If It Was Today...

Rainforest

Posted on May 11, 2013 by If It Was Today

There isn’t a particular story behind this picture, other than the contrast between the greens and blues in this small stream in the rainforest north of Vancouver, and the Ochre hues in the pictures from Jordan.

Posted in Canada, Photography, Travel | Tagged rainforest, stream, Vancouver | Leave a comment

Vancouver

Posted on May 10, 2013 by If It Was Today

I’ve been posting a lot of pictures from the desert in Jordan lately, so I figured it was time for a little change of pace. This picture was taken near the Capilano suspension bridge in North Vancouver.

Posted in Canada, Photography, Travel | Tagged Capilano, Flower, Forest, Vancouver | Leave a comment

Sunset Over the Dead Sea

Posted on May 10, 2013 by If It Was Today

Posted in Jordan, Photography, Travel | Tagged Dead Sea, Jordan, Sunset | 2 Comments

Pella

Posted on May 9, 2013 by If It Was Today

Pella. I suspect that you have never heard of it, unless by some chance you are a history nut and know about the Decapolis. And to be fair, compared with sites like Jerash, there really isn’t that much to see. But like so much of Jordan, it is living history, not sterile “carefully packed away in a museum” history. The afternoon we visited Pella we were running late, so we couldn’t stay long. Dinner at Khalid’s was waiting, with plates of wonderful food and more Arak than it would be wise to drink. But we did have time for a brief stop. It was clear that we were pretty much the only ones there for a quick stop. The site was crowded (by Jordanian standards) but it looked more like an afternoon picnic than an archeology site. But I’m fine with that – history is for the living.

And of course, in the background, we could see the Bedouin, bringing their sheep in for the evening. It made an interesting backdrop to the scene as they crossed the ruins of Pella.

My favorite thing about this picture is that you can clearly see the Mariaa – the male sheep that has been bonded with the donkey, and therefore follows everywhere it goes. The Mariaa has a bell around his neck, and all the other sheep follow the sound of the bell and therefore follow the shepherd, who is riding the donkey. I wrote more about this in a previous post here https://ifitwastoday.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/not-what-it-seems/

Posted in Jordan, Photography, Travel | Tagged Archeology, Donkey, History, Pella | Leave a comment

An Unusual Combination

Posted on May 8, 2013 by If It Was Today

Question: What do you get when you cross an arch with a pillar?

Answer: I have no idea, but we found one when we were exploring Um er-Rasas.

Posted in Jordan, Photography, Travel | Tagged Um er-Rasas | 2 Comments

Pot of Gold

Posted on May 7, 2013 by If It Was Today

When I was in Jordan, I saw many things I had not expected to see. I saw lush green hills and flowers everywhere; on trees, thistles, and even cactus. I saw rain storms, and heard thunder, but I didn’t see a rainbow. This picture was taken in rural Saskatchewan. I know, I know – you’re thinking that pretty much all of Saskatchewan is rural, but let’s not go there now. It was probably the most impressive rainbow I have ever seen, anywhere.

Posted in Photography, Travel | Tagged Photography, Rainbow, Saskatchewan | 3 Comments

The Very Dead Sea

Posted on May 6, 2013 by If It Was Today

It’s difficult to fully grasp just how salty the Dead Sea really is – until you put a drop on your tongue. I made that mistake, ironically, because I was told not to do it. Sort of like the “wet paint” sign that tempts you to touch. But a drop on your tongue is nothing compared to your eye.

It was cool the day we visited, and Duncan opted for the proven technique we all use when the water is uncomfortably cool – he dove straight in. Big mistake. The aftermath looked a little like the Zombie Apocalypse, until you added the sound track. Then it took all my willpower to keep a straight face.

Kind hosts advise their guests to avoid certain things before they visit the Dead Sea. Diving in headfirst is one. Shaving with a blade is another. Shaving your legs (something I rarely do, to be honest) is even worse. And I suspect you don’t even want to think about other possibilities.

If you take a glass of water from the Dead Sea, nearly one third of it is salt. There is so much dissolved salt that it feels oily. And salt precipitates out along the shoreline, creating unreal images like this.

But all that salt creates opportunities too, and every shop in Jordan carries Dead Sea cosmetics. Duncan wanted to bring a selection home for friends, but we couldn’t find shampoo. So we asked Jamal to take us to a large tourist store on the edge of town.

He thought for a moment, then said “no”.

No?

“No! I have something better.”

And that’s how we found ourselves parking along a nondescript street on the edge of Amman. The small building looked more like an apartment than a major business. After the customary greetings, and presumably secret handshakes, we were shown a selection of products at very attractive prices. It turned out to be the headquarters for the company that supplies Dead Sea products to all other cosmetic companies in Jordan. It isn’t listed in any guide book, but we got our shampoo, and several other items, for an excellent price – and a great story for free.

Posted in Jordan, Photography, Travel | Tagged Dead Sea, Humor, Shampoo | Leave a comment

The Dilemma

Posted on May 4, 2013 by If It Was Today

I’m not exaggerating when I say it was an existential dilemma. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. Okay, okay – a lot. But even if it wasn’t a serious problem, at least it was seriously a problem.

We thought we had everything lined up. The sippy cup was all packed. The wine was ready to go. The desert was waiting patiently, as deserts often do, and we knew exactly where to find the camel. But then we realized one thing stood between us, and riding a camel through the desert, while drinking wine from a sippy cup. A corkscrew. Or, to be more precise, the fact that we didn’t have a corkscrew.

As so often happens, Jamal came to our rescue. We outlined our problem in the starkest terms possible. He paused for a moment, then said “no problem”. Even though it was Friday morning, the shops in Aqaba were open, and moments later we found ourselves in the wine store discussing the ideal corkscrew to un-cork camel riding wine. At least I think that’s what we were discussing. This was all in Arabic, which I don’t speak, so I can’t be certain. But I do know that we soon found ourselves in possession of an amazingly deluxe corkscrew.

You have probably seen corkscrews like this before. They are usually kept in the “you can’t afford this” section. Instead of a price tag, you’ll find an empty space that implies “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it”. So my initial reaction was that this might be just a tad overkill. I hesitantly asked just how much it had cost. I was told it was free, which left me at a loss for words. Please note – this doesn’t often happen.

Needless to say, it worked flawlessly.

I’m not sure if the wine tasted any better as a result. After all, it’s rather difficult to taste wine at all when you are expending all your energy extracting it from the sippy cup. But I can report that opening the wine was truly a pleasure.

Just in case you have missed my earlier reports, and are wondering what the heck I’m talking about, this should make everything clear.

Posted in Jordan, Travel, Wadi Rum, Wine | Tagged Desert, Dilemma, Wine Sippy Cup | 4 Comments

A Study In Contrasts

Posted on May 3, 2013 by If It Was Today

I love this picture, filled with contrasts. It is taken from inside Siq Burrah where the cooling shade and rocks contrast with the desert heat outside. Standing water inside the siq sustains trees growing right out of the rocks, while sand dunes drift immediately outside. Bright sunlight contrasts with deep shadows. And of course, I love it because it brings back memories of my visit to Jordan.

Posted in Desert, Jordan, Photography, Travel, Wadi Rum | Tagged Desert, Siq Burrah | Leave a comment

Tea Time

Posted on May 3, 2013 by If It Was Today

I’m not going to say exactly where this photograph was taken, because unfortunately you can see this sort of thing all over the world. The only unusual thing here is the conveniently placed holder and use of proper glass tea cups. And of course, the fact that it is in plain sight. But the way I look at it, if you are going to have your breakfast in morning traffic, at least it’s nice to do it with a touch of class.