Over the last couple of weeks, I enjoyed a mammoth 4,500km road trip around Oman. Travelling around this vast country, passing through places that are certainly off the tourist route, it was fascinating to see life in the remoter places. Continue reading
A mix of windows and national dress this week…..
Omani male dress is referred to as Omani and women’s is called Omaniya. Continue reading
Back in the desert, it’s not easy to find a subject for this month’s garden challenge. Heat and sand all around, not many edible gardens to find.
But last week, on a trip up Wadi Tiwi in Oman, I found a wadi full of date palms and farmers and I reckoned this might just fit… Continue reading
Linking with Skywatch Friday….
On the way to Masirah island, Oman to catch the ferry at Shannah port, invariably you pass through the small town of Mahout. Continue reading
Details from the sea. Corals, sea urchins, echinoderms, shells and a tiny starfish…. using a Moment macro lens for iPhone 6 and playing with PicMonkey for editing….
Adjacent to Muscat harbour, Oman, lies the Muttrah Souk, perhaps one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world. Continue reading
On the coast road to Hasik in South Oman, the Khareef (monsoon) cloud over the escarpment starts to dissipate and blue skies are once more visible….
Linking with Skywatch Friday
Back on Masirah island, Oman for a few days during the summer monsoon season. Re-visiting the usual haunts, time for a trip to the small settlement of Sur Masirah, a magnet for wave junkies. Continue reading
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh and Wise Men feature in our earlier bible study memories……. this week I found Frankincense, sadly no Gold or any really Wise Men, but I suspect some Myrrh is around the region. Continue reading
The Khareef or Monsoon season in Southern Oman transforms the countryside into a land of mist and rain. The heavy cloud that hangs over the Dhofar escarpment is pervasive and constant for the months of Khareef. As the route from Salalah to the Yemen border reaches 1000 metres, the sun has a chance to break through the cloud.
A setting sun over the mountains of Dhofar….
Linking with Skywatch Friday, pop on over to check out the sky……
A very typical Cyprus door, note the high, round handles, operating an inner latch… you see these in mountain villages on the old houses…often a door to a courtyard entrance rather than a house, hence the solid wood structure.
Offset by pink bougainvillea, a traditional pot and some rather lovely stonework, I wouldn’t mind a set of these at my house!
Linking with Thursday Doors , pop over and see doors for this week….
A shot from in a night market in Vietnam of a tank full of live shells to be chosen for dinner. The opposite colour and pattern contrasts of the plain outside of the orange Baler shell and striated clams behind, against the vibrant, zebra-striped mollusc seemed to fit this week’s challenge….
Traditional Cyprus stone village houses are so appealing to the eye, especially when there are blue skies and fluffy clouds to offset the background. Continue reading
Driving through the vast wilderness of Oman during the night, capturing an oil or gas well in the distance…a welcome beam of light on the remote gravel plains…
Fifteen kilometres below the summit of Mount Olympus in the Troodos mountains in Southern Cyprus lies the picturesque village of Omodos. One main, wide cobbled street runs down the centre towards the Monastery of the Holy Cross. Flanked by mulberry trees the road is lined with cafes and restaurants and it is a popular mountain village to visit. Continue reading
Jumping into Cee’s compose yourself challenge with the Basics Contrast and Texture theme, several shots from earlier this year, firstly, cumulus high over the Western Ghats, India.
Turning all of these to black and white in post processing offers a whole different aspect….I’m enjoying this challenge, but being a B &W novice I’m open to any criticism or helpful hints…
Sliding into June’s challenge a little late this month. There is no essence of summer in the desert, so after a visit home to Cyprus, I can add my summer essence….only the Stephanotis had a fragrance but all of the flowers are indelible to summer in Cyprus…. Continue reading
Early in the morning, Angkor Wat beckoned, the reason for being in Cambodia.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, originally constructed as a Hindu temple for the Khmer empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple toward the end of the 12th century, certainly time for me to visit. Continue reading
Off the beaten track in Cyprus, away from the tourist areas, out in the beautiful countryside, you often find small shrines on the road-side. Small religious icons inside, behind little glass windows with candles and melted wax from the years of lighting… Hints of religion playing an essential part in village life. Shot in the foothills of the Troodos mountains near Omodos a couple of days ago…. Continue reading
Travels in the Middle East and beyond 