trail on the ledge of a cliff when we’ve decided that the shot “to die for” wasn’t literally worth the price. We definitely don’t want to be one of those people who inadvertently fell off of a cliff while taking a selfie of themselves. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is about Outdoor Ways to Move Up and Down. What lengths would you go to in order to get that memorable photograph.