Jordan cont ... Wadi Rum

Our final destination in Jordan was the wild desert of Wadi Rum, or so we thought. Tourism has somewhat blighted the experience of travelling in this area. Unlike the Egyptian experiance, the camps are permanent and this permanency somewhat ruins the experience. Having said this, the sights that unfolded on our trip were breathing taking in their sheer scope and majesty.

To reach this vantage point a friend and I climbed for twenty minutes looking for the elusive pond that fed the wildlife in the foreground. Small enough to step across the sight from above was worth it all the same. Below Lawrence of Arabia, T.E. Lawrence, has carved into the rock leaving a permanent reminder for those that follow and a moment of excitement for the two history buffs in the group.

Though it is hard to tell, this shot is taken down a steep sand dune, one of the few that has piled up against the rocks.

Our one sunset in the desert somewhat spoiled by the overcast conditions that continued well into evening. Mount Doom in the top left anyone?

After one night in the desert we find ourselves speeding out on a trusty steed, the four by four.

Jordan cont ... Amman

Even though the distances of Jordan pale in comparison to the miles we were to cover in Egypt, we decided to stay the night in Amman before our return south. Though there is very little to do in Jordan's capital, it was worth the visit. Nestled in a small valley the city exudes an energy that gives it a noticeable charm as we wandered around taking in the new and the old. At this point in the journey I was taken by a need to capture people in their everyday life. Not always subtle, my best photos captured people when they were unaware of me and spared me the indecision of taking a photo when they were looking

Our walk that morning took in many little shops among which my favourite was the spice shops and its exotic wares.

One of the largest most chaotic markets I have ever seen crowded into narrow spaces vibrant with colour and the bustle of people going about their day.

The final Roman temple of this leg of the journey overlooks Amman from the hilltops from where the occupyingv Roman army controlled the area.

Jordan

The journey continued as two good friends from the UK joined me for almost three weeks of travel starting in Jordan. Though we had planned to return to Egypt via Jerusalem events in Gaza led to a change that encompassed Petra, Amman, Ajlun, Jerash and a return to Egypt via Wadi Rum. The scope of our journey took in the fantastic Nabataen culture of Petra before heading to see the equally immense Roman remains of Jerash. Moving foward in time we visited Ajlun, a fort, created to protect against the threatening Christian nations. We finally ended our journey in Wadi Rum, simliar to the White and Black desert in its mountainous scope, this place was once home to Lawrence of Arabia and the desert warriors fighting the Ottoman Empire.

The Treasury at Petra

The Monastery at Petra

Atop the highest peak in the inmmediate vicinty the Jordanian flag succumbs to the winds that blow through this arid land.

The columns of Jerash number over a hundred in what remains of an immense city.

The Black and White Desert cont ...

The entire desert is crisscrossed with tracks.

Life

The Black and White desert cont...

Take off (no processing)

The black and White Desert

One more set of very overdue photographs. These were taken earlier in the year and marked my return to the desert since my trip to Siwa in 2005. Consisting of two main deserts, the white and black, these first photos illustrate the first hour of our journey in the Black desert as we left the oasis town of Bahirriya and headed off the beaten track. Arranged by the lovely K, mentioned in the previous post, this trip allowed me to fully use the three memory cards and two batteries I had brought along. If you have the time and it is not too hot I highly recommend this trip. Our guide was excellent and the food he cooked on the two day excursion was perfect, hot and filling. I can't wait to go back!

There you used to be a town in that view.

These hills remain jagged and hard to climb despite centuries of erosion by the desert.

Travelling to Ibn Taluun

It has been a while since I blogged any photos from my last year in Egypt. A combination of slow Internet combined with my general apathy means I have a lot of catching up to do. This entry captures some of my favourite pictures taken on my journey to the mosque of Ibn Talun. Recommended by my friend K, a long weekend and plenty of time meant I took up her recommendation. The opening photo was captured at the main Cairo train station where my journey, trip, began.

Mubarak train station.

A man hand makes the Tabla drum with which no Egyptian music is without.

The geometry of this shot appealed to me. I'm one mosque away from Ibn Talun.

This is the inner courtyard of Ibn Talun. The pictures doesn't quite do justice to the sheer scale of the place.