AU SUD DES NUAGES

Beneath the clouds

We are “beneath the clouds” in the province of Yunnan, wonderfully described in Marco polo accounts of travel and exploration. This subjective and intangible out of time haven features great cultural and ethnic varieties. The province of Yunnan provides us with its rich and red lands, the arid plateaus of the Tibetan mountains, the terraced rice fields and the magnificent “Pu era” fermented tea.

Missionaries with amazing courage have been victims of lamaseries and of the communist regime since the middle of the 19th century. Tsekou church was completely destroyed and rebuild between 1907 and 1911 in the village of Cizhong in the northwest corner of Yunnan at about 2000 meters high. Alexandra David Néel stayed there in 1923.

These few photographs were taken during the christmas season in Cizhong.

Cuba – Those who win are the ones who struggle and resist

This is a part of the world which had its glory days from the 1930s to the 1950s. A place of endless celebration cadenced by salsa music and dancing. It is also one of the last remaining communist bastions. After the wall of the Soviet Union and the lack of rouble, Cuba had to turn toward tourism to find an alternative source of income.

What is left of the Soviet union is probably MZ and Kopeika stores whose architecture is heavily planted in the sky. The magnificent lone star flag is a great symbol of hard won freedom and cover the walls of boxing clubs.