Top 10 Photos from Around the World

 Only a month into my last trip, I had my very expensive Sony Cyber Shot stolen on a train in Italy. I was totally bummed and thought that that would be the end of my photo taking career. Fortunately, a few weeks later in Sicily, I managed to get a hold of a cheap (140 Euro) but incredibly decent Canon Powershot sx130. Although I wish I had taken more pictures, I managed to get some great shots. Without further ado, below are my 10 favorite pictures from Europe, Africa, and Asia after a year on the road.

1 The Egyptian Revolution

 Catching this shot was a little dangerous to say the least. I had to dodge rubber bullets, tear gas, and stampeding crowds, but it was well worth it. It is a shot of the renewed protests against the military ruling elite on November 24th 2011. For the full story, check out this article, The Egyptian Revolution Continues.

2 The Kids of Ethiopia

This is one of my favorite pictures. I met these kids while hitchhiking Ethiopia. I was on a long down hill mountain road near the infamous Simian mountains. Though the scenery was beautiful, after walking for hours, I was feeling a bit depressed and tired. Then, out of nowhere, one boy appeared. A few minutes later, all of his friends joined and started walking with me. Although they all begged me for money, I enjoyed the company. We made funny faces at each other and played the copy cat game. Then they posed perfectly for this picture. It is a memory I will never forget.

3 The Sick Cambodian Boy

This was one of the most depressing sights I have ever seen. A sick naked Cambodian boy begging for money from Asian tourists. Though he walked in between them, everyone pretended as if they couldn’t see him.

4 Marina Bay Sands Singapore

 This photo was taken from the top of the famous Marina Bay Sands(pool in sky hotel) in Singapore. The photo barely does the view justice. The amount of cargo ships in the harbor is something unbelievable. I have heard they number in the tens of thousands. As a seaman at heart, it was a sight to see.

5 The Blue Mosque, Istanbul

This Mosque, the Blue Mosque, is one of the biggest and most beautiful in the world. It is impossible to take a bad picture of it. Istanbul is dotted with countless of these spectacular mosques.

6 Wandering Elephant

What I love about this picture it that it’s simply an elephant walking down the street. Its not a zoo and it doesn’t seem like there’s a trainer around. He just needs to be somewhere quick and so he took the road. Only in Thailand and perhaps parts of Africa will you see something like this.

7 Old Ethiopian Women

I was sitting down at the bus stop when this group of older women showed up. They looked as if they had just walked miles. Their faces tell a story of joyful hardships. They couldn’t have been more friendly or willing to take a picture. When I showed them how they looked, they laughed hysterically.

8 Old Ethiopian Man

Right after meeting those ladies, this guy walked up and started talking to me. He had one of the greatest and most soulful laughs I have ever heard. It was a pleasure to have met him.

9 Vive La Palestine

A super patriotic Palestinian kid we met in Hebron. It is a controversial city as it is home to around 800 Jewish settlers who live behind guarded walls.

10 Cloudy Thailand

A cloudy yet beautiful evening on a boat between Koh Tao and Chumporn, Thailand. It brings me back and I can almost smell that sweet sea air.