Stalking the woman in red in Uzi

Photographing landscapes is hard enough. But taking portraits of strangers poses a special challenge. You just wouldn't know how people would react being photographed. Others feel that it is an invasion of privacy which it really can be, getting annoyed if not downright angry. Some are too shy and would walk away from the lens.


an aerial view of Ng’ambwe, Uzi which I eventually visited on-site



3 women of Ng’ambwe



the woman in red was working with several ladies when I first approached her


On occasions, I can be lucky. Take this woman in a blazing red dress in Ng’ambwe, Uzi. She was at first nonchalant and then became engaging. It helped that I lingered in the location for awhile and that must have made them more comfortable with me. I was interested in what they were doing – they were planting seaweed – and they probably recognize too some of my companions who they might have worked with in the past.


holding some seaweed planting material



an engaging smiling


As a subject, I could not ask for anything more. Her red dress is fiery and catches the light glaringly. And her generous personality showed in the shots that I took.


unbridled laughter



her easygoing work demeanor shows here



a final take

To go: Uzi is about 25 km southeast of Stonetown, Zanzibar, accessible by road only during low tide via a causeway at Unguja Ukuu.

take me to Magsaysay Park

So Magsaysay Park of Davao City has a wide open public plaza for strolling. The children’s playground, restaurant and ampitheatre present families ample attraction especially during weekends. It even has government offices which makes the park a public affairs destination.


across the fruit stalls of Magsaysay Park is the Chinatown gate



selecting the durian


However, to me, Magsaysay Park is the place to be to get my durian fix. Sure there were pomelos, mangosteens, oranges, mangoes and other fruits. But when you are in Davao, you know you are where the king of fruits are in abundance. By reputation the best durians are in Davao and as you can see here, I was not disappointed.


durian sharing in the park



eating out

To go: Magsaysay Park is in Leon Garcia Street, Agdao District, Davao City, the Philippines

craving for Troika

You want to know my all time favorite chocolate? It is fabulous Nidar’s Troika from Norway. The description on the wrapper says it all: marzipan, truffle and jelly covered with dark chocolate. The combination, I tell you, is made in heaven.

I first tasted Troika in Bergen in 2004. The shiny red package intrigued me. One bite was all it took and I was a convert. Not much of a fan of almond marzipan paste, I was however floored by the mix of thin layer of soft jelly and the chocolate. I immediately bought several packs and over the next week or so after coming back from my trip in Europe, I finished my stash.




The following year, I ordered some bars online and had them delivered to my sister’s apartment in New York just in time when I went there for a business trip. It’s been a few years since then but the chocolate’s wax paper wrapper I saved. Today, it is still lovingly pinned on my office corkboard as I know that it could be useful someday. Luckily late last year, a colleague went to Norway on a business and I only had one request: Troika. I ended up with three bars but they were all that I needed.




I still have one more piece that I have put in storage. I’m waiting for a special event to eat it. I can wait, for now.

Nidar’s Troika
Nidar AS, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway, www.nidar.no, +4773 583333

Pemba from above, part 3

This is the third installment of my aerial photographs of Pemba island which lies north of the Zanzibari archipelago. It is considered the “green appendage” of Zanzibar, known for its lush forests of cloves, coconuts and mangoes.


surreal seascape in Northwest Pemba



an isolated beach in Ngagu



Ngagu is still devoid of mass tourism



the reef between Mjini Kiuyu and Kiwani


Pemba’s development has long been associated with the dhow, the traditional wooden sail boats that were the connection between Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Utterly dependent on strong tradewinds, dhows brought cloves to mainland Aisa and in return, sent back cargoes such as wood and silver. Even today, dhows continue to connect Pemba and the rest of its East African neighbors like Kenya and Mozambique.


aerial of the farms of Mjini Kiuyu



Maziwa Ngombe shelters thick plantations of seaweed



another view of the seaweed farms in Maziwa Ngombe



breathtaking shifting dunes in the South Channel, Pemba



a eutrophic tributary at West Pemba near Fondu island


To go: Pemba is a large island north of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago that is part of Tanzania, East Africa. There are regular fast crafts and flights between Zanzibar and Pemba. Air charters can be arranged from various operators like the one we made with Tropical Air at +255 24 223 2511.

the Pemba aerial series:
(part 1 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com
part 2 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com
part 3 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com

the Cacing Diaries #42

in Bali

It is now my 42nd My Cacing diary entry in my blog. The pictures I post in the blog – some of which I feature in flickr – are a celebration of life and joy with my daughter Cacing. They allow me to step back in time and feel what I felt then and more.


the flower girl smile, at Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia


cacing and the adenium behind her ears


the charmer in her gray dress at Nusa Dua, Bali



spreading some more cheers



the pixie, shopping at Kuta, Bali



car frolic


the cheerleader at Candi Dasa, Karangasem, Bali



windswept giddiness

crossing Uzi

Uzi sounds exotic - reminds you of the gun, doesn’t it? –but for the regular visitor of Zanzibar, there isn’t much to see there. Sure, it has thick forests and the accompanying wildlife (mostly monkeys), lush mangroves and lonely beaches. There are also about 6000 people spread over three villages that are largely romanticized as Zanzibar before the age of mass tourism, which goes to say that things are spare if not backward in the island. Anthropology enthusiasts might visit Uzi. Or as in my case, people may just be looking for seaweed farms.


the “highway” to Uzi island



the causeway is carved through a mangrove forest


This second largest of the islands around Unguja holds a unique distinction though. By land, it can only be accessed via a causeway that is accessible during low tide. When the water comes up, the road disappears and you might as well travel by boat.


the channel water rising with the tide


Largely a project of the aid agencies, the causeway is a semi-paved clearing through the mangrove forest that separates Uzi and Unguja Ukuu of the main island of Unguju.


our reliable 4x4 ride



a bicycle crossing the causeway


In crossing the island several times I often worry if the wheels of our car will hold up. There are certainly no auto shops in the island and the only other way is to cross the rocky road would be by foot. The people of Uzi are used to these rough conditions; but what is mundane to them is still kind of exciting to me.

To go: Uzi is about 25 km southeast of Stonetown, Zanzibar, accessible by road only during low tide via a causeway at Unguja Ukuu.