Normally, I'm not a big fan of the Soup Spoon, but when I saw a sign today advertising three different soups from Bhutan, I got curious. My first bowl wasn't very encouraging, as the most interesting thing about the beef stew for me was the daikon...which says a lot about the rest of the bowl.

But I was much happier with the vegetable bowl above, which featured three different kinds of cheeses. It wasn't anywhere as thick as it sounded, but it was rich and spicy, all with the unique twist of having some toasted red rice in there. Maybe a holiday in Bhutan is worth considering.

Rathmore Church is situated off the road outside the town of Athboy in rolling Meath pastureland. This wonderful site featured in the news a couple of weeks ago when a medieval carved font was stolen from the church. Thankfully the font was returned after a public campaign was initiated. The font has been moved to a more secure location but this church and graveyard is still well worth a visit. 

The Scene of the Crime! This pedestal marks the place where the font once stood

The church at Rathmore was founded in the 15th century by the Plunkett family and was dedicated to St. Lawrence. The Plunketts resided at Rathmore Castle which is in one of the adjacent fields to the church but now very little remains above ground of the castle. The castle and church were held by the Plunketts for generations until the 17th century when it passed to the Bligh family. There are records of Rectors present at the church until the late 17th century when the church became united with Athboy. The church probably began to fall into ruin after that time.

The church is surrounded by a built up graveyard. Within the graveyard is the remains of a decorated cross. This cross was probably erected for Sir Christopher Plunkett and his wife Catherine in the early 16th century. The figures on the shaft of the cross have been identified as St. Patrick grappling with a snake, St. Lawrence and an abbess or female saint, it is thought that this might be a representation of St. Brigid.
Within the church there are more fantastic medieval carvings. There is a beautiful carving of a labyrinth on the wall of the church. This carving most likely dates to the 15th century and is a motif that is common across Europe. The labyrinth design is a maze, the carved lines lead to the centre. 

The church has an L shape plan and there is a small room to the left of the chancel as you are looking east. This was the sacristy. Steps lead up to a room above the darkened sacristy and this was once the living room of the sacristan or resident priest. There is a fireplace in the wall and steps lead up to another floor, which is now gone. This would have been the bedroom. The sacristy on the ground floor contains a tomb and effigy of Thomas Plunkett and his wife – Marion Cruise. The carving has been defaced and it is difficult to make her out, but the carving of Sir Thomas is in a better state of preservation. He has been carved in full armour and even has his loyal dog at his feet. This tomb originally stood in the church but was moved to the sacristy to protect it from the elements. 

The altar, which stands at the top of the chancel has a range of figures carved onto its surface. This probably dates to the middle or later 15th century and has many saints and ecclesiastic carved on its surface. It also has carvings of the Plunkett coat of arms but it is difficult to make out some of the carvings. At the end of the nave is another doorway which leads you into what would have been the belfry. There are now no floors within this part of the church, but the exterior of the belfry of bell tower is quite well preserved.
 
Another beautiful feature of this site is the east window. It is a wonderful example of stonecraftsmanship and probably dates to the 15th century. On the external wall of the church, there are three stone carved heads around this window. They are depicting quite jolly looking people: a king, queen and ecclesiastic. A similar carving depicting another ecclesiastic is on the western external wall at the opposite end of the church. 

We visited Rathmore last Sunday and found it to be a fantastic place to spend an hour or two with some wonderful examples of medieval stone craftsmanship. To get to Rathmore, travel on the N51 towards Athboy. Take the first left hand turn after the village of Rathmore and park on the verge. The church and graveyard are located in fields on the right hand side of the road. The site is on private land so please make sure to close all the gates behind you.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. Our latest guide is to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase 
All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com

Yep - that's the special at Yomenya Goemon right now...an odd combination of chicken egg, fish eggs, and slices of fresh ginger. They weren't exactly the most harmonious of ingredients, but ultimately I still ate it all.

Ugh - that was kinda nasty. We came here because I remembered them being across the street from Super Eggroll, and figured that maybe it would be worth a try (5499 Snell Avenue, 365-2042). But I didn't like it. The broth was mildly sweet and didn't have much body to it, while skin on those egg rolls was too thick to be enjoyable.

So yes, we should have just gone across the street to Super Eggroll, or maybe that new shop that has opened up over at Alamden Plaza. I'll admit that I might come back here for one more thing though: they had some kind of a sate noodle at the end of their super long menu, and I can't help but wonder if it's anything like TK's #2.

If you’d like to keep up with daily images and information about Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites please consider following our company Abarta Audioguides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Old Kenmare Road is truly one of the most scenic trails in Ireland. It crosses through the Esknamucky Glen, a narrow pass between Cromaglan Mountain and Stumpacommeen high in the mountains above Killarney in County Kerry.

The Old Kenmare Road was described by Charles Smith in the 1750s as a Grand Jury Road known as the Glanerought Road, built by subscription in order to link Killarney to the sea. As well as being beautifully scenic, the road has some fascinating historical tales to tell.

As you pass down the road, you can see graffiti etched into the rock by passing soldiers who were serving in the British Army in 1815. Though much of the graffiti has eroded away over time, one inscription still stands strong from the rock: ’James Neill Tippy Rgt [Tipperary Regiment] 1815’ . This immediately had us wondering whether James and his fellow soldiers had fought in the era defining Battle of Waterloo that was fought in June 1815 between the British Army and their allies under Wellington, against the French Army of Napoleon. Military preparations for the battle led to intense military activity throughout Ireland. It is estimated that over 90,000 Irishmen had joined the British army since 1800, and between April and June 1815, dozens of ships left from ports all around Ireland carrying troops to Belgium.  

Was James Neill amongst them?  The “Tippy Regt “ was most likely the 99th (Prince of Wales's Tipperary) Regiment of Foot. It was raised in Clonmel in 1804 in response to the renewal of the war with France in 1803. It subsequently served in Bermuda and saw action on the Niagara Frontier in the North American War of 1812–1815.

It is not listed among the Irish regiments (those with formal links to Ireland at any rate) that took part in the Battle of Waterloo. In 1815 there were the ten Irish infantry regiments in the British army but only one participated in the Battle of Waterloo, the 1st Battalion, 27th (Inniskilling) Foot. This is largely due to the majority of experienced British Army regiments being sent to America and Canada following the cessation of hostilities between Britain and France in 1814. Little did Wellington know at the time that Napoleon would escape from exile in Elba to wage war again just months later, he must have deeply regretted the absence of his experienced veterans like James Neill and the Tipperary Regiment.

So what was James Neill doing in Esknamucky Glen in 1815? A possibility is that he had returned from America with his regiment and was on holidays in Killarney. The evidence for this comes in a letter written by another soldier. Major Edwin Griffith, a Hussar, was based in Clonmel when he wrote home to say that he was on the march to Cork for embarkation to Waterloo. The mobilisation had interrupted his plans to travel to Killarney. “Dalrymple & I’ he wrote ‘ had intended to make our first visit to Killarney in May; but this Belgium party will rather interfere.’ And it sadly did. Edwin Griffith was killed in action on 18 June 1815.

By the time that James Neill and his comrades etched their names in the rock, the road had become little more than a neglected bridle path. Despite its neglect, it was still the only road between Killarney and Kenmare. The road was bypassed in the 1820s when an engineer called Griffith built nearly 250 miles of road (including the N71) following the Whiteboy insurrection of 1821, when the security forces were baffled by the lack of roads in Kerry. 

The townlands along the road were emptied of people over the next forty years, through a combination of famine, emigration and efforts by the landowner to clear the glens in order to create a deer forest. By the 1860s the Old Kenmare Road would have look pretty much like it is now, a rough track through an upland wilderness, a truly scenic and evocative route where you can walk in the footsteps of James Neill and his fellow soldiers, who passed along it some 200 years before.

The Old Kenmare Road is part of the Kerry Way and is well signposted. It covers a mix of terrain, mostly track but also some rough ground. Caution is advised. The easiest way to access the graffiti is to start at Torc Waterfall upper carpark. Take on The N71 Killarney to Molls Gap road, pass the main entrance Muckross House and take a minor road 300 metres on the left. This takes you to Cloghereen Upper, above Torc Waterfall. Leave the car in the carpark and proceed to the left on foot (no bikes allowed) to the entrance to Killarney National Park, pass Old Torc Bridge and follow the old cobbled road through the gap between Torc and Mangerton mountains, following the line of the Owengarriff River into open peatland at Ferta. Continue along the track for approximately 3.5 kilometres or, roughly, 40 minutes. The route takes you over a low hill, descends to the Crinnagh river and continues across a flat area roughly 400 metres wide. After this the track rises and enters a wooded gorge. The graffiti is on a distinctive slab of rock on the right.   

Return the way you came or, continue on to Galway’s Bridge but you will need transport to return to your car from Galway’s Bridge.

Another option is to park at the main Torc Waterfall carpark on the N71 and climb 90 metres through deciduous forest to the upper carpark. 

  

More info at:

Route: http://www.kerryway.com/trail-description/torc-waterfall-galways-bridge.php

Map: http://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/images/parkmap.jpg

Photography and text by Ciarán Walsh:

Ciarán is a post-graduate researcher in the Anthropology Department of Maynooth University, who worked with Abarta Audio Guides on an Irish Research Council funded Employment Based Postgraduate Research Programme.

Fancy exploring some of Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites this weekend? Please check out the rest of our blog http://timetravelireland.blogspot.ie where we have more suggestions for great places to visit. You can also download audioguides from our website www.abartaheritage.ie, where we have 25 guides that tell the story of Irish heritage and the majority are absolutely free to download. 

If you’d like to keep up with daily images and information about Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites please consider following our company Abarta Audioguides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Known as Ireland’s Alcatraz, Spike Island has a long and varied history. The island is quite large at around 103 acres, it lies off the lovely harbour town of Cobh in County Cork. The first recorded habitation of Spike Island comes from the Early Medieval period. Saint Mochuda (also known as Saint Carthage), is said to have founded a monastic site on Spike in 635 AD. Spike next appears in the records when King Henry II claimed the island for the Anglo-Normans in 1176, however no traces of this earlier activity has been discovered by archaeologists on the island.

View of Cobh through one of the machine gun slits in a pillbox

It is thought that after his campaign in Ireland in the middle of the seventeenth century, Oliver Cromwell used Spike Island as a holding area for Irish Catholics who were being transported to work as indentured labourers on British plantations in the West Indies. This would not be the only time Spike Island served as a prison in its history. The island was also thought to be a popular spot for smugglers who were trying to evade the strict taxes of the time.

There is a wonderful variety of seabirds present on the island, including this Shag who seemed happy to pose for this picture

As the eighteenth century progressed, war between the increasingly ambitious European powers seemed inevitable. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, relations between Britain and France

had completely broken down following the French Revolution.

 Cork Harbour was of huge economic and strategic importance, so the British fortified Spike Island with batteries of cannons and a fort to deny entrance into the harbour to any hostile French shipping. A map of 1821 shows a large star-shaped fort, a hospital on the western side of the island, engineers yards, and a number of ancillary buildings, many of which are visible on the island today.

The fort is protected by a deep ditch covered by machine gun positions in the bunkers

In 1847 Spike Island again was used as a holding area for convicts before transportation to Australia and Tasmania. The convicts had a harsh life, and were used as forced labour to carry out numerous building programmes on the island, and by constructing the docks and forts on the neighbouring Haulbowline Island. Conditions on the island were said to have been very poor and arduous for the prisoners.

A number of political prisoners were held on Spike Island following the 1848 Rebellion. John Mitchell was probably the best known of these prisoners, Mitchell was an Irish nationalist and journalist was held on Spike Island before his transportation to Tasmania. Mitchell managed to escape the hellish life on Tasmania, and settled in America, where he became a prominent pro-slavery voice of the Confederate side during the American Civil War.

By 1883 all prisoners had been removed from the island and it reverted to being used as a military base.

One of the massive 6" guns on the island

During the First World War, Spike Island became an important base of operations against the German submarine fleet. During the War of Independence, hundreds of political prisoners and Republicans were interred at Spike Island. Under the Anglo-Irish agreement, Spike remained a British military base until 1938 when it was handed over to the Irish government. The Irish army and navy occupied the island, many living their with their families until 1985. The island served as a prison again, this time for young offenders, who remained on the island until 2004.
 

Block C Mitchell Hall

The island is an utterly fascinating place to visit and it really does have something for everyone to enjoy. History buffs like me, nature lovers and bird watchers, and people who just love a good walk in a beautiful and unique setting will all have a brilliant day out on this wonderfully atmospheric island. You can find out more about Spike Island, including how to get there and ferry times from Cobh from their website at http://www.spikeislandcork.ie.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. If you enjoy stories of the turbulent medieval period in Ireland try our guide to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase  or the free audioguide to the wonderful heritage town of Kells in County Meath

All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com

Something for everyone on the island, nature lovers, birdwatchers, history buffs and ramblers will all enjoy a trip

MountEverest.net has posted another Everest Update this time with more news on the death of that Sherpa yesterday, and an word that the Khumbu Icefall is closed at the moment.

Forty year old Dawa Sherpa was working yesterday between C2 and C3 when he fell to his death. Dawa apparently slipped and fell into the Kharpas crevasse while climbing towards C3. My guess is that he was taking supplies to the camp for the ten member international team that he was working for. The Sherpas know the risks they are taking when they work on the mountain, but they are the strongest, most amazing climbers in the World. It is alway a shame when something like this happens, and we wish his family and friends all the best in this trying time.

In other news, an avalanche has closed the route across the Khumbu Icefall this morning, forcing some teams to stay in BC until it can be cleared. The route was expected to be inspected and repaired today allowing teams to move on tomorrow, however there is some word of dissention amongst the teams that the route through the Icefall, the most dangerous place on Everest, is not being maintained well this season. Each team pays part of the fee to build the route of ladders through the Icefall, and apparently some of those teams are demanding more Icefall Doctors be brought in to shape things up. I've also heard that the Icefall is quite active this season, which can't be making conditions any better.

On the North side, word is Maxut and Vassily, the two men making their summit bid a few days ago have been forced to retreat to ABC due to bad weather. They'll wait for another weather window before making another push. Gavin Bate's Team on Cho Oyu reports being woken by the Chinese Military who were searching for climbers who are reportedly heading to Everest without the proper climbing permits. These "undocumented" climbers are not allowed on the mountain, and the Chinese will likely try to find them and stop them from heading to Everest. Either that, or they'll shake them down for the cash for those permits. Finally, those American activists that showed up in BC to protest for a Free Tibet a few days ago have been expelled by the Chinese Government. Big surprise.

We're well into the Spring climbing season, and teams are crawling all over Everest and the other major Himalayan peaks, so natuarlly there is a contants stream of dispatches, updates and news flowing from the teams that are in BC. Sometimes there is actually too much to try to follow. Fortunately, there are some great websites out there to help us sort through all the news and offer some commentary on what is happening on the mountain.

First, I'd like to recommend Alan Arnette's Everest 2007 Season Coverage page. Alan is tracking every team on the mountain, and has a handy chart at the top of his page that allows you to tell at glance just where each team is. The team names are also links to their respecive websites where you'll find even more information. Scrolling further down the page, you'll find daily commentary from Alan himself on the latest news and events from Everest. Alan, who is an experienced mountaineer himself, and has summitted Everest, always has great insights and information to share. And when you're done reading his latest posts, be sure to drop in The Climbing Forum to discuss your thoughts with the motely crew that inhabit that virtual hang-out.

Next up, head over to The Adventurist for more news on Everest teams and events. The site is updated daily with the latest stories from the mountain, including insight from team dispatches, and progress reports from a wide variety of sources. Be sure to leave comments on the stories that you enjoy or have an opinion on as well, as feedback is always appreciated. The blog posts aren't strictly about Everest however, as you'll regularly see items about other peaks around the World as well.

Of course, there are always the old stand bys as well, such as MountEverest.net, which I often cite as a source for my articles. Most everyone already knows about them and visits regularly I'm sure. There is also EverestNews.com but quite frankly, I find the writing rather poor there, and the updates often lack depth or any real information. Still, from time to time, they have some scoops you won't see any where else.

We're still a few weeks away from summit bids, but you know things will be heating up soon. The news will be flying fast and furious before you know it, so be sure to check the above links regularly as you root for your favorite climbers to top out on the big hill.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of America's national parks. They represent some of the most spectacular outdoor playgrounds in the world and I'd recommend travelers visit them whenever they get the opportunity. The video below was created by the National Parks Conservation Association and is a great reminder of just how amazing these places truly are.

NPCA SnapShots from NPCA on Vimeo.

This shoulder mount might be useful to those who use DSLRs for movie making. It's called the HabbyCam (don't ask me why) and it's reasonably priced at $250.

It's essentially a brace, is made of aluminum and stainless steel, and weighs only 3 lbs. The shoulder bracket is drilled with holes that can accommodate other accessories such as sound recorders and the like.

I don't have it so can't recommend it, but it certainly looks as if it could work well. I'm guess some enterprising person will eventually cobble one from hardware found cheaply at Home Depot etc.

Found via WIRED's Gadget Lab.

On my last trip to Kuala Lumpur, my local colleagues told me about some place called Kin Kin, which served some good noodles but also some killer chili sauce. I thus made a note to myself that I had to get them to take me next time I was up there, but I haven't actually gone into KL itself since then. Fortunately, they have since opened up a shop down here in Singapore (534 MacPherson Road).

We were a bit worried at first about these huge lines that we had heard about, especially on a Saturday at lunch time. To my surprise, there was absolutely no line at all when we arrived, allowing us to grab a table immediately. Maybe it was because of the rain, but I surely wasn't complaining. It turned out that the kitchen did take quite some time to prepare each bowl though; we waited at least 10-15 minutes after placing our order.

So how was the food? It didn't look that impressive when it arrived. But after I gave it a stir and took a bite, I immediately exclaimed, "Whoa...that's better than I was expecting." I took another bite and said, "Yeah, this is pretty darned good." The key was not only the fried shallots and egg yolk, but also the ikan bilis, which were thinner and crispier than what one normally gets. The chili turned out to be like Cantonese chili oil, but with less oil and more salt. We liked it enough that we immediately went back to get a second bowl.

Photo © David Storey-All Rights Reserved
Photo © Brenda Bravo -All Rights Reserved
I thought I'd post these two photographs of the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for posterity. The top photograph is of the instructors, assistants and staff who all donated their time, talent and knowledge to make Istanbul such a success. (I'm in the back as usual).

The bottom photograph is of some of the instructors, staff and students during the final beer bash at Kadikoy's Zurich beer bar. This was probably at around 1:00 am on Sunday June 27, if I'm not mistaken. (I'm sitting in the front center, for a change).

This is a place that I had been rather fond of many, many years ago (1 Cavenagh Road, 6733-8333). But I haven't been back here in ages, in part because of the millions of other good Indian places that have popped up since then, but also since these guys underwent a refurbishing and were closed for a while. Today, we decided to come back here for a business lunch.

Thankfully, they hadn't changed for the worse. The decor was nicer, but more importantly, the food was as good as I remembered it to be. To be sure, the curries were better than the kebabs (and the service was a bit questionable at times), but yeah, those curries were pretty good. One had to pay a price for it though, with that butter chicken above at a whopping S$28 (US$22)!

The Gear Junkie wraps up his week long look at the Ten Best Gear Items of the Past Five Years today by revealing the top two spots on the list.

His number 2 gear item is the Woolies Zip T-Neck from Ibex, which is a great base layer that is both thin, and warm at the same time. The wool top breaths well, isn't restrictive and gets high marks for use on the trail hiking, mountain biking, or running.

And the number 1 gear item of the past five years is... *drum roll*... The Original Buff from, well... Buff of course! Buffs are headwear that are about as versatile a gear item as you'll find. They can be used to cover your head, of course, but can also be a light balaclava, pulled down around your neck as a scarf, or pulled up to cover your face like a mask. The item has been made famous on CBS's Survivor where each team has custom Buffs, and I speaking from experience, they are great to own. I have two of them and use them constantly. They even went with me to Africa recently. And at $18.50 each, you'll be hard pressed to find a cheaper gear bargain.

Thanks for the list GJ and congratulations on your first five years. Now get to work on that "Top Ten Worst Gear Items" list. :)

Check out this cool article over at Climbing.com. It follows the crazy adventures of ice climber extraordinaire Will Gadd as he travels to Sweden to climb with Andreas Spak. The pair go looking for new ice in an unlikely place, namely deep under the Earth's surface in an abandoned Iron Mine.

The whole experience was filmed for NBC's World of Adventure Sports and will air in July. Spak also posted some thought and images on his blog as have the film crew.

This looks like a pretty cool climbing adventure. Gadd remarked that one of the routes was amongst the best he had ever climbed, and said that he thought there was potential for 200 meter climbs in the mines. Both men also commented on the ambiance of climbing in an underground setting, where it was pitch black around them, and they felt like the abandoned mine was like a scene right out of some post-apocalyptic movie.

Sounds like a pretty amazing experience, and as the article notes, this could be the future of ice climbing, as global warming erodes all the classic ice routes. It would be pretty sad if the only ice we had to climb were in holes in the ground like this one though.

Thanks goes out to The Mountain World Blog for the heads up on this one. Nice find!

Rowing across an ocean is an incredibly challenging endeavor. After all, it requires the rower to spend hours each day working the oars, often for weeks at a time. Isolated and alone, it takes dedication and determination to make a solo journey across a body of water that at times seems endless. There is a reason that fewer people have rowed across one of the Earth's oceans than have been in space. Quite simply, it is really tough to actually complete such a voyage.

That isn't stopping Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov from trying. According to ExWeb, Konyukhov intends to make a solo row across the Pacific, non-stop from Chile to Australia. Fedor believes that it will take him roughly 200 days to complete the crossing, which will cover approximately 8000 nautical miles (14,816 km).

The Russian, who is a polar skier, mountaineer, and sailor, says he'll set out on his Pacific crossing in December. Leaving from Valparaise, Chile, he'll first have to navigate through islands and atolls off the coast of South America, before he makes his way out into the deep ocean. As he approaches Brisbane, Australia, he'll encounter more islands and the massive Great Barrier Reef. In between, Fedor believes he'll have to dodge potentially nasty storms that could potentially bring an end to his voyage at any time.

In order to successfully complete this ocean crossing in 200 days, Konyukhov will need to average 40 nautical miles (74 km) per day. That doesn't sound like a lot, but considering the challenges he'll face out on the water, particular as the grind of rowing begins to take its toll, covering those distance can get extremely difficult. High winds and turbulent seas will work against him, even in the spring of the Southern Hemisphere when things are better than other times of the year. Hopefully he is well prepared for those difficult conditions, as he will be hundreds of miles away from rescue should anything go wrong.

Expect to hear more in a few weeks as Fedor gets closer to his departure.

With a motto like "Never Stop Exploring" you know that The North Face has a keen sense of adventure. That is exhibited well in the video below, which not only features some amazing imagery, but also moving narration by Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon. This is truly an inspiring clip. Tip of the hat to who ever put it together.

I updated The Travel Photographer website with a new slideshow of more recent photographs made during my 2009-2010 trips, and added details of my planned In Search of Sufis Photo~Expedition™, which will be the first scheduled for 2011.

It's well on its way to being sold out, as I am restricting it to only 5 photographers.

The In Search of Sufis Photo~Expedition™ is not for first-timers to India, nor is it for photographers expecting choreographed photo-opportunities. This trip will be the quintessential fusion of travel photography and photojournalism, and aims to merge the visual with the intellectual.

It's structured for photographers interested in multimedia story-telling, interested in exploring the existing syncretism between Sufism and Hinduism, interested in documenting traditional ways of life of Gujarati tribal societies, and documenting Sufi rituals that include exorcisms and trances.

A couple of stories of interest from the world of cycling today. First up, Outside Online is reporting that Ivan Basso has resigned from Team Discovery just one year into his three year contract with the team. Basso claims that the ongiong investigation into last year's doping scandal has caused him to as for his release from the contract. The 2006 Giro d’Italia winner was cleared of any wrong doing last October, but new Spanish laws may uncover further evidence in the scandal that could implicate him.

Mean while, Floyd Landis says he may have to declare bankruptcy due to over $1 million in legal fees that he has accrued while fighting his own doping allegations. He further claims to have lost nearly $10 million in earning while he awaits his fate. It's important to remember that Landis is still the 2006 Tour winner, as he hasn't been stripped of the title yet, but I don't think anyone is lining up to have the guy endorse anything. Well, maybe The Whizzinator.

It's a bit ironic to eat at a place called Yankee Pier, seeing how I just got off a flight from Boston. But these guys are a local Bay Area seafood place that I've been wanting to try for some time. Fortunately, they were on the way to my gate as I transited to the International Terminal.

And yes, I liked it. Now, admittedly, those veggies above were a bit over-peppered, and the local snapper, while fresh, really wasn't anything that spectacular aside from that nice grilled aroma. But it was simple, fresh, and healthy...and exactly what I was looking for. Plus it came with the added bonus that everything served here was sustainable.

BTW, the new Boarding Area E at SFO's Terminal 3 is darned nice, eh? It's great to see all of these renovations that SFO is doing. I'm eager to see what the rest of Terminal 3 looks like when it's done.