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January 8, 2016 Wadi Rum Parceled, packaged and sold to tourists as the desert of Lawrence of Arabia, the standard tours to Wadi Rum are a far cry from the romantic image. The shantytown-like feel of the Rum village is left behind as we drive into the desert and it is only from afar that … More Not Quite a Rum Thing
Jan 5, 2016 Petra, Jordan It seems no work of Man’s creative hand, by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned; But from the rock as if by magic grown, eternal, silent, beautiful, alone! Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine, where erst Athena held her rites divine; Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane, that … More The Poetry of Petra
Jan 2, 2017 Madaba, Jordan Situated in the coveted fertile areas of the Jordan valley, it is no surprise that this town and surrounding area has been occupied by many a kingdom. Known in the Old Testament as Medaba, it was once part of the Ammonite kingdom before being briefly occupied by the twelve tribes … More A Passion for Mosaics
Eastern Jordan, Dec 31, 2016 To the east of Jordan valley all signs of greenery evaporate and all you see is stark unending desert. Some scrubby thorn bushes keep watch by the road and torn plastic bags pierced in the thorns wave like flags. The cracked ribbon of tarmac weaves through the desert haze and … More Deserted Glories
Jerash, Amman Dec 29, 2016 Alexander the Great passed through this part of the world in 331 BC on his famous march east conquering kingdoms and countries as he went. But the story goes that not all in his company shared the same burning desire of fresh conquest. Some of his aged soldiers weary of … More Gerasa of the Ancients
The Citadel Amman, Jordan Dec 27, 2016 Flat-roofed buildings stagger up the hillsides and traffic clogs the road in a never-ending stream. The aroma of cardamom-laced arabic coffee mingles with traces of incense curling outward from some of the shops. The hiss of hot oil announces the presence of a falafel shop at a street … More On the Shoulders of Giants
New York, December 24, 2016 I was rifling through albums from yesteryears debating the pros and cons of digitizing processes when I came across them. I had forgotten about it but the photographs staring up at me brought it all back. My flight in August 2000 was on Royal Jordanian, via Amman. The layover between … More From Back to the Future
Mpumalanga district, South Africa August 20, 2016 “How should I put it?” said the owner of a guesthouse in Graskop. I had asked her about the minibus combi to Nelspruit. She started out saying how they weren’t ‘official’, followed by a long winded explanation of how they lacked ‘papers’. She took pains to explain that … More Shades of Separation
Graskop, South Africa, August 18, 2016 The tarmac road winds through the highveld with vast stretches of woodland on either side. But these are not old growth forests, nor are they natural woods. Stretching across the rounded tops of the shallow hills and across valleys, these are pine plantations, entirely manmade solely for the purpose … More Bland River Canyon
Mlilwane National Park, Swaziland August 14, 2016 There is space aplenty in Mlilwane and the lack of big game means walking in it is a rare pleasure not easily found in other national parks. Today I had decided to go for a walk along a trail ambitiously called the Hippo Trail. If the park has … More What Are the Odds?
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 