Wishing for something completely different, we located Hue Abandoned Water Park. It sounded interesting on-line but wasn’t quite the secret it was made out to be. Once a bustling aquatic playground, nestled amidst the pine hills of Hue, this water park spans an area of 50 hectares.
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Team Work Makes the Dream Work - Defence Colony Wall, New Delhi.
Hello Delhi!!
It’s Winter now in Delhi and our visit began at a chilly 12 degrees rising to 20 after just a couple of days. So I guess that’s winter finished for us but not for the Delhi dogs, they are wrapped up in their lovely coats all donated by the locals.
It is wonderful to be back, to see new things and revisit a couple of favourites. This trip begins at the our 21st bed-stop in 2019 - C99 Defence Colony, New Delhi. So this is the beginning of a new travel experience which I hope to recreate in my blog.
A new area for us to visit was Harkesh Nagar Okhla. Here is the Sanjay Colony, the biggest of the many poverty colonies in Delhi.
We met a former resident who grew up in the colony and now works for a charitable organisation helping provide extra education to facilitate a way out for the youngsters. In the state school there are 100 pupils in each class. Girls in the morning, boys in the afternoon.
We visited the Charity’s school, here they teach English and Computers.
This colony has approximately 50,000 people living in different blocks, covering 25 acres - that’s about 18 football pitches. The Sanjay Colony is next to a textile industrial area so this makes it a better place to live as there is the chance of work close by. The women sort the shredded fabric remnants and earn the equivalent of £3 per 12hr day, the men work in the sewing factory and earn approximately £150 a month.
The work is harsh and unpleasant but it is work and it means food can be bought from the colony market at the end of each day.
The cows and goats belong to the colony to provide milk for the residents.
Understandably photography was NOT allowed in the Colony residential area. We met lots of families and were very humbled by our experience.
Living in such close proximity, we wondered what the effect of Covid had been on the community. It wasn’t so much the virus that was the problem it was the closing down of all the work. No work, no money, no food.
The government has put in free electricity and water standpipes which helps ease the pressures. The government owns the land so the threat of closure could happen at any time. You need to prove you have lived there for at least 25 years in order to get rehoused.
New trees have been planted in this area to provide shade for the future.
As the sun began to set we headed off. Making our way onto the Metro, this was our parting shot of the Sanjay Colony.
'Either I will find a way, or I will make one' - Philip Sidley. Quote found in my teabag wrapper
Through an organisation called PETE, we gained access into a textile factory, located in a working class area in Delhi. Like many of the factories here, the workers live in fear of losing their jobs because their bosses wont pay their taxes. These sorts of factories are always under threat should an inspector call. Bribes are paid to the officials to turn a blind eye, if not, they instantly close and the workers disappear and all evidence of the factory is gone in an instant.
The factory bosses pay no tax, officials gain healthy bribes and so it appears everyone wins - except the workers of course.
Machinist Room with new young apprentice learning how to sew shirts.
Machine Embroidery Room
Hand Embroidery Room.
Machinist room
Lunchtime, only one person remains - ironing.
Rencontres De La Photographie, Arles
With the FujiXT-1 the double exposure setting works like a film camera - the images have to be taken consecutively. However, unlike film cameras you can see a feint outline of the first image, then you superimpose the second. Of course the element of surprise is considerably less, but for me it's the thought process I enjoy and yes there are still some surprises when the image pops up onto the screen.
He's Waiting.
Teenage Baby
Grief