http://alyciakravitz.com Alycia Kravitz Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:44:04 +0000 http://alyciakravitz.com en http://alyciakravitz.com/Stories-from-the-West-Bank http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Stories-from-the-West-Bank Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:44:04 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 5083121 Nine Years: Samer's Story<img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0093_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0093_o.jpg" data-mid="29099595" border="0" align="left"/> Samer was seven years old when the first intifada tore across the Palestinian territories and rocked the West Bank city of Nablus, near his home village of Awarta. In Nablus’s city cener he witnessed the murder of a Palestinian at the hands of an Israeli soldier, and the sight opened a spring of rage deep within him. When the second intifada broke out in 2000 he channeled that anger into action and joined the roving gangs of boys pelting the Israeli soldiers with the only weapons they had: rocks. In the David and Goliath battle that defines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, throwing stones wasn’t a strong enough expression of his fury, and Samer made the fateful decision to launch a molotov cocktail at the soldiers. He succeeded in burning the calf of an Israeli soldier, who responded with his firearm, shooting Samer in the neck and leg. He was rushed to the hospital and given slim chances of survival, but his body was young and strong, and he made a full recovery. He was fifteen years old. He was arrested for throwing the molotov cocktail, and at the age of seventeen he was sentenced to nine years in prison. From seventeen to twenty-six Samer sat in a cell, confined to the prison walls and a small outdoor enclosure. The Israelis moved him to a different prison every year, and at each one he had to reestablish a semblance of community with his fellow prisoners. The years were dark, and Samer speaks of them with the deep sorrow of time lost. His mother wasn’t allowed to visit him for the first year of his sentence, and he was unable to touch the three brothers she bore while he was locked up. His eyes cloud as he describes his fear that they would be afraid of him when he finally tried to touch their hair and kiss their faces. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0021_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0021_o.jpg" data-mid="29099599" border="0" align="left"/>Nine years. Nine birthdays spent in confinement, nine summers without freedom. Nine lonely winters stretching into darkness, months of silent nights while his counterparts watched football and slept in class and fell in love. Nine years of a mother mourning for her son. Nine years laid bare in numbers: four hours outside each day, eight channels on the television, one phone hidden in the floor and shared by the inmates: six minutes per call. Nine stolen years for the foolish choice of a child. Samer grew up behind bars, but he wove a life out of the fabric of prison. The inmates organized study groups, sharing their knowledge and experience of the outside world. He studied Hebrew and English and read books upon books. He was the prison barber, and he became a skilled chef, cooking for his fellow prisoners. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0052_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0052_o.jpg" data-mid="29099594" border="0" align="left"/> On December 19th, 2012, Samer was released from prison. People poured out of their houses, filling the streets of his village with singing and dancing and fluttering Palestinian flags. In the months since he has been out he has been showered with blessings and gratitude, walking the streets as a living symbol of the resistance. He remains humble, studying English and working for his father as a taxi dispatcher. The rage has drained out of him and been replaced with resolve to leave his conflict-ravaged homeland and move on. Nine years of his life were stolen, and he has no intention of letting the rest of them slip away. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/4_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/4_o.jpg" data-mid="27269382" border="0" align="left"/> Naked Voices: Ahmed and Zolfa's Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/17_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/17_o.jpg" data-mid="28886268" border="0" align="left"/> Ahmed and Zolfa are students at the Edward Saed National Conservatory of Music in Nablus, Palestine. They have many things in common: both of their fathers are from Nablus, both of their mothers are from Palestinian areas in Israel, and they both have Israeli passports. They think of themselves as Palestinian, but the Israeli identification has caused problems for both of them, as has their passion for music. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/18_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/18_o.jpg" data-mid="28886315" border="0" align="left"/> Ahmed is 13 years old and lives with his family in Nablus. His mother is from Nazareth, and his family lived there until he was five years old. Even though he left at a young age, he has fond memories of the city and thinks of it as “freer” than conservative Nablus. In Nablus people disapprove of the fact that he has a girlfriend, and his fellow students bully him both because he sings and because he has Israeli citizenship. He doesn’t let the discrimination get him down, though, and he writes songs and poems to perform in school and at protests against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Zolfa, 16 years old, is also politically engaged. She has organized school performances dealing with the problems of the occupation, and she speaks passionately against the harm done to children in the occupied lands. She lives in a very conservative village on the Israeli side of the green line, and the people there disapprove of her singing. They refer to it as her “naked voice”—a woman singing in public reveals too much of herself, the equivalent of vocal immodesty. Her mother is ashamed and asks her to stop, but her father supports her and brings her to Nablus to study music. She is in school to be a doctor, but she’ll have to wait two years after graduation before starting her university studies; since all Israelis serve in the Israeli Defense Forces she is forced to wait for her peers before being allowed to start the next level of her education. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/19_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/19_o.jpg" data-mid="28886356" border="0" align="left"/> Ahmed and Zolfa’s friendship is strengthened by their similarities. They are both in a strange limbo between cultures and identities, not entirely accepted by either Palestinians or Israelis. Both of them have chosen to pursue their passion for music, and both of them have suffered ridicule and alienation because of it. Yet the halls of the conservatory ring with their laughter, and they continue to write and perform songs together every chance they get. Some of it is political, but most of it is just for fun, and they support each other through their music and lyrics. Despite the risks of continuing to study music in a society that does not always consider it a valuable art form, Ahmed and Zolfa have no plans to stop singing. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/20_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/20_o.jpg" data-mid="28886380" border="0" align="left"/> A Refugee without Resources: Fadwa's Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/9_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/9_o.jpg" data-mid="27882040" border="0" align="left"/>Fadwa lives in Askar refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus. Askar is just one of the many “camps” scattered across the West Bank and peopled with refugees from lands that were taken by the state of Israel after it was established in 1948. As the years dragged on and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict became deeply mired in a state of stagnation the refugee camps became towns in and of themselves, with new generations birthed inside their depths. Yet the camps have not been absorbed into the surrounding cities, and despite the fact that many young refugees have lived their entire lives in the West Bank, they remain removed from the local population. One refugee described the relationship in racial terms, likening the marriage of a refugee and a non-refugee to the marriage of black and white in a racially sensitive society. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/10_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/10_o.jpg" data-mid="27882052" border="0" align="left"/>Fadwa is a kindergarten teacher in Askar camp. Her school also acts as a center for mentally handicapped children, who have very few resources available to them in the West Bank. A 2000 study found that just over 46,000 Palestinians were disabled, or about 1.8% of the population in the West Bank and Gaza. These thousands of disabled people face a shortage of education facilities, physical accessibility and funding, most of which comes from foreign donors. Each day ten students come to the school around 9:30 am, and stay for four hours before being driven back home again. 23 students used to come, but a new schoolbus only had room for ten students, so the other 13 were told they must stay home unless their parents could bring them themselves. There are no programs for the handicapped students, so they depend on volunteers to prepare makeshift curriculums and teach them basic skills. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/11_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/11_o.jpg" data-mid="27882066" border="0" align="left"/>Fadwa is one of these volunteers, and she spends much of the time she’s not teaching with the handicapped students, showing them how to go about daily routines or singing songs with them. She has been doing this since she started working at the center in 2000, and has formed relationships with many of the students who come year after year—they have no where else to go. Fadwa is a refugee herself, and has seen her share of hardships, including a son who is currently in prison, yet she gives of herself and her time in a place where there are few resources. The name of the kindergarten she works at is an apt outlook for the future: Hope of the Smile. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/12_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/12_o.jpg" data-mid="27882073" border="0" align="left"/> A House of Peace: Ibrahim's Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/23_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/23_o.jpg" data-mid="28888865" border="0" align="left"/> Ibrahim doesn’t have a passport. He is a Palestinian that lives in Israel, and as such he is denied both Israeli citizenship and a Palestinian ID card. Yet he considers himself a citizen of the world, and has traveled to numerous countries, including the United States and India. He is able to do this because each journey is by invitation—he has a global reputation earned by his work for peace between Muslims and Jews living in the Holy Land. He is the co-founder of Jerusalem Peacemakers, and he participates in Jewish-Arab delegations delivering humanitarian relief to the West Bank. His work has garnered national and international respect, and he is widely considered to be an ambassador of goodwill and a symbol of hope. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/24_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/24_o.jpg" data-mid="28888869" border="0" align="left"/>Ibrahim’s family has lived on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem for 14 generations. He was five years old when the state of Israel was established, and he grew up amidst Muslims, Jews and Christians living together. Three decades ago he decided to open his home to weary travelers, and the Peace House was established. He never asks his guests for money, nor does he work through the traditional channels of websites, phone numbers and reservations. His name is passed among travelers, and everyone is welcome to stay for as long as they want or need. There is a small box in the main room labeled “Donations,” and he combines the money travelers give with his own resources to make sure that the guesthouse is always supplied with ample food, water and electricity. When a new guest enters his home Ibrahim greets her with a cup of tea and a plate of food. The sitting room is plastered with pictures and newspaper clippings telling of his travels and peacemaking efforts, and he sits happily in the center of the room, refilling teacups and regaling internationals with stories of his colorful life. He is the consummate host, giving all that he has and rarely asking for anything in return. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/25_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/25_o.jpg" data-mid="28888877" border="0" align="left"/>Ibrahim believes that peace is possible. He thinks that all people from all religions are the same at their core, and that similarity is basically good. His mission is to shed light on all of the good things that people do—Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, the list goes on. The media always shows you the bad, the problems and the fighting and the negative stereotypes, but there is a universe of good that is hidden from the public eye. Ibrahim is trying to share that good, one traveler, one story, and one plate of food at a time. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/26_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/26_o.jpg" data-mid="28888881" border="0" align="left"/> Living like Dead: Hashim's Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/13_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="667" width_o="1024" height_o="684" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/13_o.jpg" data-mid="28839068" border="0" align="left"/>Hashim was born in the Palestinian city of Nablus. The youngest of four children, he had big dreams to study abroad and travel the world, following the example of his older brother who attended university in Egypt. Those dreams started to fray when the Israeli government forbid his brother to return to Palestine—he was a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and as such faced a prison sentence if he entered the occupied territories. While his brothers and sisters were studying Hashim had to help his father in the family butchery, which was passed down from his grandfather. When he was 16 his father had a heart attack, and he stepped up to run the business during his recovery. As the time to enter university approached he applied and was granted visas to Romania and Tunisia to study abroad, but when he was 18 his father suffered a stroke and he was forced to stay in Nablus and work full time as a butcher, earning a banking degree at An-Najah University at the same time. Soon after he graduated his mother fell and broke her hip, and his dreams of leaving Nablus evaporated as the full responsibility of the butcher’s shop fell on his shoulders. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/14-1_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="667" width_o="1024" height_o="684" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/14-1_o.jpg" data-mid="28839075" border="0" align="left"/>At age 25 Hashim married a woman who was chosen for him by his older sister. The day of his wedding he rose early and worked in the butchery until 2 pm. He left work and went to set up the chairs for the wedding, took a quick shower and got married. He says that his case is typical of relationships here—love comes after marriage. Today he loves his wife “too much,” and they have three children together. Baha, 22, has just graduated from An-Najah University, Leanna, 20, is currently earning her degree, and Bara, 16, is still in high school. When the first intifada broke out in 1987, schools were closed and students were stranded in their educations. Hashim started to hold secret classes, teaching English and other subjects to almost 50 students while the intifada stretched all the way into 1993. It was forbidden, of course, but he took the risk and continued to teach. Things were different when the second intifada started in 2000. Increased military activity made it more dangerous to teach, and Hashim had his hands full trying to keep his business afloat. He worked as much as he could, but sometimes Israeli-imposed curfews kept him away from his shop for weeks. He estimates that he lost 100,000 shekels (about $27,625) during the second intifada. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/14_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="667" width_o="1024" height_o="684" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/14_o.jpg" data-mid="28839089" border="0" align="left"/>He hasn’t been able to earn back the money lost, and he describes his days now as “living like dead.” He works seven days a week, preparing meat, spices and vegetables for his customers, but it’s not enough, and he doesn’t know how to finance his children’s education. He tried to emigrate to Canada and the Ukraine, obtaining visas for both countries, but his wife refused to leave her homeland, and he won’t leave without her. Despite his bleak economic situation, Hashim is proud of his country and his education. He says that he “enters houses from their doors, not their windows,” and wants to coexist peacefully with the state of Israel. He has encountered more than his fair share of dead ends and disappointments, yet undampened optimism and hope shine through his eyes. He’s not sure of what the future will bring, but he will continue to work and learn and share what he has with all who pass through the Nablus marketplace. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/15_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="667" width_o="1024" height_o="684" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/15_o.jpg" data-mid="28839094" border="0" align="left"/> Midnight Awakenings: Claire's Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/5_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/5_o.jpg" data-mid="27325353" border="0" align="left"/>Claire and her husband George built an empire together in their corner of the world, running three businesses and raising four children in a busy neighborhood in Bethlehem. Twenty years ago their house was in a prime location on a main thoroughfare, and their souvenir shop catered to Jewish, Muslim and Christian pilgrims who flocked to the town to visit the Nativity Church, the alleged birthplace of Jesus Christ. Besides the thriving tourist trade, Claire and George owned a convenience shop in the center of town, an organic grocery and a mechanic shop. Claire speaks of those days with a wistful nostalgia, conjuring the friendly bustle and neighborhood faces from the empty air of her kitchen. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/6_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/6_o.jpg" data-mid="27325368" border="0" align="left"/>Everything changed in 1996. When the soldiers began coming the tourists stayed away, and over the next eight years the life she worked so hard to establish disintegrated into midnight raids and barren streets. The land around her house was claimed by the Israeli Defense Forces for a military outpost, and she watched the soldiers, mere boys of 18 and 19, doing drills outside her window. She lived in a strategic position, and the soldiers would come in the night to survey the town from her windows. When they knocked she had to answer; it was too dangerous for her husband to open the door. She swung the door open to meet the gaze of guns, and her children were roused from bed with firearms and shouts. They, along with the children of the other family living in her house, were rounded up and kept silent in a corner while the soldiers shot at Palestinian resistance fighters. In 2001 her husband cut his hand at work and they sold everything they had to pay his hospital bills. Their businesses were failing and they were helpless against the stream of Israeli military coursing through their home and life. Since they stayed in their house they were not considered refugees, and therefore not eligible to receive food or other aid the Palestinian Authority and humanitarian groups were bringing into Bethlehem. In 2002 the city went under siege and an Israeli-imposed curfew froze them in place for a year and a half. When it was finally lifted the PA demanded bill payment for the time under siege; since they were unable to pay the Palestinian government cut their electricity for four months. One day in 2003 her children left for school like usual. They came home to an immense concrete wall cutting through the town and hemming in their property. The soldiers had built the wall in a day, and it separated Claire’s home from Rachel’s Tomb, a popular tourist attraction. Her children begged her to leave, telling her that they were living in a tomb themselves, but she and her husband decided to stay—they had no where else to go. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/7_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/7_o.jpg" data-mid="27325376" border="0" align="left"/>Finally, in 2005, Claire had an idea. Two Russian women had stayed with them for several days, and the soldiers didn't break in while there were foreigners in the house. She realized that an international presence might afford her family some sort of protection, and she transformed the downstairs of her home into a guesthouse. It worked—the soldiers stopped coming in the night, and her children stayed in their beds. Their financial problems continue and their businesses are still floundering, but they are safe, for now, from invasion. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/8_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/8_o.jpg" data-mid="27325385" border="0" align="left"/> Useful at Home: Ramadan’s Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0007_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0007_o.jpg" data-mid="28889341" border="0" align="left"/> Ramadan is the last of nine children—seven girls and two boys. His family had owned a lot of land near Jerusalem, but once the state of Israel was established in 1948 they were forced off their territory and moved to the West Bank city of Ramallah. When he was 13 years old he stopped going to school and started working to make some extra money for his family. He was the only one of his siblings to do so. His father, a car mechanic, found work in Jordan and Ramadan lived there with him from age 15 to 17. He returned to a Palestine embroiled in the first intifada, and he spent six months in prison for participating in the resistance. The time in jail deeply affected him, and his eyes still harden when he thinks back to the days spent in a cell. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0014_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0014_o.jpg" data-mid="29120153" border="0" align="left"/> When he was freed he opened his own garage and worked steadily for the next six years, until, at age 24, he discovered his passion: music. He was friends with some musicians in Ramallah who brought him to the Edward Saed National Conservatory of Music, and there he started to study the contrabass. There was no contrabass professor there, so every other week he loaded the instrument into a taxi and traveled an hour to Nablus for a lesson. After a year of studying in Palestine he was offered the chance to study for one year in Paris, and he took it, leaving his family and his country at the age of 25. After the year was up he aced his exams and was offered a scholarship to finish his diploma—four more years of study. Upon completion of his degree he started to teach at the conservatory where he had studied, and a year later he began graduate studies in Music Education. After two years he ran out of money and had to return to Palestine without finishing the degree. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0023_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0023_o.jpg" data-mid="28889367" border="0" align="left"/> Ramadan was 34 years old when he returned to Palestine. Although he had only planned on being away for a year, it had stretched into nine, and he had missed the second intifada while he was away. Despite the long absence, he had always “left to return,” and it was only a matter of time before he brought his education and experiences back to his people. All he wanted was to be useful and work with the children of his homeland to craft something productive and beautiful. When asked about the future he shrugs softly and exhales. He will continue to teach at the Edward Saed Conservatory of Music, and play his contrabass with various ensembles of Palestinians and internationals. Perhaps he will go abroad to finish his studies. One thing is for sure: he will go where he can be useful. And he believes that the best place to be useful is in his own land and his own culture. His conviction is simple and strong: “if we’re not useful in our own home, we won’t be useful anywhere else.” <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0015_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/DSC_0015_o.jpg" data-mid="28889355" border="0" align="left"/> You Can Succeed: Moaz's Story <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/27_1000.JPG" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/27_o.JPG" data-mid="28889226" border="0" align="left"/> Moaz is a journalist who broadcasts to all of the West Bank from the cities of Nablus and Ramallah. He is the oldest of eight children and the son of a professor of Religion at Al-Najah University in Nablus. From a young age Moaz was gifted, attending a high school for computer programming in Jerusalem and starting his own radio and television programs in Nablus at the age of 18. His programs were serious, focusing on political issues, and he continued to work on them while earning a degree in Psychology at Al-Najah University. In 2003, at the age of 24, he started working at the Al-Najah radio station, where he continues to work today, broadcasting two one-man shows every day. In addition to his radio programs Moaz presents two television shows every week on Palestine TV: Free Space, where people call in to discuss current political events, and In Religion and Politics, where guests come on to the show to explore issues and topics relevant to Palestinians. He is perpetually multi-tasking, dividing his attention between earning a Masters degree in Feminist Studies, managing his Facebook page, which has over 115,000 followers, and fielding more than 200 phone calls a day. He is a controversial figure in Palestine; his supporters love him for speaking frankly about the political problems plaguing the nation, while his detractors criticize him for instigating even more trouble by discussing sensitive and taboo issues on air. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/28_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="682" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/28_o.jpg" data-mid="28889242" border="0" align="left"/>As a budding journalist Moaz faced all of the obstacles typical in his profession: competition from his peers, jealousy from his inferiors and superiors, and the task of winning over Palestinian audiences. But he also faced a problem that his international counterparts didn’t have to deal with: the occupation. Every day during the second intifada Moaz rose at 2 am and started his commute to the radio station. Even though it was only minutes away from where he lived in Nablus, the journey would sometimes take up to three hours as he navigated through a maze of Israeli soldiers and checkpoints. Once he was detained on the side of the road for ten hours for no reason other than his Palestinian identity. Another time he was forced to hide inside of a dumpster while soldiers passed by. One morning he found himself trapped on a staircase: at the top were Israeli soldiers, at the bottom Palestinian military. He heard gunshots and felt something whiz by his head; he jumped off the stairs and sprinted home. When he arrived his mother cried out in surprise—he was covered in blood, from his head to the bag he was carrying. It belonged to a member of the Palestinian military who had been shot next to him on the stairs. Moaz still has the blood soaked bag as a reminder of that day. <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/29_1000.jpg" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/29_o.jpg" data-mid="28889260" border="0" align="left"/>Despite the hours of sleep he lost, the questioning and harassment he faced, and the countless episodes of humiliation and danger, Moaz continued to broadcast. He has a deep passion for his country and his people, and he holds the government responsible for a just and honest fulfillment of its responsibility to them. He knows the value of freedom, and he believes that peace with Israel is possible if the leaders shoulder the burden of reconciliation. To anyone that wants to succeed, Moaz has a simple message: “Don’t stay in your house. Go and go and go. If you go, maybe you’ll face some problems. But in the end, I believe you can succeed. You can succeed. You can succeed.” <img src="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/30_1000.JPG" width="1000" height="666" width_o="1024" height_o="683" src_o="http://payload139.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5083121/30_o.JPG" data-mid="28889282" border="0" align="left"/> Nine Years: Samer's Story Samer was seven years old when the first intifada tore across the Palestinian territories and rocked the West Bank city of Nablus, near... http://alyciakravitz.com/Palestine http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Palestine Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:58:48 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 5236985 The first problem with introducing this photo collection is what to call it. Palestine? The West Bank? The Occupied Palestinian Territories under the military control of the state of Israel? The Palestinian nation has been sliced up into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and Israel continues to encroach upon what is left. Despite the oppression of a military occupation, the Palestinian people are full of a warm exuberance that belies the outrages that are woven into the fabric of normal life in the occupied lands. Unfailingly hospitable, and rightfully proud of the dramatic landscapes their country boasts, Palestinians approach the everyday with remarkable dignity and grace. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0117_1000.jpg" width="800" height="531" width_o="800" height_o="531" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0117_o.jpg" data-mid="28163312" border="0" align="left"/>A sign marks the entry to a Palestinian road in the West Bank. The giant red markers are posted in all Palestinian areas, warning Israeli citizens of "danger" to their lives if they enter. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0127_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0127_o.jpg" data-mid="28163320" border="0" align="left"/>Traditional Palestinian dresses, called tobs, and other wares for sale in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0135_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0135_o.jpg" data-mid="28163325" border="0" align="left"/>Candles burn in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, considered to be the oldest operating church in the world. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0140_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0140_o.jpg" data-mid="28163330" border="0" align="left"/>Christians gather around the site that is believed to be the cave of Jesus's birth in the Nativity Church. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0163_1000.jpg" width="800" height="477" width_o="800" height_o="477" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0163_o.jpg" data-mid="28163332" border="0" align="left"/>An Israeli settlement can be seen from the streets of Bethlehem. Jewish settlements are illegal civilian communities built on occupied lands in an attempt to claim as much territory as possible for the state of Israel. Despite international condemnation and UN Security Council resolutions holding them in violation international law, nearly 600,000 Israelis live in Arab East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and new settlements are currently being built. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0170_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0170_o.jpg" data-mid="28163340" border="0" align="left"/>Walls are ubiquitous in the West Bank, dividing land, families and businesses from each other. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0176_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0176_o.jpg" data-mid="28163344" border="0" align="left"/>A man walks through a checkpoint in Bethlehem. Checkpoints are situated at the entrance and exit of every West Bank town and monitored by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0178_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0178_o.jpg" data-mid="28163359" border="0" align="left"/>Palestinians must obtain a permit, a difficult and time-consuming process, to cross certain checkpoints. Without these permits they are forbidden to move beyond the Green Line, the 1949 Armistice border separating the occupied territories from the land claimed by Israel. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0180_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0180_o.jpg" data-mid="28163364" border="0" align="left"/>Upon entering the checkpoint they must show their ID cards (since Israel does not recognize Palestine as a sovereign nation its citizens are not issued passports) and go through metal detectors. On busy mornings commuters may wait up to two hours to cross through and get to work. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0188_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0188_o.jpg" data-mid="28163367" border="0" align="left"/>Graffiti decorates the Israeli West Bank Barrier in Bethlehem. Its construction was justified by the state of Israel to protect against the threat of Palestinian "terrorism." <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0191_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0191_o.jpg" data-mid="28163373" border="0" align="left"/>The wall, which will stretch 700 km (430 mi) when finished, slices through the town and separates the Palestinian side from the access to Jerusalem, which is just a few kilometers away. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0018_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0018_o.jpg" data-mid="28163406" border="0" align="left"/>Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, is torn between Palestinian and Israeli claims of religious and cultural importance. It is the second holiest city in Judaism, after Jerusalem, and a major economic hub for Palestine. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0044_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0044_o.jpg" data-mid="28163409" border="0" align="left"/>Signs in Hebrew and English hang in Hebron. Signs like these are placarded over the city describing massacres of Jews by "thieving" Arabs. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0062_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0062_o.jpg" data-mid="28163410" border="0" align="left"/>Wares hang for sale in the Hebron marketplace. The mesh ceiling was put up after Jewish settlers began to dump litter and waste from their homes onto the shoppers below. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0077_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0077_o.jpg" data-mid="28163413" border="0" align="left"/>Pickled vegetables for sale in the Hebron market. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0080_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0080_o.jpg" data-mid="28163417" border="0" align="left"/>A man wearing a keffiyeh passes a graffited wall in Hebron. The traditional Arab scarf became a national symbol of Palestine in the early 20th century and is used today to show solidarity with Palestinians. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0098_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0098_o.jpg" data-mid="28163420" border="0" align="left"/>Girls pray in the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron. The structure holds the purported tombs of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Sarah, the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people. Because of its importance to both Islam and Judaism the building is divided and houses both a mosque and a synagogue. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0106_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0106_o.jpg" data-mid="28589207" border="0" align="left"/>A woman leads her daughter through a checkpoint in Hebron. The city is home to 250,000 Palestinians and between 500 and 800 Israeli settlers, but the Palestinian population must navigate checkpoints and restricted areas that divide the city. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0003_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0003_o.jpg" data-mid="28163501" border="0" align="left"/>A boy flashes a peace sign out of a car window in the West Bank city of Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0004_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0004_o.jpg" data-mid="28163538" border="0" align="left"/>Another peace sign offered to a passerby. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_004_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_004_o.jpg" data-mid="28163561" border="0" align="left"/>A traditional way of preparing food in Palestinian villages involves slow roasting meat and vegetables together underground for several hours. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0006_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0006_o.jpg" data-mid="28163563" border="0" align="left"/>Aqueel, who dug the hole in his back patio several years ago, begins to burn wood in the hole around 11 in the morning. After the wood is completely burned, around 2 pm, he puts whole chickens stuffed with rice and vegetables under the ground. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0013_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0013_o.jpg" data-mid="28163570" border="0" align="left"/>Four and a half hours later the food is finished. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0024_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0024_o.jpg" data-mid="28163580" border="0" align="left"/>Although it's at time-consuming process, Aqeel likes to do it every few months for special celebrations. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0008_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0008_o.jpg" data-mid="28163569" border="0" align="left"/>The view of Nablus from one of the mountains rimming the city. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0023_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0023_o.jpg" data-mid="28163575" border="0" align="left"/>A mosque dominates the clutter in the old city of Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0029_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0029_o.jpg" data-mid="28163583" border="0" align="left"/>Kindergarten students perform a dance for a Mother's Day celebration in Nablus in March 2013. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0055_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0055_o.jpg" data-mid="28163587" border="0" align="left"/>Boys pose for a photograph after a sports match in Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0092_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0092_o.jpg" data-mid="28163593" border="0" align="left"/>Dolls hang from telephone wires in Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0099_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0099_o.jpg" data-mid="28163597" border="0" align="left"/>A boy poses for a photo in Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0101_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0101_o.jpg" data-mid="28163606" border="0" align="left"/>Men sell fruits and vegetables in the Nablus marketplace. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0113_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0113_o.jpg" data-mid="28163629" border="0" align="left"/>Nuts for sale in downtown Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0196_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0196_o.jpg" data-mid="28163813" border="0" align="left"/>The wall of a building in Nablus displays posters of men who were killed during the second intifada, or "uprising," which took place from 2000-2005. Pictures of martyrs are posted all over the city as a tribute to their memory and a reminder of the continuing occupation. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0205_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0205_o.jpg" data-mid="28163815" border="0" align="left"/>Friends pose for a photo in the streets of Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0094_1000.jpg" width="800" height="568" width_o="800" height_o="568" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0094_o.jpg" data-mid="28169266" border="0" align="left"/>Boys block the road at a protest near the Huwwara checkpoint at the entrance of Nablus on February 15th, 2013. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0104_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0104_o.jpg" data-mid="28169271" border="0" align="left"/>Protests are held all across the West Bank every Friday in resistance to the occupation. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0143_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0143_o.jpg" data-mid="28169275" border="0" align="left"/>A member of the Nablus press prepares to cover the protest. He wears a gas mask to protect himself from the tear gas the Israeli soldiers launch at the protesters, and a bullet proof vest to shield against rubber coated steel bullets. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0176_7_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0176_7_o.jpg" data-mid="28169277" border="0" align="left"/>The protests usually start in the early afternoon and can stretch into the evening, until one of the sides gets bored and calls it a day. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0185_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0185_o.jpg" data-mid="28169278" border="0" align="left"/>Protesters use burning tires, upended dumpsters and boulders to block the roads and prevent the Israeli army jeeps from reaching them. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0188_12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0188_12_o.jpg" data-mid="28169279" border="0" align="left"/>Protesters run as tear gas grenades explode in their midst. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0197_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0197_o.jpg" data-mid="28169283" border="0" align="left"/>Protesters take a break on a backroad above the checkpoint. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0193_37_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0193_37_o.jpg" data-mid="28169282" border="0" align="left"/>A boy who was hit in the face with a tear gas grenade is tended to by his friends through more clouds of the gas. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0201_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0201_o.jpg" data-mid="28169285" border="0" align="left"/>They carry him further away from the protest and attempt to revive him. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0211_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0211_o.jpg" data-mid="28169286" border="0" align="left"/>After he does not regain consciousness an ambulance is called to take him away. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0226_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0226_o.jpg" data-mid="28169292" border="0" align="left"/>Protesters pose for a photo at the Huwwara checkpoint in Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0074_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0074_o.jpg" data-mid="28169314" border="0" align="left"/>Onlookers watch as a bride and groom take their first dance at a wedding in Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0099_34_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0099_34_o.jpg" data-mid="28169317" border="0" align="left"/>Men and women attended the ceremony separately; the women listened to music and danced in one room while the men smoked and played cards in another room. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0108_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0108_o.jpg" data-mid="28169322" border="0" align="left"/>After an hour of dancing the women return to their seats and the men file in to present their congratulations and gifts to the newlyweds. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0123_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0123_o.jpg" data-mid="28169326" border="0" align="left"/>After cutting the cake with a ceremonial sword, the pair feeds each other as onlookers cheer. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0136_1000.jpg" width="800" height="526" width_o="800" height_o="526" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0136_o.jpg" data-mid="28169333" border="0" align="left"/>The couple shares their first dance as husband and wife. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0056_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0056_o.jpg" data-mid="28169345" border="0" align="left"/>A woman sits to gather herbs in her front yard in Awarta village. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0064_1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0064_1_o.jpg" data-mid="28169354" border="0" align="left"/>A child stands in the new home his family is constructing in Awarta village. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0079_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0079_o.jpg" data-mid="28169380" border="0" align="left"/>Graffiti and pictures of martyrs adorn a wall in Awarta village. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/3_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/3_o.jpg" data-mid="28169398" border="0" align="left"/>Kindergarten students in Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="501" width_o="800" height_o="501" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/1_o.jpg" data-mid="28169390" border="0" align="left"/>The children start learning English when they are five years old and continue studying it until they graduate high school. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/7_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/7_o.jpg" data-mid="28169418" border="0" align="left"/>After that they can choose to continue studying the language in university. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/8_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/8_o.jpg" data-mid="28169422" border="0" align="left"/>The students may not always understand what the teacher is saying in English, but they're already fluent in body language. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0013_28_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0013_28_o.jpg" data-mid="28169467" border="0" align="left"/>Protesters sprint away from Israeli soldiers at the Huwwara checkpoint in Nablus on March 1st, 2013. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0024_79_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0024_79_o.jpg" data-mid="28169471" border="0" align="left"/>Palestinians take refuge in a convenience store as Israeli forces launch dozens of tear gas grenades towards protesters. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0027_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0027_o.jpg" data-mid="28169475" border="0" align="left"/>A tree is barely distinguishable in the thick cloud of tear gas that envelops the tiny shop. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0030_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0030_o.jpg" data-mid="28169479" border="0" align="left"/>As the gas permeates the shop those inside take refuge in the back room, shielding their eyes and mouths from the noxious vapor. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0033_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0033_o.jpg" data-mid="28169482" border="0" align="left"/>Tear gas is considered a chemical weapon and is banned from use in wars by multiple international treaties. However, the treaties do not apply to police and private use, and the IDF uses it freely against protesters in the occupied territories. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0039_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0039_o.jpg" data-mid="28169489" border="0" align="left"/>As the clouds of gas cleared an ambulance is summoned and the protesters are admitted for treatment. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0047_1000.jpg" width="800" height="566" width_o="800" height_o="566" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0047_o.jpg" data-mid="28169495" border="0" align="left"/>The shopkeeper, a woman in her mid-40s, is severely affected by the gas and requires special medical attention. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0056_60_1000.jpg" width="800" height="553" width_o="800" height_o="553" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0056_60_o.jpg" data-mid="28169504" border="0" align="left"/>A protester flashes a peace sign at a protest at the Huwwara checkpoint. After Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat died in Israeli custody in late February 2013, waves of protests rolled across the West Bank. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0073_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0073_o.jpg" data-mid="28169508" border="0" align="left"/>A protester helps his friend wrap a keffeyih around his head before moving forward to the front line of the protest. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0081_1000.jpg" width="800" height="504" width_o="800" height_o="504" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0081_o.jpg" data-mid="28169518" border="0" align="left"/>Men sprint away from the threat of more tear gas and rubber bullets. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0084_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0084_o.jpg" data-mid="28169528" border="0" align="left"/>Israeli soldiers seen from a distance, surveying the protesting Palestinians. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0092_33_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0092_33_o.jpg" data-mid="28169541" border="0" align="left"/>An ariel view of the mayhem at Huwwara checkpoint at the entrance of Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/3_70_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/3_70_o.jpg" data-mid="28169575" border="0" align="left"/>Handicapped children sit outside of an education center in Askar refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/4_71_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/4_71_o.jpg" data-mid="28169578" border="0" align="left"/>The students come every day and are taught by volunteers and teachers who share their free time with the children. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0081_90_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0081_90_o.jpg" data-mid="28169619" border="0" align="left"/>Askar is just one of the many refugee camps in the West Bank that are overpopulated and underserved. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0022_1000.jpg" width="800" height="542" width_o="800" height_o="542" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0022_o.jpg" data-mid="28169584" border="0" align="left"/>The center is also home to a kindergarten. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0070_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0070_o.jpg" data-mid="28169613" border="0" align="left"/>Most of the students are refugees whose families were expelled from their homes and land when the state of Israel was established in 1948. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0088_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0088_o.jpg" data-mid="28169623" border="0" align="left"/>Even though new generations have grown up without having seen their ancestral land, many still consider it their true home and harbor dreams of return. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0058_61_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0058_61_o.jpg" data-mid="28169652" border="0" align="left"/>The city of Jericho is supposedly the oldest city in the world, and one of great Biblical significance. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0026_1000.jpg" width="800" height="551" width_o="800" height_o="551" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0026_o.jpg" data-mid="28169639" border="0" align="left"/>A goat chews on a cardboard box in Jericho. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0050_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0050_o.jpg" data-mid="28169644" border="0" align="left"/>The Mount of Temptation in Jericho. The mountain is believed to be where Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the Judean desert. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0069_66_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0069_66_o.jpg" data-mid="28169661" border="0" align="left"/>Boys smoke shisha on the streets of Jericho. Alcohol is forbidden in Islam, but smoking flavored tobacco out of water pipes like this is permitted and common. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0018_12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0018_12_o.jpg" data-mid="29094087" border="0" align="left"/>The Jordan Valley stretches between gentle mountains near the border between Palestine and Jordan. The area is Palestine's most important agricultural region, though production has decreased since the state of Israel took control of the water supply and began strictly rationing the amount allowed to each farmer.<img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0021_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0021_o.jpg" data-mid="29094088" border="0" align="left"/>The Dead Sea is Earth's lowest elevation on land, dipping down 423 meters (1,388 feet) below sea level.<img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0035_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0035_o.jpg" data-mid="29094090" border="0" align="left"/>The body of water is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean, which makes the water incredibly dense - so dense that swimming is more akin to floating effortlessly on the still blue surface. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC00917_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC00917_o.JPG" data-mid="29131852" border="0" align="left"/>People wait in line to cross through Qalandia checkpoint, the passageway between Ramallah and Jerusalem. Only Palestinians holding special permits are allowed to cross through the border and enter the Holy city. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0046_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0046_o.jpg" data-mid="28172713" border="0" align="left"/>Jaffa Road, one of the oldest and longest streets in Jerusalem, stretches from east to west across the contested capital. <img src="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0064_63_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload146.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/5236985/DSC_0064_63_o.jpg" data-mid="28172723" border="0" align="left"/>A schoolgirl walks past rugs for sale in the old city of Jerusalem. The first problem with introducing this photo collection is what to call it. Palestine? The West Bank? The Occupied Palestinian Territories under the military... http://alyciakravitz.com/Cambodia-1 http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Cambodia-1 Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:22:43 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 4851733 Cambodia has borders with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, but it has a charm all its own. Its recent history is bloody and tragic, but the resilient nation is rebuilding from the atrocities of a civil war and the killing sprees of the Khmer Rouge regim in the 1970s. Today the Cambodian people are focusing their energy on cultivating the arts and creating a more stable society through peace advocacy organizations and education. From the urban center of Phnom Penh and the famed temples of Angkor Wat to the tropical countryside and stilted villages, Cambodia is forging ahead into a brighter future. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/1_o.jpg" data-mid="25927961" border="0" align="left"/>Street art showcases some patriotic pride in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/2_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/2_o.jpg" data-mid="25927964" border="0" align="left"/>A row of stupas near a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh. The stupas contain Buddhist relics, usually ashes of the deceased, and are used as places of meditation. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/3_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/3_o.jpg" data-mid="25927967" border="0" align="left"/>A text in the Khmer language of Cambodia lies open near a hammock at one of Phnom Penh's temples. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/4_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/4_o.jpg" data-mid="25927971" border="0" align="left"/>A monk hitches a ride on the back of a motorbike taxi in the busy streets of Phnom Penh. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/5_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/5_o.jpg" data-mid="25927978" border="0" align="left"/>A small shrine on a sidewalk of Phnom Penh. An estimated 95% of the Cambodian population is said to practice Buddhism. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/6_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/6_o.jpg" data-mid="25927983" border="0" align="left"/>Street food vendors sell tiny clams by the bagful, and the crunching of shells and slurping of flesh are ubiquitous sounds as Cambodians devour the spiced seafood in the streets. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/38_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/38_o.jpg" data-mid="25928115" border="0" align="left"/>A room in the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. Commonly known as "S21," the building complex that originally served as a school was transformed into a security prison during the vicious Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to its fall in 1979. During that time an estimated 17,000 people were held at the facility to be tortured and killed; out of those many thousands only seven are known to have survived. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/39_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/39_o.jpg" data-mid="25928117" border="0" align="left"/>A group of monks is reflected in the photos of victims at S21. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/7_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/7_o.jpg" data-mid="25927985" border="0" align="left"/>Then sun sets behind the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/8_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/8_o.jpg" data-mid="25927988" border="0" align="left"/>A photographer lines up his shot of the Royal Palace at night. Former King Norodom Sihanouk died at age 89 in October, setting off an outpouring of national grief that continued on this January night, when citizens gathered to sing songs and burn incense in front of his portrait. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/9_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/9_o.jpg" data-mid="25927991" border="0" align="left"/>Actors perform a traditional Khmer opera in front of the backdrop of the National Museum in Phnom Penh. After the bloody Khmer Rouge regime and a brutal civil war ravaged the country, Cambodians are coming together to promote arts and creation to rebuild the society. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/10_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/10_o.jpg" data-mid="25927996" border="0" align="left"/>Cassava lines a Cambodian highway. The root crop is chopped up by machete or machine and spread out along roadways to dry before being ground into powder and sent to factories. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/11_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/11_o.jpg" data-mid="25927999" border="0" align="left"/>Cambodia has two distinct seasons: dry season, which runs from October to April, and monsoon season, which spans from May to October. During the dry season dust and dirt cover the buildings and trees, leading to what the locals call "red snow." <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/12_o.jpg" data-mid="25928003" border="0" align="left"/>Women fish in the Cambodian countryside. They plunge a basket into the water, then insert their hands through a hole in the top and feel around to grab fish that may have been trapped inside. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/13_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/13_o.jpg" data-mid="25928006" border="0" align="left"/>A stilted house in rural Cambodia. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/14_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/14_o.jpg" data-mid="25928013" border="0" align="left"/>Many of the houses are built on stilts because the monsoon season brings heavy rains and flooding, often reaching the doorsteps and sometimes washing away whole buildings. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/15_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/15_o.jpg" data-mid="25928016" border="0" align="left"/>A rice field in Cambodia. A common method for farmers is to burn a patch of land, flood it with water and then plant the rice seeds by hand. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/16_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/16_o.jpg" data-mid="25928022" border="0" align="left"/>A boy fishes in a stream near Siem Reap, Cambodia. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/17_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/17_o.jpg" data-mid="25928029" border="0" align="left"/>The government rarely enforces school attendance, and many children attend "part time." <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/18_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/18_o.jpg" data-mid="25928040" border="0" align="left"/>Boats rest on the shore of a lotus swamp. Cambodians will pole through and collect the roots, flowers and fruit of the plant to sell and eat. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/19_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/19_o.jpg" data-mid="25928047" border="0" align="left"/>Repurposed Bacardi bottles full of gasoline sit on the roadside in Siem Reap, in the north of Cambodia. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/20_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/20_o.jpg" data-mid="25928052" border="0" align="left"/>A man fills his motorbike with gas in Siem Reap. Roadside fill stations that use soda or alcohol bottles are common because they are cheaper than real petrol stations, but they carry the risk of diluted or impure fuel. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/21_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/21_o.jpg" data-mid="25928059" border="0" align="left"/>The sun rises over the famous temples of Angkor Wat, in the north of Cambodia.The enormous temple complex dates to the early 12th century and has served as both a Hindu and a Buddhist holy site. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/22_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/22_o.jpg" data-mid="25928067" border="0" align="left"/>A tree spreads its roots over a crumbling temple at Angkor Wat. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/23_1000.jpg" width="800" height="518" width_o="800" height_o="518" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/23_o.jpg" data-mid="25928074" border="0" align="left"/>Angkor, which translates to "Holy City" in Khmer, was the seat of the Khmer empire that reigned in Cambodia between the 9th to 15th centuries. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/24_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/24_o.jpg" data-mid="25928078" border="0" align="left"/>Angkor contains over 1,000 temple ruins and is the largest religious monument in the world. image 25}The iconic temples of Bayon were constructed in the 12th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VI, and feature a stunning collection of faces carved in the rocks . <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/26_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/26_o.jpg" data-mid="25928086" border="0" align="left"/>A man steers an elephant carrying tourists near the temples of Bayon. Elephant riding, a popular tourist attraction, is an inhumane practice that involve a brutal training to break the elephant's will and subsequent years of breaking his back <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/27_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/27_o.jpg" data-mid="25928090" border="0" align="left"/>A tuk tuk driver takes an afternoon nap at the temples of Angkor Wat. Every Cambodian seems to carry around a hammock to string between poles, trees or buildings and doze off. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/28_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/28_o.jpg" data-mid="25928092" border="0" align="left"/>A woman cooks palm sugar along the side of a road near Siem Reap. Palm trees are scaled using bamboo poles and the fruit is gathered to be cut open and cooked over a fire to crystallize. The light brown crystals are then pressed into little cakes and sold for cooking and candies. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/29_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/29_o.jpg" data-mid="25928095" border="0" align="left"/>A blind Cambodian masseuse poses for a photo in Siem Reap. The government does nothing to provide for the blind, and most of them can only find work in massage companies catering to tourists in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/30_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/30_o.jpg" data-mid="25928097" border="0" align="left"/>Seyha, a Cambodian bike tour guide, plays the krapeu, a traditional Khmer instrument, in his home near Siem Reap. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/31_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/31_o.jpg" data-mid="25928099" border="0" align="left"/>Seyha lives in a one room wooden hut without running water or electricity. While plumbing systems are the norm in bigger cities, many Cambodians living in the countryside use hand pumps and lamps for water and light. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/32_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/32_o.jpg" data-mid="25928104" border="0" align="left"/>Children ride a bike near the Wat Preah Yesu Children’s home in Siem Reap. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/33_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/33_o.jpg" data-mid="25928107" border="0" align="left"/>The decades of unrest and killing left the country with a huge number of orphans and broken families. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/34_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/34_o.jpg" data-mid="25928108" border="0" align="left"/>In the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge Cambodians and internationals alike are stepping in to fill the void. Wendy Maddocks and her husband Tim, originally from Australia, started the Wat Preah Yesu Children's home in 1996. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/35_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/35_o.jpg" data-mid="25928109" border="0" align="left"/>The home has cared for several hundred children in its existence, many of whom were orphaned by HIV/AIDS and come from the poorer rural areas of the country. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/36.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/36_o.jpg" data-mid="25928110" border="0" align="left"/>In addition to the orphanage, Tim and Wendy founded a school that serves both the orphans and children from the surrounding countryside. You can learn more about their work here. <img src="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/37_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload127.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4851733/37_o.jpg" data-mid="25928113" border="0" align="left"/>A girl pauses her studies to smile through the window of her classroom. Cambodia has borders with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, but it has a charm all its own. Its recent history is bloody and tragic, but the resilient nation is... http://alyciakravitz.com/Thailand http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Thailand Sat, 19 Jan 2013 04:41:10 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 4780558 Thailand is a country that has it all: lush green mountains in the north, diamond beaches in the south, and the urban sprawl of Bangkok in between. Over the past decade it has gained the reputation of a traveler's paradise, and internationals from around the globe have flocked to the Southeast Asian country to trek, scuba dive, party and relax. Despite the foreign crowds, the Thai people gracefully maintain their culture of warmth and strong devotion to Buddhism. From the colorful fruit flooding the streets to the bustling markets around every corner, Thailand is a vibrant and beautiful country. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/1_o.jpg" data-mid="25520040" border="0" align="left"/>The sun hits a Bangkok street on a January morning. The capital of Thailand is known to locals as "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon," a shortening of its full ceremonial name, given by King Rama I: “Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit."<img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/2_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/2_o.jpg" data-mid="25520850" border="0" align="left"/>Laundry hangs near a small outdoor shrine in a Bangkok alleyway. The vast majority of Thailand's population is Buddhist, and small personal shrines can be found around every corner. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/3_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/3_o.jpg" data-mid="25520270" border="0" align="left"/>A man stands on the sidewalk in Bangkok, surrounded by a few of the ubiquitous motorbikes that zoom through the city streets. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/4_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/4_o.jpg" data-mid="25520282" border="0" align="left"/>A tuk-tuk driver flashes the peace sign in the afternoon sunlight. Tuk-tuks, a type of auto-rickshaw, are commonly used as taxis all over the country. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/5_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/5_o.jpg" data-mid="25520290" border="0" align="left"/>Street food sits out waiting to be eaten by passersby. The street food culture in Thailand, like many other Southeast Asian nations, is vibrant and varied, with everything from meat on a stick to spicy soup in plastic take-away bags. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/6_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/6_o.jpg" data-mid="25520365" border="0" align="left"/>A hammock hangs above the sidewalk in Bangkok. Thailand has a well-deserved reputation for a friendly population and a laid-back lifestyle. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/7_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/7_o.jpg" data-mid="25520372" border="0" align="left"/>A personal shrine sits outside a door in Bangkok. Each Thai is issued a certificate declaring him or her a Buddhist at birth. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/8_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/8_o.jpg" data-mid="25520377" border="0" align="left"/>People walk past a homeless man on their way to offer fruit and incense offerings to deities at a temple. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/9_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/9_o.jpg" data-mid="25520468" border="0" align="left"/>A man buys food from a street vendor in the heart of Bangkok. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/10_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/10_o.jpg" data-mid="25520477" border="0" align="left"/>A woman offers a prayer in front of a Buddhist shrine in front of a mall in the Thai capital. Almost 95% of the Thai population are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. Muslims are the second largest religious group at around 4.6%. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/11_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/11_o.jpg" data-mid="25520483" border="0" align="left"/>A Ronald McDonald offers the traditional Thai greeting, known as the "wai." The "wai" consists of a small bow with the hands pressed together, and is adjusted slightly depending on the addressee's age and position of authority. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/12_o.jpg" data-mid="25520491" border="0" align="left"/>A group of women offer prayers in front of an outdoor shrine in Bangkok. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/DSC_0010_1000.jpg" width="800" height="546" width_o="800" height_o="546" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/DSC_0010_o.jpg" data-mid="25634093" border="0" align="left"/>A woman hawks bubble makers at Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. The market is said to be the largest weekend market in the world, covering an area of 35 acres with more than 5,000 stalls. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/DSC_0020_1000.jpg" width="800" height="589" width_o="800" height_o="589" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/DSC_0020_o.jpg" data-mid="25634095" border="0" align="left"/>A vendor mixes a fruit shake with flair at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/13_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/13_o.jpg" data-mid="25523532" border="0" align="left"/>Sunglasses for sale at one of the many night markets that sprawl throughout the Thai capital. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/14_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/14_o.jpg" data-mid="25520624" border="0" align="left"/>A tuk tuk driver speeds through the streets of Bangkok. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/15_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/15_o.jpg" data-mid="25520636" border="0" align="left"/>Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, seen from across the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok. Wats (temples), are an iconic part of the city skyline, and attract thousands of visitors from all over the world each year. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/16.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/16_o.jpg" data-mid="25520642" border="0" align="left"/>Tourists climb Wat Arun in Bangkok. The temple, which dates to before the 17th century, got its name from the way the early morning sunlight reflects off the surface of the temple. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/17_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/17_o.jpg" data-mid="25520694" border="0" align="left"/>Porcelain trees adorn the sides of Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/18_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/18_o.jpg" data-mid="25520742" border="0" align="left"/>Flowers in front of Wat Arun. Besides Buddhism, the Thais have an incredible reverence for their king; his photo is almost as common as the shrines that dot the country, and the Thai people think and speak of him with a reverence usually reserved for the gods. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/19_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/19_o.jpg" data-mid="25520744" border="0" align="left"/>Wat Pho, one of Bangkok's oldest and largest temple complexes, spreads out over 80,000 square meters and includes many standing stupas, as seen here. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/20_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/20_o.jpg" data-mid="25520757" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets behind another one of Bangkok's wats. The little wings on the roof, called "finnials," are a distinctive element of Thai temple architecture. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/21_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/21_o.jpg" data-mid="25520998" border="0" align="left"/>A boy takes a dip in a hot spring near Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/22_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/22_o.jpg" data-mid="25521005" border="0" align="left"/>Rice fields spread out in the mountains near Chiang Mai. The northern Thai city used to be the capital of the kingdom of Lanna, which was conquered by Burma in the 16th century, and absorbed into Thailand in 1775. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/23_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/23_o.jpg" data-mid="25521092" border="0" align="left"/>A woman filters coffee beans for roasting in the mountains in the north of Thailand. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/24-1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/24-1_o.jpg" data-mid="25521187" border="0" align="left"/>Atsawin Klinuthai, a native of Chiang Mai, makes his living painting watercolor scenes of landscapes and flowers. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/25_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/25_o.jpg" data-mid="25521396" border="0" align="left"/>Ethnic clothes and jewelry hang for sale in a mountain village in northern Thailand. The village is inhabited by the Hmong people, an Asian ethnic group from the mountains of China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/26.jpg" width="407" height="600" width_o="407" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/26_o.jpg" data-mid="25521401" border="0" align="left"/>Hmong girls plug their ears against the noise made by fireworks being set off to celebrate the Hmong new year, which was celebrated on January 11th-13th in 2013. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/27_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/27_o.jpg" data-mid="25521403" border="0" align="left"/>Roots and herbs for sale in the north of Thailand. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/DSC00461_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/DSC00461_o.JPG" data-mid="25635242" border="0" align="left"/>A Buddhist monk performs a special ceremony in the home of a Thai family in Chiang Mai. The family is renovating the guest house and asked the monk to come and perform a special blessing ceremony to ensure that the affair runs smoothly. Monks are often called upon to chant and pray for blessings at important events such as births, marriages and deaths. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/28_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/28_o.jpg" data-mid="25521412" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets near Chiang Mai. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/29_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/29_o.jpg" data-mid="25521418" border="0" align="left"/>A temple gleams in central Chiang Mai. Unlike many other world religions, Buddhism has no specific day of worship or time for service. Instead, Buddhists come to the temple when necessary, or when they want to. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/30_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/30_o.jpg" data-mid="25521425" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets in Ao Nang, Krabi province, in the south of Thailand. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/31_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/31_o.jpg" data-mid="25521434" border="0" align="left"/>The Phi Phi Islands are a popular destination for tourists and scuba divers in the south of Thailand. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/32_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/32_o.jpg" data-mid="25521444" border="0" align="left"/>Long tail boats wait to transport people between islands and beaches. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/36-1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/36-1_o.jpg" data-mid="25634088" border="0" align="left"/>The boats are the most common form of transportation between the numerous small islands and coves scattered through the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean. {image 47} <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/32_32_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/32_32_o.jpg" data-mid="25634080" border="0" align="left"/>Here a longtail boat is converted into a floating food vendor on Railay Beach. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/35_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/35_o.jpg" data-mid="25634087" border="0" align="left"/>The south of Thailand is rimmed with white sand beaches and dotted with dramatic rocky islands, making for an ocean lover's paradise. Railay beach is a popular destination in Krabi province. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/33_33_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/33_33_o.jpg" data-mid="25634081" border="0" align="left"/>Phra nang is another oft-visited beach, notable for its beautiful limestone formations and cave filled with the talismans of local fishermen. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/34_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/34_o.jpg" data-mid="25634086" border="0" align="left"/>Phra Nang beach seen from the cave, which is piled high with phallic objects carved by local fisherman, who believe that offering fertility to the gods will bring a good catch for the year. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/37_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/37_o.jpg" data-mid="25634091" border="0" align="left"/>The beach of Hong Island, off the coast of Thailand's Krabi province. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/38_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/38_o.jpg" data-mid="25634092" border="0" align="left"/>The crystal clear water and great variety of aquatic life make this region one of the best scuba dive sites in the world. <img src="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/33_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload124.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4780558/33_o.jpg" data-mid="25521455" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets over Ao Nang beach, Krabi province, Thailand. Thailand is a country that has it all: lush green mountains in the north, diamond beaches in the south, and the urban sprawl of Bangkok in between. Over the past... http://alyciakravitz.com/Malaysia http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Malaysia Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:48:25 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 4715785 Malaysia is a Southeast Asian nation of roughly 28 million located on the southernmost tip of continental Malaysia and the island of Borneo. It's present bears the marks of its past: it was a colony under partial or complete British control from 1786 until 1957, and its geographic location has led to an influx of immigrants and influences from other Asian countries. Today Malaysia is an interesting mix of Western elements and traditional customs: Malay is the official language, but English is a widely-used second tongue, and the capital boasts a large Chinatown and Little India. It's a nation of smiling faces and friendly people, a collage of deep history and modern present. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/1_o.jpg" data-mid="25151845" border="0" align="left"/>A row of motorbikes lines a street in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/2_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/2_o.jpg" data-mid="25151852" border="0" align="left"/>Kuala Lumpur's architecture is a testament to its history: colonial buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries intermingle with Moorish style and modern design, creating a patchworked cityscape. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/3_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/3_o.jpg" data-mid="25151860" border="0" align="left"/>A homeless man sleeps on the sidewalk in Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/4_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/4_o.jpg" data-mid="25151868" border="0" align="left"/>A man makes flower garlands to be offered to Hindu deities. The state religion of Malaysia is Islam, but there are sizable Hindu, Christian and Buddhist minorities. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/5_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/5_o.jpg" data-mid="25151874" border="0" align="left"/>Street art adorns a building near the Jamek mosque in Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/6_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/6_o.jpg" data-mid="25151879" border="0" align="left"/>A woman stops to buy food in Kuala Lumpur. The city has a vibrant street food culture, with vendors selling a vast array of fruits, meats and juices. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/7_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/7_o.jpg" data-mid="25151882" border="0" align="left"/>Men walk down Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/8_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/8_o.jpg" data-mid="25151886" border="0" align="left"/>A woman poses in her store in the Central Market of Kuala Lumpur. Batik, a type of fabric made using wax-resistant dye, is manufactured by many Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, and used for everything from table clothes to pants. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/9_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/9_o.jpg" data-mid="25151890" border="0" align="left"/>A man gets caught in a January downpour in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is an equatorial country that remains hot and humid all year round, and experiences a monsoon season from December to March. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/10_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/10_o.jpg" data-mid="25151896" border="0" align="left"/>A man and boy rest in the shade of the National Mosque of Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur. According to a 2010 Population and Housing census, approximately 61% of Malaysians identify as Muslim. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/11_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/11_o.jpg" data-mid="25151898" border="0" align="left"/>A Hindu woman cleans up after a ceremony at a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. According to the same census, approximately 6% of Malaysians are Hindu. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/12_o.jpg" data-mid="25151902" border="0" align="left"/>Motorbikes speed through the streets of Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/DSC_0009_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/DSC_0009_o.jpg" data-mid="25152044" border="0" align="left"/>Despite the various religious affiliations of Malaysians, the society is not entirely conservative. Here, street art decorates an abandoned building in Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/DSC_0023_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/DSC_0023_o.jpg" data-mid="25152048" border="0" align="left"/>One of the Petronas Twin Towers, the iconic centerpieces of KL's skyline, seen from the bustling business district of Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/13_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/13_o.jpg" data-mid="25151906" border="0" align="left"/>The Saturday night market sprawls out along Lorong Tuanka Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/14_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/14_o.jpg" data-mid="25151912" border="0" align="left"/>Head coverings, or hijabs, for sale at the Saturday night market. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/15_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/15_o.jpg" data-mid="25151920" border="0" align="left"/>Different fruit juices are lined up for sale at the Saturday night market. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/16_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/16_o.jpg" data-mid="25151927" border="0" align="left"/>A common street food is soup, made in giant vats and ladled into plastic bags to go. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/17_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/17_o.jpg" data-mid="25151932" border="0" align="left"/>Street food is glimpsed between the rushing crowd in the Saturday night market. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/18_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/18_o.jpg" data-mid="25151934" border="0" align="left"/>A woman pays for food at the Saturday night market. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/19.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/19_o.jpg" data-mid="25151938" border="0" align="left"/>Men relax after evening prayers at the Indian Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/21_1000.jpg" width="800" height="468" width_o="800" height_o="468" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/21_o.jpg" data-mid="25151944" border="0" align="left"/>A wooden boat rounds a river bend in Pahang, the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia. The country is divided into 13 states and three federal territories split between Peninsular Malaysia and the island of Borneo. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/22_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/22_o.jpg" data-mid="25151948" border="0" align="left"/>Mist slowly burns off in the morning light above the town of Kuala Tahan, in Pahang, Malaysia. Kuala Tahan sits at the entrance of Taman Negara, the largest national park in Malaysia. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/23_1000.jpg" width="800" height="531" width_o="800" height_o="531" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/23_o.jpg" data-mid="25151955" border="0" align="left"/>A boat slices through sunlight near the town of Kuala Tahan, in Pahang, Malaysia. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/24_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/24_o.jpg" data-mid="25151959" border="0" align="left"/>Taman Negara has been designated for conservation since 1938 and covers over 4,343 square kilometers (2,700 square miles) of primary forest. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/25_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/25_o.jpg" data-mid="25151966" border="0" align="left"/>A canopy walk cuts through the jungle of Taman Negara. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/26_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/26_o.jpg" data-mid="25151973" border="0" align="left"/>Taman Negara contains some of the oldest tropical rainforest in the world, untouched by natural or manmade disasters for the past several million years. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/27_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/27_o.jpg" data-mid="25151983" border="0" align="left"/>The canopy walkway, which is 45 meters (150 feet) high, is the longest in the world at 510 meters (1,675 feet) long. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/28_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/28_o.jpg" data-mid="25151996" border="0" align="left"/>Ants swarm over the ground in Taman Negara. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/29_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/29_o.jpg" data-mid="25152006" border="0" align="left"/>The flora of the park is a mix of centuries-old trees, twisting vines and various species of palm trees. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/30_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/30_o.jpg" data-mid="25152012" border="0" align="left"/>A view from a break in the canopy at Taman Negara. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/31_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/31_o.jpg" data-mid="25152017" border="0" align="left"/>A butterfly perches on a leaf in the jungle of Taman Negara. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/32_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/32_o.jpg" data-mid="25152019" border="0" align="left"/>Sunlight filters through the canopy in the jungle. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/33_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/33_o.jpg" data-mid="25152022" border="0" align="left"/>A young girl sits outside collecting fees for the use of a toilet in Kuala Tembeling, in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. The fee to use the toilet is 0.50 Malaysian Ringgit, which is approximately fifteen cents. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/34_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/34_o.jpg" data-mid="25152027" border="0" align="left"/>A man steers a water taxi between the town of Kuala Tahan and the entrance to Taman Negara National Park. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/35_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/35_o.jpg" data-mid="25152033" border="0" align="left"/>A man makes roti in an outdoor stall in Kuala Tahan. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/36_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4715785/36_o.jpg" data-mid="25152039" border="0" align="left"/>Classmates walk to school in the early morning light in Kuala Tahan. Malaysia is a Southeast Asian nation of roughly 28 million located on the southernmost tip of continental Malaysia and the island of Borneo. It's present bears the... http://alyciakravitz.com/Hong-Kong http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Hong-Kong Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:18:20 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 4707781 Hong Kong is Asian cosmopolitanism at its best, a constantly shifting collage of multicolored faces moving through a maze of skyscrapers and alleyways. The city is draped over a series of tropical islands and surrounded by lush natural landscapes that are crisscrossed with hiking trails and rimmed by beaches. It displays the Chinese penchant for light displays and neon buildings, but tempers its Chinese characteristics with strong currents of Southeast Asian influence. Hong Kong's got it all--rural and urban rolled up in one shimmering, sunny archipelago. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0146_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0146_o.jpg" data-mid="25099807" border="0" align="left"/>Hong Kong is divided into several districts. Here, a main road stretches through the heart of Kowloon, an area at the tip of mainland China. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0131_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0131_o.jpg" data-mid="25099803" border="0" align="left"/>With a population density of 6,482 people per square kilometer (16,788 per square mile), the streets of Hong Kong are crowded and chaotic. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0318_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0318_o.jpg" data-mid="25099850" border="0" align="left"/>Graffiti adorns a wall in Hong Kong park, a beautiful green space in the center of the financial powerhouse that is Hong Kong Island. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0126_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0126_o.jpg" data-mid="25099799" border="0" align="left"/>Laundry hangs from a window in the center of the Kowloon district of Hong Kong. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0216_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0216_o.jpg" data-mid="25099835" border="0" align="left"/>Hong Kong is truly an international city with a multilingual population. In addition to the two official languages, Cantonese and English, many Hong Kong residents speak Mandarin, the language of the People's Republic of China. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0096_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0096_o.jpg" data-mid="25099791" border="0" align="left"/>Onlookers watch an impromptu performance in Kowloon Walled City Park, a re-purposed Chinese military fort. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0189_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0189_o.jpg" data-mid="25099867" border="0" align="left"/>Hong Kong boasts some incredible dining experiences, especially seafood. Here, diners sprawl out across the streets for a late-night bite. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0214_1000.jpg" width="800" height="582" width_o="800" height_o="582" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0214_o.jpg" data-mid="25099833" border="0" align="left"/>Revelers watch fireworks explode over the city skyline to celebrate the coming of 2013. The eight-minute display is said to have cost over 12 million Hong Kong dollars, or roughly US$1.6 million. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0292_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0292_o.jpg" data-mid="25099848" border="0" align="left"/>The water of Victoria Harbour is painted with lights from the neon skyline. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0243_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0243_o.jpg" data-mid="25099838" border="0" align="left"/>Merchandise is set out on display at Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0259_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0259_o.jpg" data-mid="25099842" border="0" align="left"/>Just one of many markets dotting the city, Temple Street offers everything from underwear and dog's beds to antique woodworking and precious gems. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0194_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0194_o.jpg" data-mid="25099831" border="0" align="left"/>A tree grows in the quiet of the Nan Lian Gardens, a Tang Dynasty-style green space in the north of Kowloon. The lovely gardens lie adjacent to the Chi Lin Nunnery, an extensive Buddhist temple complex. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0003.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0003_o.jpg" data-mid="25099777" border="0" align="left"/>The Tian Tan Buddha sits in the mountains of Lantau Island. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0026_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0026_o.jpg" data-mid="25099780" border="0" align="left"/>Completed in 1993, the buddha is 34 meters (112 ft) tall and weighs 250 metric tons. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0046_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0046_o.jpg" data-mid="25099784" border="0" align="left"/>Buddhist faithful often circle holy sites in a clockwise direction, symbolizing the planet's orbit around the sun. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0070.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0070_o.jpg" data-mid="25099787" border="0" align="left"/>A man kneels to pray after burning incense at the Po Lin Monastery, next to the Tian Tan Buddha. Incense is burned at most Buddhist temples and Daoist shrines as a way to purify the surroundings and encourage the presence of buddhas and enlightened beings. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0089_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0089_o.jpg" data-mid="25099789" border="0" align="left"/>Wooden columns display Chinese calligraphy at the Wisdom Path on Lantau Island. The posts are arranged in a ∞ pattern to symbolize infinity, and the words are from the Buddhist Heart Sutra. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0122_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0122_o.jpg" data-mid="25099796" border="0" align="left"/>Stilted houses jumble together in the Tai O fishing village on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0152_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0152_o.jpg" data-mid="25099810" border="0" align="left"/>Salted duck egg yolks and fish sit out in the sun in Tai O fishing village. The dried fish will be sold in the myriad dried seafood shops scattered across the city, and the egg yolks will be used as filling for moon cakes, a traditional Chinese pastry. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0165_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0165_o.jpg" data-mid="25099813" border="0" align="left"/>The tiny village on the western side of Lantau Island is nicknamed the "Venice of the East." <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0171_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0171_o.jpg" data-mid="25099815" border="0" align="left"/>Laundry hangs out to dry in Tai O fishing village, Lantau Island. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0183_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0183_o.jpg" data-mid="25099817" border="0" align="left"/>A woman rides a bicycle cart through a market street in Tai O fishing village, Lantau Island. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0236_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0236_o.jpg" data-mid="25099836" border="0" align="left"/>A monkey sits with a golden statue at the 10,000 Buddha Monastery in the New Territories district of Hong Kong. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0253.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0253_o.jpg" data-mid="25099841" border="0" align="left"/>The monastery was built by Yuet Kai, a Buddhist layman who spent his last years constructing the temple complex that displays nearly Buddhist 13,000 statues. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_259.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_259_o.jpg" data-mid="25099845" border="0" align="left"/>And a few monkeys. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0285_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0285_o.jpg" data-mid="25099846" border="0" align="left"/>A tiny Buddhist shrine is folded inside an open window space in Hong Kong. Little family shrines are common in homes and on street corners, and usually include fruit and incense for the Buddha. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0339_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0339_o.jpg" data-mid="25099852" border="0" align="left"/>The city skyline seen from Victoria Peak, on Hong Kong Island. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0366_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0366_o.jpg" data-mid="25099854" border="0" align="left"/>At night the skyline lights up, shimming around the dark outline of Victoria Harbour. <img src="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0400_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload120.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4707781/DSC_0400_o.jpg" data-mid="25099858" border="0" align="left"/>Victoria Peak is one of Hong Kong's most popular tourist sites, attracting visitors from all over the world come to gaze at the glittering Asian metropolis from above. Hong Kong is Asian cosmopolitanism at its best, a constantly shifting collage of multicolored faces moving through a maze of skyscrapers and alleyways. The city is... http://alyciakravitz.com/Mongolia http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Mongolia Mon, 19 Nov 2012 06:31:31 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 4462877 Mongolia is a land of vast spaces and rugged terrains. It is a country of nomadic traditions that have remained remarkably resilient against the culturally eroding winds of globalization. The older generation continues to don their full-length dels and live in gers, but the youth is increasingly swept up in Western tides. It's a country in transition, where the stylishly dressed university students learned how to ride a horse before they learned to walk, and where the public buses switch from Western pop to home-grown rap in the span of several stops. Despite the still-visible marks of communism and the typical problems that plague a fledgling democracy, the country is striking a graceful balance between tradition and modern, adapting new technologies to old ways. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0069_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0069_o.jpg" data-mid="23670091" border="0" align="left"/>Caption 10=A Chinese village nestled in a valley along the Trans-Siberian train route from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0077_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0077_o.jpg" data-mid="23670149" border="0" align="left"/>The Trans-Siberian, the longest railway in the world, is split into three branches: the Trans-Manchurian, the Trans-Mongolian, and the Trans-Siberian proper. The three lines comprise a staggering 5,772 miles (9,289 km).<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0167_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0167_o.jpg" data-mid="23670199" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets over the frozen ground of northern China, one of the few deserted places in a country of 1.34 billion people.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0243_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0243_o.jpg" data-mid="23670215" border="0" align="left"/>The train stops in the Chinese border town of Erlian to change its wheels. The difference in track widths between the countries can be traced to a cooling of Sino-Soviet relations in the early 20th century.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0251_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0251_o.jpg" data-mid="23670220" border="0" align="left"/>Most passengers are Russian, Chinese and Mongolian traders moving their wares across the borders, but the warmer months see a flurry of tourists undertaking the 7 day journey from Moscow to Beijing.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0199_1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0199_1_o.jpg" data-mid="23670203" border="0" align="left"/>A traveler reads as the train rolls deeper into the Mongolian night.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0013_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0013_o.jpg" data-mid="23670047" border="0" align="left"/>The sun rises over the Gobi Desert, an expanse of 500,000 square miles (1,295,000 square km) that sprawls across over much of Mongolia and northern China. The Gobi sees some of the most extreme temperature swings in the world, ranging from a low of -40°F (-40°C) in the winter to +122°F (+50°C) in the summer.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0046_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0046_o.jpg" data-mid="23670054" border="0" align="left"/>Sheep graze in the northern steppes of Mongolia. The country has roughly 2.7 million people to its nearly 28 million heads of livestock<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0086_1000.jpg" width="800" height="535" width_o="800" height_o="535" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0086_o.jpg" data-mid="23670152" border="0" align="left"/>A bird soars over the edge of the Gobi desert in Mongolia.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_094_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_094_o.jpg" data-mid="23670164" border="0" align="left"/>Mongolians are traditionally nomadic peoples, and approximately 30% of the population still wanders across the grasslands in search of pasture for their livestock.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0138_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0138_o.jpg" data-mid="23670184" border="0" align="left"/>The traditional nomadic dwellings, called "gers" in Mongolian, are more commonly known by their Russian name: yurt.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0141_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0141_o.jpg" data-mid="23670185" border="0" align="left"/>The end of the line in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0466_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0466_o.jpg" data-mid="23670314" border="0" align="left"/>Under strong Soviet pressure, the Mongols abandoned their traditional Uighur script in favor of the Russian Cyrillic alphabet in the 1920s.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0164_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0164_o.jpg" data-mid="23670197" border="0" align="left"/>Coal for sale on the side of the road in Ulaanbaatar. It is sold by the bagful and dumped into the stoves that heat the hundreds of gers dotting the suburbs.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_199_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_199_o.jpg" data-mid="23670204" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets over the so-called "ger districts" that make up the suburbs of the capital.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0214_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0214_o.jpg" data-mid="23670210" border="0" align="left"/>Although there are houses, many families prefer to use them for storage and live in compact gers that are thickly insulated and easily heated.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0175_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0175_o.jpg" data-mid="23670200" border="0" align="left"/>A boy rides his bike in the gathering dusk.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0237_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0237_o.jpg" data-mid="23670213" border="0" align="left"/>Gaadmaa, 7, strikes a pose inside her family's ger. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0289.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0289_o.jpg" data-mid="23670242" border="0" align="left"/>The ger does not have running water, so the family refills a barrel by bucket when they run out. They use a small water filter strapped to the central pole to refill the tea kettle, and each night they empty a bucket full of water used to wash hands and dishes. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0252.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0252_o.jpg" data-mid="23670227" border="0" align="left"/>Mungulun, 6, does her homework on a stool in the ger. She lives with her mother, father, and three siblings in the one-room structure. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0279_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0279_o.jpg" data-mid="23670235" border="0" align="left"/>Tuguldur, 12, practices writing traditional Mongolian script at the family table in the ger. At night the table is slid aside and the family spreads blankets in its place to sleep together on the floor. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0318.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0318_o.jpg" data-mid="23670246" border="0" align="left"/>Manujin, 11, kneads bread dough on the floor of the ger. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0335_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0335_o.jpg" data-mid="23670252" border="0" align="left"/>Tuguldur practices the horse-head violin, a traditional Mongolian instrument, while Manujin kneads the dough. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0432_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0432_o.jpg" data-mid="23670308" border="0" align="left"/>The family shares an outhouse with several other families who live near their ger. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0369_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0369_o.jpg" data-mid="23670262" border="0" align="left"/>Gaadmaa stands outside her ger in the cool morning air. Already in November the temperature dips to -4ºF (-20ºC) at night and hovers around 20ºF (-5ºC) during the day. By January, the nighttime average will plummet to -22ºF (-30ºC) at night and barely break 0ºF (-15ºC) during the day. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0375_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0375_o.jpg" data-mid="23670272" border="0" align="left"/>It takes between two and four hours to assemble a ger, and even less time to break one down. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0416_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0416_o.jpg" data-mid="23670288" border="0" align="left"/>Begzsuren Jamsranjav milks one of his cows in the early morning.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0423_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0423_o.jpg" data-mid="23670300" border="0" align="left"/>The family has six cows and uses their milk to drink and to make curds and other dairy products. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0004_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0004_o.jpg" data-mid="23670030" border="0" align="left"/>At 1.5 inhabitants per square km, Mongolia has one of the lowest population densities in the world.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0050_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0050_o.jpg" data-mid="23670059" border="0" align="left"/>A marker stands in front of the Manzushir monastery in Tuv aimag.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0067_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0067_o.jpg" data-mid="23670074" border="0" align="left"/>The monastery was destroyed in 1932 when communists purged the country of its considerable Buddhist clergy and infrastructure.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0088_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0088_o.jpg" data-mid="23670155" border="0" align="left"/>Only one temple has been rebuilt; the rest of the monastery still lies in ruins..<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0094_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0094_o.jpg" data-mid="23670159" border="0" align="left"/>The remains of the monastery are located in the valley of the Bogd Khan mountain south of Ulaanbaatar.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0074_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0074_o.jpg" data-mid="23670147" border="0" align="left"/>Mongolian tugriks lay in the snow near the monastery. Small offerings of money are customary for devout Buddhists.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0070_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0070_o.jpg" data-mid="23670101" border="0" align="left"/>An estimated 94% of Mongolia's population is Tibetan Buddhist, although the religion is much less popular among the country's youth.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0059_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0059_o.jpg" data-mid="23670066" border="0" align="left"/>The terrain ranges from desert and steppe to snow-capped mountains. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0125.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0125_o.jpg" data-mid="23670183" border="0" align="left"/>Prayer ribbons adorn a tree in the mountains above Manzushir monastery. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0150_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0150_o.jpg" data-mid="23670187" border="0" align="left"/>Gers are insulted with two to three thick layers of wool, which are then covered with a waterproof layer to ensure that heat stays in and moisture stays out. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0153_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0153_o.jpg" data-mid="23670192" border="0" align="left"/>A man wearing a traditional full-length del poses with his horse near the village of Tuv aimag. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0163_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0163_o.jpg" data-mid="23670196" border="0" align="left"/>Horse riding is a central part of nomadic Mongol culture, and many children learn to ride at age 5 or 6. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0156_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0156_o.jpg" data-mid="23670193" border="0" align="left"/>An Ovoo, a kind of shamanistic cairn, sits in the valley. Ovoos are used in mountain and sky worshiping ceremonies that take place at the end of summer. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0071_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0071_o.jpg" data-mid="23670105" border="0" align="left"/>The Gandantegchinlen monastery sits in the center of Ulaanbaatar. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0068_1000.jpg" width="800" height="586" width_o="800" height_o="586" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0068_o.jpg" data-mid="23670085" border="0" align="left"/>Worshipers enter the one of the temples in the morning.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0061_1000.jpg" width="792" height="600" width_o="792" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0061_o.jpg" data-mid="23670069" border="0" align="left"/> The monastery was one of the few to escape destruction by the communists in the 1930s.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0104_1000.jpg" width="800" height="562" width_o="800" height_o="562" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0104_o.jpg" data-mid="23670167" border="0" align="left"/>The monastery was not allowed to resume its normal functions until 1990, when the fall of communism ushered a fledgling democracy into the capital.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0108_1000.jpg" width="800" height="536" width_o="800" height_o="536" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0108_o.jpg" data-mid="23670172" border="0" align="left"/>A monk carries a teapot between temples.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0114_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0114_o.jpg" data-mid="23670178" border="0" align="left"/>Prayer wheels adorn the temples throughout the complex, adding color to the white winter landscapes.<img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0011_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4462877/DSC_0011_o.jpg" data-mid="23670039" border="0" align="left"/>Pigeons flock over the main temple of the Gandantegchinlen monastery in Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia is a land of vast spaces and rugged terrains. It is a country of nomadic traditions that have remained remarkably resilient against the culturally eroding... http://alyciakravitz.com/China http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/China Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:22:55 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 4009872 Any way you slice it, China is big. Its history stretches back millennia, its culture is rich and colorful, and the sheer size of its land mass and population is astounding. These characteristics make any attempt to learn about the country a particularly daunting task, and one that requires an immense amount of time and energy. But if you narrow the focus, and look at the individual faces rather than the surging crowds, China becomes less intimidating. It ceases to be a monolith in time and space, and becomes a little boy playing in the street, or a grandmother sitting on the corner. The small moments of their lives reveal more about this place then history books or tourist sites will ever tell. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0004.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0004_o.jpg" data-mid="20987523" border="0" align="left"/>Chinese cuisine is famous around the world, and for good reason! Most dishes are a riot of colors and flavors, featuring a host of fruits and vegetables foreign to the Western palate. Chopsticks are, of course, ubiquitous, and most meals are served family style--everyone digs in to everything, sampling all the dishes on the table. It's a delightful way to eat. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0496_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0496_o.jpg" data-mid="20987468" border="0" align="left"/>In the pulsing heart of the Chinese capital, the Forbidden City sprawls over a considerable distance. The crowds of camera-toting tourists have somewhat tainted the mystique of the old buildings, but the extravagant designs and exquisite gardens still retain the elegance of an imperial dwelling.. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC00060_1000.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC00060_o.jpg" data-mid="20987465" border="0" align="left"/>A little boy searches for familiar faces in a crowd. The Chinese adore their children, fawning over them and catering to their every whim and whimper<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0416_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0416_o.jpg" data-mid="20987477" border="0" align="left"/>High above China's fertile valleys, the Great Wall winds its way across the mountains.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0471_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0471_o.jpg" data-mid="20987473" border="0" align="left"/>The wall stretches like a bony spine along an immense expanse, a testament to China's manpower, craftsmanship and stubbornness.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0433.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0433_o.jpg" data-mid="20987475" border="0" align="left"/>Despite its sometimes bloody history, the Great Wall inspires an incredible awe and a sense of profound smallness in the face of such massive work. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0185.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0185_o.jpg" data-mid="20987479" border="0" align="left"/>A woman walks down a hutong in Beijing. The hutongs, or old alleyways, are repositories of history, preserving old ways of life in the very heart of a burgeoning modern metropolis. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0022 copy_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0022 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="20987517" border="0" align="left"/>In a city where you have to enter the lottery to get the chance to buy a car, citizens rely heavily on motorbikes and bicycles to get them where they need to go. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0097_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0097_o.jpg" data-mid="20987487" border="0" align="left"/>Many elements of the natural and man-made world carry symbolic significance in China. The color red is said to represent happiness. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0012_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0012_o.jpg" data-mid="21603966" border="0" align="left"/>A pagoda perches on top of a mountain in the city of Jinan, in the Shandong province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0032_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0032_o.jpg" data-mid="20987504" border="0" align="left"/>A burial ground is nestled deep in the woods in Jinan, in the Shandong province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0053_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0053_o.jpg" data-mid="20987497" border="0" align="left"/>A gang of spiders lies in wait in a three dimension web spun between two tombs at a burial ground in Jinan, Shandong province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0059.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0059_o.jpg" data-mid="20987492" border="0" align="left"/>Incense is burned before the tomb of a deceased in Jinan, Shandong province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0035_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0035_o.jpg" data-mid="20987499" border="0" align="left"/>Calligraphy is an ancient and important art in China. Here, a building bears witness to the art form on a busy street in downtown Beijing. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_032_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_032_o.jpg" data-mid="20987510" border="0" align="left"/>Table tennis, or ping pong, is an immensely popular sport here. Most parks have an area with a dozen or so tables set up, and many universities and schools have table tennis teams. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0029_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0029_o.jpg" data-mid="20987511" border="0" align="left"/>Although there are supermarkets and grocery stores, the most common form of vending is in outdoor markets. Here, a man sells fruit outside his shop in Beijing. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0026_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0026_o.jpg" data-mid="20987514" border="0" align="left"/>With so many people and so much going on, the streets of Beijing are hectic at all hours of the day and night. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC00077_1000.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC00077_o.jpg" data-mid="20987464" border="0" align="left"/>A little boy looks on past a sea of confetti to a live performance in Jinan, Shandong province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_019_20.jpg" width="443" height="600" width_o="443" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_019_20_o.jpg" data-mid="21126838" border="0" align="left"/>A woman spins yarn at market. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0053_12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0053_12_o.jpg" data-mid="21155590" border="0" align="left"/>Handmade wares hang in a park. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_023_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_023_o.jpg" data-mid="21126840" border="0" align="left"/>A woman poses in front of her wares at an outdoor market. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC00101_1000.JPG" width="793" height="600" width_o="793" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC00101_o.JPG" data-mid="21188635" border="0" align="left"/>Birdcages are a fixture in the urban landscape of many cities. Chattering sparrows and canaries are hung outside of shops, and groups men play cards with avian companions swinging overhead.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0019_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0019_o.jpg" data-mid="21604828" border="0" align="left"/>Hidden in a mountain clearing, this yin-yang symbol represents the required balance between the two polar elements in all of life. The symbol and its philosophy can be traced to ancient times, but were later appropriated by Daoism and incorporated into Confucian philosophy.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0012_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0012_o.jpg" data-mid="21603966" border="0" align="left"/>The pagoda is a quintessentially Chinese style of architecture, and often features vibrant paintings and multi-layered rooftops.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0029 copy_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0029 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="21604119" border="0" align="left"/>Incense is central to both Buddhism and Daoism, and can be found burning constantly at all places of worship.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0050 copy_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0050 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="21604424" border="0" align="left"/>A sleeping Buddha lies at the foot of Qianfo Shan, or Thousand Buddha Mountain, in Jinan, Shandong province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0121 copy_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0121 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="21604443" border="0" align="left"/>A golden Buddha gazes out over the city of Jinan, capital of Shandong province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0123 copy_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0123 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="21604473" border="0" align="left"/>A tree is heavy with prayer ribbons at the summit of Qianfo Shan, or Thousand Buddha Mountain.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0136 copy_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0136 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="21604494" border="0" align="left"/>Love locks and prayer ribbons intermingle on the summit of Qianfo Shan<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0016_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0016_o.jpg" data-mid="21604722" border="0" align="left"/>Tibetan prayer flags flutter in the wind near a tiny Buddhist shrine tucked away on a mountainside in Jinan, Shandong province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0039_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0039_o.jpg" data-mid="22321576" border="0" align="left"/>Tourists swarm the waterfront for a good view of Shanghai's famous skyline, the Bund.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_072_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_072_o.jpg" data-mid="22321689" border="0" align="left"/>Most Chinese cities have a notable lack of graffiti, but Western influences seem to have seeped into some Shanghai streets.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0123_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0123_o.jpg" data-mid="22321692" border="0" align="left"/>Shanghai is one of three Chinese cities that is considered its own municipality, rather than being located in a province. The other two cities are Beijing and Chonqing.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0147_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0147_o.jpg" data-mid="22321700" border="0" align="left"/>Perhaps Shanghai owes its international flair to the French, who controlled a sizable portion of the city until 1946.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0209_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0209_o.jpg" data-mid="22321708" border="0" align="left"/>A full moon shines over the Yuyuan bazaar in Shanghai on the first day of the Chinese Moon Festival.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_00462_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_00462_o.jpg" data-mid="22321714" border="0" align="left"/>A view of the Bund from the Huangpu district of Shanghai.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0081_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0081_o.jpg" data-mid="22321745" border="0" align="left"/>A woman protests against eating meat in downtown Guilin, Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0019_34_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0019_34_o.jpg" data-mid="22321738" border="0" align="left"/>A man and his son walk through a street in Guilin, Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0085_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0085_o.jpg" data-mid="22321749" border="0" align="left"/>A couple relaxes in a park in Guilin, Guanxi province. Due to the intense academic workload, many Chinese students don't begin dating until university. When they do begin to go out together, the most common dates are shopping and the cinema.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0062_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0062_o.jpg" data-mid="22321741" border="0" align="left"/>Fishermen try their luck in front of the Sun and Moon Pagodas in Guilin, Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0086_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0086_o.jpg" data-mid="22321757" border="0" align="left"/>Girls stand in a store in the Longsheng county, in the Guanxi province in southeastern China.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0094_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0094_o.jpg" data-mid="22321767" border="0" align="left"/>Red lanterns hang from a building in Guanxi province. The lanterns, which are ubiquitous in China, represent the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday centered around family.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0125_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0125_o.jpg" data-mid="22321770" border="0" align="left"/>The village of Ping An nestles at the foot of tremendous rice terraces carved into the surrounding mountains in Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0150_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0150_o.jpg" data-mid="22321774" border="0" align="left"/>A Yao ethnic minority woman smiles in Guanxi province. The women of this ethnic group are known for their long hair, which can only be cut at 16 years of age to symbolize entrance into womanhood.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0206_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0206_o.jpg" data-mid="22321775" border="0" align="left"/>The Longsheng rice terraces spread out through the mountains in Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0215_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0215_o.jpg" data-mid="22321776" border="0" align="left"/>Two girls stand at the brink of the terraces, carrying umbrellas to protect them from the bright sunshine.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0271_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0271_o.jpg" data-mid="22321791" border="0" align="left"/>The terraces were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty, about 500 years ago.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0287_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0287_o.jpg" data-mid="22321792" border="0" align="left"/>The incredible manmade vistas of the Longsheng rice terraces have flooded the region with both domestic and international tourists.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0222_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0222_o.jpg" data-mid="22321803" border="0" align="left"/>The Longsheng terraces are known as "Dragon's Backbone," and for good reason--the undulating ridges resemble the giant spine of a fire-breathing beast.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0312_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0312_o.jpg" data-mid="22321794" border="0" align="left"/>Rice is the main grain crop in China, accounting for two fifths of the country's total grain output.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0314.jpg" width="553" height="600" width_o="553" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0314_o.jpg" data-mid="22321796" border="0" align="left"/>An ethnic minority Yao smiles at the Longsheng rice terraces in Guanxi provinces. Of China's 56 ethnic groups, the Han are the extreme majority, making up over 90% of the population.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0328_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0328_o.jpg" data-mid="22321798" border="0" align="left"/>A child sits in a rustic rickshaw in Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0025_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0025_o.jpg" data-mid="22321810" border="0" align="left"/>A backpacker navigates the overwhelming crowds in the village of Yangshuo, Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0042_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0042_o.jpg" data-mid="22321814" border="0" align="left"/>The Li river, rimmed by stands of bamboo, snakes through the karst peaks of Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0047_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0047_o.jpg" data-mid="22321815" border="0" align="left"/>A father and daughter eat noodles outside of a restaurant in Xinping, Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0032_14_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0032_14_o.jpg" data-mid="22321811" border="0" align="left"/>A man rests among meat for sale at an outdoor market in Xinping, Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0075.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0075_o.jpg" data-mid="22321816" border="0" align="left"/>A man smiles at an outdoor market in the village of Xinping, Guanxi province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0089_1000.jpg" width="711" height="600" width_o="711" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0089_o.jpg" data-mid="22321817" border="0" align="left"/>A child eats noodles at an outdoor market in Xinping, Guanxi province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0108_1000.jpg" width="800" height="579" width_o="800" height_o="579" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0108_o.jpg" data-mid="22321821" border="0" align="left"/>A little girl plays with her grandparents in Xinping, Guanxi province. Since most middle aged Chinese work, the grandparents are traditionally left with the bulk of childcare duties. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_089_1000.jpg" width="800" height="500" width_o="800" height_o="500" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_089_o.jpg" data-mid="22321819" border="0" align="left"/>A lone farmer plows his rice fields among the mountains in Guanxi province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0110.jpg" width="412" height="600" width_o="412" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0110_o.jpg" data-mid="22321823" border="0" align="left"/>A farmer poses with his cow in the mountains of Guanxi province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0181_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0181_o.jpg" data-mid="22321825" border="0" align="left"/>The karst peaks of Guanxi province are famed for their otherwordly appearance. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0187_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0187_o.jpg" data-mid="22321827" border="0" align="left"/>The karst formations in this area are the most unique and extensive example of karst topography in the world. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0214_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0214_o.jpg" data-mid="22321828" border="0" align="left"/>Millions of years ago, the region was submerged under a salty sea that gradually wore away limestone to create the mountains. Over time, sea gave way to land, and the karst peaks rose up above the newly formed valleys.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0283_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0283_o.jpg" data-mid="22321829" border="0" align="left"/>A man steers his bamboo raft across the Li River in Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0289_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0289_o.jpg" data-mid="22321832" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets on the village of Yangshuo in Guanxi province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0303.jpg" width="400" height="600" width_o="400" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0303_o.jpg" data-mid="22321833" border="0" align="left"/>A man guides his raft along the side of the river. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0315_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0315_o.jpg" data-mid="22321835" border="0" align="left"/>The village of Yangshuo may be remote, but its reputation for breathtaking scenery and outdoor activities brings the tourists in droves during the holiday season. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0053_23_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0053_23_o.jpg" data-mid="22321843" border="0" align="left"/>A farmhouse sits among the red lands in the Yunnan province in southern China. Known as Hongtudi in Chinese, the soil in the region has a high iron oxide content, making it a deep red color. When the fields are plowed and planted each year many claim the fields resemble a giant palette of reds, yellows and browns. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0161_1000.jpg" width="800" height="536" width_o="800" height_o="536" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0161_o.jpg" data-mid="22321844" border="0" align="left"/>A man rests outside in Kunming, the capital of the Yunnan province. <img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0167_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0167_o.jpg" data-mid="22321848" border="0" align="left"/>Classmates walk along railroad tracks on their way home from school in Kunming, Yunnan province.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0197_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0197_o.jpg" data-mid="22321851" border="0" align="left"/>Like every bit of nature in China, even the bamboo bears marks of human habitation.<img src="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0172_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload85.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/4009872/DSC_0172_o.jpg" data-mid="24790844" border="0" align="left"/>University students strike a pose during a class at Shandong Women's University in Jinan, Shandong Province. Any way you slice it, China is big. Its history stretches back millennia, its culture is rich and colorful, and the sheer size of its land mass and population is... http://alyciakravitz.com/Yellowstone-National-Park http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Yellowstone-National-Park Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:46:47 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 3898388 Sprawling across four states in the American midwest, Yellowstone National Park is a mammoth expanse of wilderness and wildlife. Its sweeping vistas and dramatic landscapes have gained a well-deserved reputation as some of the best in the US, and travelers voyage from far and wide to marvel at its flora and fauna. Here is a small sample of some of the parks sights. <img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/1_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/1_o.jpg" data-mid="20350703" border="0" align="left"/>The Teton Mountain range, south of Yellowstone in Wyoming.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/2_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/2_o.jpg" data-mid="20350705" border="0" align="left"/>Teton National Park isn't as well known as Yellowstone, but the mountains hold their own.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/3_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/3_o.jpg" data-mid="20350707" border="0" align="left"/>Jenny Lake, Teton National Park, Wyoming.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/4_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/4_o.jpg" data-mid="20350709" border="0" align="left"/>A valley in the Tetons, Wyoming.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/5_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/5_o.jpg" data-mid="20350710" border="0" align="left"/>Grand Teton, Wyoming.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/6_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/6_o.jpg" data-mid="20350733" border="0" align="left"/>Yellowstone stretches out over an impressive 2.2 million acres.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/7_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/7_o.jpg" data-mid="20350734" border="0" align="left"/>The park was designated a World Heritage Site in 1968.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/8_1000.jpg" width="800" height="470" width_o="800" height_o="470" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/8_o.jpg" data-mid="20350735" border="0" align="left"/>In addition to the mountains and valleys, Yellowstone boasts a high level of geological activity, mostly in the form of natural geysers.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/9_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/9_o.jpg" data-mid="20350749" border="0" align="left"/>The park is a giant pasture for herds of buffalo that roam free across the plains.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/13_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/13_o.jpg" data-mid="20350781" border="0" align="left"/>Old Faithful Geyser erupts in the noonday sun.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/10_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/10_o.jpg" data-mid="20350763" border="0" align="left"/>The view from Mt. Washburn, a 10,000 ft peak in the park.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/11_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/11_o.jpg" data-mid="20350768" border="0" align="left"/>The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.<img src="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/12_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload79.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3898388/12_o.jpg" data-mid="20350774" border="0" align="left"/>The canyon is about 1,200 feet deep and 4,000 feet wide, and runs through north of the park. Sprawling across four states in the American midwest, Yellowstone National Park is a mammoth expanse of wilderness and wildlife. Its sweeping vistas and dramatic... http://alyciakravitz.com/Europe-in-Color-1 http://alyciakravitz.com/following/alyciakravitz.com/Europe-in-Color-1 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:12:25 +0000 Alycia Kravitz 3588367 Europe's got a lot of color. From the lush green of its awe-inspiring natural spaces to the bright palette splashed along twisting alleyways, the continent boasts a veritable rainbow of sights, smells and sounds. Sometimes its best seen with a narrow focus--a single piece of fruit at the market, a mural tucked around a corner--other times you've got to step back to appreciate the full view of an exquisite sunset or a sprawling skyline. From whatever angle you approach them, it's hard to deny the beauty of these countries. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/19945_227925436414_524166414_3584485_696503_n.jpg" width="445" height="600" width_o="445" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/19945_227925436414_524166414_3584485_696503_n_o.jpg" data-mid="18572904" border="0" align="left"/>An alleyway snakes through the heart of Rome, Italy <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/19945_228026101414_1070802_n.jpg" width="416" height="600" width_o="416" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/19945_228026101414_1070802_n_o.jpg" data-mid="18572905" border="0" align="left"/>Oranges for sale in Rome, Italy. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC07670_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC07670_o.JPG" data-mid="18573053" border="0" align="left"/>A row of buildings in Lyon, France. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/227591_10150161993286415_168527_n_1000.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/227591_10150161993286415_168527_n_o.jpg" data-mid="18572907" border="0" align="left"/>The intricate gardens of the Château de Villandry in Azay-le-Rideau, France. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08860_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08860_o.JPG" data-mid="18573118" border="0" align="left"/>The impressive Château de Chambord in Loir-et-Cher, France. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00012_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00012_o.JPG" data-mid="18572911" border="0" align="left"/>Love locks overwhelm a gate in Prague, Czech Republic. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00061_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00061_o.JPG" data-mid="18572913" border="0" align="left"/>Puppets hang in a storefront in Prague, Czech Republic. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00069_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00069_o.JPG" data-mid="18572915" border="0" align="left"/>A glimpse of Prague's famed architecture is reflected in a mirror, Prague, Czech Republic. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09991_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09991_o.JPG" data-mid="18573156" border="0" align="left"/>The serene Vlatva river cuts through Prague, Czech Republic. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09996_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09996_o.JPG" data-mid="18573164" border="0" align="left"/>Pastel buildings in Prague, Czech Republic. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00110_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00110_o.JPG" data-mid="18572917" border="0" align="left"/>A wall of graffiti in Copenhagen, Denmark. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00112_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00112_o.JPG" data-mid="18572919" border="0" align="left"/>The "free town" of Christiania, in Copenhagen, Denmark. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00155_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00155_o.JPG" data-mid="18572921" border="0" align="left"/>A row of buildings lines a canal in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0025_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0025_o.jpg" data-mid="29977695" border="0" align="left"/>A woman rides her bike past a parade in Stockholm, Sweden. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0053_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0053_o.jpg" data-mid="29977696" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets over Stockholm, Sweden. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0063_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0063_o.jpg" data-mid="29977698" border="0" align="left"/>An alleyway in Gamla Stan, the old city center of Stockholm, Sweden. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0077_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0077_o.jpg" data-mid="29977699" border="0" align="left"/>Stockholm is spread across several islands, blending together cityscapes and waterways into the capital of Sweden. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0096_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0096_o.jpg" data-mid="29977700" border="0" align="left"/>A man sells antiques at a flea market in central Stockholm, Sweden. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0104_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0104_o.jpg" data-mid="29977701" border="0" align="left"/>A policeman rides his horse through the streets of Stockholm, Sweden. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00422.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00422_o.JPG" data-mid="18572922" border="0" align="left"/>Mountain walls rise up from the Geirangerfjord, Norway. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00433_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00433_o.JPG" data-mid="18572923" border="0" align="left"/>The glacial lake is cupped by snow capped mountains in Western Norway. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00496_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00496_o.JPG" data-mid="18572924" border="0" align="left"/>View from water level in Geirangerfjord, Norway. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00590.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00590_o.JPG" data-mid="18572925" border="0" align="left"/>A children's poem hung on the wall of a church in Hellesylt, Norway. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00625_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00625_o.JPG" data-mid="18572928" border="0" align="left"/>A valley nestles in the mountains rimming the Geirangerfjord, Norway. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00777_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00777_o.JPG" data-mid="18572951" border="0" align="left"/>Streetart is ubiquitous in Reykjavik, capital of Iceland. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00812_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00812_o.JPG" data-mid="18572952" border="0" align="left"/>Fields of lupins dot rural Iceland in the summer months. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00856.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC00856_o.JPG" data-mid="18572956" border="0" align="left"/>Streetart in Reykjavik, Iceland. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC01089_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC01089_o.JPG" data-mid="18572996" border="0" align="left"/>Sólheimajökull glacier, Iceland. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC01101_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC01101_o.JPG" data-mid="18573002" border="0" align="left"/>Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC01213.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC01213_o.JPG" data-mid="18573048" border="0" align="left"/>The Agbar tower lights up the Barcelona skyline in Spain. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0007_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0007_o.jpg" data-mid="29977665" border="0" align="left"/>Pedestrians cross a busy intersection in the heart of Madrid, Spain. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0027_1000.jpg" width="800" height="520" width_o="800" height_o="520" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0027_o.jpg" data-mid="29977666" border="0" align="left"/>Hats for sale at an outdoor market in Madrid, Spain. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0028_1000.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="800" height_o="533" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC_0028_o.jpg" data-mid="29977667" border="0" align="left"/>An alleyway winds out of sight in Madrid, Spain. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC07987_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC07987_o.JPG" data-mid="18573060" border="0" align="left"/>Streetart in Brussels, Belgium <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08052.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08052_o.JPG" data-mid="18573066" border="0" align="left"/>A bouquet of wooden tulips in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08089_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08089_o.JPG" data-mid="20350339" border="0" align="left"/>Streetart and bicycles in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08090.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08090_o.JPG" data-mid="18573080" border="0" align="left"/>Streetart in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08254.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08254_o.JPG" data-mid="18573089" border="0" align="left"/>A woman buys fruit in Geneva, Switzerland. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08302_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08302_o.JPG" data-mid="18573090" border="0" align="left"/>A snow capped peak viewed from the hills of Montreux, Switzerland.<img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08316_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08316_o.JPG" data-mid="18573093" border="0" align="left"/>The Château de Chillon in Montreux, Switzerland. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08348.JPG" width="450" height="600" width_o="450" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08348_o.JPG" data-mid="18573095" border="0" align="left"/>Young boys add to a graffitied wall in Berlin, Germany. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08408_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08408_o.JPG" data-mid="18573097" border="0" align="left"/>Streetart in Berlin, Germany. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08467_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08467_o.JPG" data-mid="18573098" border="0" align="left"/>Murals in Berlin, Germany. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08489_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08489_o.JPG" data-mid="18573100" border="0" align="left"/>A row of buildings in Berlin, Germany. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08592_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08592_o.JPG" data-mid="18573105" border="0" align="left"/>The Shoes on the Danube monument in Budapest, Hungary. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08610_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08610_o.JPG" data-mid="18573108" border="0" align="left"/>The fabled Danube river winds its way through Budapest, Hungary. {image 49} <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08715_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC08715_o.JPG" data-mid="18573113" border="0" align="left"/>An Easter Egg market in Vienna, Austria. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09422_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09422_o.JPG" data-mid="18573123" border="0" align="left"/>Whitewashed walls and blue cupolas are trademarks of the Greek island of Santorini. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09447_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09447_o.JPG" data-mid="18573125" border="0" align="left"/>The sun sets over the beach in Santorini, Greece. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09472_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09472_o.JPG" data-mid="18573129" border="0" align="left"/>Laundry is hung out to dry in the Mediterranean sunshine in Santorini, Greece. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09489_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09489_o.JPG" data-mid="18573130" border="0" align="left"/>A city perches precariously on a cliff side in the Greek Isles. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09574_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09574_o.JPG" data-mid="18573136" border="0" align="left"/>Repurposed canisters bloom with new life in Athens, Greece. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09644_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09644_o.JPG" data-mid="18573141" border="0" align="left"/>A Muslim man offers midday prays in a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09648_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09648_o.JPG" data-mid="18573142" border="0" align="left"/>Women relax in front of the Ayasofya mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09752_1000.JPG" width="800" height="600" width_o="800" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09752_o.JPG" data-mid="18573143" border="0" align="left"/>The Egyptian spice bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. <img src="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09794.JPG" width="363" height="600" width_o="363" height_o="600" src_o="http://payload64.cargocollective.com/1/7/251922/3588367/DSC09794_o.JPG" data-mid="18573150" border="0" align="left"/>Traffic stops for midday prayers in Istanbul, Turkey. Europe's got a lot of color. From the lush green of its awe-inspiring natural spaces to the bright palette splashed along twisting alleyways, the continent boasts a...