Beyond Samarkand

Resting Place Originally uploaded by mercutio2k After weeks of waiting, I finally had the bike back. The day I picked it up, was day two of a sandstorm sweeping the western Kingdom. My original plan had been to get the bike and head back to Taif. The weather kept me in Jeddah another night. I ended up going out with a friend from the Government Relations Office. A young man who likes to be helpful, and is anxious to share his thoughts about Islam. It also gives him a chance to practice his English. It was a nice evening, but long. I met another American who had been in Saudi for years and the director of one of the Dawa centers. The conversation was interesting, but one that I have to be somewhat guarded in as my interpretation of Islam is much more liberal than the usual here. Anyway, this photo has received more views and more "Favorites" on Flickr than I would have expected. I like the the shot, but not that much. It's interesting to learn what people like in

Duckling Photographer Originally uploaded by mercutio2k I don't get a chance for many insanely cute photographs, but this picture of a friends daughter qualifies. We'd spent the early afternoon trying to catch the last sunlight for photos around Taif. Having met Mrs. Al Jauhara and her family has been a real God send. The compound in Taif has been very isolated. Now I have people to visit who know the area and are eager to share knowledge about their hometown. Also, having a friend who knows people and knows how to get things done is nice. Most import, is meeting someone who's active and engaged in life. Helping me to remember to be active and engaged in mine. On that thought, I bought new shoes, breeches and chaps for riding. I was introduced to the owner of the local stables, through Mrs. Al Jauhara, and will start taking riding lessons in the next couple of weeks. Work is busy next week and after that I'm going on holiday for a week. But, by mid-March I hop

Had nice comments the past few days on Flickr photos, both from long time friends that I have known and from people I only know through Flickr. But, one of the nice surprises is when people you don't know at all find your photos interesting. In this case a woman named Heather commented on photos of Taif that she liked. Turns out she's an Irish woman who has been living in Taif for eighteen years! Not only did I get nice feedback, I got details that I'd been curious about. Translations, proper names for buildings and what was the purpose of another one. Great stuff. I have to say Flickr has been one of the best things about "the Web 2.0" for me.