Dragon Sunsets

It was our last day on Rangali Island in the Malives.

For our last sunset here, we were treated to THREE different dragons in the clouds as the sun went down.

Thanks to a storm blowing in across the lagoon, the depth of the clouds was unusual, and the sky as if it were on fire. A good way to end a wonderful vacation!

Chinese Dragon

Disney Dragon

Mean Dragon, about to eat a puppy

And a couple photos of that evening's sunset

"The Onion" style vacation report

Tourist faces criminal charges, awaiting extradition if found

A woman identified only as "Frau A" returned to Munich from a two-week holiday in the Maldives, but now has more problems than just sorting out hundreds of vacation photos.  Rather than simply enjoying a quite time in this island paradise, locals are claiming that she was a serial stalker that did nothing but harass inhabitants day and night.

According to Maldivian authorities, a large number of grievances were logged on Rangali Island and its surrounding reefs.  Reports indicate that Frau A routinely followed and photographed victims for hours at a time, even into in their private homes.  Nobody was spared - the list of complainants includes nearly every size, age, and race found among the natives.

The most chilling examples from her victims are described below:

"I was just hanging out under my favorite coral, when Frau A comes out of nowhere and sticks a camera in my face."

"I just try to blend in and mind my own business, but she has an eagle-eye and always finds me."

"I'm not colorful or flashy like others in the neighborhood, but Frau A poked her camera in my home anyway.  The surgeonfish and parrotfish must be tormented."

The experience left some residents so traumatized that they would only peek their heads through doors to speak with the news.  "Even my security system didn't help.  I'm afraid to let the kids outside."

"At least some clowns out here have a place to hide.  I'm stuck looking for holes in the coral."

"It's terrifying.  How would you feel to round a corner and be faced with this???"

Indeed, Frau A appears to be a highly sophisticated fauna-paparazza.  She employs the latest technology in her quest to capture images of locals.  Here she is seen with a kit of compressed air, 2-stage regulators, and buoyancy compensator to reach normally uninhabitable regions.

Even the toughest residents were unnerved by her incessant photography.  "It's cliched, but I tried crawling under a rock.  No luck - there she was again."

For some, the stakes were even higher.  "I felt pretty secure, until I heard that she planned a lobster barbeque on the beach.  It's not fair!"

The loudest complaints came from the stingray community, where accusations included unwanted groping.  "She put her foot over my favorite resting place, so I had to swim up and rest on it.  I felt violated."

Not all share the same viewpoint, however.  "I followed her around a bit - she's not so bad.  Just didn't give me any handouts, is all."

The Rangali Island Neighborhood Watch program has asked for your help - let the authorities know if you were stalked and photographed by this woman.  Be careful, she is considered camera-ready and dangerous.

Update:  Law enforcement has learned that Frau A worked with an accomplice called Herr J.  They want to find him and bring him in for questioning.  "Protective shell or not, I knew he was out there... helping her... looming..."

Greetings from the Maldives

Enjoying some sun, scuba, and relaxation in the Maldives.....

Beautiful sunsets...

pretty fishes with my LX3 and 10Bar Housing....

and more to come....

The Summer in Munich

I'm chomping at the bit for our upcoming vacation - we haven't taken time off in over 6 months.  But despite the lack of a real holiday, this past Summer was great.  Munich has a lot to offer and it doesn't take extraordinary measures to take advantage of it.  The Alps are only 90 minutes away, the Isar river runs right through the city (and lakes are not far either), plus there are a continuous stream of local events and fairs.   NOTE:  I've exchanged emails with a lot of you recently after you visited this site -- if you come visit I'll really set up some great things to do and see!

Some summer highlights...

Spring Skiing

OK, so it's not actually summertime, but on March 20 we went to Austria for a day of skiing.  Our last ski-day of the season, although you can ski on glaciers much later.  In the photo you can see an instructor with a student in the foreground, an Alpine hut on the left (ski right up to it and get some schnitzel and mulled wine), and a gorgeous backdrop of Tirolean peaks.  A good ramp down to Winter and transition to warmer weather.

Bayern Munich Soccer Games

In the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich is basically the New York Yankees.  They have the highest payroll, most stars, a beautiful stadium, plus long & rich tradition and the most championships in history.  And like the Yankees, fans love 'em or hate 'em.  This photo is an action-shot of a corner kick at the Allianz Arena... in between sips of beer and bites of bratwurst.  Bayern beat Bochum 3-1.

The World Cup

Bayern Munich has its fanatics and haters, but when the German National Team plays, everyone goes bonkers rooting them on.  The best option to see the World Cup games is outdoors in the biergartens, where they put up big screens and speakers for every game.  The atmosphere is an interesting combination of energy and relaxation.  This photo is the large Augustiner Biergarten, not far from the main train station, where we watched the the U.S. and Ghana.

            

Canoeing on the Isar

When the weather got really hot, we took a canoe down the Isar river.  It is so easy here:  get on a train for 45 minutes to a town upstream, walk to the launch point, and push off.  Some people bring inflatable rafts on the train, others rent a canoe (and owners put it on a trailer to take it back).  We stopped for a swim and lunch, and finally "landed" around 4pm.

 

Hiking in the Alps

Two hikes stood out this summer.  The first was through a river-gorge near Garmisch, the Partnachklamm.  This is especially nice because you take the train south and avoid traffic, and it's different that a "to-the-top" trail.  The second was up to a small peak called Breitenstein.  Great weather for both outings, and there are always huts along the way serving food and drink.

        

Fairs and Street Festivals

It's good practice for Oktoberfest that Munich has summer fairs and street events.  Here, you see the devotion to grilled wurst - over real charcoal.  The second is in this post for a different reason... it looks like a typical carnival ride, but check out the background graphic.  Not exactly NSFW, but shows you the tolerance Germans have for, um, exposure, at a family-oriented activity!

              

Schnitzelbahn

This summer also marked the start of this web site, and the beginning of our beer tournament.  This picture shows the collection of 64 German beers for the tournament.  A labor of love.  Thanks for visiting!

Vacation on my Mind

Frau A and I haven't had a vacation since May.  That's quite a while to go without time off, and for Germany is bordering on criminal.  Over here, most people get 30 vacation days a year!  (Annual salary is proportionally lower, but it's a pretty good trade off)  Many take a 2 two-week trips per year, plus three weeks over the year end holidays (including public days).  Some will take a big three-week vacation instead -- I've never had one that long.

I am so ready to get out of town with Frau A, and channeled that excitement by browsing through some of my favorite photos from trips long ago.  These were taken on an old Canon compact, so nothing as gorgeous as Frau A's pics.  Hopefully in the next weeks we experience a combination of...

Something Different

In the Yukon (Canada), you can ride a 4-wheeler over light sand, running down to a wide lake, with mountains as backdrop.  Just a really unusual combination of natural features.

Good Timing

It's always nice to catch the things at just the right moment.  In this case, light-from-heaven and a rainbow off a cruise ship in Alaska.

     

Cool Creatures

Landscapes are nice, but a fur and fang are exciting.  Here, from completely opposite ends of the spectrum, stingrays in Grand Cayman and Huskies pulling a sled across an Alaskan glacier. 

       

Peace and Quiet

Adventure is great, but sometimes you need a little R&R.  Courtesy of a hut in the South Pacific.

Look for some vacation photos here in late November...