Something stupid... =)

[Void]

Vacation is a good time for many reasons. First of all it is long awaited time to
get away from work (especially, whan one is not self-employed), it is time one can dedicate to oneself at fullest, it is time to change daily activities, to
trade them for something new...
It is time for fullfilment of various travel plans. plans... heh =) Italy for three weeks.
The magnificent and sometimes arrogant ancient Rome with democratic piazzas and cafes, museums and rush of modern city, light hearted Florence, austere Sienna, trendsetter of fashion Milan, the enchanting Venice, cozy little towns, busy beaches... a lot of things to discover, many places to greet once again... well... Mi dispiace, mia bella donna Italia, ma non abbiamo soldi per due personi... or what other way this complaint looks in a language i almost forgot... Some other time, my darling, some other time...
What next? the closest neighbours Spain and Portugal... alas, my caballeros... Paris, to see and... no, not Aquitaine, definitely not, the beautiy of Oxcitaine and Brittany
To discover Germany, to break the stereotypes of misty Albion, to meet fall time in Scandinavia, to open Tunisia and Morocco, follow the intricate lines of Chinese wall, bewildering tunes of buudist stupas in Burma and Cambodia, breathe in the tracery of Korean landscape, to get lost in whirlpool of indian cities and temples, to be stanned by natural beauty of Indonesia... have you ever been in Middle East, Latin America, nothern lakes of Us and Canada, roamed savanna, or climbed the great mountains, enjoyed the serenity and eXtreme of New Zeland and......
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- nurse, who gave this patient world atlas again?

why these bloody dentists charge that much for their services? =))) Well, still there are many places to start with. It is good to have friends who visited some of them and can ease the task... Tickets are booked, thigs are packed... we still have tree weeks in land full of wonders and sun (to prolong summer days and cheat the winter)

 

[Void]

Where are you from? ... Welcome to Jordan! This follows you everywhere in the land of hard rock (Ordan from aramaic), the pallete of yellow and brown, beige and cream, with occasional strokes of green of plants and trees, with bright blue skies and phantasmagoric universe of the desert
landscape

before i gather my thoughts and arrange my notes, i`ll show you a bit of the country through the pictures.
Warning: no offence or harm meant, not... ok... not too much of implied sense

When i look at this pic i remember Dutch. This little lady Diana is for you sweet Baka ;o)

A little bit to envy, Tsuyoiko. They`ve got blue skies almost for 365 days. And these flowers somewhat remind me of your jewelry.

This gentle blue is for our warm-hearted and cool-minded advisor Kirei

i do not know why, but this acacia resembles Kara Nari for me, it also looks very energetic and cute. And if by any ill luck you`ll get homeless once again, let there be beach like this nearby ;o)

Kinsao, with harsh looking avatars, bike and rock music, but with tender and vulnerable soul. This sleeping fellow is for you and some colours which you as an artist might appreciate

Well, little riddle for den4-sama. Which one is right to choose? or, maybe, left? perhaps, in between of among of the midst? Or just to remain singularity?

Revenant, like this tree looks quite tranquil and positive at the top of the mountain, i wish you to find serenity in your spiritual quest and reach the peaks you desire

*coughs* dedicated to the gittyhood (or was it gitterness) of Mike Cash

Doc, your signature makes me to bring up Seven Pillars of wisdom, they say it was named this way by Lawrence the Arabian

One more landscape for Mars man (that`s all your nickname, i couldn`t help it )

Mosque of Amman to Maciamo-san. i am not trying to convert you from atheism, just weird chain of associations you can share minarets with Thomas

----------------

more to follow after i edit and refine the rest of the pic`s pile

 

[Kinsao]

Wow Void - so much thought must have gone into that post! There are some great pictures there and you've really got some of the "characters" of the forum!

The rock formation is gorgeous , and I love the donkey!

 

[Tsuyoiko]

OMG, I have a tear in my eye! Void, you are wonderful!

 

[Davey]

When i look at this pic i remeber Dutch. This little lady Diana is for you sweet Baka ;o)
h:

... I am speechless

 

[Pachipro]

That was really nice Void. I enjoyed the pics with the correlation to the members. Very well done.

 

[Void]

Thanks for your comments, guys
here we go again =)

This is for Duo, to represent his purposefulness and width of views

Mycernius, well, the origin of your nick has more to do with Egypt... but, if to think about archery the temple of Artemis is a bit related. How`s about riding your chariot along the road with a bunch of women chasing you, willing to become your wives?

Few writings to the honorable babbler of the forum, crazy about words Lexico-sama. But let the ancient (and not so ancient)) words and history rotate around today`s life, like these ruins circle around live and green bushes. Just follow the little lizard ;-)

Something unexplainable to me: fresh view over the classics for Silverpoint and morning quietude for Mikawa Ossan

i don`t know what time is, Sensuikan-san. But twice a day sun meets the moon whether to greet or to farewell. but i believe you`d be enchanted bythe colours of the desert

----------------------------------

this is not the end, yet, so don`t get too relaxed

 

[Pararousia]

GReat photos, Void!! I love the desert!

That is one sexxxxxxxxy camel!!! arttemp.stsland.ru/IMG/Diana.JPG - Сервис регистрации доменов и хостинга *.RU-TLD.RU

 

[Void]

every show must go on %)


When i just joined the forum i was impressed by care and concern Uncle Frank took in newcomers, showing them life of JRef and giving explanations. Just like the morning sun what greets and warms up the earth. And this little kitten in Amman`s cafe says "good morning, Uncle Frank =)"

Misa j. this one is not form Jordan, this is Moscow, but it reminded me the lake you pass every day going to work. You like hiking and mountains, this piece of "alien" rocks is for you

When my mom pointed me at that flower i said "it`s plastic, why should i photograph it?" On what i was advised to look closer It`s like a faith, Pararousia. We should question one of our own, whether it`s real or plastic, but not the others ;-)

Nurizeko, you are willing to travel around the world and its wilderness, let your tent once appear in a place like this

It`s not exactly a big truck, Pachipro, but 4-wheeler and this Bolivar was able to carry not only two, but six riders. The view behind is quite calming and reassuaring almost like your feelings toward your own life (at least what i feel from your posts
)


whhoooh, i take a small break. Small entracte for all the JRef members - following the steps of Indiana Jones - unbelievable and amazing Petra

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Void, thank you so much! It is such an interesting idea to post pictures you associate with JREF members! Kudos to you!

 

[Void]

slightly offtopic

I was thinking lately about some strange feelings which i`d like to call the sense of belonging (somewhat i don`t like to use "sense of community" )
It is feeling that once appears toward earlier unknown individuals or places. And all of a sudden you find yourself thinking about them or even worried if something bad takes place. You become attached seemingly for no reason.

I`ve been in Amman for almost two weeks, i can`t say that i really got to
know the city, but at least will be able to find my way around and won`t get lost easily. And now the explosions there touch me much more than they would just a month ago. If riots would happen not in Paris, but let`s say in Buenos-Aires (sp?), would they worry that much forum members? (leaving
apart the immigrant`s issue)

 

[Void]

We arrived in Jordan after six p.m. and were met by big crescent moon hanging over the minarets of the city which lights we were approaching in a bus. It was so... islamic, i couldn`t catch such view after, to freeze it with a shot of my camera, only memories =)

Amman is large city and we were told that almost half of Jordan`s population
lives there (well, the country isn`t big itsel, you can cross it from north to south approximately for 4 -5 hours). It is situated on the mountains. Old part
of the city reminds beehives and swallow`s nests altogether. It certainly
challenged our lungs and cardio systems to climb numerous steps up and down (with trembling legs and bouncing heart i was catching my breath and condemning the extra-hours i was spending behind PC at the expence of exercising )

There is no such luxury as metro in Amman, only buses and taxi (and two legs, of course). Taxi drivers usually beep passing by with the hope that i might need one. But what the hell!, at the time i would really need one they`d be buzy, driving other line, or just disappear all at once =)))))
Buses it`s one separate story, though i`d never took a chance to ride one in the city, i don`t read Arabic - so wouldn`t know which one i need (and it`s
such fun bother trying to find it out asking people), and also i wouldn`t know
when to jump off.
Old part of the city is typically arabian as we like to picture it in the movies.
Markets, stores, cafes, buzy and noisy streets, though unlike in Egypt tourists
can feel themselves quite safe there. "Where are you from? ... Welcome to Jordan"
This what you hear at every place and every corner. Later one of the locals explained me one of the reasons besides curiosity and habit of asking such question. "There are many jordanians who studied abroad and knowing where are you from might give them some advantage - it might happen that (s)he speaks your native language. What gives him a chance to practice it and to ease your task in communication" Well, at least almost always we could find someone capable of understanding or(and) speaking english. Most of the times people tried to help us to solve the problem, to show better way, or to tell about particular place. (i really doubt that someone in Moscow noticing me taking picture of some Church would stop and tell me the story of it) In most cases this is done without hidden intentions

There are two religions coexisting together in rather tolerant way: Islam and Christianity. Mosque and christian church (orthodox, catholic, coptic) could be literally neighbouring together. And at some hours one can hear both at once the muslim prayer and sound of the bells. Though, Islam, of course is the established faith. We were a bit unlucky to hit Ramadan, but still it was quite an interesting experience

Amman is modern city which grows every day, and modern part of is different from traditional downtown. But it is still traditionally eastern and arabic. Many of our tourist write that there is nothing to watch in Amman except leftovers of Roman city,amphitheatre and museum. Well, maybe, they can`t find attractiong in anything else. Unfortunatly, i didn`t take any pictures of modern Amman, but it`s worth some attention. White and eclectic, but again in its own intrinsic way

 

[Sensuikan San]

Thanks for the inclusion, Void! Beautiful photographic work!

But ... you seem to have picked a rotten time to have been in Amman! Any personal notes on the events of the last few days?

ﾆ淡ﾆ停?｡ﾆ停?

 

[Void]

the pleasure is all mine, Sensuikan San

explosions happend a week after we left, my personal notes only include: "Damn bastards!" in the middle of the night when i found first news of bombing

 

[Sensuikan San]

the pleasure is all mine, Sensuikan San

explosions happend a week after we left, my personal notes only include: "Damn bastards!" in the middle of the night when i found first news of bombing

Understandable reaction!

And I am glad you weren't involved.

Regards,

ジョン

 

[kirei_na_me]

Void, this is one of the best threads ever made.

Thank you so much for including me.

I am honored, really.

 

[anjusan]

When my mom pointed me at that flower i said "it`s plastic, why should i photograph it?" On what i was advised to look closer It`s like a faith, Pararousia. We should question one of our own, whether it`s real or plastic, but not the others ;-)
[/URL] [/b]

Wow, that flower is amazing!

 

[Void]

...

Here i am... will you send me an angel?
Here i am... in the land of the morning star...


i always favoured Exupery, for his thoughts, attitudes and language. As i recall his writings made me like the desert even without seeing one. As a child of "television era", of course, i watched some films about it and always thought it`s fascinating place to visit. I remember once one of my friends said: "Heh, i`ve passed Karakum, only sand, nothing interesting". In Madaba when i was consulting with the girl on reception about best route, she said "One night in Wadi Rum is enough, it`s just a desert". Well, now i can say it is The Desert.

I realize that we`ve seen only tiny part of it, places which are shown to all the tourists, but in spite of this it grabed me and hodls firmly. If you ever been to the country side you know what quietude means, only occasional
sounds of motorbike or tractor and animal voices can break it. The same here, it seems that you can almost touch it. Calm and tranquil, yet very powerful and dangerous as any element of the Nature. We`ve been sort of baptized near the rock bridge by a tiny windstorm which decided to whirl around these mountains at that time. It was weak and unsteady, but at the moments it was blowing directly at your face it was impossible to open eyes and sand grains nearly cut the unprotected skin of the face. Afraid to imagine how it is like when it blows at full force and there is no rock around to hide behind it.

I`ve already been babbling a lot about colours, but it`s absolutely amazing, different hues of yelllow, orange, greenish, magneta and purple. All of them against the background of bright blue skies. Drifting sands follow their intricate pattern driven by wind and restricted by rocks of the landscape. Wind carves over the sand its tracery.

Sun is essential part of the pattern. Shading, emphasizing, illuminating it makes the picture sparkling and vivid.

Night in the desert is worth an ode, if could write one. It doesn`t descend, a twinkle of abrupt twighlight, and black plaide quietly envelops the land. Man! for the first time i`ve seen stars like this. It was like plunge out your hand into Milky Way and grab a couple, before they fall in instant stroke... and such silence... And for the first time i saw a moonrise, when it slowly climbs up filling the land with its light

At the morning gentle touch of the sun reveals pattern of trails all over the sand surface: lizards, foxes, rodents of all kinds come out to find their food and, maybe, rest from the daily heat. And, smart little bastards, hope also to find some food around people`s places

Maybe, it is not the best place to live in, but the great place to return... I fond my angels there, wish you find yours if you`ll happen to visit this place

Couple of other pics. For Index who`s movements around forum threads were a puzzle for me. And for all other members =)

 

[Index]

For Index who`s movements around forum threads were a puzzle for me.

Just call me the sidewinder Thank you for thinking of me.

 

[Revenant]

Revenant, like this tree looks quite tranquil and positive at the top of the mountain, i wish you to find serenity in your spiritual quest and reach the peaks you desire

Sorry I never noticed this, the pic is superb, and that is very representitive of the 'state' I would like to achieve. Thanks Void!