The color of travel

(Thanks to Ashley of No Onion Extra Pickles for the inspiration for this post.)

I only shoot in color — black and white has never seemed an equal reflection of the exciting world I encounter in my travels. Spots of color, not swaths, draw me in. In sharing these photos, I also gave myself a bonus challenge: to choose photos no one has seen before, thus far unedited and utterly ephemeral on my computer (ok, I confess, that also helped narrow my choices).

These travel photos are now colorful moments no longer hidden. Click to embiggen…

Blue

Blue striped curtains and neighbor, Palermo, Sicily, Italy photo

Blue striped curtains and neighbor, Palermo, Sicily, Italy


Todd and I didn’t do much in Palermo, Sicily besides wander the streets. There were some churches and cannoli I suppose, but the projections of people’s lives into shared spaces were the draw for us. Due in part to heat, gossip, and fresh air, we often spied Palermo residents on balconies and fire escapes, sheltering from the sun, but not from their neighbors.

Green

Military man with shuttlecock, Xi'an, China photo

Military man with shuttlecock, Xi’an, China


This quasi-military man in camouflage was tossing a badminton shuttlecock around with a little girl in the back alleys of Xi’an, China. When I squatted nearby, easily settling into my haunches after months of traveling in Asia, the girl fled, leaving me and the military man face-to-face, both wondering if we should continue the game.

Yellow

Yellow Jesus of the trash, Manila, The Philippines photo

Yellow Jesus of the trash, Manila, The Philippines


Manila in The Philippines for me was a perfect state of charming decay. And a perfect hell if I was trying to get anywhere that was further away than could be reached on foot. Since lazily strolling the streets was faster going than a jitney, I was left with lots of walking time to observe the nooks and crannies, simultaneously cruddy and captivating.

White

White void on a wall, Manila, The Philippines photo

White void on a wall, Manila, The Philippines


No seriously, Manila sucked and rocked. Todd and I never seemed to get where we were going, but on the way we were disarmed by every bit the chaotic city offered to us.

Red

Red chairs at the docks, Manila, The Philippines photo

Red chairs at the docks, Manila, The Philippines


No, seriously, Manila was a bombed out bomb-diggity. I love controlled chaos, intentional neglect, and MacGyver-inspired efforts at rehabilitation and restoration. Manila serves it up with a touch of colorful island flair. The crustiness got old, but somehow never boring.

Which of our colorful travel photos is your favorite?