Since I left Perth two days ago, I have been unable to upload any pictures for the blog. Will be in a Hotel in Ayers Rock starting Thursday so hope to have better luck with Internet there. Am in Alice Springs Library currently which I was told is the best internet connection around. It is…
Translated from Katta Djinoong, the text in the featured image reads, "I see you." This is part of a current exhibit of aboriginal art at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. So many of the paintings and sculptures are extraordinary so I had to be judicious in selecting a few for the blog. In addition…
The featured image is a sculpture honoring the businessmen who developed Perth 175 years ago. The Central Business District is intensely civilized, incorporating the earliest architecture into state of the art modern building design.
After 24 hours of travel from Muscat through Dubai, I landed in Perth yesterday at 1:30 am. After sleeping for 7 hours,…
The featured image shows a rifle and the Arabic lettering spells "gun gallery." I took this photograph in the Nizwa Souk, or bazaar. Oman men love rifles and swords, especially to wear at weddings. Wearing both a rifle and a sword, as well as your family dagger tucked in your waist scarf, at a wedding…
The featured image shows the Nomad Inn, a guest house in Muscat. It attracts travelers of all types as well as houses ex-pats who work in Oman. The canopied balcony is right outside the room where I have been staying for a week. The roof deck is where there is a communal dinner in the…
The featured image is a photograph taken inside an old fort in Nizwa, a sizeable oasis 100 miles southwest of Muscat, the capital. Those readers who know me well will recognize that , yes, I now have another window photo to add to my collection of window photographs.
Driving outside the capital is unsettling.
The Omani Hajjar…
So few art galleries in Oman allow for photographs. Photography of the ones included in this post was encouraged because all are for sale. These are my favorites of the Omani artists:
And the paint the oryx contest.
That's me in the featured image. Had to pay $8 to rent an abaya so I could enter the Grand Mosque. And, it is grand. The main prayer room chandelier is one of the largest ever made and the silk carpet in that room is the largest single Persian carpet ever made. The Sultan paid for it. I took a video but my server bounced it back. Even though it is a really short video it is apparently too large to post here!
- And here is one of the many palaces of the Sultan. He is much beloved in Oman, if not the world, and he is ailing. He leaves no direct heir so it is hoped one of his cousins will succeed him.
The Omani hijab is modified for the flight attendants on Emirates Air. A sexy look, don't you think? The veil is worn while greeting and saying good-bye to passengers, not while serving food. That would not work well. The rest of the outfit is smart: knee length form fitting skirts, medium high heels and a…
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a World Heritage Site and is ranked the 7th most beautiful garden in the world. It is the only botanical garden with mountains as a backdrop. I took the free two hour tour and was enchanted.
The show stopper for me was this unlikely couple. I like to imagine they are…