Favorites, 2009 (Part 4, With Friends)

As I’ve said before, one of the least favorite things about being a travel writer (if there is such a thing) is having to travel with people that you would never—ever—want to travel with. On the flip side, however, I consider myself to have been very lucky. Last year, I traveled with some of my dearest friends—and even made some new ones along the way.

In the midst of the H1N1 scare, my brother, Matthew, and I embarked on our first cruise ever, sailing from Long Beach, Calif. to Victoria, B.C., on the Carnival Splendor. We still had fun anyway, even if it was a lot rainier and cloudier than it would have been in Puerto Vallarta. (May 2009)

My friend, Jennifer, whom I’ve known since the second grade, was my travel buddy on my first-ever river cruise, sailing down the Rhine with Avalon Waterways. We snapped this photo in Heidelberg, Germany. (Photo (c) Jennifer Eriguel; August 2009)

Cindy and I cast a shadow on the shores of Achsiv Beach in Israel. (September 2009)

And, on the first night of our trip to Japan and Korea, my boyfriend, Eliot, and I enjoyed a feast at The Peninsula Tokyo’s Peter restaurant—just one of many great meals we savored throughout both countries. (December 2009)

Favorites, 2009 (Part 3, Animals)

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two particularly photogenic types of animals that I love to snap photos of: camels and dogs. Dogs are an obvious choice but camels—well, who knew they were so obliging and had so much character?

A beer-drinking camel from Petra in Jordan (February 2009)

My favorite camel of all time, from Wadi Rum in Jordan—look at that smile! (February 2009)

Little paw prints from the salt ponds in Kauai (July 2009)

A pooped pup in front of a pub in Cologne, Germany (August 2009)

My second-favorite camel of all time. I met him outside of a pit stop while we made our way from Tiberias to Masada in Israel. (September 2009)

A happy dog in Tel Aviv (September 2009)

Another happy dog from Costa Rica (October 2009)

And finally, a Costa Rican monkey just hanging out on a telephone line (November 2009)

(All photos © Deanna Ting)

A Change of Plans

Right about now, I should have been at LAX, waiting in line to check my luggage or passing through airport security, on my way to Frankfurt, Germany. Instead, I’ve been grounded, thanks to that unexpectedly disastrous volcanic eruption in Iceland—the same one that’s incited “the largest shutdown of international airspace in years.” Below is a photo of stranded passengers at my intended destination. (Photo (c) Getty Images and NYTimes.com) 

Oh well, I sit here, thinking silently to myself. What is there to do?

That’s the thing about travel—as with almost everything else, I suppose. It’s unpredictable and, more often than not, it’s not only subject to change—it will change and often, when you least expect it.

People tend to react in one of two ways when dealing with such travel roadblocks and detours. There’s the path of most resistance—the one where you become a seething cesspool of unbridled rage, anger and resentment. (For proof, just watch any episode of “The Amazing Race.” Trust me.)

And then there’s the other option—the one where you simply shrug your shoulders and just move on. This one, I’ve found, is always much more preferable.

So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m sad that I’ll be missing out on savoring those frothy mugs of beer and scouring the museums of Mainz but I know that, eventually, everything will work itself out. Who knows? There might just be yet another change of plans in the works and maybe, just maybe, it’ll be even better than I’d hoped.

Favorites, 2009 (Part 1, People)

While I think it might be a little late to revisit some of my favorite photos from 2009 (this is something traditionally reserved for the end of last year, right?), I figured, oh well, better late than never, especially since I'm getting ready for another trip soon (more details on that later). I’m not a professional photographer in the least bit, so you’ll have to forgive me if the photo quality isn’t always up to par; I picked my favorites based on the stories behind them, and not necessarily on the image quality or sense of color and depth.

Photographing people isn’t always as easy as you think. And, of course, there’s always the chance that the person you want to photograph is a little camera shy (not unlike myself). But isn’t it crazy how a single image of just one person can really capture an entire place or time, sometimes? That’s why I loved these photos so much, and I hope you might feel the same way about them, too.

In Amman, Jordan, we visited a local school, the Al-Hussein Society for the Rehabilitation of the Physically Challenged, to volunteer. I loved these two kids—they were so outgoing and inquisitive. (February 2009)

This is a photo of one of the guides who accompanied us during an overnight stay in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan. He just looked so cozy (it was freezing) and I’ll always remember his super-considerate offerings of steaming-hot Turkish coffee and sweet tea. (February 2009)

In Heidelberg, Germany, this ebullient older man suddenly started clapping out of nowhere, both startling and amusing the throngs of tourists around him. (August 2009)

I just loved how this Israeli couple clung to each other as they left the synagogue at a kibbutz in the Galilee. (September 2009)

In Nazareth, Israel, we were treated to a performance by a talented local Nazarene dance troupe. (September 2009)

This father and daughter from Akko, Israel, were kind enough to let me photograph them as they sat out on their rooftop. (September 2009)

This photo, also taken in Akko, was a little unsettling: I don’t know if you can see it all that well, but the boy on the far right is playing with a mock rifle. (September 2009)

My friend and I encountered this little boy as we got lost trying to navigate our way through Akko. He was really interested in checking out our camera equipment. (September 2009)

At the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in Israel, we came across large groups of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recruits. I loved how the guy on the left decided to put on his best face for me. (September 2009)

Just another day at the pit stop for this IDF soldier (September 2009)

In Jerusalem, a father accompanied his son home from school. (September 2009)

A woman walking through the Old City of Jerusalem (September 2009)

Traditional dancers from Costa Rica—I loved how their skirts moved with every twirl. (November 2009)

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the chefs who made our fresh soba noodles at the Hoshinoya Kyoto restaurant. (December 2009)

A delighted sous chef from Tempura Matsu in Kyoto, Japan, displayed a soon-to-be-cooked-and-eaten fish for us. (December 2009)

This little boy was fascinated by the gigantic koi fish that lived in the ponds surrounding the beautifully serene Tenryu-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. (December 2009)

My one and only geisha spotting from Kyoto—but I can’t even be sure if she’s a real geisha or just a girl playing dress up. (December 2009)

One big tuna at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo (December 2009)

At the DMZ in South Korea (December 2009)

(All photos © Deanna Ting)