It felt magical standing on the Esplanade Bridge and seeing the sun rise behind Singapore’s Flyer. The giant structure, which stands at 165 metres (541 feet), is currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, although Beijing and Dubai are planning to build even bigger ones. It is 30 metres taller than the London Eye.

I am displaying two photographs of the Flyer, both taken at the same place, but minutes apart. The above photo was captured at sunrise, and the one on the side was taken right before dawn. As seen in both photographs, the Singapore Flyer is located at the southern tip of Marina Bay and the Marina Promenade. It opened its doors to the public only recently, on March 1st 2008.

When standing on the Esplanade Bridge, I felt a certain harmony between all the structures around Marina Bay. The Central Business district to the north, the Esplanade to the east, and the Flyer to the south east were all constructions that defined mankind’s engineering brilliance.

There are 28 capsules around the Flyer, all spacious and air-conditioned. They are exo-capsules meaning that they are attached outward of the wheel presenting a continuously unobstructed view when a capsule is at the peak of the Ferris wheel. The ride lasts approximately 30 minutes and it offers great panoramic views of the city centre as well as to the sea and the islands. Each capsule can hold up to 28 passengers and provides access to wheelchairs.

The photograph on the left was captured during a thirty minute ride of the Flyer. The view wasn’t superb as the time of day was right before sunset and the sun is behind the city. I would recommend taking instead a ride early in the morning to have a different light displayed over the Marina Bay and the surrounding buildings.

Times Square is best known for its digital advertising, consisting of giant billboards that are bright and spectacular. It was previously called Longacre Square, then took the name of the Times Building, where were located the previous offices of the newspaper New York Times. Today Times Square is an icon in the city of New York and also around the World.

On the Way to the Broadway Shows

After Sunset, the Action is Just Starting

Car Traffic

Billboard

Party Balloons

Sixth Avenue is one of Manhattan’s main avenues in New York City, which crosses the district from North to South. Although it was named Avenue of the Americas in 1945, Newyorkers kept using its old name.

While in New York City, if you ever chose to walk along Sixth Avenue, you will see how it evolves. If you start around 10th street, you will feel the artistic vibe and the old architecture of the residential area of Greenwich Village. As you walk North, you will cross the shopping area and then the corporate buildings. Sixth Avenue’s ends at Central Park on 59th Street where three equestrian bronze statues are displayed of José de San Martín, Simón Bolívar and José Martí.

Among the sites of Sixth Avenue are the Juan Pablo Duarte Square, Greenwich Village, the Jefferson Market Library, Macy’s, Bryant Park, the Bank of America’s Tower, the International Center of Photography, Rockefeller Center, The Exxon Building and the Radio City Music Hall.

Hiding behind the tulips

Construction

Pedestrians Can Cross

Baskets for sale

Jefferson Market Library

Ricky’s Sexy Boutique

Firefighter Calendar

620 Sixth Avenue

Market in a Church

Greeley Square Park

Located in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, Pehoe Lake reflects the beauty and serenity of Patagonia’s stunning landscapes. In the background you can see the Paine Mountain Range, which transparent reflection on the water is absolutely striking!

I had woken up very early to go on a picture excursion with two Chilean photographers. The weather was particularly calm that morning. There were almost no winds, making the lake’s water look even clearer and more coloured. The rocks, the skies and the mountains seemed to be alive!

As soon as I arrived in front of Pehoe Lake, I jumped out of the car and went on a photograph escapade, trying out different angles to get the perfect shot. But when I was done, I put my camera down, sat on a rock, and just looked around me. I needed to take a few minutes and appreciate the landscape, to live and feel my surroundings. It felt like I was in paradise and I could have stayed there all day long.

When I travel, I try not to have any mechanical device between the things that appear and my eyes. I like to receive it all, and so I am: the emptiest I can possibly be, open, with my arms at my sides, in search of the unexpected. If I notice a small detail that I want to remember, I observe it a bit longer, and at night in my room I make a quick sketch of it. My hand wipes my eyes memory clean. And all are kept in drawers.

Jean-Claude Carrière

Pehoe Lake and Mountains – Patagonia

Pehoe Lake – Patagonia

Pehoe Lake – Patagonia

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 and described as a masterpiece of architecture and landscape, the Temple of Heaven was the first historical monument I had visited in China. I was in a guided tour in Beijing with my friend Antoine. The other travellers in the tour were all a large Chinese-Canadian family that lived in Montreal as well. The Temple was built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven, and later remained a symbolic layout and design that had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries.

As I entered the Temple of Heaven’s territory, I noticed the large garden that surrounded the area with people who rehearsed Tai chi near the entrance. There were more people nearby that were dancing tango while expressing dramatic looks on their faces with a little Chinese attitude. Some dancers were so good that for a moment I felt like I was in China Town somewhere in Argentina!

You had to walk a few minutes to arrive near the Temple. The premises were surrounded by many equally beautiful buildings that were demonstrating the Chinese architecture of the time. The grey skies prevented enjoying and photographing the colourful walls and roofs of the buildings. But I felt that the pollution was a major cause of the bad weather.

The Temple of Heaven itself was higher than all other buildings. People had to climb the stairs to reach the monument. I could see many tourists taking photographs and a few locals sitting down, isolated or by groups, all lost in meditation. When I reached the doorway of the Temple, I looked aside and saw a Buddhist priest coming from far. As if he was coming out of a grey cloud, a scene similar to that of a dream, the divine man with his red tunic appeared before me. I quickly pointed my camera towards him and clicked several times.

But as he approached me, I noticed with surprise that the Buddhist priest was holding a bottle of Sprite in his hands! He also had what looked like a bag of candies. He probably needed refreshments between meditation sessions. I giggled quietly.

Source: About China
In French: Apparition du prêtre bouddhiste