Category: Middle East

 

Though technically part of the Asian continent, I have included the Middle East as a separate category because of its distinct culture

PhotoPOSTcard: The Petra Commute

donkey rider in Petra

This photo was recognized by the North American Travel Journalists Association with a Honorable Mention award in the Photography – Portrait, People, category in the 2021 annual media travel awards competition .

The Petra Archeological site is quite large. To help tourists get around, the local Bedouin offer donkey rides from one place to another. This can be especially helpful for some of the hikes that involve a lot of climbing. The donkeys are sure footed and don’t have any trouble climbing the many stairs. At the end of the day, the owners ride their donkeys home, and like other commuters all over the world, talk on their cell phone to pass the time.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: Scarves for Sale

I can’t resist a pretty scarf and I usually end up bringing one home from my travels. This colorful collection was on display on the trail up to the Monastery at the Petra Archeological Site in Jordan. The trail was a little over a mile and included 800 steps. If you have to huff and puff as you are going up hill, it’s nice to have pretty things to look at.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: Jordan’s Treasure

The Treasury building has become the symbol of Jordan’s Petra UNESCO World Heritage site. Made famous in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, this 2000 year old archeological site was first rediscovered by a westerner in 1812 by explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. But unlike the movie version, the inside of the Treasury is just a few simple unadorned block rooms cut out of the stone. Sitting by itself in this canyon, there is no hint of all the other tombs and ruins of a once thriving the city beyond.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: The Four Donkey Riders of Petra

Throughout Petra, the local Bedouin young men offer tourists donkey rides to help them climb up to the viewpoints or to get around the huge site. At the end of the day, as the archeological site begins to close down and the setting sun casts an orange glow on the complex of Nabatean tombs, they ride their donkeys back home for the night.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: A Little Bit of Mars on Earth

If you’ve seen the movie Martian then you have seen the unearthly landscape that makes up the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wadi Rum in Jordan. Day tours of the area are common, but for a truly out of this world experience, consider spending a night surrounded by nothing but desert sand and star filled skies.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

A Day Trip from Tel Aviv – Take a Tour to Masada and the Dead Sea

I am sharing my experiences of a day trip from Tel Aviv to Masada and the Dead Sea.

Besides  the day that we spent in Jerusalem, the other sights I was especially interested in seeing on the few days we had in Israel were the historic UNESCO listed site of Masada along with the Dead Sea. After doing some research, I decided that a day trip from Tel Aviv was the most efficient way to experience these two locations on the same excursion.

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One Day in Jerusalem: Where Three Religions Intersect

Even with just one day in Jerusalem, I was able to see a majority of the historic sights.

On our recent trip to Israel and Jordan, a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage listed city of Old Jerusalem was a high priority. Our schedule allowed for only one day in Jerusalem, but we managed to make the most of our time as we discovered why this city is such a historic location for three of the world’s biggest religions.

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PhotoPOSTcard: The Two Faces of Faith

Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an important religious site for the Christian faith. Tradition holds that the church is built over the site where Jesus was crucified and then buried. There are many chapels and items of religious significance in this church. Here, I was struck by the contrast of pilgrims prostrating themselves over the Stone of Anointing where it is believed that Jesus’ body was prepared for burial, and the Christian orthodox nun standing behind them, looking at her cell phone.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

Tips For Visiting the Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount in Jerusalem

I am sharing my tips for visiting the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount after my recent trip to Jerusalem so that your visit to this beautiful sight is as easy and memorable as mine was.

Seeing the UNESCO Heritage listed Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is at the top of many visitor’s wish list, and it was on mine also. In fact, on my recent trip to Jerusalem, I visited the Dome of the Rock twice so that I could get all the photos I wanted.

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