ruins — Page 3

Photo: Petra’s Caves

June 27, 2011 By Jillian

There are few ceilings as beautiful in the world as inside the caves of Petra. Even Michelangelo’s work in my opinion doesn’t compare to the soft movement of the sandstone caves in Petra. The incredible tones of red, orange and white are characteristic of Nubian Sandstone, which is common throughout North Africa and Arabia.

Carved out by hand, the caves served as tombs for the Nabataeans. Some entrances remain intricately carved with architectural detail, while others have had their architectural splendor worn away over time. We found the caves and colors to be magnificent at sunset and the last of the day’s light bounced off the rocks giving the site a warm orange glow.

“It seems no work of Man’s creative hand,
by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;

But from the rock as if by magic grown,
eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!

Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,
where erst Athena held her rites divine;

Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,
that crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;

But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,
that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;

The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,
which Man deemed old two thousand years ago,

match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,
a rose-red city half as old as time. “- John William Burgon (1845)

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: We spent two days exploring Petra and probably could have spent longer. Purchase the two day pass, the upcharge is nominal and you’ll appreciate having the extra time, especially if it’s crowded on your first day. We loved exploring inside the carved out caves, they were a nice and shady place to rest, although some of them are still used by local bedouin (trust me, you’ll know which ones!). We love caves because they tend to be unique. Those in Petra were hand carved from the sandstone, but around the world there are caves man made and natural, made from all different types of rock. Even if you’re looking for something less adventurous like a beach vacation or taking all inclusive resort style holidays to Mauritius or another island, there are bound to be caves nearby worth a look!

You can read more IF YOU GO tips on Petra on our original post <here>.

Photo: Temples of Naqa

June 15, 2011 By Jillian

Close your eyes for a moment. You’re driving along a newly paved tarmac road, eyes peeled for a “road” into the desert. There is literally nothing in sight save for some overhead powerlines. Your map indicates you make a right past the powerlines, but alas it isn’t to scale so you’re not really sure. You see some tire tracks into the desert and after discussion decide to follow. After a few hundred meters its clear you’re following some sort of path and you continue per your directions for nearly 20 kilometers. Besides a few desert shrubs there’s nothing. Eventually, just as you think you’re about to be lost in the desert, for the only road- the one you just turned off of- doesn’t show on your GPS, you see a sign. Naqa to the right, Musawarat to the left. You go right and after 10 more kilometers you see a concrete building like a mirage in the sand. As you pull up your car stalls, the guard comes out to greet you. You make small talk, pay your fee and decide that perhaps the car problem is that its too hot. The temperature is well over 100 F. As you approach the ruins you hear the tinkling of bells. Goats and a few sheperds crowd around a watering hole, pulling out precious buckets of liquid.

Few walls remain, but those that do are intricately carved with religious figures and stories. Ancient lion sculptures line a forgotten path to the main temple and despite the beating sun and scortching temperatures you are drawn to just “be” at the site.

This photo is from the ruins at Naqa, Sudan. In the middle of the desert, Naqa was certainly one of the most atmospheric places we’ve ever traveled to. Actually all of Sudan was incredible, check out our posts from Sudan.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Be sure to read our African visa guide before attempting to get a Sudanese visa, it can be a difficult process but there are some valuable tips we’ve shared to make things run smoother. Sudan is an incredible country, but due to ongoing political problems we were only able to travel in the North. You should absolutely check the latest travel warnings before embarking on a trip to Sudan and even better, try to contact people in the country for the best information. If you’re looking to explore the desert somewhere a bit easier logistically, you might want to look into holidays to Dubai.

Photo: Great Zimbabwe

April 27, 2011 By Jillian

Blame my Western focused education, but it wasn’t until late in my schooling that I ever heard of a large civilization existing in Africa (besides Ancient Egypt) before the Europeans arrived. To me it had always been the “Dark Continent” where awful pillaging and plundering had gone on for centuries. Of course over time my understanding and opinion on Africa and it’s politics and people has changed, but no site in all of Africa shed my Western-centric world view like Great Zimbabwe.

To be sure things are incredibly difficult in Zimbabwe at the present and have been that way for a long time. That meant we were practically alone at the important cultural site. The ruins, although heavily destroyed are of a larger scale than I had imagined and more extensive than I had pictured. The site, which means House of Big Rocks, lends it’s name to the nation and a sculpture found among the ruins, the fish eagle, serves as the country’s symbol. The ruins, despite their destruction today, prove that an extensive civilization existed in Africa well before the Europeans arrived, debunking and peeling layers away from our Western-centric world view.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

Photo: Giant Plants

April 22, 2011 By Jillian

Palenque was my first brush with the jungle. Tucked away in the jungles of Southern Mexico is the Mayan ruin of Palenque. Once an important religious site, all that remains are a series of pyramids and temples dedicated to their gods. For me it was fascinating and I was so excited to explore the site.

The ruins themselves are worth a visit, but I was enthralled by the giant plants. I had never seen leaves this big in my life and had to get a picture.
What you can’t tell in the picture is that I’m starting to freak out. Howler monkeys played in the trees behind me, but I hadn’t seen them yet. Their call is a bit like an African predator and I was literally shaking in my sandals thinking a giant animal was approaching. Needless to say we of course set off into the jungle to see the monkeys. We climbed muddy hills and followed animal paths, but never did get to see them.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

Photo of the Day: My Son

April 11, 2011 By Jillian

The spread of culture and religion across Asia is astounding. Perhaps no more so than the existance of anicent Hindu temples in Vietnam. Known as M? S?n, this collection of ruined temples in Central Vietnam are dedicated to the Lord Shiva. Built and inhabited between 4th and 14th centuries CE, the site was the religious and cultural center of the Cham Kingdom. Eventually the Viet conquored Central Vietnam and the Champa civilization fell. Unfortunately the ruins, rediscovered by the French in 1898, were heavily bombed during the Vietnam war, and today many of the temples lay in ruins. It’s certainly worth a visit though, and like so many forgotten sites, the jungle like atmosphere adds to the sense of adventure and exploration.

To see a few of our favorite photos from Vietnam click here.

Our PHOTO PAGE has links to all of our collections. Be sure to mark some of your own favorites so that we can include them on this column. We’ll be highlighting a different photo every day.

Photo: Petra’s Caves

Photo: Temples of Naqa

Photo: Great Zimbabwe

Photo: Giant Plants

Photo of the Day: My Son

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