Darjeeling is amazing set in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India. The oncoming monsoon season brings with it great rain and, sometimes, lightning storms. I snapped this pic on one such night.

Video

Listed here is the index of episodes from my 11-part Nepal video series Trekking in Nepal. Vimeo links are recommended as they are in High Definition (HD). DVD available in the near future, so e-mail me if you want a copy.

• Episode 01 – Intro: In the introductory episode, meet our adventurers Tyler and Steve. The two friends set out on the trip of a lifetime to explore majestic Nepal. Get an overview of the series and check out the gear they are taking.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 02 – Kathmandu: Steve and I explore local life in a village outside of Kathmandu and prepare for our impending trek.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 03 – Lukla Flight: Steve and I enjoy the edge of your seat flight from Kathmandu to Lukla… if we can get on the plane!

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 04 – Lukla To Namche Bazaar: Steve and I get our first taste of the Himalayas in our trek from Lukla to Namache Bazaar.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 05 – Namche Bazaar: Steve and I take in the Himalaya village of Namche Bazaar.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 06 – Namche Bazaar to Gokyo: The journey from Namche Bazaar to Gokyo places Steve and I in some of the most stunning mountains in the world.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 07 – Gokyo: Steve and I reach the majestic heights around Gokyo, in the shadow of Everest.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 08 – Tagnag: Snowed in with nothing to do, we brave expired Pabst Blue Ribbon and later become a bit lost.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 09 – Tengboche: Steve and I tour the facilities at one of the oldest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Nepal at Tengboche.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 10 – Khumjung: Steve and I fly some kites in the Sherpa village of Khumjung on the way down.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

• Episode 11 – Return: Steve and I make it back to Kathmandu and reflect upon the trip.

  Links: Vimeo HD ✸ YouTube ✸ Lonely Planet TV

Journals

You access my day-by-day scribing of the trip (September 14 – October 7, 2007) below. You will find photos and information not found in my 11-part video series. I always keep a Moleskine notebook with me on my travel that I write, draw, and paste information in.

Day 01: But First… Thailand

Day 02: Going to K-K-K-Kathmandu

Day 03: Into the Hills of Kathmandu

Day 04: Lukla Bound

Day 05: Namche Bazaar

Day 06: Namche Bazaar Rest Day

Day 07: A Long Day

Day 08: More Yaks

Day 09: Gokyo

Day 10: Gokyo Day Hike

Day 11: Gokyo Ri

Day 12: Snowed In At Tagnag

Day 13: Lost

Day 14: Reunited

Day 15: Tengboche Monastery

Day 17: Khumjung

Day 18: Namche Again

Day 19: Return To Kathmandu (coming soon)

Back From Nepal

Photos

Images featured here and more can be found at my Nepal Flickr Set.

This picture is just too cool, its me doing my best Buzz Lightyear impersonation. Click on it to see bigger! My friend Matteo took this at the abandoned amusement park Utopia I mentioned before. Check out Matt’s photos on flickr, he has some really good shots and a nice Utopia set!

Admittedly, without seeing the results of the new slideshow automation site animoto.com I had doubts. Check out the 30 second clip I generated above with a few shots from my Cambodia pics that I recently started editing. Impressive.

The site is well integrated with YouTube and other social networking site for both pulling source photos and sharing finished videos. In fact, everything about the user interface is very smooth.

It looks like they have some number of sophisticated photo effects that are randomly used to create intense presentations. Definitely a cut above the normal slideshow.

Couple thoughts. First, preview 30 second clips are free and full length videos cost $3 with no further restrictions. Well, maybe Google or Yahoo! will buy them someday and make it free, like it should be. Secondly, though not currently available the site is promising what I think are iPod and DVD resolutions. Thats good. The only way I would pay is if I can access DVD resolution. Can’t wait to see how this start up progresses.

A fellow teacher at work who is interested in photography tipped me off to the new Sigma DP1 coming out March 25 in the US (already out in Japan). From the outset, this one really looks impressive.

• 14-megapixel resolution; SLR-sized image sensor
• 16.6mm F4 lens designed exclusively for the DP1
• Dimensions of 4.5 (W) x 2.3 (H) x 2.0 inches (D) and weighs just 8.5 ounces
• Large, 2.5-inch LCD; 3 metering modes and 5 exposure modes
• JPEG recording format for convenience plus a RAW data (X3F) recording mode
• Capture images to SD/SDHC cards and MMC

It’s being hailed as the ultra compact camera considering it’s compact size and pro-sumer features. Could be a good swap for me from my Canon Digital Rebel. It basically has all the features I’m looking for: full manual mode, RAW, and hot shoe. The one draw back is the lack of zoom capability and price ($1000 retail and $800 via amazon).

The image sensor is much larger than a typical compact. The company claims this sensor, specially designed for this camera, thus has a great signal-to-noise ratio and excellent (shallow) depth of field. It rings in at 14 MP, which has much less to do with the quality of pictures than people realize.

I have my fair share of gear, so getting high quality images with a more conducive size for traveling is attractive. Plus it is less conspicuous meaning more candid shots and less of a chance to be targeted by thieves.

Another friend recently bought a dSLR and went with a fixed lens. He seems to be getting along well and I suppose it would force you to pay particular attention to composition.

Plus it has a really cool retro-style feel to it. I look forward to getting my hands on one in a store!