arnez photography

One year has past since this awful war was started. A sad anniversary indeed. However, the Ukrainian people have been incredibly brave and continue to withstand to the aggressor Russia.

The coloured paint may crack and peel, but what it stands for is strong and withstands time and aggression. This nation is living through an incredible injustice, and my thoughts are with its people. Let there be peace soon 🕊️🇺🇦

🇺🇦🕊️🇺🇦🕊️🇺🇦🕊️

Nice hair! A young red-footed bobby, without the red feet yet, nor the blue beak. However, definitely with its own personal style nevertheless. ***y ***y

A curious red-footed bobby on Genovesa island perching in the bare-branched tree. There were countless of those bird in the large breeding colony. ***y ***y

A Nazca B***y couple in courtship, chattering and grooming. A display we would witness often among the thousands of birds nesting on Genovesa island. ***y ***y

Genovesa island was next destination with its nesting paradise 'El Barranco'. The birds circling above our heads with a matching noise and smell in the air prepared us for the landing.

The view from the top of the small Bartolomé Island offered more mesmerizing and colorful landscapes, with the Santiago Island in the background.

A cute little Galapagos penguin standing proud on the rocks and demonstratively ignoring the creeping crab!

When walking across the various islands of this archipelago, the landscapes are sometimes so surreal! Fascinating colours and structures built by the forces of nature

A nicely camouflaged Galapagos lava lizard sitting on.... well, lava stone.

On all the adventures shared here, I have been lucky to be accompanied by the most wonderful person. Thank you my lovely wife for being part of my life and sharing so many memorable moments on this beautiful planet. Hopefully soon we'll be able to explore new grounds again and continue to paddle into the same direction. Happy anniversary!

Impressive landscapes and colors when exploring the Galapagos Island are also part of the experience next to all the exciting wildlife.

We cruised between islands, each morning waking up to a new landscape in front of our eyes. Most islands are rather rugged and bare, some with newer and others with older traces of volcanic activity

Storm petrels were flying behind the boat between the waves during sunset at a high speed. Getting a half-decent shot from the moving boat with a long lens was everything but easy.

As said, many birds on Galapagos Islands. I particularly like the name of this one: Ruddy Turnstone. Apparently a highly migratory bird, so not quite unique to the place. But it was fun observing it, scanning the beach with its feathers being messed up by the wind

Given I'm going through my photos taken while on Galapagos Islands, apart from sea lions and landscapes there will also be lots of birds... yes, lots of them. I probably took more pictures of birds over those few days than during all my life. Anyway, this Yellow Warbler did not seem very pleased with my presence.

Plenty of Sally Lightfoot crabs on these islands with their vivid colors. Holding onto the rocks and withstanding the crashing waves.

One can spend hours observing the sea lions, especially the adorable and active pups. It is of utmost importance to preserve this unique sanctuary. There is still time to sign the petition by Only One , SeaLegacy , Más Galápagos and others in their effort to call on the Ecuadorian government for the expansion of the Galapagos Marine Reserve! Go to only.one/galapagos

Our island hopping started right away and we were allowed to mingle with sea lions. Galapagos is such a unique place that deserves appropriate protection, and expanding the Marine Reserve should be a priority. Join me in signing the petition of Only One, SeaLegacy, Más Galápagos and others in their effort to call on the Ecuadorian government to implement such change!

Arriving on Galapagos Islands was a dream come true. Blue-fotted bo***es were everywhere and this one was glancing at the new comers suspiciously. As it happens, just now the fantastic team at Only One, SeaLegacy and others are campaigning to expand the Galapagos Marine Reserve to improve the protection of this unique place on our planet. Please join me in signing the petition on their website! ***y

From Colombia we continued south to Ecuador. Given we had been to Quito before, it was just a stop towards our next destination: the Galapagos Islands! Thus, get ready for tons of photos from there in the next few weeks.

Wooden door in the historic old town of Bogotá. At the heart of this large city remnants of colonial architecture have been preserved in the district of La Candelaria

Another highlight of any visit to Bogotá is the Gold Museum, where incredible pre-Columbian gold artifacts are on display. The Museo del Oro exhibits the world's largest collection of its kind

Walking up to the top of Mount Monserrate is a must when visiting Bogotá. Only from up there can one appreciate the extent of this huge capital.

Not only the facades of the buildings are colorful in Guatapé. These vehicles are omni-present in Latin America, go by many names and take you everywhere. However, we did not leave town in one of those 😅

The colorful and artistic facades (zocalos) that adorn the walls of the buildings along the streets in the town of Guatapé make this photogenic place a traveler's favorite in Colombia.

The town of Guatapé is famous for its Peñon rock and lake, but also for the colorful and artistic facades (zocalos) that adorn the streets all around making it a rather photogenic place

The reward after climbing up almost 700 steps to the top of the Peñon is truly impressive. A spectacular 360° view of the surrounding landscape dominated by the artificial lake

Climbing up the famous Peñon is a must, if not the main reason to visit this place. Walking up those stairs does for a good morning training and is rewarded with a great view over the landscape all around.

Only a short ride from Medellin lies the town of Guatape, a quaint village in a beautiful setting with its famous rock and lake. Typical are the artistic facades (zocalos), sometimes quite close to real life.

The most famous artist from Medellin must be Fernando Botero. It is therefore not surprising to find his sculptures in prominent locations in the city center

Street art in the making. From graffiti to street performers, art nowadays dominates the streets of the Comuna 13 as an expressive form to cope with and process its eventful history.

Not all seem convinced by the many tourists walking through the neighborhood. However, their absence in dire times like these poses major challenges, as the new economy is very much built around them.

The Comuna 13 was known as one of the most dangerous parts of town in the grip of drug cartels. Today it is an impressive memorial of history and the struggle can be read of the artistic walls.

From the serene nature into the bustling city. Medellin was full of surprises, such as the infamous Comuna 13, a former dangerous part of town with fighting drug gangs turned into a tourist attraction.

The Minca region in the north of Colombia is also a good destination to observe colorful wildlife and tropical birds like this splendid male violet-crowned woodnymph.

From the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to specialty cafés around the world. Coffee bags ready for shipping at the Finca La Victoria which produces since 1892.

The region around Minca is not only known for it's beautiful nature, but also as a producer of organic coffee. Beans being washed at the Finca La Victoria.

So we went up into the Sierra where the coffee beans grow. Inland from Santa Marta, the region of Minca with its lush green hills, streams and waterfalls invites for hiking.