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• Xi’an Cityscape

  21Dec
  Categories: Photos Comments: 3

  
  This is the view from our hotel in Xi’an, China. Technical details: 2 exp HDR + Lucis, f/8, 30sec (+2 EV) & 8sec (0 EV), ISO 200

  Tags: china, cityscape, hdr, lucis, night, xian

• Wedding on the Lawn

  02Sep
  Categories: Photos Comments: 1

  Below is a shot over Roman Stoltzfoos’ farm as the sun sets over the pond and the wedding of Hilda Stoltzfoos and Michael Smucker is in full swing in the big white tent, tables spread across the lawn, and the white pavilion of the wedding party.

  

  Tags: hdr, pa, pennsylvania, pond, reflection, sunset, wedding

• Hebron: Cave of the Patriarchs, Machpelah, Mosque of Abraham

  14Mar
  Categories: Photos Comments: 3

  
  My buddy Ben whom I was hanging out with for the day and a Bethlehem taxi driver who rapidly became our buddy as well. The chicken and bread was excellent! My stomach is growling for it right now…

  
  The Ibrahimi Mosque, or Mosque of Abraham, which is located atop The Cave of the Patriarchs, or in Biblical terms The Cave of Machpelah which Abraham purchased from the Hittites as a burial ground.

  Wikipedia summarizes well the Cave/Mosque’s current status:

  After the Six Day War, the area came under the control of Israel, and the restriction limiting Jews to the 7th step was lifted. In 1994 Baruch Goldstein took an assault rifle into the enclosure and killed 29 Palestinian Muslims at prayer, as well as injuring 125 others, before being bludgeoned to death by survivors. The resulting riots left an additional 26 Palestinians and 9 Israelis dead, and the incident provoked national and international condemnation of Goldstein’s actions.

  The increased sensitivity of the site meant that in 1995 the Wye River Accords, part of the Arab-Israeli peace process, included a temporary status agreement for the site, restricting access for both Jews and Muslims. As part of this agreement, the waqf—a traditional “trust” holding land for Islamic religious purposes—controls 81% of the building. This includes the whole of the southeastern section, which lies above the only known entrance to the caves, and possibly over the entirety of the caves themselves. In consequence, Jews are not permitted to visit the Cenotaphs of Isaac or Rebekah, which lie entirely within the southeastern section, except for 10 days a year which hold special significance in Judaism. One of these days is the Shabbat of Chayei Sarah, when the Jews read the Torah portion concerning the death of Abraham and Sarah, and that concerning the purchase by Abraham of the land in which the caves are situated.

  The Israeli authorities do not allow Jewish religious authorities the right to maintain the site, and only allow the waqf to do so. Tourists are permitted to enter the site. Security at the site has increased since the Intifada, and the Israel Defense Forces surround the site with soldiers, and control access to the shrines.

  
  A view from the top of the steps on the Jewish side

  
  

  
  Praying, reading Scripture
  (notice this is a zoomed shot of the last pic)

  I was having trouble deciding how I wanted to interpret the above image. I have two more versions here and

  here. Tell me which you like best and what you like and don’t like about the various ones.

  
  

  
  An Orthodox Jewish lady reading the Scriptures. Notice the Arabic script on the mosque walls.

  
  A wider angle view of the outside. Unfortunately, the IDF soldiers wouldn’t let us go to the Arab/Muslim side, though we tried. So we had to stay on the Jewish side.

  
  The shuttered souk (marketplace)

  Tags: abraham, hdr, hebron, islam, israel, jewish, judaism, lucis, middle east, muslim, orthodox, palestine, panorama, Photography, Photos, synagogue, west bank

• Bethlehem: Church of Nativity

  10Mar
  Categories: Photos Comments: 1

  Wikipedia:

  The Church of the Nativity (Arabic: كنيسة المهد‎) in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and it is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam (see Jesus in Islam).

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Tags: bethlehem, church of nativity, hdr, israel, lucis, middle east, palestine, Photography, Photos, west bank

• Mar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem

  10Mar
  Categories: Photos Comments: 1

  One day while living in Jerusalem, I went with Ben, a British friend of mine who was taking a break from studying Arabic in Amman, to explore Bethlehem (and Hebron). We hopped in with a taxi driver who befriended us (and was delighted at my buddy’s excellent Arabic and my feeble Arabic) and he proceeded to take us around Bethlehem. One of the highlights was the Mar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem. Here’s what Wikipedia says:

  The Great Lavra of St. Sabas, known in Arabic as Mar Saba (Hebrew: מנזר מר סבא‎), is a Greek Orthodox monastery overlooking the Kidron Valley in the West Bank east of Bethlehem. It was founded by Saint Sabas of Cappadocia in the year 439 and today houses around 20 monks. It is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited monasteries in the world, and still maintains many of its ancient traditions. One in particular is the restriction on women entering the main compound. The only building that women can enter is the Women’s Tower, near the main entrance.

  And here’s a picture:

  
  

  Tags: bethlehem, hdr, israel, lucis, mar saba, monastery, palestine, panorama, Photography, west bank

• Laos – Pakse Market, Temple

  28Jan
  Categories: Photos Comments: 2

  
  Meat for sale

  
  Peppers

  
  Eggs

  Read more »

  Tags: hdr, laos, pakse, Photography, Photos, se asia

• Europe Day 11 – Switzerland Day 4 – Cookie factory, Fankhauser Anabaptist hideout, Cowbell store, and Muri farm

  09Oct
  Categories: Photos Comments: 2

  
  One of the hundreds of varieties of delicious cookies at the cookie factory

  
  Sampling and thoughtfully examining

  
  Benji approves of the cookie in question

  Read more »

  Tags: amish, anabaptist, benji, cookie, cowbell, dad, dietrich, europe, fankhauser, foosball, hdr, mom, muri, persecution, Photos, pictures, sound of music, switzerland

• Europe Day 11 – Switzerland Day 4 – Emmentaler Cheese factory, Haslebacher house, Trachselwald Castle

  08Oct
  Categories: Photos Comments: 0

  
  Listening to how cheese is made at a famous Emmentaler cheese factory

  
  Great vats of cheese

  
  

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  Tags: amish, anabaptist, benji, dietrich, europe, hans, hdr, Photos, pictures, switzerland

• Europe Day 10 – Switzerland Day 3 – Interlaken – Folklore Evening

  07Oct
  Categories: Personal, Photos Comments: 0

  
  Sun in the lamp

  
  The flower clock face

  
  One of the folklore people getting red in the face blowing the alp horn

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  Tags: dietrich, europe, folklore, hans, hdr, heidi, interlaken, lois, marvin, pictures, switzerland

• Europe Day 10 – Switzerland Day 3 – Interlaken

  23Sep
  Categories: Photos Comments: 0

  
  My wonderful tour director Dad

  
  Fishing on one of the two Interlaken lakes

  
  Boats near Interlaken

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  Tags: benji, boat, europe, hdr, heidi, interlaken, marvin, Photos, pictures, sunset, switzerland, train

• Europe Day 7 – Germany Day 2 – Wies Church, Oberammergau, and Linderhof

  05Sep
  Categories: Photos Comments: 3

  
  A typical country church

  
  Kristi walking down the path from the Wies Church, a not-so-typical, famous rococo church in Bavaria

  
  Columns, sky

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  Tags: euro 2008, europe, germany, hdr, Photos, pictures, turkey

• Europe Day 1 – Rome Day I

  27Aug
  Categories: Photos Comments: 2

  
  The Coliseum at night (HDR)

  
  Trying out my new 100-400! Heidi in the foreground, Benji in the background. We were in an old hotel called Hotel Esquilino right off of the Piazza Esquilino; I was leaning out one hotel room window, Heidi was leaning out another, and Benji was across the open courtyard looking out another with his signature look. I didn’t notice it ’til now, but Heidi looks great despite being severely jet-lagged and having just woken up.

  
  Taking wedding pictures, the groom, um, takes a picture of the bride

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  Tags: coliseum, europe, hdr, Photos, pictures, rome

• Church of All Nations (Garden of Gethsemane)

  23Aug
  Categories: Photos Comments: 0

  
  

  
  Nuns praying

  Tags: church of all nations, garden of gethsemane, hdr, israel, jerusalem, mount of olives, Photography

• Istanbul, Turkey – Bosporus Strait – Boats

  02Aug
  Categories: Photos Comments: 2

  Pictures from Istanbul, Turkey of the boats of the Bosporus Strait–the waterway that separates the European side of Istanbul/Turkey from the Asian side.

  (Of interest, this is my 700th post!)

  
  A ferry pulling into the Eminönü dock (you need to see this full-size to appreciate it fully)

  
  

  Make sure you don’t miss the pictures below the fold…

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  Tags: asia, boats, bosporus, bosporus strait, europe, hdr, istanbul, middle east, Photos, pictures, ships, turkey

• Israel – Ramallah, JD Concert

  26Jun
  Categories: Uncategorized Comments: 1

  
  

  
  Damascus Gate

  
  Alms

  
  School.. or prison?

  
  The ever-present UN

  
  Ramallah’s finest coffee

  
  Relaxing

  
  A Palestinian refugee camp and Israeli settlement near Ramallah–the settlement is above, camp below

  
  

  
  The late glorious leader

  
  We visited the refugee camp

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Yours truly in the Palestinian refugee camp

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Ready for war

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Stark contrast

  
  Ramallah

  
  The best schwarma place in Ramallah

  
  The Orthodox in Jerusalem

  
  

  
  

  There was a free outdoor concert right outside Jaffa Gate right by our hotel celebrating Jerusalem day. It was quite enjoyable. If you want the full size images, go here.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Tags: concert, hdr, jerusalem, jerusalem day, palestine, ramallah, refugee camp, west bank