Jerash

Posted by Kanga.

Our last site to see was Jerash. It was established by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. and later expanded as a Roman city, one of the Decapolis cities.

Much of the city was toppled by the earthquake in 749 A.D., but it is one of the best preserved sites.

The pillars of the Temple of Artemis remained standing despite the earthquake.

We had a guide and it was worthwhile. Sometimes the guides can get in the way of the experience (such as the one at the Citadel). This guide went slowly, told us important information without it being too much and gave us lots of time to take pictures and enjoy ourselves.

To see all the pictures, click here.

Ajlun Castle

Posted by Kanga.

Our last day of site seeing in Jordan started with Ajlun Castle. It was built by a nephew of Saladin in 1184-1185 A.D. and enlarged in 1214-1215 A.D.

Before we even got into the castle, we encountered a bus load of Nigerians who all wanted to have their picture taken with DaddyBird. Some even decided that they needed a picture with me also.

The castle was larger than it appeared and very interesting. To see all the pictures, click here.

Jahli Fort, Al Ain

Posted by Kanga.

We were in Al Ain for the day, so we took a walk around Jahli Fort.

The fort covers a significant amount of land.

Large buttresses brace the back wall.

Tall corner tower.

A beautiful gate, but like many historical sites, it was not open for visitors.

This tower is eye catching.

Update: More information here.

Emirates Natural History Group Field Trip

Posted by Kanga.

We spent the morning enjoying the first field trip of the new Emirates Natural History Group (Fujairah branch) at Bithnah Fort.

The kids found other entertainment.

At the tower top.

The view from the top of the tower.

We also visited the neighboring stable and farm.

This lovely camel was very cooperative and placid in posing for pictures.

To see all the pictures – click here.

Athens, Greece: Day Twelve

Posted by Kanga.

Today we hit the road. We arranged a day trip to Delphi with George, the Famous Taxi Driver. It started with pick up at our apartment at 8 am (and ended back at the same spot around 5 pm). Costas was our driver for the day.

We stopped briefly in Arachova, a mountain town that serves as the happening winter vacation spot for Greeks. Quite beautiful and amazing to see it clinging to the side of the mountain.

A short distance beyond Arachova, we reached the ancient site of Delphi, where the Oracle of Delphi presided at the Temple to Apollo.

Stairs. Why must there always be stairs?

Seeing Mount Parnassus and the view of the valley from the temple site, I was beginning to see why someone might choose this location.

More stairs! There was plenty of stair climbing involved, but the views were worth it all.

This is the central attraction, the Temple of Apollos.

Above the Temple is an amphitheater. DaddyBird gave an impromptu performance.

There was even more up the hill, the stadium, but time was slipping through our fingers and we wanted to make it to the museum as well, so back down the hill it was.

My personal favorite was the bull. This was originally a three dimensional, life-size bull sculpture. The center was partially wooden and clay/wax. The metal was forged and then fitted onto the form. It must have been magnificent in its day.

This model shows how the buildings would have looked in their prime.

Just down the road is the gymnasium and the bath house. This bath house was the first round colonnaded building. (Notice the olives in the tree?)

Then we were off to the current village of Delphi for a hearty lunch (earned by much climbing of stairs.)

The water in the distance is the Corinthian Gulf. We had a marvelous day. The weather was perfect. Costas was a great driver and very informative about the history and the area. The food at lunch was terrific, as we have come to expect here.

For the rest of the pictures taken, click here.

Athens, Greece: Day Five

Posted by Kanga.

Day Five was actually spent indoors, resting. This involved sleeping late, Facebooking & Twittering, followed by napping. After my nap, I actually spent the rest of the day working (yes, working on my vacation) by selecting 213 books to order for my students and library.

So, for this entry, I am going to pull out some pictures from a previous day that I was saving because they deserve a post of their very own.

Several of the metro train stations also serve as museums due to the fact that one is hard pressed to dig a hole here and not hit antiquity. Monastiraki is one such station with the following preserved site.

Through the center flows a ancient waterway, the River Eridanos (not very big, what we call, back home, a creek). The structures here are a combination of building walls and water ducts connecting to this “river”. The natural waterway was covered over with a brick ceiling and the ducts shown here connect to it turning it into a sewer.

Good quality, bilingual signage explains the history of the area and shows some of the artifacts found.

The ceiling over the waterway is shown in the lower left of the above picture.

There is a plexi-glass walkway allowing one to get a very good, close view without causing any damage. Very nice.

Fujairah Celebrations Continue

Posted by Kanga.

The Al Saif sword competition and accompanying celebrations continue through December 17th. So, last Friday we headed down to the Fort to see what was happening. We were too late to see the bull butting contest or the camel race, but some of the camels were still out basking in the attention of their admirers.

This little fellow was lucky enough to get a ride.

We had a tasty snack of lamb and chicken skewers.

A wide range of traditional items were on display – pottery, tools, platters, coffee pots, etc.

More camels – these are taking a rest. In the background, a horse and a miniature pony who have been giving rides to children.

Two majlis tents were available for those wishing to sit, rest and enjoy each other’s company. (Majlis has a variety of meanings, but generally refers to any area where people sit comfortably and discuss.)

The activities at the Fort have been very enjoyable, much like a county fair. These are genuine foods, activities, sports, and arts of the local area.

Bithnah Fort

Posted by Kanga.

Saturday afternoon we visited the Bithnah Fort…

which is across a wadi from the town of Al Bithnah…

and surrounded by date palm farm.

Restoration is still in process.

The restoration includes decorative stonework and woodwork.

I hope they don’t cover this wall in plaster. It is beautiful, as is.

This Mobil oil barrel probably didn’t expect to end up part of a water well.

The mountains are quite beautiful.

Al Bithnah is between Fujairah and Masafi. The fort can be seen from the highway. It is a short drive with good signage, BUT the road is not paved and goes through the wadi. We made it with our compact car, but had to drive very carefully because it is very rough roadway.