Anyone looking for a taste Caribbean colonial charm should head for Puerto Rico's Old San Juan. It's an area with loads of atmosphere - brightly colored pastel mansions, cobblestone streets, and a surprising street art scene. I particularly liked the bold colors and ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Photo of the Day (12/13/07)
This is probably the worst quality photograph chosen for Photo of the Day, but the subject matter is one of the most interesting in my opinion. That's because the featured automobile is a steam engine pickup truck in North Korea. That's right folks, this car actually runs on steam generated by a wood burning stove bolted into the back of the truck. A crew of 1-2 engineers feed wood into the stove while another sits in the front and drives.
When I first saw this coming towards our minivan, I thought the car was on fire because of all the black smoke pouring out of the back like an old locomotive. Apparently these trucks – I saw at least two of them – are left over from the Korean War and are still quite common in the northern part of the country where desperate North Koreans haven't yet stripped the forest bare in search of cooking and heating fuel--as they've done further south in the country.
Apologies for the poor shot, but since we were prohibited from taking photographs outside of the capital, I had to quickly sneak this one from a moving minivan when our guide wasn't looking.
For more insight regarding this bizarre country, be sure to check out today's Infiltrating North Korea report about the Cult of Kim. Or click here to read the series from the beginning.
Filed under: North Korea, Photo of the Day, Holiday Ideas, Infiltrating North Korea
Photo of the Day
Photo of the Day (11.8.09)
Anyone looking for a taste Caribbean colonial charm should head for Puerto Rico's Old San Juan. It's an area with loads of atmosphere - brightly colored pastel mansions, cobblestone streets, and a surprising street art scene. I particularly liked the bold colors and ...Photo of the Day (11.7.09)
I wanted to find a good shot of clouds for today's photo, and I think this one reflects my mood perfectly. Clouds, to me, are good metaphors for life, and these clouds represent for me the beauty of life, the end of the day, and the dawning of a new day. When traveling ...Photo of the day (11-5-09)
I've always wanted to visit Costa Rica. And it's not just because I want to stay in the Boeing 727 hotel. The incredibly talented Fdean55 (this guy is a real pro) captured a taste of Costa Rica with this shot of two dolphins basking in the sun near Golfito. Think you can ...Photo of the Day (11-4-09)
A close-up view of a building's features is one way to show it off its beauty This Buddhist temple's door is a perfect example. LadyExpat, who took this photo in Daejeon, South Korea, moved in for an intimate look so that the textures and nuances of the blue paint, the ...Photo of the Day (11.3.09)
"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity" - Charles MingusThere's a certain beauty in simplicity, even in regard to photography. I find this photo by lecercle to be a great example of taking simple ...Photo of the day 11.02.09
You've probably noticed a lot of talk today about GPS systems, so I couldn't resist sharing this image placed in the Gadling Flickr pool by rkzerok. He says: "My GPS shows about 50 higher than the marker on Mauna Kea." Awesome. If you've got some great travel shots you'd ...Photo of the Day (11.1.09)
I'm feeling particularly ethereal today, and Flickr user cmvoekel's photo at the Tate Modern in London does a good job of capturing my mood. The geometric patterns of light, the shadows and the silhouettes of the people all suggest a scene that looks downright ...Photo of the Day (10.31.09)
Believe it or not, our Photo of the Day was taken in Kentucky -- at Mammoth Caves, to be exact. As Gadling photographer Peter Rivera explains, "A blast of arctic air flows up from the blackness. you go down concrete steps, lower and lower until the sunny August trees are ...Photo of the Day (10.30.09)
I love how this shot from flickr user cmvoelkel is split into thirds by the tower of the Manhattan Bridge and the apparently happy couple. It also appears to be in black and white until you look outside the puddle and see the color on the couple's shoes. Taken in the DUMBO ...Photo of the day (10-29-09)
Today's photo of the day is of Flagship Detroit, a fully restored DC-3 that's operated and maintained by current and former American Airlines employees. This crisp black and white shot was taken by Flickr user CaptBrando. Two years ago I had my own DC-3 adventure as my dad ...Photo of the Day (10-28-09)
I wonder if when this house was first built near Brockville, Ontario Canada, the owners realized that their home would be photographed one day as a perfect version of a haunted house. That's exactly what Bryson Gilbert did when he snapped this photo earlier this year. With ...Photo of the Day (10.27.09)
Today's Photo of the Day comes from longtime contributor Alpha Tango Bravo (aka Adam Baker). I consider great portrait photos to be ones that share the personality and character of the subject - even if they happen to be complete strangers in a foreign land. Baker ...Photo of the Day 10.26.09
As you've noticed, today we've featured Vintage America -- and I figure no better way to end the day than by featuring this great shot of a vintage viewfinder in Ocean City, Maryland, as shot and shared by matt coats. The data on his Flickr page states that this was taken ...Photo of the Day (10.25.09)
A famous landmark need not be the subject of your travel photos. As Flickr user justin fain demonstrates in today's choice, sometimes an alternate perspective is all that's needed to make your photo shine. The wonderful texture of the binoculars, coupled with the blurry ...Photo of the Day (10.24.09)
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Talk about a gorgeous sunset! I must have said this before, but I'll say it again: I love Hawaii. I'm almost positive this photo's been enhanced, but I have to ...Photo of the day (10-22-09)
Today's photo of the day is a shot taken at Watkins Glen, NY by Peter Rivera. Peter obviously used a long exposure to highlight the flowing water-a technique perfectly suited for waterfalls. Note how it bounces off the rocks, almost like light reflecting from a mirror. ...Photo of the Day (10-21-09)
There are some photographs that are the stuff from which novels are made--or if not a novel, a mighty fine short story--possibly written by Annie Proulx or Alice Monro. This stunning shot taken in Maine by justin fain is one of them. There's a moody quality to the lighting ...Photo of the Day (10.20.09)
Today's beautiful Photo of the Day comes from Flickr user jrodmanjr. It's an interesting composition - the lush green hills in contrast against icy cliffs and sky, separated by a thin formation of low clouds. Having never been to Switzerland, this is exactly the scene ...Photo of the Day 10.19.09
I've always loved photographs of signage, but I've rarely been able to capture an image that I liked -- it's trickier than it looks. I'm loving this shot captured by Bryson Gilbert, however -- the light and colour so perfectly convey the mood of a fun night out in Toronto. ...Photo of the Day (10.18.09)
Today's Photo of the Day pick comes to us from Flickr user Walker Starling, who's provided us with a beautiful example of macro photography. The crystal-clear detail of the flower in front is contrasted with the soft focus of everything behind it, creating a beautiful ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CanAm Mar 21st 2008 2:37PM
This is likely a wood gas fired engine, rather than steam. This was common in WWII Germany due to shortages of fuel, ala modern NK. The wood is heated without oxygen and the resultant flammable gas is pipe to the engine and burned, much like natural gas.