The best kind of insomnia, jet-lagged wakefulness on arrival at an exotic location.  A view from my hotel room at the Mena House Oberoi in Cairo in the early dawn hours.

The excitement of watching the pyramids slowly emerge from the shadows as the day begins.  Wondering what adventures the day will bring.  Anything seems possible.

– with love for the journey

Photo by Lou Ann Granger

Beside a busy street in the Giza section of Cairo, our bus passed the fruit stand so quickly that it was almost a blur.  But hidden in the original crummy photo were the faint imprints of the vivid colors I remember.

A little bit of Photoshop photo alchemy, and the transformation captures more accurately the color and feel of that brief moment of memory.

Travel and memory are so closely intertwined in my mind, and I have tried so many ways to capture and preserve those moments.   Journaling, sketching, photos, and more.

It’s never quite enough, though.

– with love for the journey.

Photo and post-processing by Lou Ann Granger

One of the men told me he thought well of Cairo.  It was interesting.  “Take it from me,” he said, “there’s a lot in seeing places, because you can remember ‘em afterward.”
– Rudyard Kipling

This was a hurried moment in downtown Cairo.  Captured while rushing past many intriguing stores and shops on a quest for some art supplies for the Nile expedition the next day.   Feeling hot and harried, no time to stop and visit, just collecting first impressions on a busy sidewalk.

Yet, buried in the depths of what started as a very ordinary photo, there lie unexpected layers and textures, which are only uncovered afterward on reflection.  Reminding me, once again, that the real journey continues long after I return home.

– with love for the journey.

Photo by Lou Ann Granger, Cairo, Egypt
postprocessing with Topaz Adjust plugin for Photoshop