The Flavor of Ancient Egypt

Syracuse (Siracusa), Sicily, Italy ~ April 27, 2004

Island of Ortygia

Fontaine d'Aréthuse, Papyrus

One of the coolest things about hot Syracuse was its flavor of ancient Egypt. Syracuse is the only place in Europe where papyrus grows "in a natural setting," as I read on this site. Scroll past the gigantic hotel ads and you can read more about papyrus in this Mediterranean city that seems to be part Europe and part Africa. We missed the papyrus museum, which may be on the mainland, and it appears that there is an opportunity for a career move if anyone should take a photo of it. I couldn't find one. There was a thriving papyrus industry in Syracuse at one time. 

Papyrus grows in the refreshing Fontaine d'Aréthuse with its resident white ducks and long, dark fish.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

From the Belvedere, Ravello

Ravello, Italy ~ April 19, 2004

I think this is a good picture to begin the year: a far horizon, romance, more than a hint of adventure, and a lot of clean, blue space for dreaming.

Photos from Italy 2004 are dated about one day off starting with some of my posts in 2012. This is due to a problem with the date stamp in the JPG file. It was taking too long to figure it out each time, so I've gone with the date on the photo. In case this should ever matter.

My Web Page: tapirback.com

Bright and Wild

Washington Coast ~ September 19, 2004

Near the Columbia River

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Evening Tide

Kona Coast, Hawaii ~ September 23, 2007

This is just how the photo came out of the camera, except for cropping and a teeny bit of contrast. It was evening, and the camera faced the hazy setting sun across tide pools on the rocky shore.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Cape Kiwanda

Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Oregon
March 12, 2006

See more reflections from around the world.

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Dinner at Sunset

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ~ February 2, 2007

At this hour, the glass lamp needs no flame. But do enlarge the photo. It's much better, I promise.

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Calm Inside

Near Tillamook Bay, Oregon ~ March 11, 2006

From North Jetty looking north

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The Beach at Trindade

Trindade, Brazil ~ April 21, 2007

For those like me who don't speak Portuguese, one of the concepts to learn is that a "d" is sometimes pronouced the way we pronounce a "j." I don't know the rule, but in this case, the name of the town and beach are "Trin-da'-juh." Trindade (near Paraty [pronounced "Para-chi'] in Rio de Janeiro State) is a small town on a gem of a beach located several hours from Sao Paulo. We went with a group to the beach, where we attended a post-wedding party for friends and colleagues after a conference on tapir conservation in Sorocaba, Brazil, in which we had all taken part. The morning was lazy, and the tiny hotel had a second-floor deck outside the breakfast room. You can just see the roof of the rooms below at the bottom of the photo. For more photos of the area, here's what I came up with on my search of Google Images.

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Colorful Kayaks

An island off the coast of Belize ~ February 2, 2005

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Orange Flowers, Sayulita

Sayulita, Mexico ~ February 10, 2007

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From the balcony

Sayulita, Mexico ~ February 9, 2007

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Framed

Kauai, Hawaii ~ September 24, 2006

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Oregon Coast

Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Oregon ~

March 12, 2006

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

King angelfish

Off of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ~ February 2, 2007

The water was murky, but the king angelfish with their blazing yellow tails hovered in abundance. The snorkeling guide had brough bread to feed them, so there was a lot of commotion over who got the goodies.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Dark clouds

Islands off of Sayulita, Mexico ~ February 10, 2006

We actually tried to snorkel along the rocks here, but the water was rough, and we couldn't see much. It was an interesting experience, though. I'd do it again.

Enjoy Watery Wednesday around the world. Share the fun!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Green boat

Off the coast of Belize ~ February 2, 2005

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Effects of storm

Rockaway Beach, Oregon ~ March 11, 2006

I took this photo from Tillamook Bay's North Jetty along the Oregon Coast. The day was inspiring, if a bit chilly. The sky was glorious, the ocean romantic, but look closely and you'll see how wild and wind-blown the waves are. On the other side of the jetty, the swells were so powerful, it was awesome to watch them surge through an opening between the main breakwater and an outcropping of rocks. If that hadn't been enough of a hint, there were several wooden crosses near where I stood, decorated with flowers and mementos, even a pair of rubber boots. The message of the day seemed clear as we observed people fishing in these high seas. Enjoy the ocean, but never, never forget to respect what it can do. "Handle with Care."