Félicitations Alain! With over 50 photos to choose from, yours received the highest rating among members. You’ve not only brought honor to the Francophone chapter, but you have won a year of free dues for yourself. Thanks to everybody who submitted their wonderful “From Above” theme photos for the September contest. They can still be seen and commented on by visiting https://pollunit.com/en/polls/tcc-2021-december.
The theme for our March 2022 contest is “Northern Africa.” Click for contest details »
I have been in desertic places all over the planet: Thar, Sahara, Namibia, and Chile, but the most fascinating of all is Rub Al Khali: Thesiger’s Arabian Sands. This time, with my son, we woke up early to fly with a balloon over the Liwa Desert, a part of Rub Al Khali. The fascination of watching the rising sun over the dunes, then the oryx and sand gazelles, all that in silence, is unforgettable. But suddenly we see a line of camels in the dunes, with their shadows on the sand… Pure magic!!!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sophie Hilaire, Longmont, Colorado, USA
Up until my travels slowed down in 2020, I’d been conditioned to think that epic experiences required long arduous journeys. But once I realized my job was going to be remote for awhile, I moved into a van and started exploring the details and breadth of my own country. This picture was the sunset at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah, USA. Travel has become simpler than ever. My experiences are still magnificent but now carry a newfound depth.
Laurel Glassman, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
Namibia is a showcase of the sublime beauty of the desert in all its forms. After being dumbstruck by the magnificence of the gigantic dunes in Sossusvlei, I couldn’t imagine anything that would impress me as much, until I saw the vast desert mountains from a hot air balloon. A twin bal- loon shadowed our entire journey, offering a delightfully soft, colorful contrast to the craggy, burnt umber mountain peaks.
