Visões

Torre de Belém - Lisboa - Portugal

Ao erguermos a vista, não vemos fronteiras.

~ditado japonês~

Reach the sky

Aim for the stars and maybe
you'll reach the sky

Watching...

Vale Glaciar do Zêzere - Manteigas - Serra da Estrela

... clouds roll by
on a sunny day

Listenning to the water stream

going down the mountain

Smelling the fresh green grass
Who needs church?
Nature is divine.

Lameiras - Vale Glaciar do Zêzere

Spring...

...  is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. :)

Vale glaciar do Zêzere - Serra da Estrela - Portugal

Baphuon

Baphuon - Angkor - Cambodia

The Baphuon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva but in the late 15th century, the Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple. The temple was built on land filled with sand, and due to its immense size the site was unstable throughout its history.

By the 20th century, much of the temple had largely collapsed, and restoration efforts have since proven problematic: a first effort begun in 1960 was interrupted by the coming to power of the Khmer Rouge, and records of the positions of the stones were lost. A second attempt started in 1995 by a team of French-led archeologists as of 2005 was still ongoing, restricting visitor access. As of November 2010, partial visitor access was once again allowed, though not to the central structure.

In April 2011, after 51 years, the archaeologists finished the restoration of the temple which was inaugurated on July 3, 2011.

Nature ..

Poço do Inferno - Serra da Estrela - Portugal

Nature is like a mutable waterfall, 
which is always and never the same.

Colors of the rainbow

 

 

“Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.”

Douglas Pagels

Tranquility

Sometimes we need peace and tranquility
in order to seek our own reflection.

Ups...

 “The key to change… is to let go of fear.” – Rosanne Cash

The more you can let go of fear, the faster you will grow. I’m not talking about eliminating fear or being fearless. When I think about letting go of fear, I think about acknowledging it and letting it be there. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.

- Henry -

Mosteiro da Batalha - Portugal

Somewhere ....

.....  on your journey don't forget to turn around and enjoy the view.



Have a great Weekend!

My tribute ...

....  on this International Woman’s Day 2012 is not probably to you, and definitely not to me.

 It’s meant to the millions of women throughout the world  that, in the XXI Century, still live in conditions of abject deprivation of, and attacks against their fundamental human rights for no other reason rather than being a woman.

It's important to celebrate Women's Day because it brings focus to the issues we need to look at closely but often do not. When we look at gender indexes around the world we find that for all the strides women have made, there is an enormous amount of ground that needs to be covered. In developing countries and especially in the subcontinent, women suffer from lack of access to equal opportunity in education, health, and employment .

 When we celebrate International Women's Day we salute those who have struggled to pull women out of the abyss of a patriarchal society. But it also must become a solemn moment for introspection; and an opportunity to provide the freedom that women deserve and need.

 I look forward to a world in which women in general are treated as human beings rather than animals, have equal rights and opportunities as men, regardless of race, religion or color.

 On International Women's Day I salute my mother for the values which she imbibed  me. She taught me by example that men and women are equal.

 But I am lucky.

I was born in a free society.

Not every women are that lucky.

Ta Prohm or Lara Croft Temple

Unlike most of the temples of Angkor, Ta Prohm has been largely left to the clutches of the living jungle.

With its dynamic interaction between nature and man-made art, this atmospheric temple is a favorite for many - who can't help but feel a little like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft (which was filmed here) as they pick through the rubble.

Construction on Ta Prohm began in 1186 AD. Originally known as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII.

A rare inscription at Ta Prohm provides statistics on the temple's workers. Allowing for some exaggeration to honor the king, the inscription's report of around 80,000 workers, including 2700 officials and 615 dancers, is still astounding.

Sadly, Ta Prohm was looted quite heavily in recent years due to its relative isolation, and many of its ancient stone reliquaries have been lost.

Great trees tower above Ta Prohm, their leaves filtering the sunlight, providing welcome shade and casting a greenish light over the otherwordly site. Delicately carved reliefs on the walls sprout lichen, moss and creeping plants.

Some as wide as an oak tree, the vines at Ta Prohm cleave massive stones in two and spill over the top of temple ramparts. The effect is striking, especially at the strangulating root formation on the inside of the easternmost gopura (entrance pavilion). Another popular site is the "Tomb Raider tree" in the central sanctuary, where Angelina Jolie picked a jasmine flower and was sucked beneath the earth.

Ta Prohm is extensively ruined, but you can still explore numerous towers, close courtyards and narrow corridors, discovering hidden gems of stone reliefs beneath the encroaching foliage. Many of the corridors are impassible, thanks to the jumbled piles of carved stone blocks that clog their interiors.

There are 39 towers at Ta Prohm, which are connected by numerous galleries. Visitors are no longer permitted to climb onto the crumbling galleries, due to the potential damage to both temple and visitor.

Stand tall

As times get rough, and you're trapped in a doubtful cage, when all you want is to be out on stage.

When you slip on the ice and everything is painful, don't go and act so disdainful, give it your all without a stall

Life will rip you up and cut you down, no matter what, don't let it steal your crown. Twists and turns, face it all despite the burns.

So when everything is down and nothing is up but the sky above. Keep searching, one day you'll find your dove.

When the rain turns to blood, and you can’t see through your tears. Come along and hide your terrible fears.

Through out it all, you're not the only one. We've all been there and done that, just sit tight and don't you dare fall. No matter the pain, no matter the rage, trust me and one day you'll break out of your cage.

Just stand tall and don't let yourself break, try to forget it's all at stake.

Turn around if you need a hand, we'll be right behind you to take you back to land.

So never give up and never back down. Just mind your head,

Go on, Stand tall.

At sunset....

... Nature is painting for us... day after day... pictures of infinite beauty