Bedouin Experience in Wadi Rum, Jordan

A Bedouin is any member of a community of Arabic-speaking desert nomads of the Middle East. Ethnically, the Bedouin are identical to other Arabs. Bedouin traditionally have made their living by animal husbandry, and social rank among them is determined by the animals that they herd: camel nomads enjoy the greatest status, followed by sheep and goat herders and, finally, cattle nomads. Traditionally, Bedouin would migrate into the desert during the rainy season and return to cultivated areas during the dry season, but since World War II (1939 – 45) the governments of many countries have nationalized their range lands, and conflicts over land use have arisen. Many Bedouin have since adopted sedentary ways of life; most, however, retain pride in their nomadic heritage.

Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at 60 Km to the east of Aqaba. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. To reflect its proper Arabic pronunciation, archaeologists transcribe it as Wadi Ramm.

Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures — including the Nabateans — leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. As of 2007, several Bedouin tribes inhabit Rum and the surrounding area. In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia, who based his operations here during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the impressive rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" in memory of Lawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book actually have no connection with Wadi Rum.

When we arrived in Wadi Rum, we were pleasantly surprised to meet Hanim Benziane, a Malaysian living in Doha, with her Husband Karim, and kids, Ryan and Louisa. We had a great night camping in the desert and were visited by wild dogs overnight. The next morning however, we got bogged down in the sand and as were were digging our way out, met some Bedouin, in a 4WD who offered to let us attach our winch to their truck, for a fee.

Desert dining
Wadi Rum, Jordan
21 Dec 08

The desert is one big sandpit
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Tuah gets bogged down
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

We need to dig Tuah out of the dunes
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Adrian and his Bedouin friend
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

What's left of what was supposed to be Lawrence of Adrabia's house
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Plants growing in the middle of the desert
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Running wild in the desert
God's idea of a giant sand pit
Wadi Run
Jordan

Nabatean Stone Drawings
Wadi Rum
Jordan

With Hanim, Karim, Louisa and Ryan
Wadi Rum, Jordan

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman empire. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era. The monumental structure has fallen into ruins, but even today it is an imposing and beautiful sight.

The elliptical building is immense. The Colosseum could accommodate some 55,000 spectators who could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances. Above the ground are four storeys, the upper storey contained seating for lower classes and women. The lowest storey was preserved for prominent citizens. Below the ground were rooms with mechanical devices and cages containing wild animals. The cages could be hoisted, enabling the animals to appear in the middle of the arena

The Colosseum was covered with an enormous awning known as the velarium. This protected the spectators from the sun. It was attached to large poles on top of the Colosseum and anchored to the ground by large ropes. A team of some 1,000 men was used to install the awning.

The southern side of the Colosseum was felled by an earthquake in 847. Parts of the building - including the marble facade - were used for the construction of later monuments, including the St. Peter's Basilica.

Nowdays, it's a bit of a Disneyland of kiss me quick Gladiators and long queues

In front of the Colosseum
Rome, Italy
16 Nov 08

The arch at the Colosseum
Rome, Italy
16 Nov 08

Colosseum
Rome
Italy

Cracking Up The Fire In Krakow, Poland

Long ago in Poland’s early history, On the River Vistula, there was a small settlement of wooden huts inhabited by peaceful people who farmed the land and plied their trades. Near this village was Wawel Hill. In the side of Wawel Hill was a deep cave. The entrance was overgrown with tall, grass, bushes, and weeds. No man had ever ventured inside that cave, and some said that a fearsome dragon lived within it. The young people of the village didn’t believe in the dragon. The old people of the village said that they had heard their fathers tell of a dragon who slept in the cave, and no man must dare waken it, or there would be dire consequences for them all. Some of the youths decided to explore the cave and put an end to such foolish talk. They thought that they knew better and dragons were just old stories from the past.

A group of these young people took some torches and went to the cave. They slowly entered the cave until they came to a dark mass of scales blocking their way and the sound of heavy breathing. The boys ran as the dragon awakened and roared. Fire came from it’s mouth warming the boys heels and backs. When they were far enough away, they looked back and saw the dragon at the entrance of the cave, very angry being awakened from it’s sleep. From that day on, the people knew no peace. Every day the dragon appeared and carried off a sheep or preferably young virgins. The populace made many attempts to kill the dragon but nothing succeeded and many of those that attempted were killed.

The hero in this part of the story differs. In the village lived a wise man, or a shoemaker or a shoe makers apprentice named Krakus or Krac. He got some sheep and mixed a thick, yellow paste from sulfur. Krakus smeared it all over the animals. Then led them to a place where the dragon would see them. The dragon came out as expected, saw the sheep, roared, rushed down the hill and devoured the sheep. The dragon had a terrible fire within him, and a terrible thirst. It rushed to the River Vistula and started drinking. It drank and drank and could not stop. The dragon began to swell, but still it drank more and more. It went on drinking till suddenly there was a great explosion, and the dragon burst. There was great rejoicing by the people.

Krakus, was made ruler of the village, and they built a stronghold on Wawel Hill. The country prospered under the rule of Krakus and a city grew up around the hill which was called Krakow, in honour of Krakus. When Krakus died, the people gave him a magnificent burial, and erected a mound over his tomb which can be seen to this day. The people brought earth with their own hands to the mound, and it has endured through all the centuries as a memorial to the person that killed the dragon of Krakow.

The large 200-foot-long cave in Wawel Hill, Krakow, which has been known for centuries as the monster’s den, now attracts thousands of visitors each year. Whatever the truth of the dragon legend, the Dragon’s Cave (Polish ‘Smocza Jama’) is Cracow’s oldest residence, inhabited by man from the Stone Age through the 16th century.

Adrian with the 'dragon' of Krakow Castle
Krakow, Poland
13 July 2008

The Pyramids Of Giza, Egypt

If there was one thing Adrian was looking to, it would have been this - to see the great Pyramids of Giza! He had in fact a little more knowledge about Egypt than Ghani and I did, thanks to the educational DVDs he had been watching in the back seat!

Upon arrival at Giza, we were told that we were too late to enter, as the ticket office had closed 5 minutes before hand. The next morning though, much to his disappointment, Adrian wasn't feeling too well, a side effect from the Lariam, which we just started taking in preparation for the rest of Africa. A good rest helped and we headed out to the Pyramids again after lunch.

Being told we can't go in, as the ticket office closes at 4pm
Giza, Egypt
28 Dec 08

Adrian not feeling too well
Cairo, Egypt
29 Dec 08

Despite being told by several touts along the way that it was forbidden to drive further, as they did everything they could to get us to park Tuah in the car park and take a ride on one of their camels, we carried on, prepared to mow anyone in our way and drove right up to the foot of the Pyramids.

It's certainly a sight to behold and seeing the Sphinx was like meeting an old friend. The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact.

It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base.

There have been varying scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only pyramid in Egypt known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The main part of the Giza complex is a setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Adrian's been wanting to see the Pyramids for the last 3 weeks! Finally, the day has come!
Giza, Egypt
29 Dec 08

It's a little bigger than I thought...
Adrian at the Pyramids
Giza, Egypt
29 Dec 08

My pyramid is a lot smaller than the one over there..
Adrian at the Pyramids
Giza, Egypt
29 Dec 08

Tuah has made it all the way to the Pyramids
Giza, Egypt
29 Dec 08

Ghani gets a camel kiss
Giza, Egypt
29 Dec 08

We put up with the madness of Cairo to see the last standing wonder of the ancient world...it was the one thing that Adrian had looked forward to for weeks and his happiness made it all worth it!
Giza, Egypt
29 Dec 08

Moorish Granada: Exploring The Alhambra, Spain

Ghani and I had been to the Alhambra before, in pre Adrian days but decided that it was so magnificent, it warranted another visit, while on our round the world travels. We arrived in Granada, to celebrate Ghani's birthday and had a brilliant time walking through the splendour of the buildings and it's gardens. The day came to an anti climax though, when we got to the campsite at sunset to discover we had left the cranking handle for our roof tent in the previous campsite in Estepona!

The Alhambra, the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica on the southeastern border of the city of Granada, now in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.

The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Los Reyes Católicos ("The Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications.

After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

In the Alhambra, Granada
2 June 2008

In the courtyard of Alhambra
2 June 2008

Walking Dubrovnik's Walls, Croatia

The monumental walls that encircle Dubrovnik, punctuated by towers and overlooking the sea, are undoubtedly the city's most famous feature. The oldest system of fortifications around the town were probably wooden palisades but that is merely speculation.

What is certain is that a fortification system was already being built in the 12th century. The bulk of the existing walls and fortifications was constructed during the 14th and 15th centuries but they were continually extended and strengthened up to and including the 17th century.

Dubrovnik's walls measure 2km around but the thickness varies. On the landward side, the walls are four to six metres thick and on the seaward side only 1 1/2 to three metres. It's easy to tell where Dubrovnik's builders thought the threat was! The height also varies according to the configuration of the terrain; in some places it reaches 25m.

At the foot of the western and northern walls there was a moat (Posat) and to reinforce the defences there were turrets and towers. For good measure the builders added five bastions, three round and twelve rectangular towers, two corner forts and the massive St. Ivan at the entrance. The fore walls following the base of the main walls were also strengthened by semi-circular bastions and the Bokar tower.

As you look down at the town, notice the patchwork of colours formed by the red-roofs. Some are brand-new and some are centuries-old. The shelling of 1991 left gaping holes Dubrovnik's distinctive terra cotta roofs. Some were repaired with tiles from a factory in Slovenia, some came from Agen, France but most were produced in northern Croatia.

Adrian climbs the steps to the Old Fort,
Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Last Days Of Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the commune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD.

The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1,600 years before its accidental rediscovery around 1592. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with approximately 2,500,000 visitors every year

The objects buried beneath Pompeii were remarkably well-preserved for almost two thousand years. The lack of air and moisture allowed for the objects to remain underground with little to no deterioration, which meant that, once excavated, the site had a wealth of sources and evidence for analysis, giving remarkable detail into the lives of the Pompeiians. Unfortunately, once exposed, Pompeii has been subject to both natural and man-made forces which have rapidly increased their rate of deterioration.

I didn't ruin the ruins, honest...
Adrian at the Ancient Ruins of Pompeii
Italy
21 Nov 08

Welcome to my Bar! Happy Hours in 10 minutes
Adrian at the Ancient Ruins of Pompeii
Italy
21 Nov 08

Gorging on Chocolates in Brugge

Everyone knows when you think of Belgium you think of chocolate. Belgium chocolate is world famous for being considered the best of the best.Located in the Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium, Brugge is a postcard perfect stop on any tour of Europe.

The historical center is not so big and thus quite walkable. The only mode of public transport inside city is bus. Buses are operated by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. Taxis can be found on the market place and station. Bicycles are easy to rent and make getting around the city very speedy, although the cobblestoned paths can make the rides a little bumpy and uncomfortable

Chocolate Shops here are plentiful and the standard is always high, so too are the boutique-style beer shops. Plenty of arts and crafts too, with some excellent local artists. A fairly cheap option is Stef's on Breidelstraat (betweeen Markt and Burg). If you are willing to spend a little more, Chocolatier Van Oost on Wollestraat is a must for high-quality artisinal chocolate. Word on the street is, that you can get ANYTHING covered in chocolate and moulded.

Ghani drooling
Brugge, Belgium
19 Sept 2008

MIM is Brugge, Belgium
19 Sept 2008

The only reason we came to Belgium
Brugge
19 Sept 2008

Visiting Harvard Yard, Massachusetts, USA

Harvard Yard is a grassy area of about twenty-five acres, adjacent to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that constitutes the oldest part and the center of the campus of Harvard University. It contains thirteen of Harvard College's seventeen freshman dormitories, as well as four libraries, five buildings of classrooms and academic departments, and the central administrative offices of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the university, located in University Hall and Massachusetts Hall, respectively.

The western third of Harvard Yard, which opens onto Massachusetts Avenue at Johnston Gate, is known as the Old Yard, and around it cluster most of the freshman dormitories. Among these is Massachusetts Hall, which, having been constructed in 1720, is the oldest still-standing building on Harvard's campus and one of the two oldest academic buildings in the United States.The lower floors of Massachusetts Hall house the offices of the President of Harvard University.

Also located in the Old Yard is the statue of the university's first benefactor, John Harvard. This monument is a frequent target of pranks, hacks, and humorous decorations. Moreover, Harvard students urinate on the very foot that tourists rub for good luck. if I had known this fact before our visit, I would have disinfected the foot of the statute before allowing Adrian to rub it!

Facing Massachusetts Hall is Harvard Hall. The original Harvard Hall on this site housed the College library, including the books donated by John Harvard, after whom the college and the building were named—all but one of which were destroyed when the building burned in 1764. Rebuilt in 1766, Harvard Hall now houses classrooms.

Adrian touching John Harvard's left shoe...so the story goes that if one does so,
there's a chance to return to Harvard
Harvard, Boston
20 June 2009

Sudan's Ancient Nubian Pyramids, Jebal Berkal

Jebel Barkal or Gebel Barkal is a very small mountain located some 400 km north of Khartoum, in Karima town in Northern State in Sudan, on a large bend of the Nile River, in the region called Nubia.

The mountain, together with the historical city of Napata which sits at its feet, were considered by UNESCO, in 2003, World Heritage Sites.

Around 1450 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III extended his empire to that region and considered Gebel Barkal its southern limit. There, he campaigned near the city of Napata that, about 300 years later, became the capital of the independent kingdom of Kush. The 25th Dynasty Nubian king Piye later greatly enlarged the New Kingdom Temple of Amun in this city and erected his Year 20 Victory stela within it.

The ruins around Gebel Barkal include at least 13 temples and 3 palaces, that were for the first time described by European explorers in the 1820s. In 1862 five inscriptions from the Third Intermediate Period were recovered by an Egyptian officer and transported to the Cairo Museum, but not until 1916 were scientific archeological excavations performed by a joint expedition of Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston under the direction of George Reisner.From the 1970’s, explorations continued by a team from the University of Rome La Sapienza, under the direction of Sergio Donadoni, that was joined by another team from the Boston Museum, in the 1980’s, under the direction of Timothy Kendall. The larger temples, such as that of Amun, are even today considered sacred to the local population.

The mountain is 98 m tall, has a flat top, and apparently was used as a landmark by the traders in the important route between central Africa, Arabia, and Egypt, as the point where it was easier to cross the great river.

Jebel Barkal served as a royal cemetery during the Meroitic Kingdom. The earliest burials date back to the 3rd century BCE.
Bar. 1 King from the middle of the 1st century BCE.
Bar. 2 King Teriqas (ca. 29-25 BCE)
Bar. 4 Queen Amenirenas (1st century BCE.)
Bar. 6 Queen Nawidemak (1st century BCE.)
Bar. 7 King Sabrakamani (3rd century BCE.)
Bar. 9 King or Queen of the early 2nd century AD
Bar. 11 King Aktisanes or Aryamani (3rd century BCE.)
Bar. 14 King Aktisanes or Aryamani (3rd century BCE.)
Bar. 15 King Kash (3rd century BCE.)

Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the south (east) side of the Nile. Close to it, there are pyramids belonging to Nubian kings. Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam, and 10 km from Jebel Barkal. All these remains belonged to the ancient city Napata, the first capital of the Nubian kingdom of Kush.



The earliest pyramid at Nuri belongs to king Taharqa which measures 51.75 metres square by 40 or by 50 metres high. His successor Tantamani was buried somewhere else, but all following Nubian kings and many of their wives till Nastasen (about 330 BC) were buried here.The pyramids at Nuri are in general smaller than the Egyptian ones and are today often heavily destroyed, but they often still contained substantial parts of the funerary equipment of the Kushite rulers who were buried here. During the Christian era, a church was erected here.The church was built of many old stones, including several stelae originally coming from the pyramids.

The pyramids were systematically excavated by George Reisner.
The pyramids of Nuri together with other buildings in the region around Gebel Barkal have been placed on the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites since 2003

We had no photos of the Pyramids at Nuri, as just as we whipped out our cameras, we were confronted by an armed army officer, waving his Kalashnikov at us.

There is another site of such Pyramids in Meroe, which we did not visit

The Pyramids in Jebal Berkal
Karima, Sudan
17 Jan 09

Alison at the Pyramids in Jebal Berkal
Karima, Sudan
17 Jan 09

Ghani at the Pyramids in Jebal Berkal
Karima, Sudan
17 Jan 09

Ghani at the Pyramids
Karima, Sudan
Sudan

Adrian in Karima
Sudan

Monastries in the Air : The Meteora, Greece

We didn't even know of the exsistance of the Meteora, until we stumbled upon it in the early hours of the 23 Nov 2008, while on the road from Igoumeni to Volos, via the Katara Mountains, having failed to secure Libyan visas and making a quick change in our route to get to Egypt via Greece, Turkey, Syria and Jordan.

The Metéora is a UNESCO Heritage Site and is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos.The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece, near the town of Kalambaka.

In the 9th century, an ascetic group of hermit monks moved up to the ancient pinnacles.
They were the first people to inhabit Metéora. They lived in hollows and fissures in the rock towers, some of which reach 550m above the plain. This great height, combined with the sheerness of the cliff walls, kept away all but the most determined visitors. Initially the hermits led a life of solitude, meeting only on Sundays and special days to worship and pray in a chapel built at the foot of a rock known as Dhoupiani. As early as the 11th century AD hermit monks were believed to be living among the caves and cutouts in the rocks

Monasteries on The Meteora,
Kalambaka, Greece
23 Nov 2008

Our first sight of the Meteora - what on earth is that?
Kalambaka, Greece
23 Nov 2008

The Groaning Wheels of Hama, Syria

Situated on the banks of the Orontes River, the ancient city of Hama is an important industrial and agricultural center that dates back to the early Iron Age. Although the city’s economy has always depended on agriculture, evidence of when Hama water wheels, or norias, were first developed goes back only to the Byzantine Era. However, none of the Hama water wheels that still stand today are from periods earlier than the Ayyubid Dynasty (late 12th to early 13th centuries). During the Mamluk era, many norias were overhauled and enlarged. It was also during this era that the number of water wheels were significantly increased. At one point, there were more than thirty norias in medieval Hama.

Unfortunately, only 17 of the original water wheels have survived into the 21st century. They are still in good working condition, although the water from these wheels is no longer used. On average, the Hama water wheels’ diameter reaches up to 66 feet. Each wheel has a given name, and the biggest one is known as Al-Mohammediyyah, which used to give the Great Mosque its water supply. Because the walls of the Orontes River were too deep for water to be sourced directly from the river, the wooden wheels were designed and constructed as part of an irrigation system for the fields in Hama. In their heyday, the main purpose of the Hama water wheels were for them to raise water from the Orontes and then drop the water in aqueducts and canals that would transfer the water to the fields. The norias were powered by the river’s powerful currents, which made the wheels turn. Wooden boxes attached to each noria scooped up water from the Orontes and then deposited the water into a channel at the wheel’s rotation summit. Through the force of gravity, the water traveled along a series of aqueducts, which distributed the water to various areas in Hama. There was also a carefully thought-out schedule for access to the flow of water so that it could reach everyone.

Big Wheels of Hama
Syria
14 Dec 08

On the Dracula Trail, Transylvania, Romania

Bran Castle, situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Brasov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle" it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is, however, no evidence that Stoker knew anything about this castle. There is evidence, however, that Vlad Tepes actually did use the castle during his raids into Transylvania.

There was a friendly campsite in the village, called Vampire Camping where Tuah was called upon to tow out a bogged down camping car who also had a car on tow.

Tuah tows out a bogged down camping car, who was towing a car
Vampire Camping, Bran
9 July2008

Dracula's Castle, Bran
Romania
8 July 2008

Adrian looks at the spire from inside Dracula's Castle
8 July 2008

I wonder if Dracula's hiding behind this door?
Bran
8 July 2008

Stari Most of Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina

Stari Most is a 16th century bridge in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on November 9, 1993 during the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Subsequently, a project was set in motion to reconstruct it, and the rebuilt bridge opened on July 23, 2004.

It is traditional for the young men of the town to leap from the bridge into the Neretva. As the Neretva is very cold, this is a very risky feat and only the most skilled and best trained divers will attempt it. The practice dates back to the time the bridge was built, but the first recorded instance of someone diving off the bridge is from 1664.

Adrian poses with some of the Bosnian divers on the
Old Bridge, Mostar, Bosnia

Stari Most

The Baptism Site also known as Bethany Beyond The Jordan

Since 1948, the River Jordan has been within a restricted Military Zone. Now with the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, civilians can visit.

The Baptism Site also known as Bethany Beyond The Jordan on the Jordanian East Bank is a world famous archeological site authenticated by the Vatican and historians alike.

Our visit to the Baptism Site, as with all, was in a group, with an official guide.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1556/

http://www.baptismsite.com/content/view/1/3/lang,english/

!

Adrian on the River Jordan
Bethany Beyond Jordan
18 Dec 08

Adrian in the River Jordan
Bethany Beyond Jordan
18 Dec 08

Isreli flag flies on the other side
River Jordan
Bethany Beyond Jordan
18 Dec 08

Mosaic explaining the Baptism Site of Jesus
Bethany Beyond Jordan
18 Dec 08

Steps leading into the River Jordan
at the Baptism Site of Jesus
Bethany Beyond the Jordan
18 Dec 08

New church at the Baptism Site
Bethany Beyond Jordan

Under watch that we do not make contact with people on the Israeli side of the River Jordan
Bethany Beyond Jordan