Month: Jul 2011

On holiday for a month.

Time to escape for a month – buy all the photography stuff I cannot get here in Oman…….. Film, chemicals, paper, a tow bar for my new LR2 (Freelander) a £ for Rial thing, not that it cannot be got! (It is proving to be very good off road)  after my Tdi 200 I was not sure but…

I must admit the thing is performing really well, still a little worried about the clearance, but I do go where others fear to tread! I will probably get larger tires when they need changing.

The new ‘Hill decent / terrain control’ works as it says on the box so have not missed the transfer gears.

It also looks better than the Bread van LR3.

Jimmy Hendrix on the stereo – now that ages me!

Camel riding & Rock Art.

Two things I find interesting about this image:

There is older art behind the legs of the Camel.

Several instances that I have seen depict the rider ‘standing’ on the camel’s back when riding. Not being familiar with the finer art of camel riding (I only got on one for the first time a few months back – they are not my favourite animal. Especially as one stole newly purchased fruit from my Landrover at Masirah; anyway Horses are far more comfortable to ride) A good excuse to educate myself on the development of camel riding.

Tower Tomb.

This was taken while going across the mountain from Qalhat, Kabda, Sayma and ending in Ibra.

Interesting drive and only possible with a 4×4 not to mention a full tank of fuel before leaving Qalhat: that is unless one has a diesel Discovery! which I had when I made this trip. No longer with me I am afraid as it was getting long in the tooth for this sort of journey (1994 Tdi 200) Try and get spare parts for a vehicle that old here in Oman………

Rock art research.

The Origin & Evolution of Ancient Arabian Scripts  – by Dr Majeed Khan.

This is a link to another ‘downloadable book’ on the subject of rock art research: this time with emphasis on Proto – Arabic script.

He puts forward the idea that rock art was a precursor of Arabic script, considered a somewhat polemic conclusion by some: but if the Arab Bedouin used rock art as an eventual form of communication, then it is not unreasonable to conclude that it could develop into a proto – Arabic script.

If you do not have a Facebook account (I certainly don’t – Life style!) it can still be read on line.