Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Canine Artifacts in Vietnam
I visited the ruins of Kuong My in Vietnam a couple of years ago. The complex was built by the Cham in Tam Ky about 950 AD. Few foreigners every stop there as the town (south of Hoi An) if far out of the way. The caretaker took me to a pile of rubble among the towers and pointed out this little brick with a dog print. Proof that this little dog had once lived, more than 1000 years ago. Its a cute little artifact. I just hope the doggie didn't end up as lunch for the construction workers who built the place!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The View from the Dale Movie Set in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Dale film set sits on the northern end of the Miramar Peninsula between a public park at the Massey Memorial, and a recently-closed prison. The set was also used to film scenes from King Kong and The Lord of The Rings. Its less than 10 minutes drive north, via the old prison, from all of the main studios in Miramar (a suburb of Wellington). Otherwise Massey Memorial is reachable on foot from a path on the north-west side of Miramar Peninsula.
The beautiful path leading up to the Massey Memorial from the main road below is reminiscent of Mount Victoria (another suburb of Wellington), where the hobbits first encounter a ring wraith (the 'get off the road scene').
The Massey Memorial
From the Dale movie set there is nearly a 360-degree
(well, maybe 315-degree) view of the Wellington Harbor.
Beautiful views from the hilltop where the film set is located. These are the same views your favorite hobbits, elves and dwarves saw from Dale. The city of Wellington appears in view above.
The path leads back down to the road on the other side of the peninsula, to the main road, and onto one of my favorite cafes--Scorch-O-Rama--at Scorching Bay.