Yeah, there was a bit of a mess there.Greg Beetham wrote:Oo that Mayan lady that was doing a ritual (looks more like a mess too me), on the steps of the church didn't appreciate your attention there Henry, careful you might get a hex put on you. The chicken bus driver looks happy at least but the passengers look a bit glum, it looks like a marvellous place for photography, I especially like the one with the guy carrying the cabinet.
It looks like people often come there, burn candles, and do stuff on the steps since there was lots of wax there. The religion of modern day Mayans is sort of an amalgam of their old gods/beliefs and Catholicism. I have definitely been watching out for any signs that the hex is on me. Later had to transfer to 2 more "chicken buses" at Los Encuentros and Sololá. They were less crowded so I could get a seat. The rain was pouring down during the ride on the 2nd bus and I was praying we wouldn't go over the edge of a cliff or turn over. The photo of the driver was on the third bus and I was sitting at the back. Most of the time it was way too bumpy to get a good photo of him in the mirror, but occasionally we would be on a straight piece of road or he would slow down so I was able to shoot him. 
Yeah, I am pretty sure too. The only thing bad that happened after she did that though was a few days later I stayed at a place called Caye Caulker in Belize and there was no relief from the mosquitoes, heat, and humidity. Room had a fan, but no aircon and each night the electricity went out (for different reasons -- flaky system) so no fan, no breeze, room with mosquitoes too, and no water for a cool shower since pump needed electricity. My room was on the hot side of the building too -- was baked by the blazing, hot sun all afternoon. First night absolutely no sleep, second night maybe a couple of hours in total in bits and pieces, third night the electricity stayed on all night and maybe got about 4 hours in total of sleep. Happy to leave Caye Caulker.Juanito200 wrote:That is a great set Henry. I do believe the woman in the second shot is giving you the 'mal ojo'...
Yeah, it was tough getting a shot of him because I was bouncing around so much in the back of the bus.Juanito200 wrote: The bus trip sounds like a white knuckle ride to be sure, but one you laugh about later. The shot of the driver is great, especially considering the adverse shooting conditions. I can't wait to see more.
I had to shoot at 250mm using ISO 6400 in the dim light to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze things. Also, I was having a hell of a time even framing the shots of him in the mirror because it was so bumpy and I was moving around. Sure could have used a stabilized vf then. Although, even a stabilized vf may not have been able to keep it still. I have a couple more shots of him in the mirror and one of him when I got off the bus on my website. He has a bit of a maniacal look on his face in that photo as he is speeding around mountain curves, doesn't he? Thanks, John. I expect to have the Mexico and Belize photos on my website in the next day or two. I'll post when I do.Juanito200 wrote: I just took a stroll through your website. Wow!
Yes, I wasn't online much for the last month or so because of travel and then busy working on the trip photos when I got back.aster wrote:How lovely to see you back online and here again!
Looks like the ladies out there did not think so for a while. : )
That is why they call them chicken buses. Especially out in the countryside the passengers often bring their chickens and other livestock to take to market. On the buses I rode I didn't see any animals though. I do recall riding in the back of a truck (looked sort of like a converted army truck with a canvas cover) in the countryside in northern Laos in 1998. Everyone was packed in with big sacks of rice on the floor and us on top of them -- some standing and some sitting. It was dark and I felt something hairy touching my feet (just had flip-flops on). I got my flashlight out to see what it was. There were 3 small dead animals laying there that belonged to a guy that had recently got on and plopped down next to me. He was a hunter or trapper and I saw that he was carrying something when he got on, but it was too dark to see what it was.aster wrote: These remind of those documentary films where the host usually travels the way you do; in the local transportation system(!). I almost expected to see a couple of wood cages filled with hens, birds and other small creatures on the laps of the people seated in the bus.
Way back in the cave there were many Mayan artifacts and some skulls that archaeologists have left in place (can't touch, of course). Then at the last point we went to there is the complete skeleton of a young woman who was sacrificed there about 1200 years ago. I guess it took us about 4 hours. The entrance to the cave in the dense jungle with a clear stream of water flowing out of it was just otherworldly. It was about an hour hike through dense jungle and wading across shallow rivers to get to the cave entrance and then the same hike to get back out to the place where the van was parked. Just 5 of us plus the wonderful caving guide. Unfortunately, it was impossible to carry and use a camera while caving so I have no photos. 
I had been in big caves such as Carslbad Caverns National Park and lots of others of that type around the world where you can just walk in, but this was my first time to do any real caving. This wasn't really particularly hard and because this cave had lots of water it was the one I wanted to see and experience. Also, the old Maya skeletons and skulls from sacrifice victims in the back of cave in the upper, dry areas were also something I wanted to see.Greg Beetham wrote:Great stuff Henry, but no thanks on the cave where you squeeze through a cleft in water in the dark.
hey come on, that's the way you like it, telling us cool stories about it when you're backbakubo wrote:...mosquitoes, heat, and humidity. Room had a fan, but no aircon and each night the electricity went out (for different reasons -- flaky system) so no fan, no breeze, room with mosquitoes too, and no water for a cool shower ...
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