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"It is so nice to be back in New
York City after two months in Asia.
Fortunately for me, I made it back before the Blizzard of 2006 hit New
York. Just a week ago, I was basking in the sun with 90° temperatures,
and now, I look outside my window and see two feet of snow melting. Now, isn't
that the beauty of getting on an airplane and being transported to another
place?
This time around, I started out my latest travels along the Silk Road. The
Silk Road goes way back into ancient history, a time when the Chinese were
doing trade with Europeans, and they had to travel through Mongolia's Gobi
Desert. It was an arduous task for them then, and I can attest that it is no
simple feat even today. Life in the desert region felt like going back in time.
No cars, motorbikes or bicycles around. You either walked on your own two feet,
or if you were lucky, you owned a horse or a camel. In my
case, I hired a group of camels to carry my equipment, as I went in search
of the ancient Poplar Trees. As their history goes, the Poplar Trees in
Mongolia can live in desert conditions for a thousand years with minimal
rainfall. Because I had very little water available, at one point, I had
to resort to drinking camel's blood for hydration. Even more impressive
than the Poplar Trees was the changing landscape. Each day that I stood on
the serene desert sand, the power of nature's winds had swept the sand to
another intriguing pattern that was an amazing sight to behold. And when
the day was done, the camels lined up to go home. I was able to capture
the camels walking during the twilight, a striking image that you would
need to see for yourself.
After Mongolia, I returned to one of my favorite locations, Huang Shan
Mountains. I wanted to catch the Sea Clouds, which are better seen in the
wintertime. The clouds drift along the mountaintop in a dreamy state.
Getting up to see the clouds was the hardest part because I had to walk
along the steep, winding path in the cold. I wanted to catch some snow
scenes, but after waiting a week, I had to leave without as much as seeing
a snowflake. At last, it was not meant to be.
My next stop was Phuket, Thailand, my favorite vacation spot for the past
several years. It was a little over one year ago that the Tsunami hit
Southeast Asia. Phuket Island was damaged quite a bit, but you would never
know with the quick recovery that they displayed. The island was booming
with tourists and business as usual. Most locals say they have moved on
with their lives. Worse off hit was Phi Phi Island, which was completely
covered during the Tsunami. The locals on Phi Phi Island are still
working hard to fix their houses and storefronts. If you have the
opportunity, I would recommend visiting these islands to help out their
economy.
So, I have no time to waste. I am working hard to get my latest
photographs ready for my upcoming
show schedule. I hope you enjoyed this
little break. See you all soon at one of my shows. Keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Michael
Chen
email: mc@mc-images.com
url: www.mc-images.com
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