xxxxxportraits people places nature animals statues ultrarunning miscallenous                           Despite what everyone said we really loved Auckland. This picture was taken on the outskirts on a free bus tour of the sights around the city. Auckland, New Zeeland, 2007   Just your average kind of cafe slash entertainment venue. Totally empty except for a few foreign visitors, us. All cafes looked like this. Nampo, North Korea, 2006                                         Basilique Notre-Dame de la paix Yamoussoukro can hold 200 000 people and have 8 400 sqm of windows in its 521 000 sqm. Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, 2000   Khazneh - Treasury - the main building of this forgotten city which was lost for over 1 000 years. Built in the 3rd centyry B.C. Petra, Jordani, 2000                                         Once the capitol, Buchara still have all of its splendor. It is like walking around in a museum where everything is untouched since it was built in 100 A.D. Buchara, Uzbekistan, 2004   The former residence of Alek, a.k.a. Lee Harvey Oswald. He deflected to the USSR in 1959 and got a wife, a kid and a job in a radio factory. Minsk, Belarus, 2005                                         I spent a whole day having tea and browsing through literature of Afghanistan with the bookseller of Kabul. Very nice man. Kabul, Afghanistan, 2004   The worlds most fortified border in the coldest region left - the DMZ is calm and tense, to say the least, at the same time. Panmunjeom, North Korea, 2006                                         Although the actual buddhas were blown away their presence was vividly felt and could not take away the air of power and holiness. Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 2004   This gem must be one of the most likeable modern cities anywhere. Perfect temparature, rather small and inhabited purely by nice people. Perth, Australia, 1990                                         Magnificent city which with its 11 bridges and amzing architecture sure gave voice to: Esfahan nesf-é jahan - Esfehan is half the world. Esfehan, Iran, 2004   Christiania is a very controversial town-within-a-town based on drugs, flower power and self administration. Amazingly, it still stands. Copenhagen, Denmark, 1998                                         Although not very high, Mt. Moldoveanu is frequently visited and littered with remindings that it is actually a mountain. Mt. Moldoveanu, Romania, 2001   The old capitol is in a very run down state. Sad but totally marvellous. A calm haven close to the beach but far from all political tutmoil. Grand Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, 2000                                         Although labbelled as a tourist trap, the floating market is quite picturesque, actually - the whole country is picturesque and friendly. Bangkok, Thailand, 1995   This is the normal image of Kabul that we have been getting from the media. But there is also another city that is both functioning and normal. Kabul, Afghanistan, 2004                                         A Khao San Road of Afghanistan. It has everything from chess boards to necklaces, amber and clothes, everything but tourists. Kabul, Afghanistan, 2004   Mustafa Hotel is a legendary place for journos and soldiers, luck seekers and businesmen, aid workers and lost souls, and me. Kabul, Afghanistan, 2004