Floating through the air… along with up to 100 other balloons. I counted 94 that day. Dreamlike if it wasn’t for the screaming of excited Korean tourists. Not cheap but certainly an experience to remember.
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Carried by the economic boom before the Syrian war, Turkey is changing at breakneck speed – in some areas. Istanbul is certainly the hotspot of the new western-oriented progressive elite and developing fast under its influence, but other parts of the country cannot keep up the same pace, both culturally and economically. To speed up the process, places like Kayseri in central Turkey receive vast government investments to build tens of thousands of new apartments to attract workers for the local businesses which creates a sort of sterile, semi-conservative cityscape.
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The Aasraa Trust tries to get children off the street and into education. Check their website here.
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Sri Lanka has a feel similar to southern India, but it lacks most of the annoyances of India. It is certainly much more relaxed and people at the bottom of the social ladder are less desperate to survive.
We stayed with a local family near Kandy who work their rice paddies in the hills. It was beautiful and serene but sleeping in the smoke of a fire at night to drive insects away needs some getting used to.
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This temple of capitalism is not beautiful but it sure is impressive.
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While in Cape Town to shoot a story about the street children, I took one of them to McDonald’s when a couple came in to order. I had to concentrate not to let my jaw drop. I usually don’t like taking pictures of cliches but could not resist taking their photo.
The stereotypical idea of what many think India looks like – and it does, but only in Rajasthan.
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The social distance between rich and poor is stark in Kolkata, even for Indian standards. The wealthy enjoy a game of cricket amid the grand architecture of the colonial past while the poorest of the poor barely survive under bridges.
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Most visitors to Varanasi only have one goal – the waters of the river Ganges. The idea is to worship and cleanse sins by bathing. Taking a sip of the water is supposed to be part of the ritual, although you would need a cast iron stomach not go get sick given the near-sewage quality of it.
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