Boston 4th ! ...(4th of July, that is) (...a memory from 2018)

Most of my international friends know of course that the date we in the USA celebrate our Independence, is the 4th of July.  They may not know that Boston was at the heart of the independence movement in what were the British Colonies in North America.  Boston resembles a European city in the way it was laid out.  It was founded in 1630, and history is everywhere !



Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

So, my wife and I used some airline miles and hotel-points and headed up to Boston for the July 4th weekend, hoping to see some fireworks and tour through one of the principal places where our founding fathers made independence happen. 

 

One of the things you notice first about Boston, is water, the city is surrounded by it, from Boston Harbor to the East to the Charles River to the West. 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Lots of folks take various harbor cruises, on sail or powered boats.  Last weekend the weather was great, and the harbor was very busy.

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

We took a sunset cruise on Friday evening.  Very nice...

 


Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

As the sun sank low, our tour boat headed North to the Charlestown Navy Yard, home to the USS Constitution, one of the most famous of US ships.  She was among the first ships commissioned by the fledgling USA in the late 1700's.  She saw great success against Barbary Pirates in the Mediterranean, and against the British in 1812.

 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

Every evening, just at sunset, a canon is fired aboard the USS Constitution, a historical practice in the US and other navies.  Only now, the Constitution is undergoing a thorough refurbishment in a dry dock, just a few yards north of her usual berth.  So now, a canon is housed in a small shelter, off the ship...

 


Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

...since all the Constitution's canon are waiting patiently on the dock...

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

...along with the masts and yardarms.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
 
Back outside the Old State House, we encountered the remains of a 4th of July Celebration...
         ...red, white and blue confetti.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 
Later on Saturday evening, we headed over to the Charles River for the fireworks display.
 


Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The river was as smooth as glass, with the city as back drop...all sorts of boats were anchored, listening to the Boston Pops program on the radio and waiting for the fireworks to begin.  And then...

 



Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

"Boom!!"  Followed by another "Boom, boom, boom..."

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

When you're watching fireworks...

                ...glance around and check out the faces...

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Lots of booms, and smoke, and occasional cheers...

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

...and more faces...

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I love this one.  Completely unretouched. 

(anybody remember Mystery Science Theater 3000 ?)

 
 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Walking through the neighborhood, we saw the many period houses...

                       ...and some great knockers.

 




Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Try Boston.  It's pretty cool !
-Mark






 

Tea anyone ? (Memory from 2017)

In February (2017), I had a visit to the eastern "arm" of India that extends out over the top of Bangladesh, the Assam Valley, home to some 100-year old Indian oil fields, and Assam tea...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

These tea fields were not "hillside", as I have seen in other countries, they were on mostly level ground, extending for miles on either side of the road.  The rainy season there will begin any time now, so in February the folks were busy finishing their dry-season work, pruning and preparing for the beginning of the rain, when the tea will start growing again at full pace.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Here, you can see on the left, they have pruned the bushes down until there is very little green, to the right, more green is left (I have no idea what the difference is...)

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

We had a few moments to spare as we drove back to Dibrugarh airport for our flight to Delhi, so my friends, knowing that my answer would be "yes !", asked if I would like to stop for a few photos of the tea fields.  They turned onto this access road, and I got out.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Now, one issue I have is, I'm a bit shy about engaging with people and asking if I can take their photos.  But this time, time was short, there were people there, so I just decided to head out into the field and see what would happen.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

As I got closer, stopping occasionally for a photo, a fellow came over (the fellow in the white shirt...with the machete...).  He didn't speak any English, wasn't challenging or asking me to leave, but was just "coming over", seeing what I wanted.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

But then the fellow in the blue jacket came over, seeming to be the leader of the group, and who spoke much more English.  I introduced myself, explaining we were driving to Dibrigarh, and asked if I could take a few photos.  But at that moment, the fellow in the red shirt, shouted from where he was standing something that sounded to me like "blah, blah, blah...photo".  The fellow in blue said, "he asks you to take his photo".

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

...after which, he headed over to where we were standing, again "blah, blah, blah...photo", and the fellow in blue said, "he asks me to take his photo with you". 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

He was smiling when he was distant, but as we stood together, he was more stoic.  The fellow in blue took our photo with his phone, and then I tried to hand him my camera "oh, no, no, no..." he said (not wanting to handle it).  But just then, my friend Shardul joined me from the car, so he took our photo.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The young lady was sitting having lunch, when I asked if I could take her photo, she stood up and straightened up, and again, was more stoic that her smiling self a moment earlier.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

There seemed to be several jobs going on.  The ladies seemed to be pruning the tea bushes.  Several of the men were climbing the trees that were frequent across the tea field.  I'm thinking they like some, partial shade, from the trees, but too much means too much shade for the bushes, so as I was standing, posing for photos, I heard a big "crack" nearby, and a "whump" as a large limb was cut from one of the trees.  As far as I could see, all work seemed to be manual, hand saws, hand clippers, hand carts to haul away heavy debris, and the lady with the bundle of sticks on her head.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

So, a very brief, but fun jaunt out amongst the people, taking photos. 

As has happened each time I have engaged with people in India,

they responded with smiles, and friendly requests to participate in the photo taking.

My kind of fun.

- Mark

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

As we flew back west, toward Delhi, we flew along the Himalayas,

these off to our right in Nepal, as the sun readied to set.