Work, work, work...

It has only been a few days since I came back to Vegas, but gosh what I have done within these days... Is amazing - weddings, commercial shoots, interiors, exterior and etc. And I am truly proud of myself that the transition between three weeks vacation and work did not take me long time. 

I was afraid that I had gotten lazy but no, I just want to do more, experience more- more, more, more...

Vegas- I am ready for everything you have got for me!!! 

I am back!!! 

Few photos enclosed :)

 

Onion factories

Onion- the taste and smell of it is just my worst nightmare. And of course on my trip I faced that nightmare - not a news flash - onion is still a fear factor for me :)))

In Mali you can find small fields of onions and people working on preserving them for the drier times. Just only one word can describe that-unbelievable!!!

Life at the river- NIGER, Mali

Mopti, the town you cannot avoid, it is a necessary stop- off on your way to or from Dogon Country. The port of Mopti is the most lively and interesting port in the whole Mali, can be fun but at the same time very hard to handle because of the constant need to deal with people who are offering their services, or simply trying to sell you a souvenir, necklaces or just a postcard. Even if you do not want to buy anything you are not able to ignore them; one good thing- you can really increase your negotiation skills.  Maybe somebody someday will decide to organize a special negation training at the port of Mopti :))

What is there to see at the Niger River? That is not a right question, the right question is what you cannot see at the this important river? You can find everything there and I literally mean everything from goats, to chickens, cars, stylishly dressed local women, kids diving into the water, fishermen, pirogues (boats), people washing their clothes, food, people drinking and etc. you name it...

Art of Mali, AFRICA

Dogon People are appreciated for their complex and elaborate culture, unique houses, granaries, mask and art forms. Mali's people make their figures from wood, bronze and terracotta. And almost everything has a special, magical meaning. Have a look, I insist :))

Mali - Villages & Landscape

Are you ready for the next portion of Mali? If so, have a look at these few photos of the timeless villages and stunning landscape of The Dogon Country. 

Some people think that Dogon Country truly deserve to be on the top-10-places-to-see-before-die lists.Does that mean that I can die now ? No, no - I still have few more places to see... :))) and few things to do in this lifetime.:))

Kids of Mali, AFRICA

Since I can remember I have always wanted to go to Africa. One of my dreams and lifetime goals, which is sometimes hard to express to other people. I made a lots of pre-arrangements but they never seemed to work out. My friends and I planned our trip to Mali for two long years and finally we found the perfect way experience it- on foot- simply walking from one village to the other and discover how people live in West Africa.

The whole preparation took me almost two months - special equipment, a hunting knife (everybody was laughing at me because of that), many vaccinations and other things too numerous to mention. However, I was ready to go... And... a few days before my flight my passport got lost in the mail from Washington. During these few days I went through a whole variety of emotions- anger, fury, depression and acceptance that I was not going to be able to go to West Africa.

But one day I woke up and had this thought - that it is not over till it is over. Somehow within three days, thanks to wonderful people who helped me I got a new passport! New visa to Mali and I was on my way for my lifetime adventure! 

You can read in most travel guides that Mali is the jewel in West Africa's crown, a destination that seems to have all the right ingredients. And that is true; As I wrote in the email to my friend after my journey I think that trip was quite an amazing and intense experience for me. I've never met a group of people who are so giving of themselves, happy and at the same time so poor like people who live in Mali. 

I would like to share some photos with you from that trip, to give you at least a small taste of that wonderful country and people. 

Below you can find photos of kids of Mali, and believe me a few occurrences involving these kids made me very emotional changing something inside of me, and not only because some of these kids won't survive Malaria, which kills more than a million people per year (90 percent of those who die are African children), but that is a story for a totally different time :)