Image:  View on the slopes from the village - Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Locals are not to keen on using a recycle bin. Unfortunately same applies to the foreign tourists.

Equipment: Panasonic FT-1 (yes, digital, eating my own words here, film camera was too heavy to carry on a free-ride)

Full set @ http://www.tiblu.com/img/kashmir_india_2010/

Full set 2 by Marek @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/laazik/sets/72157623603474437/

Some random thoughts on India. Strictly reflecting my own views on things:

• People are friendly.
• Indian people do the least that works. Example: wiring of street lamps.  In the forest, there was a high voltage line which was so low that you could possibly run into. A motorcycle has fuel filter attached with band-aid. Shocks are over-rated – they are not essential for driving.
• From the point above, I get shivers and shakes when I think of outsourcing any kind of work from India.
• Delhi is too hot for an Estonian (northern) man.
• Bargain on every price. They do try to get max amount of money out of a tourist, but that’s pure business.
• Agree on price before taking a taxi to avoid surprises.
• Take a pre-paid taxi from the airport.  Buy the ticket from the booth and follow the instructions of the seller. Never give your luggage to the guys in front of the booth claiming to be the drivers.
• Delhi is dirty, but you’ll get used to it. Recycle bins are not widely used, everything is dropped to the ground. It must be a custom from old times when everything was natural and just rot and become soil. Unfortunately today we have other materials which don’t rot too fast. I guess it takes generations to get the habit out.
• Delhi seemed safe. While there are complaints about pickpocketing etc. I didn’t spot any suspicious activity which I could spot right away in Tirane, Albania.
• Hanging around in the city at night is totally cool.
• Srinagar airport must be the most secure place in the earth -  taxi checked for explosives, no entrance to airport are without a ticket. Luggage, hand baggage and body checked 3 times.
• Indian army is friendly to civilians.
• Gulmarg, Kashmir is an excellent place for a free-ride.
• Fayaz from Ski-Himalaya is an excellent free-ride guide.
• The hospital of Tangmarg was “interesting” – not too hygienic. Signs on the wall say “don’t spit” and rooms numbers said: “casualty no. X”.  Basically if you end up there with a serious injury, the use of word “casualty” makes sense.
• Spending a few nights after snowboarding Himalayas on boat houses on Dhal lake (Srinagar)  is really relaxing.
• Despite the fact that armed forces are everywhere I would not say there was tension in Kashmir. They suggest you not to hang around mosques on Friday nights though. That is where riots usually start. Unless… unless you are into extreme sports.
• Play in a Bollywood movie, it is fun.
• Auto rickshaw is the best transportation out in the city.
• Vehicles horn is multifunctional – hi! get away! passing! happy! thank you!
• Mirrors are not a common practice for taxi drivers – they have their horn and ears.
• It’s totally OK to urinate in public, usually performed while squat down.
• For those who like hardcore after-ski, Gulmarg is not your place. The place is low on entertainment other that powder (!) and as 90% are muslims, alcohol does not come easy.
• I suggest to see the countryside, small villages are totally cool and visitors welcome.
• Food is spicy.
• Don’t try to fight diarrhea, you’ll get it sooner or later. Stick to spicy food and you’ll get over it in few days or more.
• Pimp-my-Ride must be India’s favourite TV show – cars are hand painted and colourful.
• Inner tourists are the majority in Gulmarg. They come in masses to see the snow for the first time. After buying pair of cloves and a warm hat they swim in it, they eat it, they build a snowman, they ski, they sledge.  It is very cool to see a 70 year old become a kid again seeing snow for the first time in her/his life.
• Is is perfectly normal to snowboard and see an army outpost on the way. It is also normal to ski with a machine-gun.
• The best place for getting a shave in the middle of a market.
• Cows are free animals, they go were they want and when they want. Cemetery is a good place for fresh grass.

In conclusion India is a cool place to travel and Gulmarg is a very cool place to free-ride.

Now waiting for b4apres guys to finish up their cultural ski film about Kashmir.

That’s it, that’s it, that’s it, the new kit is Kiev 6C, Vega-12b 90mm f2.8, Mir-38b 65mm f3.5 provided by Sten. I must say it is one wicked camera – it looks just like a regular 35mm film camera but it is double in size. It does scare people.
In fact, the camera got me stripped in airport security check – I had to lay out all my stuff on the table, sneakers off, lenses off, caps off, bag empty. They checked each of the item individually. I do remember the face on the lady carrying out the check when she took a look at the Kiev 6C – she was speechless and searching for a viewfinder which I opened up (shaft, not prism) for her after noticing the confusion. After seeing the image from the finder, she was satisfied. As a last thing they searched for traces of explosive materials from my bag. I guess it wasn’t just the camera – I do wear 1960s Eastern-Germany military uniform pants and a jacket.

Got first shutter releases during my trip to Prague and London. Although there were a lot of tourists I loved Prague, it has some “mojo” for me that Rome and Paris don’t. London was obviously different experience – way bigger in size = more people, more rushing and it was my first time there. Lucky enough, I had an excellent companion for the trip – a co-worker from London office – Rita.
Prague: we had great fun navigating the city, eating huge amount of meat, some tasty potato cakes, some chillin’ in Hard Rock Cafe, out with her friends from Portugal in Lebanese restaurant and taking photos while at it. Basically I was there to confuse, she was there to fix it all up. Oh, tube (metro) always confuses me.
London: working from the office at the day time, evenings touring the city and stayed at co-workers for the night at co-workers. Staying in an apartment with a Portuguese, Creek and Estonian = great fun and well fed. Places that I liked the most – St James’s Park, Regeant’s Park (very cool view on the city at night), Victoria Embankment Gardens, Camden markets area, the Tube. I must say I wasn’t all excited about the Big Ben or Tower Bridge or Buckingham. What I did like a lot was the variety of people – very-very different cultures/personalities living together – quite inspiring environment though it does not show in the pictures. I think I took altogether ~20 pictures on the 9 day trip.

Yet again, failed to make long story short. Thanks again to Sten for the scans.

Image: Ladies hunting their ice-cream by the Thames.

Equipment: Kiev 6C, Vega-12b 90mm f2.8 / Fujicolor Reala 100

Full set @ http://www.tiblu.com/img/mediumformat_Kiev_6C_2009_2/
(some shots are in next post…)

NB! If the film packaging says: “Load in dimmed light” – do that or face the consequences.