Teaser: watch out for DEAD SEA coming up next!

DEAD SEA,  also known as "The Sea of Soddom and Gomorrah"

LOST in these Biblical places in Jordan

Come feel with me these Biblical places I have seen, be inspired and experience this devine tour.

Mt. Nebo - the presumed sanctuary of death and burial of Moses.  Deuteromony 34:1-7

(due to lack of enough photo during this time, where digital camera still do not exist,  I seek help from this site to support my other photos), http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/mountnebo.html

Jordan Valley

Bethany

At the hilltop bordering Jordan, Syria and

Israel:  you can see the Golan Height Mountain in the middle, and at the back of the mountain is the Sea of Galilee, known today as Lake Tiberia.  By your naked eye, you can find the city of Nazareth behind the mountain.

The olden pics of myself with the Sea of Galilee over the Golan Heights Mountain.  You can spot 3 countries (Jordan, Syria & Israel)  right away on top of this hill.  

Tidbits:  I actually found this place by accident by riding a wrong bus coming from Irbid City some kilometers away from the capital city of Amman.  Lost that is, but it's a great experience to see these breathtaking sceneries by chance.  I must have been LOST for a reason!

Site help acknowledgment: http://www.jerashchariots.com/

http://www.jerashchariots.com/

"Jerash is the only place in the world where Roman army, gladiators and chariot racing performances can be experienced in a genuine Roman setting. It is a truly exciting and unique experience that you will want to see again".

- just thought this could help for more info.

The Cathedral & Roman Amphitheatre, Jordan

Able to touched those old columns in these monuments gives me goose bumps.  This place is really awesome, to think this used to be where some of our Biblical characters roamed around thousands of years ago. 

Today, this place is a favorite location shootings for some of the monumental hollywood movies we have seen, most of it are of colossal hit in the box office, movies like "Mortal Combat" and earlier versions of  "Indiana Jones" to name a few.  So epic that is!

Tidbits:  The amphitheatre is magical,  people from above the bleachers could actually hear someone speaking from the center of the ground down below and not the opposite.  Imagine as if you they were using a megaphone.  Even tourist guide today need not to use a microphone to speak with its tourists.  One nice example from a guide one time, a coin dropped on the ground could be heard loudly by everyone around... amazing!

Imagine the Chariots here.

JORDAN:  Still in Jerash

These colonnaded street will lead you to Mesopotamia during the Greco-Roman era.  Start your visit to this place from the oval plaza where chariots used to be a common sightings.  Today, chariots can still be seen during festivals for the people to see and imagine how it feels like to be in the ancient time.

JORDAN: The ancient city of Jerash

Jerash (Gerasa), nestled in a quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead, is the grandeur of imperial Rome being one of the largest and most well preserved Roman architecture in the world outside Italy.


The history of Gerasa is the blend of Greco-Roman world of Mediterranean basin and the ancient tradition of the Arab Orient. 


Alexander the Great developed the town during the 4th Century BC.


This place will transport you  2000 years back in time.
(...more to come)


Note: 
a)  I intentionally published some photos with myself that is so very tiny in the backround as this is one of my very first travels during my skinny younger years, he!he!he!

b)  Thanks to AtlasTours.Net for some of the photos and text.

TEASER: Qatar - Coming out soon, TBA (to be announced)

Qatari locals national attire

(at the backdraft)

Due to insistent public demand, I am publishing this photo as a teaser that I am featuring Qatar, and more about this country soon in this blogsite. TBA


Thanks for all your requests.  I'll make sure it will be met

TEASER: Next Feature Coming up! JORDAN

Temple of Artemis

found this useful tips from MSN Bing Travel

10 Travel Resolutions for 2010
By Budget Travel editors

Trips keep us going throughout the year. Isn't it time you made yours count?




Get a passport, already!
The little blue book literally opens up the world. Even Canada, Mexico, and much of the Caribbean now require a passport (or at least a passport card). If you're among the majority of Americans who don't have one, make this the year you get your first passport—and stamp. If you've had a passport for a while, get it renewed. You can't visit some countries (like Brazil, Israel, and Singapore) if your passport expires within six months.

Relax. Seriously.
It's not easy to break those weekday habits. But waking up at 7 a.m. for a full day of activities while traveling isn't much of an escape. Prod yourself to create time for sleeping in, people-watching, having a drink at lunch, or slipping back to the hotel room for a bath. You'll have a more rewarding—and more joyful—experience if you see fewer things, and see them well.

Learn 10 phrases.
Traveling without a clue about the local language puts you on the defensive. A few simple phrases can ease the awkwardness and earn you a smile—and, yes, sometimes a laugh or a raised eyebrow. Who cares. Get a pocket-size phrase book or a smartphone application for a quick tutorial. By the time you arrive, you'll have an "excuse me" ready for the crowds at baggage claim and a "thank-you" for the bus driver. (We think these iPhone translation apps are tops.)

Travel with a close friend or family member.
None of us is getting any younger. Time is our most precious asset, so hoard your vacation days and travel with the folks who matter most. Swapping messages and weekly phone calls can't compare with sitting together on a plane for five hours and then zip-lining through the rain forest. Wait too long, and you'll regret it.

Give yourself the upgrade, for once.
There's such a thing as being too sensible, even in a recession. The next time you're at the car-rental counter on a sunny day, rent the convertible you've always dreamed of. And the next time you come in from hours of sightseeing, spoil yourself by heading straight to the spa. You can always scrimp elsewhere. You're on vacation. Act like it.

Take better photos.
Your camera's had the upper hand for too long. Learn to master some of the settings and functions this year, and you'll come back with photos that do justice to your travel memories—and serve as a visual diary of some of the best days of your life. (Start with our cheat sheet, Take Your Best Shot.)

Dig in to a local delicacy.
Go on and try something you'd never eat at home, even if home is just the next state over. That means seeking out the street food cart with the longest line, eating something on a stick at a festival, and asking the waiter for the house specialty—if it's lost in translation, so much the better.

Upgrade your travel gear.
Buy a new, handy piece of luggage and learn to pack it lightly. It'll streamline every travel experience, from squeezing onto a train to taking a spur-of-the-moment side trip. If you're going to shell out the money, don't buy a black bag. Opt for something that you won't have to worry about identifying.

Strike up a conversation.
Make the effort to chat with a local, whether it's your taxi driver, the barista making your coffee, or the woman in front of you in the admission line. Chances are you'll come away with new insights into the place—and some recommendations you'd never get from a guidebook.

Don't overthink it.
Apart from certain choice things like an El Bulli reservation or World Cup tickets, you don't need to reserve much—and not much in advance, either. Last-minute travelers are often rewarded with unbelievable deals and an invigorating sense of spontaneity. Sure, there will be a few snafus along the way, but you'll tell those stories forever.

2010: Happy New Year!!!.. again

Can't get enough!

Happy New Year 2010 !!!

Sydney in one ordinary day transformed into spectacular show of lights one evening this year and in the past years.  The event is being beamed all over the world, making it one of the most photograped new year celebration in the world.

In pictures:  DARLING HARBOR - The Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, me and the fireworks no less.