A breath-taking spectacle, especially at dawn. You sit there and dangle your feet and you become divine.

Life is strong…

… and sometimes perplexing…

When you climb up to one of those holes,here zoomed in,

This is what you see:

And this,

If this is not beauty, I am lost as to what is.

On my way to Salt city this morning, I managed to spare some minutes to capture pictures of two little boys who were present. I enjoyed talking to my models, and they were very cooperative and allowed me to have a mini photo-shoot of my own production.

I am sure it is clear that I have become picture-oriented lately in my posts, perhaps to an excess, but this is, like most things, a non-lasting phase. Then again, perhaps it is not so. Who am I predict?

Paying the campus of the University of Jordan a visit today was a refreshing, although exhausting, trip.

I had some paper work to do and for that cause I suffered in the heat of this dog day, and I walked too much while entertaining a splitting headache and a case of severe blues (I bought a book and even that did not help. This is how grave the situation was).

Nonetheless, as I was making my way from point A (being one of the portals of the campus), to point B (being some centre of some sort located, conveniently, at the other end of the globe) to have my year book picture taken, I encountered the most eccentric thing. An old black train on display, permanently, on campus. Look at the pictures provided for a visual account of the meeting.

With today’s too much sun, and the conditions aforementioned, I did not bother to change the settings of the camera. Therefore, do pardon the awkward coloration of those shots.

There were two lovers seated right behind the beautiful black train and, respecting their privacy, I opted for the funny positioning of the tree to the left to “conceal” their “identities”. One never knows who is reading one’s blog, and I would hate it if someone gets shot as a consequence.

Finally, the jewel of this post, and evidence of my (only?) act of public property vandalism. A street light base with my name carved into it using a wooden stick that had fallen from a nearby tree. It was a regular morning where I was going, again, from point A to point B, and I noticed that this base of cement is still fresh and accepting of any artistic additions. Now Tololy will forever remain in the U of J, the picture is proof of this romanticism.

People selling eggs,fruits and vegetables, as well as other items on the roadside in Gour Al Kafreen, close to the Dead Sea. The children were running barefoot after a rooster, the women were making a living with what produce they offered, and the men were engaged. The spectacle was bustling with life; crude, unpolluted, remote, horrific, and moving.

Clippings from the original three pictures are put forward to give heed to the specifics, followed by the unclipped authentic shots. Kindly pardon ill-proportioned or blurry visuals. To reflect on the explicit poverty in those clips is, by sharing them, the purpose of this entry. There is nothing fake in this announced status, it is out there for everyone to “evaluate”. The rough, dry feet, the layers upon layers of white textiles over women’s heads, the curious eyes of the men; all are raw faces of survival.

As promised, the second nexus of Southern Encounters; pictures taken in Samara, comes your way. The visual representations you are about to see are somewhat of a different taste than those featured before. Some were taken in the city of Karak itself, and some in the Samara, the village. I enjoyed capturing those pictures and I can willingly promise you some more, perhaps of a different city – a different village, once I get the chance to dust my traveling abilities. Brace yourselves, Culture is showing.

The first picture I choose to share is that of prophet Noah’s tomb. Now I am not an expert but word of mouth has it that this is where the prophet lies, undisturbed. The tomb is located on a hill top close to the Castle of Karak, the situation is fantastic. I personally would like to be buried in such a place, wouldn’t you?

The first picture situated below is an image of the old Masjid (Mosque) in Samara. As you may have noticed, the structure itself is no more than a humble room with quite a nice garden.Note the original “speakers” at the top of the Mosque, those are the primitive form of what is called a “Ma’thana” in Arabic. A Ma’thana is the projected erect bit of most Mosques’ buildings, it is the place from which the call for prayer is announced, generally speaking.

Progress comes, and a new Mosque is built. The second picture shows you what the new prayer house looks like, and you can clearly see the proper, traditional Ma’thana.

The two coming pictures were taken in the city of Karak. Those are random houses that sum up the modern architecture of the city. Being placed on a mountain top, there is little room for expansion. Therefore many houses are now built outside the city centre, call the new location the suburbs if you will. Better organization, and better services are found in those areas.

Those are two streets in Karak city. The picture to the left is of an oldish street, note the building to the right and the small chair on the pavement. Old men normally sit by street sides or in front of shops, where they talk and smoke. It is not at all uncommon for a stranger to stop you in the street and relate your family history as you stare with a mouth wide open, that is the magic of small societies. It’s one big family that shares the same history.

The picture to the right is of a more, commercialized -I should say- street. Some sustain that this is the main street in the city.

An eye for random beauty, I flatter myself. Wind blowing and fragile tree branches dancing to its beat, a picture of that moment in time.

Two kids playing in the streets of Samara. I honestly find photography a most thrilling form of Art, you capture time when you take a picture. That’s a miracle. The following pictures were also taken in Samara, one being of the same Arched structure that I do not know the function of, feature previously in Southern Encounters I, the other being of a distant goat herd in some valley.

My Art teacher of some time ago once told me that the donkey was the first engineer. For in ancient times, where the donkey trod it would open a new road. And there you have it, a donkey is an engineer. This animal is very useful to farmers, they use it for moving from one place to another.

One of the most beautiful spectacles to behold is the reflection of old men by that old store. The white textile on two of the men’s heads is called a “Hatta”, and the black ring on it is called a “Igal”. This is traditional men’s wear in Jordan, colors of Hatta vary: Some are pure white in totality, some are red and white, and some are white and black.

In Palestine and Iraq, as well as the Gulf region, men wear the Hatta and Igal as well.

Last but not least, I introduce “Ayzar”. A small patch of land with ruins and a single tree standing in the middle. I do not know to what period of time those ruins belong, but one interesting fable states that there is gold in this area. Many stories have been fabricated about golden treasures and relics existing in various locations in Karak’s rural side, and I do not find the assumption illogical. A great many civilization inhabited the place, it would be safe to assume there are things hidden here or there.

This concludes Southern Encounters II.

It has been quite some time since I last posted some pictures from the south, from Samara-Karak to be exact. Now the pictures are back by popular demand, and I hope the briefings accompanying them proves to be useful. All pictures have been taken by me, in September, 2005 and are posted herein in no particular order. Nothing fancy, pure culture, untainted heritage, and personal attachment.

To the right is a picture of an old structure in Samara that I never really got to the bottom of. I do not what purpose it was erected to meet, and I should probably ask someone and return to you on that one. The thing I appreciate the most is that it still stands, that’s A, and B is the way in which tree trunks have been supporting the ceiling, which was made of mud and now is gone. The wood is obviously out of place now, but I have seen a complete edifice built in this way, with tree shafts supporting the ceiling; The Grand House.
On a lighter note, I enjoy visiting the remains of this structure because I like walking on the paths you can doubtlessly see clear in this picture.

Down here are other remains of another structure, the arch is obvious. I cannot tell what sort of a building this was though.

This is a house, possibly two facing eachother. Nobody lives here and I think it tragic that very few people appreciate the beauty of Samara, if for one thing only; it is authentic, a virgin village untouched.

Fire, lit by my father on a beautiful night. The fire itself is lit inside a metal ring, this ring is in turn placed in a metal container called in Jordanian “Mangal”. I cannot begin to relate to you how amazingly beautiful it is to sit by the fire on a cool Samara night, right there on the terrace overlooking the village’s minute lights, and up above the sky so clear you would not dare look away. The corner you’re placed in seems like a remote chapter of some history book, few cars exist and less pollution is there. It is beyond words.

Karak Castle, standing on top of a mountain, so proud. Note the multitude of houses populating parts of the castle to the right. It is said that the castle, in its original form, extended over the whole mountain top. But due to lack of control in years past, houses were built on large proportions of the area of the castle. Some towers were even turned into homes. I am unaware of any government projects to restore the areas once dominated by the castle to the place, indeed, that would mean they would have to shut down the whole city of Karak, since it is mostly stationed on that mountain. A good omen though is that there is a project underway for years now to restore this historical giant, perhaps you can catch glimpses of that project to the left of the picture. Karak Castle played a major role in the Crusades, any book about the Holy Wars in Outremer of your choice would speak of it.

Above these words is an old portal, back at Samara. Below, to the left, is the Valley of Karak – a green patch of agricultural activities to your right hand when you head for Samara or the Dead Sea from Karak city. To the right is a picture of an old tower at Karak Castle, note the “modern” house to the right of the tower, and the little boy who was trying to wave for me, upon request.

The visitors’ centre by the Castle, this is a civilized attempt at attracting toursists, I must bow to that. I loved seeing tourists, as you may see, about to enter the centre. I did not enter it myself, I was in a haste, but I certainly hope it offers quality information.

A positive remark should be made when it is called-for. I value the efforts that have been put to good use around the Castle, many a building has been established with the aim of appealing to tourists. I think there is a restaurant, an antiques’ shop, alongside the visitor centre. The architecture of those facades does not fall out of place, contrasting that of the Castle itself. That is smart.

Another function-unknown-building. How very inexcusably ignorant of me. A lovely aspect about this picture, and I am not entirely sure I should say this, is that the mountain in the background is owned by my family. We do not hire peasants to work for us unpaid, and we dont not enforce taxes on annual produce, so please do not associate that image to my profile. Family history has it that people in times gone would buy land to allocate it for their goat and sheep herds.

Those are simply homes I shot from the car as it was moving. Random houses close by the Castle, I found their positioning amusing. This is also close to the Christian neighbourhood in Karak city,as far as I know, a great number of Karaki people are Christians. My own family converted to Islam not many generations ago. There is also an Armenian and a Syrian minority in the city, and all live in harmony.

I still have some more pictures, but I will save them for later. Patience is virtue, and I like things serial. Abu Sinan, I hope you liked the pictures.

Presenting the second half of my account on Aqaba. At this moment I clearly see that my decision to split it in two was a wise one, for if I hadn’t done that I can imagine my readership finding it difficult to maintain interest in such a lengthy piece.

Shopping in Aqaba obtained a new meaning after declaring the city a special economic zone as many citizens from other cities find good bargains there. This has added to Aqaba’s vitality and increased the city’s revenue from local tourism.
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I am not an expert on cigars but I figured this was an interesting sign. I sincerely hope nobody imagines I am promoting smoking or anything of the sort.

Enticing displays luring people in with antiques, accessories, souvenirs, belly dance costumes, wooden chests, Argila’s, spices, and monster seashells.

This is a detailed picture of a collection of spices.

One antiques store had a model wearing some amazing accessories displayed in its window. I zoomed in and took a shot of the head as it was the most remarkable thing I saw that day. I love the metal coins on the rim of the face cover, I believe this accessory is called a “Borqo’”, that’s “Borgo3″ for those of you who can distinguish the eighteenth sound of the Arabic alphabet written as a number. I could be wrong about the name but I desperately need one similar item. It is so exotic.

Books about Jordan are also popular merchandise. They come in a variety of languages, there are even some that detail recipes for Arabic or Jordanian cooking.

“Sand Art” entails the usage of delicate tools to fill up transparent glass bottles with colored sand and fashioning various shapes inside the bottles. It is an exquisite art form that is very much in demand by tourists. Take a look at this beautiful sand art store.

Thanks are due to this sand artist who kindly agreed to be my model. After asking around I was told that sand artists acquire their polychromatic sands from nature or, if they want to use a color unavailable in nature, they use special pigments to dye the sand prior to use. The price of sand art bottles varies depending on the store and the size of the bottle.

Larger bottles usually are pricier because artists dedicate more time and patience to them. A shopper’s tip, ask around before you buy sand art bottles. I have found some places in Amman to sell them for less.

A famous five star restaurant in the heart of the city called Ali Baba hosts hordes of people every day and night. It has been in Aqaba for as long as I remember. Should you feel like enjoying a dish there make sure you can afford it. A picture of the restaurant at night.

This is a picture of a humble sidewalk cafe. Such places are populated at night by Jordanian men and Egyptian workers looking for a cup of tea or coffee and a nice gathering with fellow workers. I have seen that some sidewalk cafe’s in Aqaba have put up TV’s to attract more clientele. And since the majority of workers live in poor conditions and do not own TV sets,this comes as an offer they can not say no to.

I went to a local marketplace called Souq Al Rowaq. The goods sold there are primarily cheap and made in China. I do not speak of quality because I do not know.I liked it at the market because it is very traditional and down to earth. Here is a heap of slippers. And a general view of the market.

There is hardly any notable perfume that you can not find a duplicate for in this place. The people behind this trade can technically mimic any perfume you tell them of, and indeed they already have a vast collection of scents for any taste. I think this is probably illegal but it is never uninteresting.

Now for a more fun collection of items that I came across in Aqaba. Allow me to start with a gigantic slipper that I found amusing.

And a bizarre seashell made into a scented oil holder, creativity assured.

Here is an intriguing label. The name of this denim trade mark is catchy, as it means “destruction”. I am not sure if the word “damar” exists in the language of the manufacturing company, perhaps it means something else to them. Perhaps they deliberately chose this transliteration, since the slang word “damar” to Jordanian youth denotes coolness and other attributes. I will explain further; when a person comments on something by saying “wow! damar!”, this usually means the thing in question is hip,sexy,or simply smashing. I just thought this was interesting, and the spelling mistakes on the label funny.

Lights by the shore less than a minute away from where I was staying. I shook the camera out of idle curiousity and I adore the result.

On the way home to Amman, I passed by the great Mujib landscape. This is one of my favorite places in Jordan. It lies in the southern part of the kingdom and I believe it is part of Karak. This series of grand mountains overlooking the Dead Sea hosts a number of tales, most notably the story of the prophet Lut and his people.

In Islam, the story -and this is the version I have been taught- revolves around the people of the prophet practising sodomy and other acts frowned upon by Allah. Therefore Lut is ordered to leave his village alongside fellow believers, and as they were warned not to turn their heads and witness the punishment of their people none of them did so, save for Lut’s wife who was not a true believer.

Thus she joined her people in their torture and she was turned into stone. Many people like to make guesses about which rock is actually the woman, and there is one erect stone that some have assured me is indeed her figure. Regardless of the existence of this certain stone,I love the unique formations and colors of the massive rocks in this area. To conserve this beauty, a natural reserve was opened in Mujib and it has come to my knowledge that one could go trekking deep into the mountains and if one is lucky enough he or she may spot herds of deer and other forms of wildlife. Finally, a picture of the part of Mujib right beside the Zara road and a general in-car rear view of that road which connects the Mujib area with Amman.

I had a lovely weekend in Aqaba and as promised I am now about to share my reflections and some pictures I took for your visual pleasure. It is a family tradition to stop by Karak on our way to Aqaba to rest and maybe even spend the night there, as that step technically splits the journey to Aqaba in half and makes it more amusing.

I took a good number of pictures in Karak and Samara and I plan to post them some time soon, the thought crossed my mind to post them in this entry but I did not think it passable to mix matters up. Clicking on any image I post will enlarge it, so if you want to see a detailed part of a picture that’s what you should do.

The way we chose to get to our destination was that of the Dead Sea. It is the lowest point on earth and is renowned for the extremely high concentration of minerals and salts in its waters. It was thought that nothing could live in the waters of the Dead Sea, and indeed no fish or plants can tolerate that type of environment, but I read once that a Jordanian researcher managed to prove the existence of some sort of microorganism in those healing waters. People from around the world head for the Dead Sea to be treated for several types of illnesses and discomforts. A thriving industry evolved around the manufacturing of body care necessities composed of the mud of the sea bed. That is not to mention the industries concerned with extracting the abundance of salt and other minerals, mainly potash which is one of the top Jordanian exports to the global market. Nevertheless, it is tragic what has happened to the Dead Sea. It seems to be dieing for real due to draught and the excessive abortion of its resources.

Following is a picture of a refinery by the sea shore and another of the tragic state of what’s left of the sea just by the refinery.

Every time I pass by the Dead Sea I am saddened by its deteriorating state, it is shrinking on a daily basis. I have heard of a governmental project to open up a canal connecting it to the Red Sea, but I have also heard that such a project is financially unfeasible. The case being so, a miracle is needed to save this wonder.

En route to Aqaba you will traverse the exotic Wadi Araba, the beauty of the combination of mountains and sand there is indescribable. Anticipate some road side camels and signs alerting you to their existence. Jordanian road signs are seldom verbal, therefore a sign of that type looks like this one.

Look real hard and you will see some camels in this image.

This is a picture of the suburban part of Aqaba, for my part I adore an image of white houses by the seaside. But the coloring of houses in Aqaba is distinct as it has many houses coated in warm colors like beige and light brown, unlike many other areas in Jordan that are mostly drenched in whitish paint.I realise the picture is not perfect and it hardly supports my point of Aqaba houses being polychromatic, but unfortunately I was unable to get a better shot.

Tala Bay is a project that’s been making the news recently. This is a picture I took of the housing units, it fails to show the yacht marina though.

Another leading landmark on the Aqaba beach is the Royal Diving Club; here is a picture of the club’s private beach.

Many tourists and locals visit the club intending to go snorkeling or diving, some simply like to sunbathe and enjoy the view. Here is a snorkeling couple, I overheard them go on about the beauty of a lionfish they had just seen.

It is not for unknown reasons that Aqaba’s waters are popular amongst divers, look how clear the waters are, this is right off the shore.

I promised myself to go snorkeling the next time I visit, it is just so tempting to explore the deep sea that lies so clear and so near.

And on some seaside rocks I situated myself and took a picture of this crab and this rock with the curious shells sticking to it. I am ignorant to their scientific name but I found them to be amazing and crab to be delicious.

And this is a picture of the clashing of the waves and some ships in the background.

I am relieved at the fashion in which Aqaba is coming to life every visit of mine. Much has changed in the city and what I find most appealing is the fine engineering of casual mid street parks. These are places made right in the middle of two ways streets that provide shelter from the scorching sun to anyone who seeks the shade. At some points they even installed fountains, chairs are always present.

This is also a new park, not located in the middle of a street.

Another important landmark in the city is the Great Arab Revolution’s flag. It stands tall exactly on the seaside, note the humungous size compared to surroundings.

More pictures will come your way in my upcoming entry. I must retire now because I am exhausted.

I visited downtown Amman,which happens to be one of my favorite places, two days ago. I took my camera with me because I never tried to take pictures of the place before, and I decided to share the pictures I took with you. A brief description accompanies each picture.

Al Masjid Al Husaini, (Al Husaini mosque), located in the heart of Amman, remains a unique landmark with its history and the hundreds of people who renew their connection with their maker by praying inside. There is a number of shops around the mosque, publishing houses and scented oil vendors.

A huge rotating display “pillar” of hundreds of earrings. I found this to be particularly interesting because most earrings are retro-style, 80’s relics. You can find this beautiful retro pillar at “ZaZa” accessories gallery in Souq Al Balabseh. One of the oldest markets in Amman. The people who own/work at ZaZa are of a Kurdish origin, you can often hear them talk to each other in Kurdish. Another exotic scent to old Amman’s multicultural tolerance.

To reverse the old English proverb :”All that glitters is Gold”. This golden display I found at Souq Al Dahab ( The gold market ). To be more specific it is the display window at Fat’hi Abu Kweik’s jewellery store. Big thanks go to Mr.Majdi Abu Kweik for allowing me to take a picture of the window.

Gold has a unique importance to the Jordanian people, as it is offered to a woman by the groom before marriage. Women usually trade in gold and therefore like to acquire golden pieces of 24/21 carat rather than 18, since 18 carat gold often does not retain its value. It is also common knowledge that golden pieces with precious or semi-precious stones often lose a big portion of their initial value. Since if you desire to buy such pieces you will be charged for the effort the goldsmith put into their making but once you desire to sell,the jewelers will not pay for it.

This is a picture of a section of Souq Al Dahab. Stores selling gold and other precious metal-works are found on both sides of the narrow path.

Mr.Omar has been selling peanuts and seeds for decades now. He has become a prominent feature of the place.I never visit downtown Amman without seeing him standing between the Time Center and Fat’hi Abu Kweik’s gold store in one of the entrances of Souq Al Dahab. I have great respect for Mr.Omar, he is a survivor. Thanks, again, to Mr.Majdi who talked Mr.Omar into posing for the picture.

A sign indicating the existence of an old,canal-like market with shops varying in size on both sides. “Souq Al Bukhareyyeh”, a place filled with the aroma of time and originality. Here you can find a multitude of beautiful, hand-made souvenirs. There are also shops that sell beads,buttons,textile decorations and other tailor-attractive items.

This is an old store in Souq Al Bukhareyyeh,it sells buttons and sewing-related items. I find it rather amusing to muse over buttons and the like, and it is a very exclusive experience to enjoy that kind of little pleasure in such a place.

Musical instruments dangling from the ceiling of the Souq, another creative way of marketing.A collection of Oud,Rababa,Tabla and Riq is displayed here.

Dealing in textiles is a popular trade in Jordan. There are many shops that sell fabric in Amman. In my family,knowing how to sew is a very important skill to master. I,ironically,am not very fond of that craft. However,textile selling stores offer a wide range of their goods, something for every occasion. There’s always something out there for the extremely picky dresser. Prices vary according to quality and popular trends,but you can land some good “steals” if you’re a smart shopper and if you can talk your way into such bargains. My mother,carrying on a family tradition that she in turn inherited from my grandmother, raised us with a critical eye for textiles. She used to take us downtown to shop for them and I have always tried to learn to differentiate the never-ending names and types.

Lastly, downtown Amman may not be as magical to you as I portray it here. Then again, you may find it to be a most charming place as well. Whichever position you take rest assured that there is nowhere quite like Amman to the people who have grown up in it and have come to love its roads and scents. Its chaos is as lovable as its simplicity.