Photography is the documentation of life, once that shutter has clicked, the moment has passed and history is made. Some may be familiar with project 365, a simple concept, take a photograph everyday for 365 days. This blog is an extension of the project; the goal is to keep photographing every day, who knows how long? It is an excellent archive to look back on, see how things change. Change can be subtle, such as different coloured flowers being planted each year to a changing landscape with buildings being demolished and new ones built. This blog archives life’s diversity and my encounters.
Vancouver, the furthest west I have been in Canada and an awesome place to be. Arriving here two days ago with blustering winds and heavy down pouring rain, I was unsure how the weather was going to hold out.
I was exceptionally thankful that the rain decided to subside when I arrived in Vancouver because I had to make my way to the hostel. Leaving the bus terminal I made my way across the street to the Sky Train. Once taking the Sky Train I was able to hope on to the #4, a bus that I road quite frequently throughout the days I was here.
The lack of rain really helped when I had to make my way from the bus drop off to the hostel. Because of the extreme wind that had occurred that evening, power lines were down on the street. The bus had to change routes, dropping me off about a kilometer away then it usually does.
It wasn’t a bad hike to the hostel, it could have been bad had it been raining or worse, the storm that hit was still going on.
Vancouver, the furthest west I have been in Canada and an awesome place to be. Arriving here two days ago with blustering winds and heavy down pouring rain, I was unsure how the weather was going to hold out.
I was exceptionally thankful that the rain decided to subside when I arrived in Vancouver because I had to make my way to the hostel. Leaving the bus terminal I made my way across the street to the Sky Train. Once taking the Sky Train I was able to hope on to the #4, a bus that I road quite frequently throughout the days I was here.
The lack of rain really helped when I had to make my way from the bus drop off to the hostel. Because of the extreme wind that had occurred that evening, power lines were down on the street. The bus had to change routes, dropping me off about a kilometer away then it usually does.
It wasn’t a bad hike to the hostel, it could have been bad had it been raining or worse, the storm that hit was still going on.
2010 04 01 As I have said many times up to this date, Monterey is a beautiful and relaxing place to visit. Although, after two eventful and memorable days it was time to say farewell. My bus schedule had me departing from Salinas at 2:15pm. I had to make my way from Monterey back to Salinas. After a hardy breakfast I packed my bag and was ready to embark on my next adventure, Vancouver. Out of five weeks of traveling, this was going to be my longest bus ride, 29 hours. Due to my previous experience traveling Greyhound I have now developed this paranoia of the bus possibly filling up. This time everything went smoothly, I was a little weary cause it was a full bus, I did not want to be the one left behind again, especially with such a long trip ahead. For the next 14 hours I was always sitting beside someone. Many wouldn’t like the idea of traveling on a full bus but that wasn’t what bothered me this time, what ended up being a little annoying was that the bus never stopped in a location where supper was purchasable. Each location was a five-minute stop, we finally arrived just outside of Oakland, California, where there would be a restaurant in the station but what you know, it was closed. Finally, at about 11 am we stopped at a Flying J truck stop. I search all around the station trying to find something substantial to subside my hunger. After searching high and low I came across the deli sandwiches and there was a roast beef sandwich calling my name. (Later on once I arrived in Vancouver I realized I had an apple and a peach in my bag. Ha.) Much like the first day of traveling (Thursday) we never had any time to stop for food, non-the-less go to the bathroom. I shouldn’t complain too much because at least I didn’t have any long layovers from Salinas, California to Vancouver but it would have been nice to stop at a McDonalds or something. The bus remained full until Portland, Oregon where it started to thin out. For the first time during this excursion I was able to claim a front row seat on the bus going from Portland to Seattle. This portion of the trip was a nice change, the bus driver was good, I was sitting beside this nice lady and the scenery was quite spectacular. (Just as a brief side - what was also nice about the Portland to Seattle trip was that I didn’t have to listen to family problems. For some reason my seat was next to or close to someone who just couldn’t sort life out. Some people just don’t’ think!) Heading from Seattle to Vancouver the bus had a drastic reduction in passengers, a full bus to 1/3rd full. This leg of the journey wasn’t bad, two seats to myself and the boarding crossing was easy. Sometimes I think the boarder is just ridiculous. Again coming back into Canada they asked me, what do I do for a living? And your job allowed you that amount of time off? Questions that are redundant after the fact. But you know you cannot crack wise jokes at the boarder and say something like, “No, I just left my job and said see you in four weeks!” without risking a long hassle. Oh well, go along with the flow. All in all, the entire trip went well and I am back in Canada.
Thank you for reading. Corey Lablans www.coreylablans.com
Eight in the morning, that was my intended wake up time but like many attempts to wake up early, it failed.
I intended on waking up early so that I could walk down to the Fisherman’s Wharf to catch the 10 am Whale watching tour. Again like every other day, it was calling for rain in Monterey and I did not get much sleep the night before, so when eight o’clock came around I just rolled back over.
Nine o’clock came and I was ready to hit the streets of Monterey once again. I had noticed a sign on one of the restaurants when I first arrived in Monterey, advertising early breakfast specials. I decided to give it a try, so I headed over; got myself a nice breakfast at an amazing price and my day had begun.
At this point in time I thought it would be fun to explore all the interesting stores in the area. The idea of going whale watching was still rolling in my mind.
Another tour was scheduled to leave at 1:30pm. I decided it would be a good idea to weave my way through Monterey, slowly making my way to the Wharf.
As I mingled my way through Monterey I drifted in and out of some unique shops and places. One of these places was a small little beach between two hotels built on the oceanfront. Much like the cove the Harbour Seals were relaxing in this cove had rocks on both sides causing the waves to come crashing in. Some skin boarders were riding the waves, which presented the opportunity for some great photos. Keeping true to my personality, I got side tracked photographing the skin boarder and time slipped by. I realized if I wanted to try and make my way onto the whale watching tour I had to move on.
The Fisherman’s Wharf was my next destination, which is a really neat place. It is a structure (Wharf) sticking out into the water lined with restaurants and other various tourist trap area but neat non-the less.
I found my way to the end of the pier where all the whale watching tour groups were located. At this point-in-time the idea of going whale watching was still an undecided idea because just a week before I was whale watching of the coast of Balboa in LA.
I went into the tour company and asked what the conditions were like, as soon as I heard the word Orca come out of the guys mouth, I signed up. The morning group had spotted three orcas along the coast. There was no guarantee that they would be spotted again but that was good enough for me.
As soon as we set sail, the trip was already worth it to me. Leaving the wharf the photos that I was able to get of ships in the bay, seals and the sea otters was awesome but the best was still yet to come.
I have watched movies such as the Perfect Storm and shows like the Deadliest Catch, you see these large swells and rough conditions the fishermen head out into but you never truly understand something until you experience it. I have to say it was breath-taking being out in the ocean in a 100-foot boat with some swells reaching 20 feet high.
I was talking to another passenger on board who tried to book a tour with another company but the company had shut down business for the day because of the water conditions. It is spectacular when the boat goes up a swell at a 50 degree angle, comes down the other side and is confronted by yet another swell higher then the boat itself.
At this point in time I was more then thrilled just to experience the power of the ocean but then, in the distance the captain notice a spray. To the west of the boat along the shoreline we had meet up a pod of Orcas. For the next thirty minutes we followed along side, watching these majestically animals make their way in and out of the water. At one point four of them simultaneously came out of the water. The whales started moving further and further into the ocean.
The Orcas were swimming out of reach. Sadly it was time turn back but I had gained two unforgettable experiences.
In the end I am not sure what I was more impressed with, the spectacular display of the ocean’s power or the beauty and grace the Orcas displayed.
The day was going well, the weather kept clear and it didn’t rain. I didn’t think the day could get any better. I had it in my mind that I was going to go back to the restaurant that I had breakfast at and get a shrimp salad, although I had received a free appetizer coupon to a restaurant off Cannery Row, The Fish Hopper, Seafood and Steaks. I decided since it was on my way back towards the hostel I would check it out.
I arrived at the restaurant around 5 pm and they had these early bird specials. One special caught my attention, beef tenderloin with shrimp. All I can say was it was amazing, such rich flavours. There was beef tenderloin, shrimp in a nice butter sauce, a sweet potato, vegetables and papaya. The meal came with a Caesar salad and as an appetizer I had a marinated artichoke. What a way to end the day and it only cost $19.
To make the day seem even better I had made my way back to the hostel and a block from the hostel it started to sprinkle, as I walked my way in, it started to poor.
I don’t know were luck begins and ends but I enjoyed an amazing day.
Eight in the morning, awake, had a light sleep, showered up and was ready to explore Monterey. Check in was not until 4 pm so I had the day to kill before I could get settled in at the hostel. Heading out with advice about a good breakfast place I wondered on down towards the coast. I have to say the advice was a good one. I ate breakfast at First Awakening, a restaurant that specializes in making scratch pancakes, which were amazing. A nice full stomach and a new place to explore, I embarked upon my journey for the day. Heading North West from the aquarium I made my way along the coast. Walking along the pathway I noticed a group of people staring out at the water through a fence. Instinctively I was curious to what was going on. As I approached I noticed it was a little sandy bay with rocks on each side and nestled within the bay was over 100 Harbour seals. This was a spectacular way to start off an amazing day. Like I said earlier on, the forecast was for rain the two days I was going to be in Monterey. Walking along the shoreline and looking out to the skies there was this appearance of possible rain but nothing came about, maybe a few drops. As a photographer this undecided weather worked in my favour, as I never had to deal with rain but the clouds were still present giving me some added character. As I moved my way down from the Harbour Seals I came to the main stretch of coastline. Many are aw struck by the fact that there is a section along the California coast that has no buildings. The buildings are held back a street away from the coastline leaving it to walkers, bikers and roller bladders. Much like down in Los Angeles, a path stretches the length of the coast but the shoreline isn’t the same. Instead of nice long sandy beach you have jagged rocks with the odd cove containing a sandy beach. Waves curl as they pass the jagged rocks moving inwards to the sandy bay, with slight aquamarine blue water. It was spectacular just sitting in various locations watching the waves pound the rocks, splashing in the air with such power but yet such relaxation. It is that feeling that you get when you are at the coast. The waves rolling in were reaching heights of 10 feet. I found out that the waves were slightly larger then usual due to the full moon affecting the tide. For the remainder of the day I just walked around the coastline and back towards the hostel. With a late night the day before and very little sleep, I was in bed by 10 pm ready to fall asleep.
Thank you for reading. Corey Lablans www.coreylablans.com
Rain and stormy weather, this was going to be the forecast for the next two days in Monterey, California. Holding true to the forecast I arrived in Salinas at 4:45 am (30 miles away from Monterey) and it was raining. The rain was light and I only had two blocks to walk to the Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST), by the time I arrived I was just slightly damp. The temperature was a little cooler then that of Los Angeles but with a fleece sweeter on, it wasn’t bad. With darkness all around and the rain coming down I was standing at a bus station not entirely sure were to go but I had a vague idea. Before heading to Salinas I did a little research to see how to get Monterey from Salinas. At the station there was one guy, a Mexican guy, who helped me out and told me that the #20 would take me to Monterey, it arrived right on time, 5:05 am. Arriving in Monterey, I then needed to find my way to the hostel. Like my usual self along this trip I don’t remember the address of the hostel, although I do remember certain structures near by, such as the Aquarium. I knew the hostel was two blocks up the street from the Aquarium. Wondering my way through Monterey I stopped into 7Eleven and asked for directions. The Monterey International Hostel happened to be just around the corner. Like the issue of arriving to late, had I got on the bus the day before, I arrived to early. It was 6:30 am, I was standing outside, doors locked and nothing to do because I had all my bags, I propped my bag against the wall and sat down. A gentleman wondered to the door around 7 am to get the newspaper. At this time I wondered on in, took a sit on the couch and fell asleep, I was in Monterey.
Thank you for reading. Corey Lablans www.coreylablans.com
Monterey, California -a place of beauty and stunning scenery. I initially planned on traveling to Las Vegas but was directed to Monterey, as someone told me I would love it. The journey to Monterey was and is amazing. This is my fourth week traveling via Greyhound across the United States. I have traveled over 90 hours, covering more then 4000 kilometers. My plan was to leave at 8:30pm from Aneheim on Sunday, although I didn’t factor in that the station would be closed.
I decided to call it a night and try the next day. The morning was successful as I made my way onto the 11:20am bus headed for Salinas arriving at 9pm. From the start, it was going to be a fun day, the hostel in Monterey (which I needed to get to from Salinas) closes for the night at 10pm. I would have to arrive in Salinas at 9pm, get a city bus and make my way to Monterey for 10pm, which is an hour away. I had everything lined up for me to arrive in Monterey on the Monday night.
Unfortunately, like many trips, a knot appeared in this plan. As I walked onto the bus I noticed the full seats. For a moment I just sat down in the middle of the isle thinking that it was possible to stay there, that wasn’t the case.
The bus driver asked all of us that were on the bus to get off. Once outside the bus he said, “ we have room for three people” and the family that was in front of us made their way.
Standing there speechless and not knowing what to do, me and two others made our way back into the station. At the front desk we just stood there, like helpless souls asking, “what do we do now.” The lifeless lady working at the front desk just blankly stared saying, “You’ll have to wait for the next bus.” It was something that I just didn’t want to hear.
The reality was, that Greyhound over booked the bus and I would have to wait in the LA station for seven hours until the next bus at 9:40 pm left for Salinas. It took me about two hours before I faced the fact that I was stuck. I then realized I had to make the best of the worst case scenario, this meant spending the next five hours on my computer editing the photos from LA.
In the end everything worked out. I edited most of my photos from LA and was able to get onto the 9:40 pm bus. Hindsight 20/20 I should have just taken the bus Sunday night at 8:30 pm without having a ticket but everything happens for a reason. It was an adventure and it was fun.
Tomorrow I will write a post about my experience in Monterey. It will involve photographs depicting my experience in Monterey.
