Lalibela, Ethiopia. 2012.
Click the image to download a 2560 x 1600 desktop wallpaper.
I’m as close to home as I’m going to be for a while now. A month after heading to Africa and tromping about Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, I’m back to packing my bags and this time for the haul.
On February 11 I’ll get into the Jeep and head towards Maine after a brief stop to visit family in Ontario. And then it’s 9 weeks of un-interupted road-tripping to see what I can discover and photograph, before a 3-week break in April/May takes me to Europe to teach and lecture. No plans beyond that. I want to stop in the Keys and finally get my PADI Open Water Diver certificate, then head west where I hope to spend much of the year. Under wide skies, in remote places, looking for the light. Part nomad, part pilgrim, I guess. Which is why I’ve chosen the image above as the desktop wallpaper for February. The man silhouetted on top of Mount Tabor in Lalibela, Ethiopia, is a pilgrim, one of many I photographed that walked between 5 days and 3 weeks to get to Lalibela for Orthodox Christmas, before turning around after a few days to walk all the way home, the destination only a thin slice of the larger blessing sought on the journey.
Comments
Say there David, trying to make sure you got my reply from nparker8@gmail.com, planning a daytrip at some point this week but was hoping to meet you, that is if you’re still planning on coming to Maine? Well we’ll save a place for ya either way, safe travels- Nate.
@Nate Parker – And how should I get in touch with you, Nate? Would love to meet you, and I could use a little local intel.
Maine! Look me up +David Duchemin! And you can plug into my ac near Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (you can drive there) I’ve been a big fan for at least a year and would be wicked psyched to meetcha! and I know this area real well- lemme know! I’ll save a place for you!
Nine weeks of road-tripping with no particular place to go except looking for the light – I’m truly jealous! It must be great to be back on the road again after your road trip was interrupted last year by the accident. Have a great time! I’ll be looking forward to seeing a few shots of the light you do find.
I’m bored of this blog! Every time there’s a great photo with an inspiring note. *yawn* ;DDD
Can’t wait to read a note about packing. I think your 45-days packing list needs an update. ;P
I can’t help but to imagine a little bit of warmed strobe light gently caressing the right sides of the figures, thus revealing the light of wisdom and experience gained upon the journey, but this is equally strong, David. Lovely photograph.
Glad to hear you’ll be back to consistent internet access. I would love to hear how you feel photography in wide open/wild places creates different visions/trends in your work and thinking. How different was Africa from Antarctica in creating images in concept? How differently do you think in big cities?
Great wallpaper. If your wanderings take you to Nova Scotia drop a line.
Maine….through New Hampshire? ….give a shout 🙂
Great to see that you’re sticking to plan and it sounds awesome. This is a beautiful image and I’m looking forward to seeing more from your journey.
Beautiful photograph, emotes a very strong feeling of serenity and perserverance all at once. Safe travels to you sir, and if on your journey you find yourself near The Hammer aka Hamilton, Ontario, while back in the country, drop us a line, a few of us here would always love to buy you a coffee!
Beautiful image.
Got my PADI Open Water Diver in Roatan three years ago at the age of 55 – 4 days of hard work and lots of fun and amazement when we finally went diving in the open water down 50 feet… good luck and keep up your inspirational messages of journeys and adventures…
Nice silhouette David.
Sounds like a great trip you have planned David. I can’t wait to see what you decide to share from it.
Glad to hear you are going to get your Open Water card. It was diving out of Key Largo that convinced my wife to get her Open Water.
Drive Safe.
David,
Here’s hoping for some impromtu meetups in the New England area! Safe Travels.
David,
If you want solitude and wide open spaces out west, be sure to check out the BLM lands as well as forest. You can camp almost anywhere your vehicle can take you on BLM lands. They stretch from southern Colorado/NM/UT/AZ (four corners) to S CA. Forests have the same policy – camp anywhere unless otherwise posted. You’ll love it!
Livin’ the life you are! Cannot imagine the depth of the experiences you’ve been collecting of late. Will be launching my own trip come Spring and plan on starting it in Maine and probably ending by Winter in Cabo on the southern tip of Baja California – no plans beyond that. 🙂 You make a living at this (and have fun); I do it for my own pleasure (and have fun). But I have to say that any time I find myself lacking in inspiration all I need do is turn to your writing and images. Perhaps in all this transcontinental criss-crossing our paths may intersect. Best of Luck!
Maine? Let me know if you need a guide. 🙂
“the destination only a thin slice of the larger blessing sought on the journey.”
I love that.
Thanks lot for beautiful wallpaper.