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  • Archive
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • England
      • London
      • Newcastle-upon-Tyne
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Bulgaria
      • Estonia
      • France
        • Paris
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Jersey
      • Latvia
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Spain
        • Seville
      • Switzerland
      • Ukraine
    • Beyond
      • Africa
        • Botswana
        • Cape Verde
        • Gambia
        • Kenya
        • Morocco
        • Namibia
        • Senegal
        • Tanzania
        • Zimbabwe
      • Americas
        • Belize
        • Canada
        • Chile
          • Rapa Nui
        • Colombia
        • Costa Rica
        • Ecuador
          • Galapagos Islands
        • Guatemala
        • Jamaica
        • USA
          • New Mexico
          • New York City
          • Washington State
      • Asia
        • DPRK
        • India
          • Kerala
          • Rajasthan
        • Indochina
          • Cambodia
          • Laos
          • Vietnam
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Oman
        • Syria
        • United Arab Emirates
        • Uzbekistan
  • Themes
    • Architecture
    • Art
      • Crafts
      • Street art
    • Colour
    • Dark tourism
    • Eco-tourism
    • Food & drink
    • Gardens
    • History
      • Ruins
      • War
    • Landscape
      • Coast & seascapes
      • Deserts
      • Mountains
      • Rivers
    • Nature and wildlife
      • Animals
      • Birds
      • Plants
        • Flowers
        • Trees, forests and woodland
    • People
      • Culture & tradition
      • Street photography
    • Travel in general
  • Photo galleries
    • Themed galleries
    • Travel galleries
  • Postcards from the road
  • Challenges
    • Photography challenges
      • Just One Person
      • Lens-Artists
      • Mid-week Monochrome
      • Monochrome Madness
      • One Word Sunday
      • Photographing Public Art
      • Pick a Word
      • Squares
      • Sunday Stills
      • The Changing Seasons
      • Words of Wisdom
      • Cee’s challenges
        • CBWC
        • CFFC
        • CMMC
    • General challenges
      • Monday walks
      • Writers’ Quotes Wednesday
    • Challenges archive
      • Bird Weekly
      • Friendly Friday
        • The Friendly Friday Challenge: how to join in
      • Friday’s Foods of the World
      • Life in Colour
      • One-to-Three
      • Ten photos
      • Thursday Trios
      • Thursday Doors
  • About me
    • Contact me
    • ‘Always Write’ interview
    • My love of travel
    • My photography
      • Photographic techniques
      • My photography journey
      • Video
    • Disclaimer & GDPR
  • Archive

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Topics I’ve touched on

africa architecture art birds black_&_white bulgaria cambodia cffc chile churches cities colour costa_rica dprk ealing england flowers france friendlyfriday Friendly_Friday history india just_one_person_from_around_the_world landscape lens-artists Lens_Artists_Challenge london Monday_Walks mountains nepal new_mexico north_korea paris people photography photo_effects PPAC rivers ruins Street_Art Street_Photography Sunday_Stills usa village wildlife
  • Costa Rica,  Monday walks,  Photographing Public Art

    A short (hot) walk around Guiones

    March 31, 2022 / 43 Comments
    Rough wooden sign on the edge of a beach

    While the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica’s southwest is remote and wild, the Nicoya Peninsula in the northwest is rather more developed as a tourist destination. Nevertheless Pacific waves still pound its shores and there are quiet corners to be found. After all, ‘developed’ in Costa Rica is a relative term!

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    River shaded by tall trees

    Misadventure on the Rio Nosara

    March 9, 2022
    Abstract view of sparkling blue water

    Gallery: water, water everywhere …

    February 20, 2022
    Wall painting of a blue hummingbird

    Gallery: spotting street art in Sant Elena

    February 26, 2022
  • Animals,  Birds,  Costa Rica,  Travel galleries

    Gallery: wildlife in the Caño Negra refuge

    March 17, 2022 / 36 Comments
    Black and white monkey in a tree with small orange fruits

    In the far north of Costa Rica, almost on the border with Nicaragua, is a magical place, or at least I found it so. The Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge is home to an immense variety of wildlife, one of the most diverse areas in this famously naturally diverse country.

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    Or what about ...?

    Cheetah head and shoulders

    With the beautiful Africat cheetahs in Namibia

    May 16, 2021
    Landscape with trees and escarpments

    Tiger, Tiger, burning bright …

    November 8, 2021
    Dead tree and long grass

    A walk on Sausage Island: it’s all about the elephants

    May 25, 2021
  • Costa Rica,  Monday walks,  Nature and wildlife

    Hanging bridges and butterflies

    March 15, 2022 / 55 Comments
    Looking over tree tops to a cloud covered mountain

    Selvatura Park is one of several private concerns in the Monteverde area that offer various experiences to explore the cloud forest. While not offering quite the pristine ‘back to nature’ experience we found at the other reserves we visited, the Children’s Eternal Rainforest and the Santa Elena Reserve, it still has a sense of wilderness in places. And as we were to discover, it has its share of wonders.

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    Or what about ...?

    Hairy animal holding a tree trunk

    The oddities of sloths

    March 6, 2022
    River shaded by tall trees

    Misadventure on the Rio Nosara

    March 9, 2022
    Dark pink flower head

    Gallery: in the garden, Costa Rican style

    March 12, 2022
  • Costa Rica,  Flowers,  Friendly Friday,  Gardens,  Travel galleries

    Gallery: in the garden, Costa Rican style

    March 12, 2022 / 42 Comments
    Dark pink flower head

    We stayed in some wonderful hotels in Costa Rica, and all of them had gorgeous gardens. The planting was true to the environment, with native trees and bushes and a real forest vibe. When we weren’t out exploring the national parks and reserves I spent much of my time photographing the colourful flowers, remarkable trees and beautiful birds.

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    Or what about ...?

    Rocks and waves seen from a beach

    Corcovado: a walk in a rainforest

    February 21, 2022
    Large red bird with white face and beak

    Gallery: a February selection

    March 1, 2022
    Abstract view of sparkling blue water

    Gallery: water, water everywhere …

    February 20, 2022
  • Costa Rica,  Thursday Trios,  Travel galleries

    Gallery: three times the fun in Costa Rica

    March 11, 2022 / 34 Comments
    Three colourful painted wooden birds and some strings of beads

    Once you recognise that groups of three are visually among the most interesting photographic subjects you can find, you start to look for them everywhere. But they aren’t always easy to find. Having participated a couple of times in Mama Cormier’s Thursday Trios I was keen to join in again. So on our recent trip to Costa Rica I kept my eyes open for possible threesomes.

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    Or what about ...?

    Rough wooden sign on the edge of a beach

    A short (hot) walk around Guiones

    March 31, 2022
    Sun setting over the sea

    Gallery: enjoying serene views in Costa Rica

    February 19, 2022
    Whale's tale

    Will we see whales?

    February 24, 2022
  • Birds,  CFFC,  Costa Rica,  Rivers

    Misadventure on the Rio Nosara

    March 9, 2022 / 41 Comments
    River shaded by tall trees

    The electric boat moved almost noiselessly along the Rio Nosara. The birds on the banks seemed largely unaware of our presence. The sounds of the forest were all around us. But suddenly there was a thud somewhere beneath our feet and the boat slowed, then stopped.

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    Fierce-looking owl

    Gallery: owl portraits, striped and speckled

    June 12, 2021
    Two pelicans swimming with daisies beyond

    Gallery: the birds of St James’s Park

    July 13, 2021
    Two birds with turquoise feet

    Blue feet, red feet, any coloured feet …

    May 18, 2021
  • Animals,  Birds,  Costa Rica,  Lens-Artists

    The oddities of sloths

    March 6, 2022 / 57 Comments
    Hairy animal holding a tree trunk

    Is there a mammal more intriguing, cute and downright odd than a sloth? They spend so much time hanging around in trees that they start to look like them. That makes them quite hard to spot, and even harder to photograph! To give ourselves the best chance of seeing them we booked a tour in the Arenal area called ‘Sloths and Toucans’ which promised a good look at these most iconic of Costa Rican species.

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    Or what about ...?

    River and wooded shore with reflections

    Gallery: on the Narayani River

    November 16, 2022
    Two elephants among trees

    Elephant encounters on elephant terms

    September 13, 2020
    Large elephant walking towards camera

    Elephant encounter: flashback to our first safari

    June 26, 2021
  • CFFC,  Costa Rica,  Flowers,  Friendly Friday

    Barking up the right tree in Costa Rica

    March 4, 2022 / 64 Comments
    Forest in the mist

    In the cloud forest low-hanging clouds hover around the upper canopy before condensing onto the leaves of trees and dripping onto the plants below. Looking up you can barely see the sky; such is the denseness of the vegetation and the constant dripping of water. With less sunlight comes a slower rate of evaporation; the plants below thrive in the abundance of life-giving moisture.

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    Or what about ...?

    Empty airport seating area

    Gallery: Wonsan Kalma International Airport sits deserted

    May 7, 2021
    Sun rising above a tree

    Gallery: our fire returns

    April 7, 2022
    Sign on boarded-up window

    Gallery: London, off the beaten track (urban erosion)

    January 17, 2021
  • Costa Rica,  London,  Photographic techniques,  The Changing Seasons,  Themed galleries

    Gallery: a February selection

    March 1, 2022 / 21 Comments
    Large red bird with white face and beak

    Keeping up my resolution of taking at least one photo a day was very easy in the first part of February and much less so towards the end of the month. For the first two weeks we were in Costa Rica and I was in travel photography heaven – and overload! When we got home however the weather was cold and I was jet-lagged. It was hard to get motivated to look for images among the familiar scenes of home after the novelties of travelling.

    Carry on reading

    Or what about ...?

    Rocks and waves seen from a beach

    Corcovado: a walk in a rainforest

    February 21, 2022
    Forest in the mist

    Barking up the right tree in Costa Rica

    March 4, 2022
    Hairy animal holding a tree trunk

    The oddities of sloths

    March 6, 2022
  • Coast & seascapes,  Costa Rica,  Monday walks,  Sunday Stills

    On the Pacific coast in Drake Bay

    February 28, 2022 / 32 Comments
    Rocky beach and palm trees

    Would you name a place after a notorious pirate who had ransacked your coastline and hid out here, evading capture? To our surprise we discovered that is exactly what happened here in the south west of Costa Rica; Bahia Drake is named for Sir Francis Drake.

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    Misty sea stacks and river

    Gallery: misty weather on the Olympic Peninsula coast

    May 10, 2021
    Boardwalk with sea beyond and yellow flowers

    A spring walk by the sea in Faro

    April 19, 2022
    Wintery beach scene

    Gallery: blowing the cobwebs away at Druridge Bay

    January 4, 2023
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Lady in a hat and red top sitting on rocks

Some favourite photos

Man in a turban with fishing nets
Fisherman in Fort Kochi, Kerala
Two elephants in long grass
Okavango elephants
Blue glacier edge
Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile
Elderly woman in black hat and sunglasses
In Santiago, Chile
Very large statues of North Korean Leaders
Statues of the Great Leaders on Mansudae Hill, Pyongyang
Water reflecting the sky with clouds and low sun
Approaching sunset in the Okavango Delta
Feet of huge metal sculpture, with man standing beside
The feet of the Angel
Large moai with row of more behind
The ‘travelling moai’ and Ahu Tongariki
Man in knitted hat by water, black and white photo
Waiting for the ferry, Banjul
Mountain reflected in a lake
On the road to Dyrholaey
Sunset at Wahiba Sands, Oman
Squirrel with a conker in his mouth
In Walpole Park, Ealing
Silhouette of a man in a gateway
Looking out from Bundi Palace
Blue and pink bird on a dead tree
Lilac-breasted Roller, Chobe NP, Botswana
Buddhist monk in orange robes with mobile phone
Monk at Wat Nong Sikhounmuang, Luang Prabang
Man sleeping in a tuk tuk by a carved stone wall
Tuk tuk driver by the Terrace of the Leper King
Close up of flamingo with head tucked under
Flamingo (Jersey Zoo)
Lady with baskets of fruit sitting by a canal
In Hoi An, Vietnam
Small fishing boat with a man in it, on a large lake
Lake Atitlan
Wet street and two people with bright pink umbrella
Street in Lucca, rainy day – edited

Some topics I’ve touched on

africa architecture art birds black_&_white bulgaria cambodia cffc chile churches cities colour costa_rica dprk ealing england flowers france friendlyfriday Friendly_Friday history india just_one_person_from_around_the_world landscape lens-artists Lens_Artists_Challenge london Monday_Walks mountains nepal new_mexico north_korea paris people photography photo_effects PPAC rivers ruins Street_Art Street_Photography Sunday_Stills usa village wildlife

Archive

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  • December 2020
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  • August 2020

You may have missed

  • A postcard from Colombia: Villa de Leyva
  • A postcard from Colombia: finding gold
  • Gallery: a January selection (2023)
  • A walk in Patan, the City of Beauty
  • Gallery: blackness against the light

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All images and texts copyright Sarah Wilkie - 2023 ©
 

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