This might seem like a strange time to talk about lucky charms. Having an elbow that’s almost completely seized-up might not seem like a state of health that qualifies me to talk with authority about winning favour with Lady Luck but I’m leaning on the old adage that “it’s all relative”. Being able to photograph and type with just one arm gives me an advantage over those with none. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man...



I’d claim to be far from superstitious although I won’t walk under ladders and will salute magpies so I suppose I must admit to some superstitious habits. One such habit is carrying a small and rather crumpled paper bag at the bottom of my camera gear. The bag contains three tiny figures, shown here. Each has a certain relevance and resonance to me and it’s undeniable that each is imbued with magical properties.

The first, a statue of Ganesh, is the most recent addition and was given by a good friend back home before I came to Bangkok. I’m sure my friend won’t mind me suggesting that he has a sensitive and empathetic nature and I like to think that the Ganesh brings something of that disposition with it. I hope that some of that sensitivity rubs off onto the camera gear as it bumps around from one continent to the next.



The second, a small Thai Buddha has been with me for a number of years and came into my possession at a time in my life when everything seemed to be about change. He offers a sense of serenity and calm whenever things seem chaotic and unpredictable.



Lastly, but by no means least, this little chap once belonged to my grandfather and has been with me the longest. He’s a kind of Pixie or Leprechaun and, being a family heirloom, brings a sense of heritage and continuity.

A Hindu Ganesh, a Buddha and a Leprechaun. A top team.

I’ve been meaning to photograph these three little chaps for a while and, being able to do so with a camera resting on a table top, I thought I’d take my own advice from yesterday and do so whilst the opportunity existed. The troublesome elbow remains out of action for the time being but I’m hopeful that the med’s will start to kick in and I’ll see an improvement tomorrow.

Pictures taken on the rooftop terrace of my apartment building. 1/500 @ f/2.8, ISO200 with a Canon 35-70mm and Canon close-up filter.

Tags: health

Forgive me if this post is brief but I’m typing one-handed today and as it’s my left hand we could be here some time.

My ongoing efforts to bring you, dear reader, news and pictures from increasingly exotic destinations reach new highs today as I report from the inside of a Bangkok hospital.

I started to experience some pain in my right elbow yesterday lunch-time but initially put it down to overuse of the computer and the effects of carrying a heavy camera for much of the previous day. However, within a few hours my elbow had swollen to the size of a mango and I could no longer lift or straighten my arm. I took to sticking pins into my eyes as light relief from the excruciating pain that had developed.

It’s no fun falling ill at home but when you’re in an unfamiliar country there are obviously some concerns about the level of care that might be on offer. And when the taxi driver pulled into the valet parking bay of a 5-star hotel this morning I feared he’d just misunderstood my request to be taken to the Bumrungrad hospital and driven instead to a similarly named hotel, further frustrating my efforts to seek medical attention. But there was no mistake. Once inside the smart modern building I was quickly directed through the swish lobby (above) and to the Orthapaedic reception. Smartly-dressed staff quietly and efficiently took me through the registration process and I was sat in a Doctor’s surgery within 30 minutes of arriving.

Thirty minutes after that the doctor was showing me my x-rays on a computer screen and explaining his diagnosis: an infection in the bursa, a small sac that provides a cushion between the elbow bone and tendon. Nerves endings run through the Bursa, which explains the pain when it starts to get inflamed.

Anyway, this is a photographic blog not a medical journal so suffice to say that within two hours I’d been ushered back into a waiting taxi with a copy of my medical report, a small bag of medication and an appointment card for Friday. The medicines should be enough to sort it out but if not then they’ll drain the fluid and give cortizone injections. I’m pretty sure that it’ll be OK as it’s just a few hours since the first anti-inflammatory drug but I’ve already recovered enough sanity to be able to sit at a computer.

Apart from the inconvenience of not being able to lift a camera or type (much) for a few days it has served as a timely reminder of just how fortunate we are when we’re in good health and have full use of our limbs. I’ve never really stopped to consider how I’d work if I lost the use of my right arm but it would certainly be an enormous challenge. It’s frightening how quickly we can go from being fully fit to being incapacitated and I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone in having taken my own health and mobility pretty much for granted.

So here’s my photographic tip for the day: if there’s a project, photographic or otherwise, that you’ve been putting off then why not take steps to get it underway today? I have a frustrating couple of days ahead and that’s no big deal really but as I sit here looking at a bag of expensive and temporarily redundant camera gear I do heartly recommend that you don’t take anything for granted. So, make hay wile the sun shines and get started on those big plans today, for tomorrow you might be unexpectedly taken up the Bumrungrad!

Tags: health

The Guardian web site is carrying an article by Stephen Merchant, written during a recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.

I’m not short and have been known to attract interest in markets being quite a bit taller than many of the local people but poor Stephen’s 6’ 7” and was clearly something of a novelty.

Tags: cambodia, vietnam

There simply have not been enough tea-related posts on this blog of late!

One of my long-term goals is to compile a book about tea. I have in mind a series of photos that follow the tea making process from the green slopes of northern India and China to the tea-drinking establishments of London, Harrogate and New York. You may wonder why Harrogate is included, it's simply because the genteel tea rooms of upper-class Harrogate seem to epitomise the ultimate, English, tea-drinking establishment to me.

With the early chapters filled with colourful photographs of Darjeeling and Assam, the later chapters will feature places like The Adore in New York. The wonderful Tea Muse web site introduces The Adore by describing its range of available teas:

"The tea menu is enough to make any tea lover's heart skip a beat. It is impressive in that it is both wide and deep in focus. It includes 11 decadent aromatized teas, which are a noted French specialty. (The sweetest of the aromatized teas, a black tea with hibiscus and mallow blossoms, is rather appropriately named 'Eros.') There are five (yes, really, five) variations on the classic Earl Grey, the simple fact of which begs for a tasting session"

Two interesting things I learned whilst writing this post. Firstly, tea is commercially cultivated in Tregothnan in Cornwall, which is a surprise to me. Secondly, the author of the Tea Muse review is a lady called Lindsey Goodwin who is a "freelance tea consultant". What a title! And Lindsey offers Tea Tours of New York City. I'm booking a place today!

Tags: tea, new york

There's something comically appealing about Rickshaws. I love them. They're a great way to get around, especially in big cities and places like New Delhi now have NPG-powered rickshaws so they're environmentally friendly too.

Sitting in the back of a rickshaw, you don't feel like you're removed from your surroundings in the same way that you do in a car. Sometimes that's a bad thing as zooming down a crowded city street at improbable speeds can make you feel a little vulnerable but mostly it's a good thing as it keeps you involved in what's going on. Also, rickshaw drivers are a hard-working but friendly bunch. In places like Agra, where there are far too many rickshaws for the numbers of tourists, the drivers can become a bit pushy bit in my experience they're never far from breaking into a smile and although they might trail behind you as you walk back to your guesthouse or hostel from a nearby eating house, they are rarely without a sense of humour.

This article in the Guardian comes from a couple who have just driven a Rickshaw over 4000 miles through India to Nepal. There's more information about the Rickshaw Run over at the Team Snailpace web site.

Tags: guardian

"I don't give a damn what TripAdvisor says", declares the proprietor of the Nanford Guest House in Oxford, recently announced as the "Dirtiest Hotel in Britain".

I have used TripAdvisor quite regularly in the past when planning trips as it's useful to see what previous occupants have said about a hotel or guest house where I might be planning to stay. Visitors often leave helpful advice like "avoid the rooms on the ground floor" or "Room 6 has a fantastic view of the beach" so it's a bit like asking a friend to go and check out a place for you before you book.

However, the proprietor of the Nanford clearly doesn't share my enthusiasm for TripAdvisor and I can understand his reticence. It's hardly a glowing recommendation and if you check out the individual reports then you'll find unadulterated comments like "The entrance hall stank of urine, the staff were incredibly rude, the beds had ticks, the shower was a dribble, but best of all what came out of the taps genuinely looked and smelled like it had came from the toilet"

Every cloud has a silver lining of course and the proprietor is currently welcoming a string of journalists keen to check out the accommodation for themselves. The latest report comes from The Guardian and whilst the journos are probably staying at the nearby Randolph Hotel rather than the Nanford, their regular visits is at least giving the proprietor a chance to brush up on his reportedly rusty Customer Service skills.

Tags: guardian

The Metro in Budapest is a happy little train. Hear its jingly-jangly greeting every time it enters and leaves a station.

Tags: budapest, audio

A Budapest blog! What an excellent idea.

Well, I haven't had time to see any of Budapest's more well known tourist attractions yet but I have found one real gem already!

You know how tiring it can be to travel all day? You start early in the morning and you travel on trains, on planes and in automobiles. You spend hours waiting in anonymous airport departure lounges, you queue for check-in, you queue for the security check, you queue for the plane, you fight for a seat, you queue for passport control. Then, eventually, you arrive in an unfamiliar country, you're not sure of the language, the currency is a mystery and you don't have the faintest clue which direction you should head.

You know what we all really want at this point in our day's journey? We want to be met at the airport by a friendly taxi driver who drives us to our destination. We want to be greeted by smiling, friendly faces and we dream of being invited into a warm, homely, cosy apartment. Imagine the relief at discovering that we've found somewhere really relaxing to stay. How reassuring to be shown maps and guidebooks, to have the best local cafes and restaurants pointed out to us and to find that we have a clean and spacious place to call home for the next few days. And imagine the delight at hearing these magic words at the end of our tiring day:

"There's beer in the fridge, call us if you need anything".

I give you... Andras and Malna.

Cheers!

(This post first appeared on http://budapestguest.blogspot.com/)

Tags: budapest

I’m tempted to ask if you can guess where I am but suppose that the photo of onions, garlic and a Euro price tag might make it a tad simple... Read more...

Tags: france, markets