A shot I took of a smartly dressed young woman waiting for a bus at the swelteringly hot bus station in the middle of Kuchaman City in Rajasthan.
During our stay we resided at the once opulent but now rather dilapidated Kuchaman Fort perched atop a 1000-foot-high (300 m) cliff overlooking the sandy desert beyond and the town below.
Trips down to the town were a highlight and were only achieved by walking, or taking a beat-up jeep, down a winding old cobbled former elephant path.
The Route: The Yorkshire Three Peaks
Distance: 40km (25 miles) | Time: 9.43 Hours | Height gain: 1,586m/5,202ft
Start: SD 80895 72425 | Map: OL2 | Date: 23/07/2011
The Three Peaks of Yorkshire is a 25 mile circular challenge hike against the clock (12 hours being the limit). The route normally starts and finishes at Horton-in-Ribblesdale at the Pen-y-ghent Cafe, the hike visits the three highest peaks in Yorkshire – Pen-y-ghent (691m), Whernside (728m), and Ingleborough (723m) – in that order, making a total ascent of 1586m (5202ft). Everyone without exception attempting The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Walk should be fully prepared and equipped for this demanding outdoor challenge.
I awoke at 4.20 am in my tiny tent wrapped up snugly in my sleeping bag, the effort to get out and into the cold was incalculable. The moon was illuminating the still, cold, dark and starry sky as I stiffly walked up to the farmhouse in an attempt to use the outside toilet for the first time of the day. Continue reading “The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge 2011”
During a trip to Istanbul in 2005 I visited the Hagia Sophia, once the largest basilica in Christendom, in 1453 after the siege of Constantinople it was converted into a mosque by Sultan Mehmed.
This photograph shows two of the eight famous calligraphic roundels in the Hagia Sophia that are in fact painted wooden plaques, they were added in the 19th century restoration ordered by Sultan Abdülmecid.
This shot is actually an analog photo taken using film and later scanned in for digital purposes – in fact it was the last trip I used a film camera on!
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognisable structures in the world. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love.
This shot was taken very early in the morning, almost at first sunrise, before all the crowds turned up during my manic but also enjoyable trip around Northern India’s Golden Triangle.
JAMES HANDLON 