The biggest smile. Karatu.Tanzania

"When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait." Paulo Coelho

The roof of Africa. Top of Kilimanjaro. Tanzania

I just I've done it! Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is a magnet for trekkers and climbers the world over. This challenging trek took us along the beautiful Machame route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the south, through dense tropical rainforest all the way up to the snow capped summit at 5896m for simply breathtaking views. This is a tough but spectacularly rewarding route. On reaching the summit we felt a sense of overwhelming achievement, a truly unforgettable challenge. Taking part in the Climb Mt Kilimanjaro challenge we had also a direct impact on communities affected by poverty and hunger. The money raised will help the Concern Tanzanian office to continue their on going work and efforts in country by supporting existing programmes like Food Security and Water and Environmental Health.

The perfect spot to close our trip. Santiago, Galicia, Spain.

I spent a few days in Galicia, Spain. I took a few pictures from all that beautiful green landscape. The contrast between the green and the sea is amazing. We also visit Santiago, a place full of spirituality and devotion. After a few pictures more and already in the end of the day, even without trying, we get to the perfect spot and the golden light came up to finish our trip. This nice picture was the result of that moment. The perfect scenario to close our trip to Galicia.

In the track of Ara Güler. Istanbul, Turkey.

I just arrived from Istanbul, Turkey. Like always, lots of photos…really difficult to chose a few to publish. But this time I decided to start by the master of Istanbul photography - Ara Güler. Did you know, Ara Güler is known as one of the best 7 photographers in the world? Born in Istanbul in 1928 into an Armenian family, Ara Guler has taken pictures in many places around the world (Iran, Kazakhstan, India, Kenya, Borneo). Given the nickname the “eye of Istanbul,” he has documented both his country, looking in great depth at his home city of Istanbul. Exhibited around the world, he has published around 30 books. In 1999, he was recognized in Turkey as the Photographer of the Century. He worked for Time-Life, Paris-Match and Der Stern as Middle East correspondent. In the course of his career he won many national and international prizes, wrote books, published photo albums and held exhibitions. Most importantly, he did photo interviews with many famous people: Ismet Inonu, Winston Churchill, Indira Ghandi, John Berger, Bertrand Russell, Bill Brandt, Alfred Hitchcock, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Salvador Dali, Maria Callas, Fikret Mualla and even Picasso, who always refused to be photographed. Because of his distinctive documentary style, Ara Güler holds a distinguished place in the history of photography. Despite his age, he continues his adventures in photography by continuing to show life through his pictures. Ara Güler’s Istanbul is a unique record of daily life in the cultural capital of Turkey from the 1940s to the 1980s, captured by the award-winning photographer and accompanied by an evocative foreword by Orhan Pamuk, the first Turkish recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. As the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Istanbul has lived through several empires and has a character that is as many layered as its history – something that Güler’s photographs convey with great sensitivity. In these remarkable black-and-white images, the city’s melancholy aesthetic oscillates between tradition and modernity. Today, Ara Güler stills a great inspiration for all travelers to Istanbul. Walking true the same streets and squares, hanging around the same markets, watching the boats crossing the Sea of Marmara, we these remarkable black-and-white images, capturing the city’s melancholy aesthetic oscillates between tradition and modernity. The track of Ara Güler is not complete without a visit to Ara Kafe, still onerd by Ara Güler. The cafe is located next to Yapı Kredi bookstore in Beyoğlu. The interior is really attractive with Güler's photos at the forefront In the afternoon everybody can go to the café and have a word with him. The place is full. Behind his table, you can sometime see a line. People are waiting just to shake his hand, or have a word with the icon of photojournalism. Ara Kafe breathes history and you can experience the authenticity of the place. Photos are real, Güler is real and the memory remains…Ara Güler and Ara Kafe are an obligation to the people who come to Istanbul, the best way to fall in love with the city. An obligation, but also an honor!

Dolphins at Sado River. Portugal

A broad, shallow estuary to the south of Lisboa, of international significance for its breeding and wintering waterbirds and also encompassing well-conserved sand-dune habitats with a rich endemic flora. Looking south from the heights of the Serra da Arrábida, the silver and blue tapestry of the Sado estuary lies glistening in the sun, its mudflats and sandbanks almost completely exposed at low tide, with the aquamarine current of the river Sado itself surging through the narrow gap between the Tróia peninsula and the fishing port of Setúbal. But, no visit to the Reserva Natural do Estuario do Sado is complete without going out to see the dolphins. For an hour and a half we followed the pod of dolphins as they swam slowly toward the mouth of the Sado, a mile-wide outlet to the sea. They spend the day in the open Atlantic and return at night. We went in a small boat, with an outboard motor to allow us to get closer than other boats without disturbing the animals. Seeing the dolphin in the open water was like an extraordinary dance. But the dolphin’s future is far from certain. A large paper factory spews a yellowish haze over the eastern horizon. Hand-lettered signs in the village protest the deadly paper-making biproduct, dioxin, in the local air and water. Some locals reported that these toxins had taken their toll on the golphina population. Each spring several babies are born, but all but one or two died. These are controversies of the modern world.

From the traditional to the very modern. Doha, Qatar.

Doha is the capital of Qatar. It is a modern and rapidly developing city and, considering the money being poured into construction. Doha looks set to become one of the premier cities in the Gulf within a few years. I visited Doha in my stop over to and from Maldives. Among the fact that part of the city looks like a construction site it is also a place of evident contrast between the modern and the traditional. The first photo shows the modern buildings in Doha along the Corniche. The Corniche is the visual highlight of Doha is Al-Corniche, a long seaside promenade that curves around Doha Bay and affords pretty views of Palm Tree Island and the city's skyscrapers. In the afternoons you will see plenty of locals strolling along the Corniche, often trying to get out of the way of the odd crazy Western ex-pat on rollerblades. It's also a good place for jogging. Cycling is prohibited! The second photo shows the traditional part of Doha. The famous Souqs and the typical Middle Eastern activity in the afternoons are the most precious thing and the best shopping experiences. Not far from the Corniche near an HSBC branch and a landmark spiral tower is the Souq Waqif (also referred to as the Iranian Souq or Old Souq), a good place to pick up souvenirs and to see falcons for sale with a pleasant ambience. Another souq worth visiting is the Omani Souq on Haloul St, parallel to Salwa Road. There you can buy things like spices, incense and woven baskets, where I took this photo.

Traveler without knowledge. Atacama Desert. Chile

"A traveler without knowledge is like a bird without wings"

(Musharif -ud-Din)