Weekly Photo Challenge: The Sign Says

Well here we have yet another sign challenge. I’ve already done posts for both Ailsa and Cee for this theme, so I thought I may be running out of signs to show you, but it’s become obvious to me that I’m fascinated by signs, as I’ve found quite a number that I haven’t used before.

Whilst in California, on our way from Las Vegas to San Francisco, I was rather surprised to see this signpost to Johannesburg. At the time, my home was in Johannesburg South Africa, and I really thought I was much further away from home than 1 mile. 🙂 I have since looked up this place on the internet, and found that Johannesburg CA, was founded to support mining operations at nearby Randsburg, and that this town was named Johannesburg, by miners who had previously worked in the gold-producing region of South Africa. It has a population of only 172 people.

Still in the USA, we found a pyramid and a Luxor sign in Las Vegas. Who needs to travel to Egypt?

Also on the same trip, we found ourselves at the O.K, Corral, in Tombstone Arizona, the site of the infamous gunfight in which Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Virgil and Morgan Earp, fought the Clantons and McLaurys in October 1881.

Here is general George Custer’s tombstone at the Little Bighorn battlefield in Wyoming, which is supposed to mark the place where he fell during the 1876 battle against the combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. This has been named ‘Custer’s Last Stand’.

On our journey from La Paz to Machu Picchu, we stayed overnight at this hotel in Huatajata on the bank of Lake Titicaca. As you can see, it boasts the highest elevator in the world, at 12,550 feet.

On our fabulously scenic ten-hour ride from Puno to Cusco, Peru’s most beautiful city, we stopped off at the highest point of our trip, La Region Puno Les Desea pass at an altitude of 14,200 feet. There was a woman there, doing a roaring trade in thick jerseys and hats made of Alpaca wool. I was feeling rather cold at such a high altitude, so bought a jersey, but drew the line at wearing a woolly hat with pom-poms dangling under my chin. Vanity before warmth, I always say. 🙂

Back to more normal altitudes; outside Bangkok there are salt flats, and we saw this lady selling bags of salt. I have no idea how much they were, as I don’t read Siamese.

Here on Phi Phi Island, hubby wanted my pic taken with the laundry sign, as he often jokes about my concern that we should always have clean and ironed clothes on our travels, however difficult that may prove to be.

Here in Kuta Beach Bali, we found this sign really funny, and thought it should rather have read, ‘Bogus Watch’, as they were all fake replicas of the really expensive famous makes.

Lastly, here are many signs down the street in the Beiyuanmen Muslim Market in X’ian. This pic was taken in 1999, before it became a tourist attraction well known for its food stalls and souvenir shops. Of course the signs are all in Chinese, so I really have no clue what they say. 😕

I have still more signs, just in case we get another challenge, so bring it on. 😀

To see more bloggers signs, just click here.

WordPress Photo Challenge: Lost in the details.

This week’s challenge had me looking through my photos to see what details I could find that you might find interesting, or not, as the case may be. 🙂

Looking at this photo, you’re probably more fascinated by the skipper’s tattoos, than the small details of hubby and his dive buddy, bobbing around in the water.

Scuba Diving, Belize.

This crocodile is almost lost in the detail of the water and the undergrowth on the riverbank,

New River, Belize

Around Phi Phi Island near Phuket, there are cliffs riddled with caves. Here is the Viking Cave which is right at sea level. Within the cave there are ledges which are inhabited by thousands of swallows. These birds make their nests out of their own saliva. The nests are harvested and sold to make birds nest soup, a Chinese delicacy. The cave was so named, because of  ancient drawings resembling Viking ships, which were found on the inside walls. We could see the nests hanging like stalactites from the roof of the cave, but weren’t allowed inside, so the other details were lost to us. 😦

Viking Cave, Phuket.

In this pic, you’re probably so busy focusing on the details of the magnificent floral arrangement, that you miss my little face peeking out from behind it. 😀

Valentines Dinner

Now I really must get lost in the details of what to pack and what to leave behind. :0

To join in the challenge and see more interpretations, just click here.

 

Jake’s Sunday Post theme: Famous Movies

When I first saw Jake’s theme for the Sunday Post challenge, I thought “Oh dear I don’t think I have anything to contribute this week.” I then put on my thinking cap and started to think of all the places I’ve visited which are linked to various movies. Apart from “The Devil’s Tower” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” which I blogged about yesterday for the Daily Post challenge, “Close,” I came up with seven more photos of places I’ve visited which have connections to famous movies.

The majestic ‘Millenium Biltmore Hotel’ in Los Angeles where we stayed in 2006, was the place where young actress, Elizabeth Short was last seen before her disappearance in 1947.

The 2006 movie, “The Black Dahlia” was based on the novel by James Ellroy, about the mystery of  her disappearance and her unsolved murder.

This hotel was also used in the 1984 film, “Ghostbusters”

and is reputed to have quite a few ghosts of its own.

Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “North by Northwest” has Cary Grant swept up in a game of cat and mouse that takes him across the US, and eventually to the top of Mt. Rushmore for that classic chase scene across the presidents’ faces.

Here is a pic of the crew gathered at the bottom of Mt Rushmore before filming started.

Word was leaked that there would be a fight scene and a couple of deaths on the monument, which resulted in government officials barring them from filming it there, so the crew flew back to Hollywood, where Mt. Rushmore had to be recreated at MGM.

Another interesting place we visited is Tombstone in Arizona. The OK Corral here, is where the most famous gunfight in the history of the American Old West was fought in 1881. Can you see me bravely standing amongst all those cowboys with their guns? 😉

The 1957 movie, “Gunfight at the OK Corral” starring Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster is loosely based on this true story.

I’m sure that many of you remember “Rick’s Cafe” in the 1942 movie Casablanca.

This restaurant, bar and cafe was designed to recreate the bar made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Set in an old courtyard-style mansion built against the walls of the Old Medina of Casablanca, the restaurant/ piano bar is filled with architectural and decorative details reminiscent of the film, and of course one of the most requested tunes for the pianist, is that wonderful song from the film, “As time goes by.”

In 2006, we were privileged to visit the beautiful Phi Phi Island in Maya Bay, where the movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed. We spent an idyllic few hours on that sunny day, relaxing on the soft white sand and splashing around in the surf.

Last but not least, is this park in Savannah, outside which Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) sat on a bench, telling his life’s tale to people waiting at a small town bus stop.

We just managed to snap this photo as our coach sailed past. Our guide said that the bench was just under the ‘one way’ sign, and is now inside the wall, in the park, probably where those people are sitting.

So you see, even though I’ve never actually been in a famous movie, I’ve seen lots of places featured in them. I find that quite thrilling really. 😉