Earth Hour 2010

Earth Hour 2010

27 March 2010

8:30pm

(Are You Aware?)

The event rolled across the world, with participants all over the globe turning off the lights when the clock strikes 8:30 p.m. local time each year.  An hour-long gesture to be repeated by millions of people around the world who are calling for a binding pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

As an individual, you can give back your own any time of the year.  Participating next year could be too late!  Act now!  Make our world a wonderful place we always dream of to travel.

Did you participate?

Welcome to Pattaya, THAILAND

The Bus Station in Bangkok going to Pattaya.

 

It says:  P A T T A Y A  The gigantic letter at the hilltop overlooking the beautiful scenic view of Pattaya City below.  This Holywood Style Pattaya landmark can be seen from few kilometers away.

 

The progressive Pattaya has many things to offer to its visitor from all over the world.  Like Bangkok, it is never short of surprises to each reveler.

 

I got the best gratifying experience of Pattaya of every sort courtesy of my most kind and generous American friend, whom himself got smitten of what Thailand has to offer.  I'm so grateful!

SAWASDEE! One Night In Bangkok

My "ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK" was short and exciting as I only stayed in the city for one night before I went to Pattaya the next day.  I left no stone unturned by walking around the streets of Bangkok to experience the ambience of this wonderful country and be greeted with smiles from people's faces.  No wonder why lots of tourists are considering to settle in this country.

Before my feet really aches and swell, I took some photos of the areas, and then head back to my hotel room for some rest. 

 

I got bored in my hotel room as I cannot kiss the night goodbye with myself tossing around the bed, so I decided to sit in the lobby and just do some people watching.  I met these guys mistaken me into a Thai, only to find out am a Filo.  A very friendly tourists from Australia.  As veteran tourist themselves who has been to this place several times, took me for a walk around the red district area Thailand is known for.  And thanks to them, I myself never ever even been to my own red district area in my home country before (believe me or not!), hahaha!

Next Stop: My Thailand Adventure

I confirmed, THAILAND really is the "Land of Smiles".

Amman City and Umm Qais

The panoramic view of the capital city of Amman

In one of the beautiful street suburbs of Amman where you can actually pick apples and olives along the way home in the neighborhood (...then run before the owner catches you! Hahaha!), reminder, don't try to eat those olives, their raw and very bitter, believe me, I tried once, eww!

Amman at night:  The city is quiet at night, except for those noisy vehicles running around.  I loved to walk one time at a cool breezy night looking for a barber shop... I found one nearby.  December temperature is usually wet and cold with occasional rain showers.. and it's so depressing.  Snow flakes starts to fall beautifully when you look at it by the light post at night.

Umm Qais:  I just wonder why the columns here are much darker than the ones in Jerash, both are of thousand years old.

Umm Qais

Situated 110 km north of Amman on a broad promontory 378 meters above sea level with a magnificent view over the Yarmouk River, the Golan Heights, and Lake Tiberias, this town was known as Gadara, one of the most brilliant ancient Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis; and according to the Bible, the spot where Jesus cast out the Devil from two demoniacs (mad men) into a herd of pigs (Mathew 8:28-34).

DEAD SEA: lowest point on earth

Biblical Period

The Dead Sea, unlike the Sea of Galilee to the north, does not figure prominently in the biblical narratives. Its most important role was as a barrier, blocking traffic to Judah from the east. An advancing army of Ammonites and Moabites apparently crossed a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to attack King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 20). Ezekiel has prophesied that one day the Dead Sea will be fresh water and fishermen will spread their nets along the shore.

Lowest Point

The Dead Sea is located in the Syro-African Rift, a 4000-mile fault line in the earth's crust. The lowest point of dry land on earth is the shoreline of the Dead Sea at 1300 feet below sea level. That the lake is at the lowest point means that water does not drain from this lake. Daily 7 million tons of water evaporate but the minerals remain, causing the salt content to increase. Figures for the Dead Sea's salinity today range from 26-35%.

Stay afloat and read paper. No matter how far you go out off the shore, you'll just never sink.

You have to look at people face on and not from behind...  Well, not with this camel I suppose.

Some text courtesy of:  BiblePlaces.com

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.