Korea

In the Fall of 2003 I had a short visit to Seoul, Korea. Unfortunately, it was just a stopover for a couple of days but I did get to enjoy myself a bit. Right across the street from my hotel was the Bongeun-sa Buddhist Temple situated on the largest grounds that I had ever seen for a temple. When I entered, I felt from the beginning how nice and receptive everyone was. This has not always been my experience with different religions so I was pleasantly surprised. I walked around from building to building and really enjoyed the statues of Buddha in different forms that they had on the property. I found a huge statue of Buddha in one of the courtyards that was in all white and so beautiful. I came upon a room in my exploration that had people kneeling in prayer. It was my first experience watching Buddhists pray and a calm sensation came over me and I felt very peaceful in that moment. It is funny how sometimes an experience affects you many years later in ways you never imagined. I really enjoyed my visit to Bongeun-sa and the experience started an understanding inside of me for a peaceful place. The next day I got a chance to sneak away to the Aquarium. The Coex Aquarium is the largest in Asia and was absolutely amazing. I love zoos but an aquarium brings you in contact with new species that you don’t normally get to see. I really enjoyed the jellyfish exhibit. The lighting was perfect to see the details that made such a simple life form seem not so simple anymore. I don’t believe I have been to a more amazing aquarium to date with such a vast array of species on display. I truly enjoyed it. It would have been nice to have had more time to explore the city in depth but I did enjoy what I did get to see and it was a worthwhile stopover. 

Bongeun-sa Buddhist Temple

Temple

Buddha

Buddha

Coex Aquarium

You can find more photos from this trip at www.ariagiovanni.com

Alaska

In the summer of 2005, I had a job offer from Mystique Magazine to take me to shoot in Anchorage, Alaska. Of course I would never pass up such an amazing opportunity. Our shooting time was spanned out over three days. The first day I shot in an old gold mining town. It was nestled in the forest with a stream running though it. The 2nd and 3rd days I was helicoptered onto two different glaciers to shoot. I must say that the second day of shooting was my coldest shoot ever. It was very hard not to look like I was in pain. The wind was blowing over the glacier across the water and hitting me while I was laying on the rock wearing nothing but medal. The third day was at a higher altitude but thank goodness no breeze that day. I actually was getting a sun tan while I shooting. I must say that I fell in love with Alaska. Never had I seen such beauty in nature untouched and so pristine. The vastness of the mountains and wildlife was overwhelming. I thought I could definitely live there in the summer months when it is nice and cool but not too cold. During this time too the sun only sets real late and rises early. In my opinion though it never really gets dark but stays at a constant dusk-like haze at night. This definitely messes with your sleep. I slept less but I was never tired. It was weird to get used to this lack of time recognition. I was lucky to get a chance to visit a nature preserve while I was there. I love zoos and preserves and I often choose these places to go on my travels. The last day while in Alaska I joined the crew for a day-cruise to see the glaciers. The boat gets real close to the glaciers and you are able to see large chunks of ice break from the main glacier called calving. I also spotted quite a few bald eagles nest as we were heading back to port. Alaska is a place that I would like to visit again someday. If you want to see nature that will leave you in awe then this is the place. 

Day 1 shooting: Blacksmith’s apprentice

Out location scouting

Day 2 shooting: the coldest shoot ever

What a view

Getting ready to be dropped off for day 3

Day 3 shooting: Standing in front of the glaciers

Baby Moose at the Preserve…so cute to pet

Glaciers

Me on the day cruise

What a view

Glaciers up close

It is unfortunate that this might all be gone one day…

You can find more photos from this trip at www.ariagiovanni.com

 

India

In March of 2007, I went to India and Nepal visiting New Delhi, Khajuraho, Agra, Jaipur, Kathmandu, and Varanasi. In 11 days I took 10 flights, two-5 hour car drives, and was up three mornings before sunrise. When I arrived back home I felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation. There was no time to spare and it had been a trip packed to the brim. It was the first trip that I had returned home from and asked myself if it had been worth it. I was tired and still on sensory overload for some time after returning and the jetlag was horrible this time around. After about a month of being back it started to soak in though and it has become the trip in which I have learned and gained the most from so far. I think my initial reaction was due to cramming so much into a small period of time and India being so vastly different from anything I had experienced before. I was overwhelmed from the start and add that to more sensory stimulation being piled on at a constant pace and my lack of sleep. In the end I could remember what I experienced but I had not moved through all the emotions yet. This all came about later but in the end I had a full grasp of India. The places I visited in India were not rich by any means but there again was that smile that people had that came from their hearts. It was interesting to learn and to experience firsthand how the Hindu religion plays a part in the people of India accepting their position in which they are born in and rejoicing in their life whatever it might be. Whether they were washing people’s clothes in the river, tending their fields by hand, rowing boats down the Ganges for hire, selling food in street side stands, or pedaling a rickshaw down the crowded streets…they all smiled a true uninhibited without force smile that lit up their faces and made theirs eyes sparkle. Something so simple is rarely seen nowadays. India was another world to me from the places of worship for different religions, the abundance of monkeys running wild, the colorful saris, watching bodies being burned and swept into the same river that clothes are washed and people bathe in, the crowded street bazaars, watching a water buffalo slaughtered on the sidewalk for food, the innumerable cows that roam the streets, and watching people do sun salutation in the river at dawn. India was full of color and spirituality that has surpassed any other place I have been. 

Maasai Village

While on safari in Kenya, I went and visited a Maasai village. The Maasai are a tribe of Kenya whom are easily recognizable by the bright red garments that they wear. While out on safari it was not uncommon to see a lone Maasai walking through the Masai Mara reserve amongst all the animals. Usually the only form of protection that they carry is a spear and/or a short club. When I arrived at the village the chief’s son came out to great us with a group of Maasai warriors. They performed some ritual dances and then a group of women came out and sang some traditional songs. We were then invited into the village for a tour. Their village is circular in construction and is surrounded by a thick collection of brush and sticks that form a hedge to keep the wild animals out. The outer circle within the walls of the village is composed of huts made of sticks and mud. I was invited into one of the huts to have a look around. Inside, there is a small anterior room for baby animals and after passing this you enter the main room. In this room the adults sleep on skins and have a section in the center for cooking over a fire. There is also a small side room in which the children sleep on the floor. When you enter the hut you must duck to enter and remain crouched while inside due to the height of the hut being low to the ground. It took me a moment to acclimate my eyes once inside the house because of the lack of light due to there being no windows or electricity. After exiting the hut they showed me the inner circle of the village in which they keep the cattle. This enclosure is also made of a hedge and it takes up most of the area of the village. Cows are very important to the Maasai for food and milk but also they are the wealth of the people. At this point, the children slowly came out of the huts to see what we had brought them. I handed out pens and candy to the little ones and it was such a great feeling to see the smile on their faces from such small things. I was glad that I had a chance to visit the Maasai village. It was a really interesting experience to see how they lived and to learn more about their way of life. 

Traditional dance of Maasai warriors

Adumu- traditional dance

Maasai

Maasai women singing traditional songs

Little girl

Standing outside a hut

Demonstration of how the Maasai make fire

Little boy

Children eating hard candies

Children outside their hut

Dog entering one of the huts

Handing out pens to the children

Trying to make friends but to no avail

You can find more photos from this trip at www.ariagiovanni.com