Here are some photos from my 2 visits to 'The Democratic People's Republic of Korea' (DPRK) - a.k.a. NORTH KOREA Most are from the capital 'showcase city' of Pyongyang
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Below are some shots of the beautiful SEYCHELLES, the world's only granitic oceanic islands. These islands in the Indian Ocean are actually continental fragments, having split off from the giant southern paleocontinent of Gondwana (along with Madagascar, India, Antarctica & Australia) about 180 million years ago.
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For more on this beautiful island nation, see my blog:
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are among my favorite primates, the homely but haughty PROBOSCIS MONKEYS, found only on the island of Borneo. I took these photos in Sandakan, in the northeastern part of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. (NOTE: For more info on these unique creatures,
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And Yes, size matters - the larger the male's nose, the louder the honking noise it can make to attract females. The females have somewhat smaller noses:
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Notice the baby's dark gray coloring and bluish skin. It's skin will turn pink and its coat will develop beautiful shades of red, orange, tan, white and gray as it matures.
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two shots from my favorite temples at Ayutthaya, the capital of Old Siam - just 50 miles upriver from Bangkok. The first is Wat Chaiwatthanaram and the second one is at Wat Mahathat:
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear John, We are so grateful to you for a job well done. Your presentations were so informative and articulate. Your lectures and site commentary were immeasurably valuable for our learning on the trip. We very much enjoyed traveling with you- Thank you. Lynn & Robert Goren Harvard Alumni Association Vietnam & Cambodia Along the Mekong River -------------------------------------------------------------------------
John,
Thank you so much
for the wonderful lectures! So appreciated.
The lecture on
Devil's Island was really amazing.
When we left
the auditorium everyone was wondering how to purchase it on DVD - just thought you
should know. Thank you again.
Rhoda Singer
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A couple of shots from a kayaking trip on Ha Long Bay off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- These were taken in the beautiful Phi Phi Islands around Krabi, in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand -
These limestone karst formations are geologically very similar to those of Ha Long Bay and those around Guilin, China. But the extreme heat and humidity in this region allow for greater vegetation growth which leads to increased erosion of the structures, yielding an even greater variety of sizes and shapes jutting out of the warm azure Indian Ocean waters.
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A view of the spectacular Plain of Bagan in Myanmar, with some of its thousands of temples and stupas:
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CHECK OUT some of Dr. John Freedman's
Travel Blogs:
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------------------------------------------------- Magnificent Iceland - no place else like it (on our planet) :
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John, I love your talks - Thanks! Marie Gallagher
Dr. Freedman, Thank you for your very INFORMATIVE and very ENTERTAINING lectures. Don Evans ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Some Rwandan and Ugandan very close relatives (Note: We humans share 98.2% of our DNA with the noble gorillas - and 98.7% with the comical chimps) :
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And a (limber) first cousin in Borneo:
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---------------------------------------------------------------- These are from Etosha National Park in Namibia, one of the best game parks in Africa - (is the cheetah's smile cute, or diabolical?):
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----------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for lemurs in Madagascar - ( I somehow had the strangest feeling that they were very close by) :
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This is Madagascar's apex predator,the fossa. Question: Is it in the feline or canine family? (Answer: Neither- there are no feline or canine species on Madagascar!) :
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sri Lanka, an ancient kingdom and enclave of Theravada Buddhism:
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And a place that is surely one of the most strangely wondrous and beautiful spots in the world - Cappadocia, Turkey :
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------------------------------------------------ Dear John, We will always treasure the wonderfully informative and humorous lectures which were most helpful in aiding us in better understanding this most interesting part of the world. Our very best to you and Tina, Ruth & Gerry Stober --------------------------------------------------- Dear John, I thought your presentations were terrific - and a model of what effective presentations should be like. Thank you, George Vogt --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear John and Tina, You brought so many memorable moments and enhanced our enjoyment of this extraordinary trip - and left us excited about where you may lead us next! Thank you for your leadership and friendship. Fay & Bill Shutzer Harvard Alumni Travel
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Closest thing to a real-life unicorn - a one-horned oryx (a.k.a. gemsbok) in Kenya:
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Dear John,
Don and I enjoyed your knowledge, experience,
wit and willingness to share on our recent Silver Shadow cruise, and we came
away truly enriched by the experience.
We hope our paths will cross again. Meanwhile, grateful thanks and best regards,
Jean and Don Twiner
North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHTED by Dr. John Freedman
All Rights Reserved
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ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHTED Dr. John Freedman ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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