Oliebollen

Dutch people surely outdo any other nation in the world when it comes to New Year's Eve. The amount of fireworks makes one hope that all war veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are safely ensconced inside with soundproof earmuffs on cause it does sound as if WW III started at the strike of midnight.
My Dutch family, especially the guys, are no exception to the rule and from a safe distance holding my wimpy sparkle stick I watched them launch firework missiles from empty wine bottles. Holy Moses.
I imagine that if you were in an airplane navigating the dark skies above this wetland you would have the most amazing view of an entire country below ablaze with colorful explosions.
Then there's the food. Traditional snacks for New Year's Eve include oliebollen which are kind of like donuts but then way better tasting. And getting roaring drunk with family members that you haven't seen in seven years? Now that is the by far the best thing about celebrating the beginning of 2012 in Holland.

En Route

Museum street art

I love the Ulster Museum. I do. And during my visit to Northern Ireland I got lucky cause the new temporary exhibit featured street art/graffiti and included artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey! So of course I went. But I also got to revisit some of the permanent exhibits, and they have a special place in my heart.

Celts and the crosses they bear

Land of Leprechauns

Before Christmas came I arrived in Northern Ireland to be finally reunited with my family after a long period of not being able to see them...It was marvelous and together with my mother I flew to the Netherlands to celebrate the coming of the New Year with my awesome relatives there. The Dutch sure do love their fireworks!

En Route

Whales in the Desert

A breathtaking alien landscape filled with the remains of the vibrant marine life that inhabited the Tethus Sea, now a desert, over 40 million years ago. Fossils are literally found everywhere underneath your feet: Nummulus (single-cell organisms), shells, urchins, crabs, sea cows, saw fish, turtles, mangrive roots, coral, enormous whales...Whales with HIND LIMBS (Darwin would've wet his panties)

Entering Wadi El Hitan

Bedouin coffee in the desert, with marine fossils

Basilosaurus isis - 18 meter whale

Egyptian Revolutionary Graffiti

Violence flared in Tahrir Square during my stay with my family. We were far away from it all but it was hard not to notice the hardship endured by the people in the Square. The world watched intently and newspapers and TV networks reports regarding the situation flowed continuously.

On the streets I found another sort of medium that clearly communicated how the people felt about the political regime. Graffiti, in particular stencil street art, told its own stories and was rapidly spreading, an act of defiance that would have been unthinkable during the former years of Mubarak's ruling.

I photographed so many of them that I have lost count but I do remember that I was inexplicably drawn to every piece of street art that I came across - Perhaps due to the many powerful messages that they conveyed.

Click here for a link to a video. And if you are a fellow graffiti lover make sure to check your bookstore for the book 'Wall Talk: Graffiti of the Egyptian Revolution' by Sherif Boraie

Dusty Travelling Shoes

The journey started in Egypt, where my father resides.
For a month I experienced life in this fascinating country and got a glimpse of its rich culture. The vast amount of archaeological remnants are akin to scattered breadcrumbs that lead to the many paths of past civilizations. It was literally breathtaking.

Luxor

Al-Hakim Mosque

El Sahara el-Beida

En Route