travel theme: beaches

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travel theme

Saturday, May 11: Ailsa’s Travel Theme for this week is Beaches. Here are some beaches I’ve encountered in my travels.

Let’s start at the beginning.  Here is the beach of my childhood, on the York River in Yorktown, Virginia.  I spent many of my teenage years hanging out with my friends on this beach.

Yorktown Beach with the York River Bridge in the background. This is my hometown.

In general, I prefer deserted, quiet, peaceful and unpopulated beaches, NOT beaches packed with people and umbrellas and chairs and tents and inner tubes like Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea or Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand.  Most beaches in South Korea are crowded, as Korea is a tiny country with a huge population of 48 million people.  Haeundae Beach in Busan is nice enough in early April, when this picture was taken, but it’s usually quite crowded.

the crowded Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea

another crowded beach in Phuket, Thailand

Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea

It’s not so bad if the beach is set up with mostly EMPTY beach chairs and umbrellas, like this beach in Plakias, Crete, Greece.  At least it’s on the Mediterranean, and what could be better than that?

Plakias Beach, Crete, Greece

Plakias Beach in Crete, Greece

Sometimes it’s nice to hang out at a hotel beach, like this beach at Shangri-La Resort near Muscat, Oman. It has a huge pool and a lazy river, so you can dip in the fresh water and wash off the salt and sand from time to time.

Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman

Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman

Some beaches in Oman are quite deserted or are used mainly by fishermen.  Every time I’ve been to these beaches, they’ve been so extremely hot, I don’t find them enjoyable.  Some of the beaches are so deserted they’re used only by campers.

As Sifah Beach near Muscat, Oman

Omani fisherman at Al Musanaah Beach, Oman

Seashells on the beach at Al Musanaah in Oman

a deserted beach where people camp on the east coast of Oman

This beach on the Dead Sea in Jordan is quite small, and it’s really impossible to swim in the water because of the high salt content.  No matter what you do, you end up in a position like you are sitting in an armchair, with your arms, legs and head floating on the water’s surface.  Only your rear end sinks in the water.

beach at the Dead Sea in Jordan

Some beaches are just little strips of sand situated on a lake shore, like this beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia.

a small beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia

Luckily, there are some picture-perfect beaches like Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach in South Korea.

Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach in South Korea

Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach, South Korea

To see more beaches, check out Where’s my backpack? Travel Theme: Beaches.

weekly photo challenge: home

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Ethiopia, Nepal, postaweek2013, Travel, weekly photo challenge

Saturday, February 9: The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is Home.

In a new post specifically created for this challenge, share a picture that evokes HOME for you.

It might be the place where you live, or a more abstract representation, or something completely different.

Here are some homes I discovered on a 15 km walk from Nagarkot to Changu Narayan in Nepal. 

a Nepali home outside of Nagarkot

rural home in Nepal

a Nepali rural home with mustard drying on the roof

another brightly painted home on the way to Changu Narayan

Here is a home near Lake Langano, Ethiopia.

tukul hut and family near Lake Langano, Ethiopia

And another cluster of homes in Lalibela, Ethiopia.

tukul huts in Lalibela, Ethiopia

• Ethiopia Trip Two (Part 2, December 1-2)

weekly photo challenge: surprise!

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postaweek2012, weekly photo challenge

Friday, December 21:  The world is full of surprises, and i have run across many of them in my travels.  The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is surprise: There was talk of some sort of apocalypse today, but so far, so good. Big surprise! In honor of the world continuing, show me some surprises! If you’re at a loss what to share, I bet many of you have surprises hidden under a tree or in a closet somewhere.

I was surprised to come upon this strange-looking prehistoric-like creature strutting his stuff along the shores of Lake Langano in Ethiopia.

the surprising Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

It was quite a surprise to find I could stick to a wall like a piece of Velcro in the Trick Art Museum in Daegu, South Korea.

surprise, surprise! I can stick to the wall like Velcro!

And yummy!  Isn’t it a wonderful surprise when someone serves up a head on a platter?

looks like quite a surprising meal served up on this platter

Finally, it was a fun surprise to come upon this Omani vegetable vendor taking a snooze in the middle of his vegetables at Nizwa souq.

what a surprise to find this Omani man sleeping in the middle of his vegetables

Expect nothing.  Live frugally on surprise. ~ Alice Walker

travel theme: liquid

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postaweek2012, Travel, travel theme

Friday, November 23:  Ailsa of Where’s my backpack? has given us a challenge for this week: Liquid.

Let the rain kiss you.  Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.  Let the rain sing you a lullaby.  ~ Langston Hughes

Sadly, I don’t have any rain pictures, as where I live, it never seems to rain.  However, here are some liquid photos for Ailsa’s challenge.

Click on any of the images below for a full-sized slide show.

the reflecting pool at the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

wadi floods in Oman

the Mediterranean off of Santorini, Greece

a pool at the Franciscan Monastery, Washington, D.C.

a river in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

marsh at Lake Langano, Ethiopia

a pool at Wadi Damm near Ibri, Oman

lake langano in ethiopia

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Ethiopia, Travel

Tuesday, October 30:  Since I’m not reblogging my posts about Ethiopia onto this blog, I invite you to come along on my visit to Lake Langano, about 3 hours south of Addis Ababa.  Click on any of the links below to read about my time at Bishangari Lodge.

pelicans and cormorants along the shores of lake langano in ethiopia

a drive to lake langano in ethiopia

the bishangari eco-lodge at lake langano, ethiopia

the dry pumice stone eco-zone at lake langano

the beach at bishangari lodge

fine feathered friends along lake langano’s shores {Sunday}

a dawn birdwatching expedition at lake langano

massages & creature encounters at lake langano

a hippo-spotting walk in the blue light… {…but where are the hippos?}

hobnobbing with the shorebirds at lake langano

I hope you’ll come along on my journey and enjoy some spectacular sights through my eyes. 🙂

eid al-adha & a birthday escape to ethiopia

Wednesday, October 24: Tomorrow, October 25, is my birthday!  At my age, this shouldn’t be anything to celebrate.  After all, who wants to be a year older?  Yet.  I always believe in celebrating my birthday (hey, at least I’m still alive!) and I love to have people celebrate with me. In addition to it being my birthday, it is also Eid al-Adha in the Arab world, and so luckily my birthday coincides with a 9 day holiday in Oman.  Lucky me!

Eid al-Adha is the “Festival of Sacrifice” celebrated by Muslims the world over to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to God.  Lucky for Abraham, God intervened and provided his faithful servant with a ram to sacrifice instead of his son.  The actual Eid al-Adha holiday is Friday, October 26, but the government grants a week off, as does the university.

Soon after the clock strikes midnight on this 57th birthday of mine, around 1:00 a.m., I will hop in my car, suitcase in hand, and head to Seeb International Airport in Muscat for a 4:50 a.m. flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  I dread the early hour of this flight, but I’m excited about my trip.  As all of you know, I LOVE to travel!!  I’m happiest when I’m thrown into a foreign culture and left to my own devices.

I came across this quote today on Facebook: “There are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them.”  It gives me food for thought.  I am thankful that in the last six years of my life, I have been able to do things that I used to say I would do “someday.” I am still trying to do this, as much as I possibly can, despite the fact that often I have to sacrifice a lot in this life journey of mine.

My long-time friend, who works in the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, will be my travel companion and guide.  He has been in Ethiopia for a year already, so I’m lucky to have someone who knows Ethiopia.  He has planned some fun excursions, and I’m happy to have him work out the logistics.  I can’t wait!!

So far, here’s what he has planned.  Aware of the fact that I will arrive without having had any sleep, he hasn’t planned much for my first day, even though I arrive at 7:30 a.m.  I told him not to worry, I will be too excited to sleep anyway.  He says we can go celebrate my birthday at an Ethiopian restaurant within walking distance of his house.

Early the morning of the 26th, we have a domestic flight and private tour of the 13th and 14th century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, where we will stay overnight in the Mountain View Hotel Lalibela.  The next morning, we will go to Lalibela town’s weekly open market and then fly back to Addis that afternoon.

The morning of the 28th, we will drive 3 hours outside of Addis Ababa to Lake Langano, where we will stay two nights at an eco-lodge called Bishangari Lodge.  According to the lodge’s website: Imagine a natural retreat of outstanding beauty that combines five unique ecological zones, a secluded setting that is host to over 400 bird species, a diverse range of wildlife, spectacular array of plant life and un-spoilt biodiversity. Bishangari Lodge is less than 250 km South of Addis Ababa, situated on the shores of Lake Langano, Bishangari’s secret has been safe thanks to its inaccessibility.

The lodge has been designed on sound environmental principles utilizing solar power and biogas for energy. The lodges have been constructed using natural materials and traditional techniques, without compromising on the quality and luxury of the accommodation. It is a natural retreat of outstanding beauty that combines five ecological zones;- wetlands, beach and lake, the forest, the dry pumice rocks and the acacia shrub.

The rest of our time, we will spend exploring Addis Ababa and all the city has to offer.

According to Visit 2 Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is the capital of modern Ethiopia and gateway for most tourists, as well as the political and commercial heart of the country.  Now a city of around 4 million people, it was founded by Emperor Menelik the second in 1877.

The name Addis Ababa means “new flower.” This big, sprawling, hospitable city is more than 2,200 meters high in the foothills of Entoto Mountain. Addis Ababa is one of the third capital cities in the world with high altitude after Katmandu and La Paz. Modern buildings and wide-open boulevards stand side by side with historic churches, palaces and monuments, as well as simple country-style huts. The air is filled with the scent of flowers and eucalyptus trees, and the rich vibrancy of a city that is home to so many cultures.

Modern Addis Ababa also plays a vital role in hosting many international organizations, including the AU, ECA (the Economic Commission for Africa), and other multi-national organizations, who all have their headquarters here. Addis Ababa is as well one of the most crowded diplomatic cities of the world.

If you’d like to come along on my journey to Ethiopia, please visit african meanderings {& musings}.

I’ll see you all when I return home on Friday, November 2!