Georgena
Morocco's...Extraordi
I realize that that the Donkey plays an important part in Morocco. The way I see it, they are the most import means of transportation . Those animals carry from garbage, furniture, bags of herb and spices, TV, whatever, you name it on their backs. While in the town of Moulay Idriss, we walked through the market, it was like going back in time but so are many places in Morocco. Believe it or not this man came up the steps with his donkey from what I think is an under ground market with two heavy bags on the side. Ever seen a Donkey climbing up steps?? That was really amazing.
The City of Moulay...
Moulay Idriss is a town high up in the mountains in northern Morocco. It is an important religious site, for Moroccan Muslims if they cannot manage to visit Mecca For many centuries it has been a place of pilgrimage, thanks to its tomb of the city's founder, Moulay Idriss el Akhbar, a decendent of the Prophet Muhammad This photo was taken from the bus, the road up there was very small and winding.(scarry) If open you can see it better.
A boy and his lamb
I took this picture of this liitle boy and his lamb high up in the Middle Atlas mountains 2178 m, There were no villages in sight just the wilderness,the bus made a photo stop, all of a sudden from all around came these boys on Donkeys this one had a little lamb in his hands. Where they come from and how they see the busses coming is a mystery to me. Of course they came for whatever they can get from the tourist.
The Ziz River in the.
The Ziz River is a river in the south of Morocco and Algeria. It has its source in the Middle Atlas Mountains and flows 282 kilometers into the Sahara Desert in Algeria. Along the Ziz there is typically a common water rights rule, wherein each village and villager is entitled to a fair use and extraction of Ziz waters. Characteristically water is diverted in flatter areas to form a canal that irrigates palm groves and other crops as well as supplies domestic use. I made this photo from the bus,as you can see the river was quite dry, I took this picture (26th September 2011).
Beautiful Prayer Room
The Hassan 2 Mosque is the only mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Non-Muslims may view the interior on hour-long guided tours that depart several times daily. Up to 25,000 worshippers can be accommodated inside the mosque, where they pray on a glass floor. This special feature of the mosque allows worshippers to kneel and pray over the sea. A further 80,000 people can fit into the courtyard that surrounds the Hassan Mosque. The Hassan II Mosque has a number of modern features that have been included to provide worshipers with added comforts. This includes heated floors, a roof that slides open so the sky can be seen and electric doors. The photo is a bit slanted i had to put my camera on the baricade to keep out tourist, it was quite dark so i used a high iso and a long shutter speed .
Post Office
Since the theme this month is communication, I decided to post this photo of the "Post office" taken at the foot of the road leading up to the Ruins of Volublis on the way from Meknes to Fez. Further there were no other buildings , just the ruins on the hill and no other towns in the vicinity. I wonder how long it would it take to get your mail.
Decorated doors of th
Yesterday I posted a photo of the imposing Hassan 2 Mosque,these are 2 of the arch doors on the side of the main entrance. Over 6,000 Moroccan master craftsmen and artisans were employed to work these local materials into the intricate decorations that embellish( decorated) the entire structure. When construction passed its deadline in the early 1990s, 1,400 men worked by day and 1,000 worked by night to bring the vast project to completion.
The Hassan II Mosque.
The great Hassan II Mosque was commissioned by its namesake, King Hassan II, in part to provide Casablanca with a single landmark monument. On his birthday, July 9, 1980, the king declared: "I wish Casablanca to be endowed with a large, fine building of which it can be proud until the end of time... I want to build this mosque on the water, because God's throne is on the water. Therefore, the faithful who go there to pray, to praise the creator on firm soil, can contemplate God's sky and ocean". The construction of the mosque began in 1986 and was completed in 1993 (It was raining when i took this photo)
Mgarr, Gozo's Harbour
Mgarr is known as the gateway to Gozo. The town of M?arr grew up around the shallow Harbour which shares its name. Ferry services to Malta were in operation by 1241, and fishing was already established. While the area around the Harbour was developed over the following centuries, there was little development of the Harbour itself until 1841, when a breakwater was constructed to provide more shelter to the port. This breakwater was strengthened and extended several times up to 1906. A larger breakwater was constructed between 1929 and 1935, and two more in 1969; on the completion of the latter, the area of the port was expanded to 121,400 square metres.(thanks to wikipedia) Took this photo from the Hop on Hop off bus.
Typical windows with.
Here a photo of the typical Green Balconies of Malta architecture You can see the strong influence of Arab architecture in these Maltese buildings, especially the windows, which juts out into the narrow streets in order to catch the breeze during the hot summers. Some of them are painted red as well.
Colorful Tea Vendor
One of the most colorful sights in Istanbul are the tea Vendors, this photo was taken near the Hagia Sofia Turkish tea has become as popular if not more so than Turkish coffee, particularly among younger people in Turkey. In fact, tea has become an integral part of Turkish culture. The serving of tea reflects the hospitality of a family to guests, and is an enjoyable accompaniment to any meeting whether for business or pleasure.
Oh Heather, Oh...Beau
Took this photo while strolling through the The Blaricum Heather fields yesterday, it was an awesome sight so beautiful, the purple and pink colors as far as the eye can see, with here and there a cluster of trees also a few lone trees. This area is called the Utrecht Hill Ridge (Utrechtse Heuvelrug). It is considered hilly because the rest of the countryside is flat and below sea level.
The Auberge de...Cast
The Auberge de Castille (Maltese: Il-Ber?a at Kastilja) is located within the city of Valletta and houses the office of the Prime Minister of Malta. This magnificent building was originally built by Gerolamo Cassar but was remodelled in Baroque style by Domenico Cachia for Grand Master Pinto de Fonseca (1741 -73) Unfortunately the front was being renovated when I took this photo, and it was impossible to make the photo without cars, but the fowers and the JudasTree made up for that.
Araneus Diadematus or
This information is from Wikipedia, I know nothing about spiders, normally I stay faaar away from them, but now I have a macro lens so I am trying to be brave and get close. The garden spider is a very common, large orb-web spider. The colour is variable, ranging from pale yellow to blackish-brown, with pale markings on the abdomen which often take the form of a cross, that is why in Holland they are called "Kruis Spin" This one is a female because it is a bit fatter than the male. (aaaarrrhhh)
Having a smoke
Took this photo somewhere along the way in Antalya , where we stopped to have lunch at a restaurant called "Anatolia", we were on our way to visit the Kursunlu waterfalls. I noticed this lady smoking a strange looking pipe,it looked like a small clay jug, she would spit out some brown looking sputum even her finger nails had a brownish color.
Hazardous, crazy...el
On my visit to the island of Koh Phangan, we made a day visit to the Haad Rin beach, where the Full Moon party is held. While walking through the village I noticed all the wild electrical wiring on the road and I wondered how on earth do the (electricians) know which wires to repair when there is a problem. This is all done by hand, very scarry.
Folding the Balloon..
This photo was taken in Cappadocia after a wonderful flight early in the morning. After 11/2 hour, believe it or not our balloon landed on the back of a pickup truck, the captain threw the ropes down to the crew on the ground and they pulled a tuged till the basket was in the truck,but the balloon landed on the ground. This is one of the crew who's job was to fold up the balloon till the next flight in the morning.
Fly on a Flower
2 days ago I posted a tryout macro photo of a little snail on a flower. Here is one which I also made in the same park on the same day. The flowers bush was about 40cm high and the fly was about 1cm long,(don't know the name of fly does not look like an ordinary domestic one) Thank everyone for the useful macro tips.
Snail on a flower
Last year I bought a macro lens which I tried a few times and all my photos were blurry, it is more difficult that I thought. A few days go I decided to give it a try again, in a park near by I saw little insects on a flower, after taking about 50 shots, this is the result of one of them. Tips are welcome....
A day in a Monks life
4.00 am - The monks wake up and meditate for one hour, followed by one hour of chanting. 6.00 am - The monks walk barefoot around the neighbourhood while the local people make merit by offering them food. 8.00 am - Returning to the temple, the monks sit together to eat breakfast, then make a blessing for world peace. Before 12.00 noon - Some monks choose to eat a light lunch at this time. This is the last solid food they are allowed to consume until sunrise the following morning. 1.00 PM - Classes in Buddhist teaching begin. Some monks may attend school outside the temple. 6.00 PM - A two-hour session of meditation and prayer begins. 8.00 PM - The monks retire to do homework. Besides these duties, all monks are given specific roles to play in the day-to-day running and maintenance of the temple and its surroundings.
Road Worker.
During my stay on the island of Koh Phangan, we visited the Than Sedat Waterfalls, the road up there was very bad. The government tried many times to asphalt it but when the rains come it all just wash away, still here and there they put huge cement slabs which holds for some time. I took this photo from the jeep, I could not tell if it is a man or woman putting tar between the cement slabs, all by hand in the heat. Speaking of manual labor, and still a smile.
A Fisherman mending..
Marsaxlokk is the old fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta. Its name comes form the words marsa (port) and xlokk (south-east) Every Sunday morning, Marsaxlokk is host of the biggest fish market in Malta. Stalls are erected all around the quayside and fishermen sell their catch. One can find a display of all the different types of fish. This market has become so popular among tourists and locals that it has been extended along all the inner Harbour. On days when there is no fishing the men just clean the Luzzu's (boats) and mend the nets.
Moon Over Magical...C
An unforgettable balloon adventure over Cappadocia's magical landscape Early in the morning,the sun just rising and the moon above, as we soar and float gently amongst the fairy chimneys in this magnificent Cappadocian landscape. I have posted many photos of this flight but each one is unique in itself, Well, I think so. I recommend this to anyone who will be visiting Cappadocia.
Facinatiing Fairy...C
Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Capadocia famous for its rock formations. The name Cappadocia is said to mean "Land of Beautiful Horses". It is now accepted internationally to define the region which is famous for its natural formations called "fairy chimneys", as well as its moonscape and cave dwellings. Cappadocia is also rich in historical and cultural heritage. Walking through the this landscape is like walking in the stone age.
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