Delphi
Edessa Falls
Kefalonia island
Mt. Athanos
Foto Friday – Greece
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NAME THAT COUNTRY
Sumhuram is the ancient site of a trading outpost of the Hadramite kingdom of southern Arabia. It’s located near the city of Salalah in the south of our mystery country. Sumhuram was a major port for the export of frankincense. The city dates to the 4th century BCE but its status as a trading port increased significantly in the 1st century BCE, when trade with the Roman Empire was established.
Near by, Khor Rori (khor = creek) is an extension of Wadi Darbat, separated from the Indian Ocean by a narrow sand bar. The fresh water attracts many species of birds and herds of wild camels.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Apollo Was Here: Daphne & the Laurel Tree
Previously on Apollo Was Here, the four-day old Olympian god had just killed the serpent/dragon Python and claimed the sacred ground on Mt. Parnassus for his own sanctuary. He was very pleased with himself.
When next he saw the cherubic Eros (aka Cupid), with his mini-bow and mini-arrows, Apollo laughed in his face and taunted him, “I slayed a terrible monster with my bow. You couldn’t hurt a fly with your useless little toy!” Continue reading
Foto Friday – Oman
Apollo Was Here: Delos & Delphi
In the throes of labor, the Titaness Leto searched desperately for a place to bear Apollo and Artemis. Zeus was the father of the twins and his (justifiably) vengeful wife Hera had vowed to curse any piece of land that allowed Leto to give birth. As an extra bit of enforcement, Hera sent the serpent/dragon Python in pursuit of Leto. (Where was Zeus during all of this? That’s what I’d like to know. Apparently he sent the North Wind to help her along, but really, that seems like a pretty feeble gesture under the circumstances.) Continue reading
Foto Friday Favs
Happy Friday! Behold some of our favorite images from past Foto Fridays ~
Havana, Cuba, photo by Jason Hedrick
Cappadocia, Turkey
Sur, Oman
Havana, Cuba, photo courtesy of Jason Hedrick
Mt. Nebo, Jordan
Fez, Morocco
camelboy in the desert of northern Oman, photo by Sallie Volotzky
Trinidad de Cuba, photo by Steve Sherwood
Bodrum, Turkey, photo by Sue Alstedt
Fez, Morocco
Foto Friday – Egypt
Abu Simbel
Alexandria
the Red Pyramid of Dahshur
Temple of Horus at Edfu
Karnak Temple, Luxor
NAME THAT COUNTRY
Most Ya’lla tours to our mystery country include dinners and lunches at paladars, like Guitarra Mia. A paladar is a privately owned restaurant, usually family operated and located in a converted home. When we first started selling tours to this country in 2002, food was definitely not a selling point, mainly because of the scarcity of ingredients. Since 1993, the largely state-run economy has allowed the operation of small, private businesses. Relying on black market suppliers, paladars began to pop up gradually in major cities. With further economic reforms in 2010, the industry of small, private restaurants really took off. Today, hundreds of paladars operate across the country, mainly supported by tourists. While it’s not quite a culinary destination, yet, there’s enough variety and innovation here to satisfy the most refined palate.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Jemaa el Fna Square, Marrakech
Jemaa el Fna Square, Marrakech, Morocco
Jemaa el Fna square on the edge of the souk of Marrakech is short-attention-span theater en plein air. Early in the day, it can be almost sleepy, with scattered peddlers and juice venders, but as the sun drops in the sky the place begins to sizzle and pop. If there was a lid, it would blow right off. A throbbing mass of humanity swims around the food stalls, story tellers, musicians, acrobats, sellers of potions, magicians, tooth-pullers, henna artists, snake charmers, monkey guys, and vendors of all sorts. A good share of the throbbing mass is tourists, either intoxicated by the surging energy or dazed and confused by it, but the square really belongs to the people of Marrakech. While there’s no shortage of really tiresome and pushy peddling, taken as a whole, Jemaa el Fna is a sanctuary of authentic culture, and has, in fact, been declared so by UNESCO. Continue reading
Foto Friday – Israel
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