Turquoise coast

The Turquoise coast, commonly known as the Turkish Riviera, is located on the coast of south west Turkey and lives up to its name. The waters are varying shades of blue and crystal clear. The coastline around Oludeniz is extremely dramatic where tall cliffs plunge into the Aegean Sea. It is very popular with para-gliders who start their journey from Babadağ (a mountain nearly 2000m above sea level) and end it on the beaches of Oludeniz. Oludeniz is also the perfect launch pad for day trips to the neighbouring islands and nearby beaches. Below are just a selection of the many photos taken during a week on the Turquoise coast.

Intense Istanbul

From the architectural beauty of the Blue Mosque to the sound of the calls to prayer and the smell of the narghile (hubbly bubbly, hookah) being smoked, Istanbul is an assault on the senses. The highlights of our visit to Istanbul would have to be the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Spice Bazaar.  The Grand Bazaar is an endless maze of crockery, lamps, jewellery, leather and carpets whereas the Spice Bazaar sells anything from pistachio nougat to Iranian saffron.  Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 AD and has gone from being a church to a mosque to a museum.  The interior is vast and it is humbling to stand inside a building that is nearly 1,500 years old. Topkapi Palace used to be the home of the Ottoman Sultans and is now a museum, of which the harem is the most interesting part.

 The Blue Mosque

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed:1/125

 Carpets and Cushions

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/3.55

Shutter Speed:1/125

 

Teas and Spices

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/4.0

Shutter Speed:1/60

 

 Shoes for Sale

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 500

Aperture: f/2.8

Shutter Speed:1/60

Lamps in the Grand Bazaar

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/100

 Colourful bowls

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/100 

 Fresh fish in Karakoy Fish Market

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/200

 View of Beyoğlu

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/500

Interior of Hagia Sophia

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

ISO 800

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter Speed:1/40

Hagia Sophia at Dusk

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/11

Shutter Speed: 2 s

Wildlife of Africa

As mentioned in my previous post I went back to South Africa for a two week break and during that time I spent a wonderful week with my folks on the northern coast of Kwazulu-Natal.  We stayed at Cape Vidal which is situated in the southern part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly known as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).  It was somewhere we used to visit when I was younger and has a special place in my heart.  I hadn't been there in about 8 years, so quite a lot has changed.  All the horrible exotic plantations have been removed and the natural vegetation is slowly but surely reclaiming the land.  The animal numbers have increased exponentially and we saw so much on the drives we took through the park.  Below are some of the big and scary's that we saw.

 

Buffalo

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 320

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/400

Waterbuck

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 500

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/250

Vervet Monkeys

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/100

Burchell's Zebra

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed:1/500

 

Greater Crested Terns

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 100

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed:1/500

Kudu Cow

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/7.1

Shutter Speed:1/400

Nile Crocodile

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/250

Samango Monkey

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/50

Ghost Crab

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.0

Shutter Speed:1/250

Grooming Vervet

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/160

It's raining cats and dogs

Well I have just got back from a trip home to South Africa to visit family and friends and had a fantastic time.  It was so good to spend some quality time with my folks too - we spent a lovely week on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal (pictures to follow shortly).  It also happened that both my parents and a very good friend of mine acquired new additions to the family.  Both had recently lost pets and the ones left behind were feeling very lost and lonely.  So my friend got Beetlejuice to keep Djibouti company and my parents got Buddy to keep Tsotsi company.  Both Tsotsi and Djibouti have accepted the new additions and are back to their old selves.  So my timing was perfect and I got to appreciate Beetlejuice and Buddy at their cutest.  Below are a few photos of Buddy, Beetlejuice, Tsotsi and Djibouti.  The last picture is of Max, my niece's dog (he is always so happy to see me).  One day I will have pets all of my own...

Buddy

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.0

Shutter Speed:1/125

 Buddy

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 640

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/100

 Buddy

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/160

 Beetlejuice

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/125

Beetlejuice

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/3.5

Shutter Speed:1/125

Beetlejuice

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

ISO 400

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed:1/125

 Tsotsi

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/125

Tsotsi

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/60

 Djibouti

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 200

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/200

 Djibouti

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 250

Aperture: f/8.0

Shutter Speed:1/500

 Max

Canon EOS 7D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

ISO 100

Aperture: f/5.6

Shutter Speed:1/125