http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk An eclectic mix of photos and travel stories from some of the most interesting destinations on the planet en-us http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/cyprusvideos.shtml I've now put up some videos of our time in Cyprus. They were originally made for our site podcastsinenglish.com I've also put up a map of cyprus with links to all the places we visited at cyprus map. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/cyprusvideos.shtml Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/kyrenia/kyrenia.shtml Kyrenia, jewel of the North coast, is probably the most picturesque coastal town in Cyprus. The picture postcard harbour certainly is but the huge residential developments which are spreading like wildfire along the coast certainly aren't. The harbour itself is no longer used as such, except for tourist boats and the quay is lined with restaurants. Despite its 'falseness' it certainly is attractive and there is no better place to have a cold beer and enjoy some seafood while staring into the turquoise clear water. You can even contemplate an exploration of the huge Kyrenia castle which dominates the scene. Try to soak up the Mediterranean atmosphere and ignore the English retirees ensconced in the Daily Mail. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/kyrenia/kyrenia.shtml Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/famagusta/famagusta.shtml The guidebooks gave me a very wrong impression of Famagusta. They make out like it is a ghost town with huge Venetian walls encircling a few crumbling buildings with everything overgrown and left to nature. The walls are there for sure as are the ruins but there are also plenty of people living there as well, in newish houses and with the usual infrastructure. In fact the central area around the cathedral has undergone a degree of rehabilitation and pedestrianisation with a few pleasant cafes and all round it had a very pleasant feel to it - despite the dark clouds which swirled around threatening to dump on us at any moment. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/famagusta/famagusta.shtml Tue, 3 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/walks/walks.shtml West and south of the cottage we ventured away from the mountains into the wide Guzelyurt plain and its burgeoning orchards of oranges. Nearby is the bay of the same name where we went on a few walks and then stretching around the bay we found the ancient cities of Soli and hilltop Palace of Vouni. We also spent an afternoon in the foothills of the Troodos mountains in the village of Lefke. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/walks/walks.shtml Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/nicosia/nicosia.shtml The day we explored Nicosia was the worst weatherwise of our holiday. Cold and dreary - just like a typical British weekend! It didn't dampen our spirits though as there were plenty of places to explore while wandering around the labyrinthine streets of the old city. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/nicosia/nicosia.shtml Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/hilarion/hilarion.shtml St. Hilarion is one of a number of fairytale castles nestled in the craggy hills of the Kyrenia range which lines the northern coast of Cyprus. We explored the ruins one clear, cold, windswept day and got some great views both on the way and while exploring the empty castle. A top day! http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/hilarion/hilarion.shtml Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/cyprus.shtml Welcome to Cyprus! And more specifically Carob Cottage. Me and Jackie spent 10 days in post Christmas chill out mode staying here in the middle of the countryside in Northern Cyprus and had a great time. Lots of sightseeing, walking, eating and general mooching. This first page is just a few photos of around the cottage. Upcoming pages will feature trips to the orange growing areas of the far North West, a daytrip to old Nicosia, Lofty Castles in the Kyrenia Range, Famagusta and the far East, a trip to the charming old port of Kyrenia and a page of various walks we did in the countryside. I also hope to put up a few videos as well. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/cyprus/cyprus.shtml Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/aqaba/aqaba.shtml August in Amman is damned hot, so where do we go on holiday? To Aqaba where it's even hotter! Aqaba has one big advantage though. It's by the sea - the Red Sea which is fantastic for diving and that's why we went. We stayed three nights in Aqaba followed by a trip a few miles north and a night camping in the amazingly beautiful Wadi Rum, one of the most beautiful places in Jordan. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/aqaba/aqaba.shtml Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/dana/dana.shtml We had friends visiting us in August 2008 so we took the opportunity of visiting one of the top natural attractions of Jordan, Dana Nature Reserve. Basically, millions of years ago the surface of the Earth ruptured round these parts creating a huge rift valley. The land on the west went down and the land on the east went up. On the west there is the Dead Sea valley and the lowest place on Earth. On the East there is the desert plateau stretching to Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Over millions of years, water flowed from the high plateau to the Dead Sea forming some huge gorges or wadis. Wadi Mujib is one which is covered on other pages. Near Dana there a quite a few smaller ones. And where these Wadis are, there is an amazing diversity of life and beautiful landscapes and so in its wisdom, the Jordanian Government made the area around Dana a nature reserve. Except we didnt go there. Just south of Dana the landscape is just as breathtaking and unspoiled but we were told that there was a little privately run campsite which had much more character than the official Dana one and so that is where we headed http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/dana/dana.shtml Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/home/home.shtml#newhouse As of August '08 we've been living in and loving Amman. Here are a few photos of the expanding garden and cat family. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/home/home.shtml#newhouse Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/greece/index.shtml Wadi Mujib is one of the undiscovered gems of Jordan. If you are travelling along the King's Highway you will need to cross this huge canyon. There are some pictures on the king's highway page, but for this trip we went to where the wadi reaches the Dead Sea. Here the canyon is sheer and narrow and there are some convenient cabins nearby, right on the Dead Sea, in which to spend the night. These photos are from a trip we took in June 2008. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/mujib/mujib.shtml Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/greece/index.shtml Not much of Greece I'm afraid, just Athens. I went on a business trip for a week in May 2008. Overall I was quite impressed by the place. As expected they had done a lot of work since the Olympics and so transport and pollution was much better than in previous times. The main tourist area in central Athens is La Plaka. It's a very old area of Athens and the narrow streets and lanes have been extensively pedestrianised. The old houses have been on the whole tastefully renovated and many have been converted into tourist shops and pavement cafes. The old squares are now almost completely filled with restaurants but the whole place has a really relaxed vibe looked down upon by the great mass of the Acropolis. While I was there the Parthenon was being renovated and so covered in scaffolding. However it was still very impressive as were the views from the top. Apart from La Plaka and the Acropolis there is nothing much else to see in Athens except perhaps over 200 museums and quite a pleasant central park http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/greece/index.shtml Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/food/album/index.html In the last page of our trip to Spain, I highlight a few of the culinary delicacies which made our holiday so special. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/food/album/index.html Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/granada/granada.shtml In many ways Granada was the highlight of the whole trip. The first view I got of the Alhambra wth the snow capped Sierra Nevada in the background was simply stunning. And we had a geat day trip exploring the region. And of course the food... http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/granada/granada.shtml Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/cadiz/cadiz.shtml Cadiz, undiscovered gem of the south coast. Here we wandered narrow lanes and also found time to visit the site of Nelson's triumph and a pretty 'white village' http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/cadiz/cadiz.shtml Tue, 8 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/seville/seville.shtml In Seville we saw a huge cathedral, joined in a local fiesta and of course sampled more excellent tapas http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/seville/seville.shtml Mon, 7 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/madrid/madrid.shtml In Madrid the weather is not great but we make the most of some excellent food and drink. Then we head south for the rest of our holiday. In Cordoba we visit the great mosque/cathedral and enjoy the flowers. Next up...Seville http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/madrid/madrid.shtml Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/spain.shtml Welcome to Spain! We took a two week holiday in May 2008 visiting Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Cadiz and Granada. We took 1000 photos, so as of now (June) I'm going to be very busy sorting out the best and writing the photojournals for the pages. However, one of the highlights was definitely the food, so I will also devote a whole page to some of the most mouthwatering dishes we tried. Pages will be going up over the next few weeks so watch this space! As a taster, here is a map of all the places we visited along with a few photos. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/spain/spain.shtml Wed, 4 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/king/king.shtml The King's Highway is the name given to the modern incarnation of the ancient route which travels almost the entire length of Jordan from Amman in the north to Petra in the south. Giants throughout history have trodden its path from Moses through the great Roman Emperors to Richard the Lionheart. Not surprisingly it is therefore the site of many historical monuments and also not just a few natural ones including Jordan's 'Grand Canyon'. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/king/king.shtml Mon, 5 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/petra/petra.shtml I first visited Petra when I was living in Cairo in 2000 and so some of the photos on this page are from that trip. Pre-digital camera days for me meant that the scanned photos lack the sharpness of the other photos taken on a more recent trip in April 2008. Petra. But what an amazing place. Emerging from the canyon almost too narrow for a horse and cart and then to be confronted by the ancient treasury chiselled out of the sandstone cliff has got to be one of the most amazing sights in the world. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/petra/petra.shtml Thu, 1 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/desert/desert.shtml Jordan's deserts comprise 80% of the land area but only 5% of the population. the biggest desert starts as the suburbs of Amman peter out and continue East to the Iraqi, Syrian and Saudi borders. The area is mainly desolate as you'd expect but there are a few highlights, both natural and man-made. One of these is Azraq oasis which used to provide water for roaming herds of animals. Unfortunately since the 1960's it has had to supply water to Jordan's burgening population and has therefore become an environmental disaster to such an extent that the the wetlands dried up completely. Since 1994 water has been pumped back into the wetlands but into a tiny area compared to previous years. However, it is still an important stopover point for migrating birds which can still be seen, mainly in spring. And that is why we chose this time of year to visit. In addition to the Oasis we also wanted to see the nearby Shaumari reserve. Established in 1975 it was set up to reintroduce wildlife that had disappeared from the region most notably the Arabian Oryx. The man-made highlights of the region are the so-called 'desert castles', only one of which being a castle - Azraq - famous for sheltering Lawrence of Arabia during the arab revolt in 1917. Other so-called castles include Qasayr Amra, a former bath house complex built around 700AD and Qasr Kharana a building standing alone in the deep desert, its function and history almost completely unknown. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/desert/desert.shtml Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/egypt/cairo/cairo.shtml I lived for a year in Cairo in 2000. I returned on business for a week in January 2008. While I was stuck in meetings for most of the week, Jackie was out taking photos - here are a few highlights http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/egypt/cairo/cairo.shtml Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/thailand/videos.shtml It's winter in Jordan but it is forever summer in Thailand. I've put a page together that contains all our videos from Thailand. A few from the globalwanderings pages, a few from podcastsinenglish.com, our podcasting site for learners and teachers of English, and a few that have never even seen the light of day before! I hope you enjoy them. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/thailand/videos.shtml Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/countries/jordan/snow/snow.shtml Think of Jordan and you generally think of desert. And you'd be right 90% of the time. However, in January 2008 we had a couple of days of quite heavy snow. Locals said they hadn't seen it like this for over 20 years and everything came to a complete standstill. If you are from colder climes you may think the following pictures are nothing special, except perhaps for photos of palm trees covered in snow, but for Jordanians it was a very strange sight. All the more strange for me was the fact that the streets were absolutely deserted. The government had told everyone to stay indoors because it was dangerous. This was a few inches of snow we were talking about. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/snow/snow.shtml Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/aleppo/aleppo.shtml If anything the souk in Aleppo is even more fascinating (and labyrinthine) than its counterpart in Damascus. Like Damascus, it is in the heart of the old city, surrounding the great mosque and consisting of a seemingly infinite number of small covered passageways down which travel people, donkeys and increasingly, small suzuki pickups often no wider than the alley itself. The only major difference is that the whole city both new and old is overlooked by the magnificant citadel. We took a couple of days to explore both. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/aleppo/aleppo.shtml Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/hama/hama.shtml Hama is a medium sized town midway between Damascus and Aleppo and so an ideal place to stop for a few days to explore the hinterland. There are plenty of things to see including two of the highlights of Syria, the crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers and the Roman ruins at Apamea. Hama is also a worthy stop in itself. It is situated on the banks of the Orontes River in one of the few fertile areas of Syria. It has a pleasant central market area and a small, attractive and partially reconstructed old town. However, it is most famous for its water wheels which have been in place here for over 1500 years. In the middle of town there are a couple which form the centrpiece of an attractive park (were it not for all the litter that is a blight on most of Syria). http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/hama/hama.shtml Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/palmyra/palmyra.shtml Palmyra is probably the most well-known of Syria's attractions. It is certainly also one of the most impressive historical sites of the region. Its position, in the middle of the Syrian desert, only adds to its aura and even if you are bored with yet another ancient pile of rocks and stones you can't fail to be impressed by the desert surroundings. This whole scene dominated by a magnificent arab castle. The Palmyra page also exhibits some fine desert scenery from the trip there and back. And a video of the site itself. Enjoy... http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/palmyra/palmyra.shtml Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/damascus/damascus.shtml Damascus lays claim to the title of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world dating from 3000BC, preceding the Egyptians who actually captured it in 1500BC. However, most of the present day city is definitely Arabic in nature including Great Mosque and the surrounding souks and old city. This is where we concentrated our time in this intriguing, colourful and bustling of cities. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/damascus/damascus.shtml Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/syria/syria.htm We spent a couple of weeks in Syria over Christmas 2007. It was enough to give us a taster but also to ensure we came back to explore further. We managed to visit most of the major sights which included Damascus, Palmyra, Crac des Chevaliers and Aleppo with its citadel and famous souk. We also took over 700 photographs so it may take me a while to sift though the best to upload onto the site. Keep checking over the next few weeks as new pages go up. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/northern_ruins/northern_ruins.shtml Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/northern_ruins/northern_ruins.shtml Once settled in, it was time to explore the countryside. Here are the photos from two trips we did in October. For the first, we headed off past Madaba to Herod's temple overlooking the Dead Sea and site of John the Baptist's beheading, for the second we explored the Roman ruins of Jerash and Umm Qais. Both trips were actually more memorable for the stupendous views rather than the sites themselves. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/northern_ruins/northern_ruins.shtml Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/home/home.shtml Six weeks in Jordan and still not totally settled into our new home. The phone is now connected but we are still waiting on our internet connection. 'It's Ramadan' being the ready made explantation for things not being done on time. Still, the house is taking shape and this page features a few pics from the day we moved in and a month later. It also features the newest resident (pictured left), Gerrard, who was rescued off the street and has quickly made the place his home as well. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/home/home.shtml Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/jordan.htm Welcome to Jordan! We arrived in this land of contrasts at the end of August 2007. Some people told us it was boring and quiet, yet others told us it was dangerous – how could it not be nestled between Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Despite these contradictory warnings, in our first week we only find positives - the people are friendly and welcoming, the weather is great, the food is delicious, apparently crime is almost non existent and despite Amman not being one of the prettiest capitals in the world it is a fine place to live. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/wanderings_africa/jordan/jordan.htm Sun, 16 Sep 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/island_wanderings/jersey/jersey.shtml After the Isle of Man we went to Jersey, another staunchly independent 'British island' and home of Jackie's family. Half the size of the Isle of Man but with the same population, it lacks the rugged beauty but is probably prettier and certainly has some of the best beaches I've seen anywhere. You be the judge. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/island_wanderings/jersey/jersey.shtml Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/island_wanderings/iom/iom.shtml After leaving Thailand behind, we spent a few weeks in the UK. First stop Isle of Man, land of my birth. Here are a few snapshots of our time there in August 2007. http://www.globalwanderings.co.uk/island_wanderings/iom.shtml Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:00:00 GMT