One of the most incredible parts of visiting the South Africa was getting the opportunity to do a African Safari. It has been something I had dreamed of for a long time. So I will have to say that I was very privileged to have been able to go on game drives here in the Thornybush Game Reserve on the outskirts of the larger Kruger National … [Read more...]
Category: Photo Essay
Photo Essay: Kismet Fire Island – New York
Kismet New York is the westernmost settlement on Fire Island, the 30 some mile long barrier Island off the Southern Coast of Long Island New York. Kismet has been lived in for hundreds of years, first by the Natives of the region and then later the Dutch and for over a hundred Years Kismet, Fire Island has also existed as a set of settlements on … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: Acadia National Park
One of the oldest and most Visited Parks, Acadia National Park is certainly now one of my favorites as well. Also as someone who lives in the mid-Atlantic, one of the few really great parks that is reasonable distance from home as well. Established in 1916, the park was named for the French settlers to the area. Most of the park occupies desert … [Read more...]
16 of my Best Photographs and Moments from 2016
This year seemed to just fly by. But it was one of the most interesting years I’ve had on record and one of the most photogenic. So I wanted to share 16 of my most memorable moments. Some of them are happy, some terrifying, and some perhaps sad. But here we go. * * * * * There is something about Istanbul, one of those eternal and … [Read more...]
Old City of Jeddah Saudi Arabia (UNESCO WHS)
I have always liked Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea in present day Saudi Arabia. Jeddah has been a city welcoming pilgrims, travelers, and business people for centuries across various empires that have come through this area. Famously Jeddah is the entry point for most of the pilgrims who come for the Hajj (as well as Umrah) and for it the city … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: The old town of Al-Ula – Saudi Arabia
Al-Ula, the beautiful oasis in North Eastern Saudi Arabia has a long and storied history. People have been living in this region for centuries…well actually millennia. It makes sense as it is the reason we are here, to see the ancient city of Mada’in Saleh and of course the surrounding regions too. What you don’t realize is that there is so much … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: Wanderings in Salalah Oman
Salalah Oman is one of those places that is so beautiful and so magical yet so few people know anything about it. Surprisingly that even is the case among Arabs. Perhaps being peaceful and quiet means people generally ignore you. Additionally Oman is not as flashy as some of its neighbors to the North such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai. And honestly … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: Views of Mysore – India
As I wrote earlier I had taken a quick trip down to Mysore and Bangalore from Hyderabad with my cousins. For all of us it was our first time in Karnataka and against my better judgment we ended up taking a day tour of each of the places. Alas, however that doesn’t mean I am without photos, although probably without as many good stories. Beyond … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: Prophet’s Birthday in Hyderabad India
It was a warm January over there in Hyderabad this year. We were there mostly to try to catch up with family, go shopping, and relax and enjoy the escape from the terrible “polar vortex that hounded the US”. The Prophet Muhammad's (SAWS) birthday is not something that is generally celebrated with a lot of fanfare. In many … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: Wandering through As-Salt Jordan
One of the things a lot of tourists don’t end up seeing is the absolutely beautiful city of As-Salt that sits nearby as basically a suburb of the larger Amman. What even fewer realize is that As-Salt was actually the first capital and probably one of the most beautiful cities in all of Jordan. So I wanted to share a few of the photos and … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: Visiting Ice at the Gaylord National Hotel
I had no intentions of visiting the Ice display at the Gaylord National Hotel. But one of my friends had a friend visiting and they already purchased tickets and I figured I should probably go along and what it is all about. Annually the hotel hosts an ice display that I had heard about for a few years now living in the DC area and … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: 2012 Emirates Melbourne Cup
Photos from the Famous 2012 Emirates Melbourne Cup in Melbourne Australia. I have heard about the race for years, but never had the chance to attend it. Honestly this was my first ever Horse Race! I don’t think I’m going to get into horse races perhaps, but it was interesting getting the chance to see the 152nd running of this iconic … [Read more...]