5 Photos that Capture the Vivid Colours of Traveling

By Mark Wiens 25 Comments

I was recently nominated by the Traveling Canucks to participate in Capture the Colour, a competition put on by TravelSupermarket.com.

The rules are to publish an article containing 5 photographs you’ve taken that creatively showcase the colours of blue, green, yellow, white and red. After browsing my files, I noticed I’ve also seen a lot of orange colours within my travels, so just like My Life’s a Trip, I decided to add a bonus photo – orange included.

Look around you. Colours really are a spice of life, without them everything would be drab and dull. So enjoy these colors!

Peaceful morning in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Peaceful morning in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

1. Blue: Jaffna, Sri Lanka

7 am, Jaffna, Sri Lanka – beads of sweat were already pouring down my nose like a morning dew – the sun was low yet harsh, the humidity like a sauna.

Walking down the road was peaceful, the rhythmic wooshing sound of grass brooms from women sweeping their gravel lots, the occasional “baaahahaaa” of a goat, and the squeak of cheaply made bicycles. The angle of the sun made all yellows and oranges blend into the light while the blue shirt of the boy lit up like it was made from neon.

This is the Sri Lanka I love!

Picking lotus flowers in a sea of green
Picking lotus flowers in a sea of green

2. Green: Yangshuo, China

I was riding a bicycle through the majestic karst mountain landscape. My legs were jelly and my butt was starting to ache.

“There’s a great place to sip on a refreshing lotus beverage,” my cousin had mentioned. We got off our bikes and ordered a round of icy cold sweet lotus water while relaxing on little stools within the patch. This guy was out amongst the sea of green, examining a freshly picked stem.

Burmese tofu salad
Burmese tofu salad

3. Yellow: Bangkok, Thailand

It was about a year ago when I first met Mona, a Burmese-Nepalese immigrant to Bangkok.

Winding my way through the confusing labyrinth of Bangkok’s Phra Khanong Market it was her inviting smile that urged me to sit down for a meal.

She was overjoyed that we chose to eat at her street stall, and when I decided to film the experience, she jumped in the video herself to explain some of the Burmese dishes she had prepared.

I won’t forget the bright yellow dish, something I first thought was either pieces of cheese or butter, but in reality were chunks of tofu made from yellow chickpeas (known as tofu thoke). Not only was her food exceptional, her ecstatic joy and her overwhelming kindness turned the meal into something truly memorable.

Mangosteen, white and pure on the inside
Mangosteen, white and pure on the inside

4. White: Southeast Asia

It would be horrible to visit southeast Asia and not take advantage of the fruit.

Tightly wrapped in an ugly bruised shell that bleeds red on your fingers when you open it, is flesh that’s whiter than a sheet and sweeter than nectar. During mangosteen season in southeast Asia, I often can’t resiste slurping down a few kilos each day.

Vibrantly red chillies drying on the ancient streets of Xingping, China
Vibrantly red chillies drying on the ancient streets of Xingping, China

5. Red: Xingping, China

Red in China is redder than anywhere else in the world.

I had just completed a 25 kilometer hike from Yangdi to Xingping; the entire trek felt like I was making my way through an ancient Chinese painting. The dramatic scenery was breathtaking.

Slowly walking through the ancient stone streets of Xingping a table full of bright red chillies caught my eye.

This gorgeous piece of turmeric was added to my curry!
This gorgeous piece of turmeric was added to my curry!

Bonus – Orange: Pusellawa, Sri Lanka

“Go to the market and buy whatever meat you want, and I will cook it,” said grandma.

I retuned from town with a chicken and she got started working her magic immediately. Little did I know, about 2 hours after watching grandma hand pluck this vibrantly orange turmeric root from her backyard, I would be savoring what is possibly the best chicken curry ever known to man.

Competition

Anyone is welcome to participate in the competition as well, just follow these guidelines. Thanks again to the Traveling Canucks for nominating me.

I would like to nominate these other great bloggers to take part in this competition:

25 comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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  • Mabaydar

    11 years ago

    wow… great photos. My first time seeing Turmeric roots. I have seen turmeric powder. Never thought it comes from roots. I wish I could shoot a great photos like you while traveling.

    Reply

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Thanks Mabaydar, glad you liked this photo. Turmeric is one of my favorite spices, so subtle yet flavorful and healthy as well!

      Reply

  • Joel Bruner

    11 years ago

    guy polite bwana, the photography skills!

    My favorite is the RED. those chillies just stand out man, what a beautiful shot.
    🙂

    nice.

    Reply

  • sully86

    11 years ago

    mark: i am so fickle minded i am going to choose all alright? you won’t mind right?

    Reply

  • Kieu

    11 years ago

    Mmm mangosteen!

    Reply

  • Christine

    11 years ago

    Great photos!

    Reply

  • Susan

    11 years ago

    Just fed mangosteens to a fellow visiting from the states, and he summed up the taste as a “trip to a Blow Pop factory, but not shitty and maybe kind of good for you.” Accurate, I’d say. I mean, it does kind of taste like blue raspberry…

    I think that turmeric picture is my favorite. Such a vivid orange, and so fresh-looking. I can taste it!

    Reply

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Thanks for sharing Susan, that is a great description – doesn’t get any better that natural candy!

      Reply

  • Ruth (Tanama Tales)

    11 years ago

    Beautiful photos!!! My favorite is red. Interesting your pick of blue since you have so many pictures of gorgeous beaches.

    Reply

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Thanks Ruth! Yah, I when I was searching through my photos, it was just the shot of blue of this boy’s shirt that I remembered so well, mainly because the entire scene was orange and then just his solo blue shirt!

      Reply

  • Ava Apollo

    11 years ago

    I kind of wanted to post an orange too. I wish I had been crafty enough to think of a bonus photo! I like your selections. Very creative.

    Reply

  • 2summers

    11 years ago

    Thanks so much for the nomination, Mark. I will definitely participate. I love all of your choices, especially the mangosteen.

    Reply

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Great to hear that, looking forward to your post!

      Reply

  • Daniel McBane

    11 years ago

    Great pictures. I especially like the red one too and I have to say the Burmese tofu salad (yellow) from Thailand looks better than pretty much everything I ate during my month in Myanmar.

    Reply

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Thanks a lot Daniel! I had this salad a few times in Myanmar as well, and this one I had in Bangkok was the tastiest – I think her tofu was just so silky smooth and fresh, as were the rest of her ingredients.

      Reply

  • paul | walkflypinoy

    11 years ago

    great choices. i think you already know that my favorite is yellow. and thanks for the nom! definitely participating.

    Reply

  • Cam

    11 years ago

    Great pics Mark! My fav is the Red.

    Reply