Bumble bee visit!

I found Kattson staring at this bumble bee on the living room floor today so I caught it in a glass.

I think it was in shock from being cat swatted at. So it just sort of sat there and posed for me.

Spring is here!!!

Some flowers that popped up next to my terrace

Those orange things are left over from last year.

Some Cyrpus HDRs

What the heck is HDR?! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging

Check out some of my mom killer HDRs...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerstinhellstrom/sets/72157623612571138/

Mali altogether

If you're new to the Phlog, here's Mali altogether!
First night in Bamako
Djenne
Segou and onwards
In the Dogon country
On the road to Timbuktu
The road to Timbuktu 2
Tuaregs and funny glasses
Day 1 Timbuktu

Day 1 in Timbuktu...

It's been a while since we visited Mali. Last time, we left off on the arrival to Timbuktu...

Day 1!
It was hot...

but not hot enough to stop this kid (as well as tons of other longing to wear winter clothing Malians) from wearing a parka!

We started the day by walking around Timbuktu. Basically a bunch of buildings on top of a bunch of sand. We came to the conclusion that Timbuktu's "streets of gold" were hidden under the sand.

We did find Rue Bada Boom though, but couldn't find Rue Bada Bing.

I know, I know, poor donkeys.
Well they are in much better shape than this guy...

It's not a good idea to be sand colored in Timbuktu!
That must be why the driver didn't see him... :´(

Later we went to the festival site 3 km from Timbuktu.
Yeah! The Festival In The Desert!

 The stage

The opening ceremony.
A Tuareg gettin down on top of his camel, and boy in background gettin down on the dune.

A Tuareg gets his camel to do tricks for the audience

A mystery man from the group Tartit (listen here!)

I made friends and they offered me tea, 10 and then 20 camels in exchange for marriage (those guys aren't in the photo), and then they dressed me up.

The sun starts to set.
These are the tents we slept in.

Beetles start to walk around.

Bag whiskey from Ghana, Black Diamond brand of course!, starts being drunk.

And last of all, at 2am, Tinariwen (listen here!) starts playing!

Craziness in Berlin

I went to see my pal Sarah in Berlin.

It was a schnurrbart reunion!

Only there were no schnurrbarts, but we wore our ugly teeth ALL THE TIME!

First night Sarah and I went to an art space opening. Here we are in the white room. We had to go through a darkroom type of door from a room that was almost totally dark. We had no idea what was on the other side of the door. When we got in we were almost blinded. The walls, ceiling, and floor were painted white, and there were probably about 6 of those bright white lights shining up the room. When we left the room it was impossible to see anything and we stumbled around like idiots.

We also played around in what looked like a photo booth. When you got inside though someone on the outside surprised you by pressing a button which blew air in your face unexpectedly and a camera on the inside showed the world your surprise via a tv screen on the outside.

Here's Sarah...

Here's me... with TEETH!

We hung out for a little while and this guy came and started chatting us up. He was a bit annoyed that his face was blurry in the photo and asked Sarah to take it again but she refused cause she thought this photo was so funny.

In the yard outside the art space was this lit up piano and lots of wild bird sounds coming from hidden speakers somewhere.

Next day was Sarah's Bday! Here we are posing before going out...

We went out another night to a shitty looking club under the train tracks... teeth in hand of course.

The bathroom there was dunkel!

Sarah woke up the next morning looking a little different...

We went to a funny café that had a bed in the smoking room...

Here's Sarah looking beautiful!

And last, here's a normal photo for my mom of me showing off my €10 haircut I got earlier that day!

Cyprus

I went to Larna in Cyprus with my mom and Jim.

The weather was nice, but Larnaca sucks.

Here are the photos/words that I think sum Larnaca up very well!

Ugly

Dirt Beach (NOTE: not dirty beach, DIRT beach)

Underwhelming

(That's the "Larnaca Aquarium")

I recently invested in a Cypriotic popcorn company...

For some reason, Larnaca has a great reputation with Swedes...

Here was a menu at a restaurant on the beach.

(Svenska is Swedish)

While there I tried to decipher the Greek alphabet...

Before realizing that they drove on the left hand side of the rode...

It was too late, I had already crashed.

There was one cool area in Larnca, it was the Turkish area. Apparently the Turks who own the property left in 74 when Turkey invaded northern Cyprus. Now the property they own in Larnaca is rented out, but they can't rebuild or renovate it so it's all crumbly and falling apart.

Here's us taking a walk in the Turkish quarters.

(Shaving with rase blade!)

This sign seemed to tell me that I should go somewhere besides Larnaca...

Next... Northern Cyrpus! Finally some nicer stuff to look at...

An alley leading to Kryenia harbour

Some Cypriots sitting in Kyrenia harbour

A cat sitting in Kyrenia

A menu at a restaurant in Kyrenia harbour

OCTOBUS!! :D :D

Where disgraced athletes drink their coffee

In Bellapais...

Famagusta ruins...

Famagusta harbour

In Famagusta they eat vegetarians, they are grain fed! 

Jim and Mom hanging out on the Venetian wall surrounding Famagusta

Our last night in Cyrpus we ate friend mini crabs.

Bye bye Cyprus, thanks for the tan!