![Bab al-Ghuri, Khan al-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/13-27843-post/00-0014-Khan-al-Khalili-Bazaar-Gateway_6613(pp_w658_h438).jpg) Bab al-Ghuri You can buy almost anything here at Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. If you search, you might even find Aladdin’s lamp in one of the shops nestled either side of this stone gate built by Sultan al-Ghuri in 1511.
Two of the great joys of travel are eating and shopping!
Any visitor to these pages know I love exploring markets. I love the colour and the chaos; I love the photographic challenges they present; I love the insight they give into local people’s lives.
I don’t even mind the pseudo ‘workshop’ visits that are part of almost any organised group trip. For while they are principally aimed at the tourist’s dollars, they are also a break from the more serious museums, and give an insight into local products and craftsmanship. As the vendors hope, I often succumb to temptation – although I try to buy consumables, or small gifts, rather than collecting yet more souvenirs for my already crowded home.
After an intense morning of heat and history at the pyramids of Giza (see: Stories in Ancient Stone), I was happy to have a coffee in the air conditioned comfort of a papyrus store, where a brief explanation of how papyrus is made into paper preceded a lengthy opportunity to buy artworks or hieroglyphics. A visit to the Egyptian Museum (where I wasn’t allowed to use my cameras inside the museum, but could use my primitive old iPhone6) fleshed out some of the morning’s history.
Everywhere we went, markets beckoned, but none was more beguiling than the honeycomb of ancient streets making up Cairo’s magical, medieval Khan el-Khalili. As a centre of trade, this historic souq (souk, or marketplace) was established between 1382 and 1389. Some of the buildings and city gates that the market incorporates date back even further. The density of cultural heritage and historic Islamic, Mamluk, and Ottoman architecture found here contribute to – along with the mosque and museum we had visited that same day (see: The Gayer-Anderson Museum and Ibn Tulun Mosque) – the UNESCO’s World Heritage listing of ‘Historic Cairo’.
If you hit shopping overload, there are plenty of cafes to stop and just people-watch. We did even better! Our day – and our Egyptian sojourn – ended with a home-cooked meal with a local family in Cairo.
Join me!
![Woman in a hijab explaining papyrus, Giza Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/13-27843-post/0-001-Explaining-Papyrus_7639(pp_w658_h438).jpg) Explaining Papyrus As the tour buses role through, saleswomen are kept busy, explaining the iconography in the artworks …
![Portrait: Woman in a hijab explaining papyrus, Giza Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/13-27843-post/0-003-Explaining-Papyrus_7649(pp_w658_h438).jpg) Cyperus Papyrus … and demonstrating how the common Nile grass …
![Portrait: Woman in a hijab explaining papyrus, Giza Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Making Papyrus … gets made into durable paper.
![Three men making koshary, Koshary Abou Tarek, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Making Koshary for Lunch If you want good, fast food, go where the locals eat! Koshary Abou Tarek in Cairo is a hive of activity, serving up Egypt’s national dish. A popular street food, koshary (kushari, or koshari) is a tasty mix of pasta, rice, and lentils, with a spicy sauce and garnish. Yum! (iPhone6)
![White statue of a pharaoh in a glass case, Egyptian Museum, Cairo](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Ghosts of the Past The Egyptian Museum is said to be the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, and houses the largest collection of pharaonic antiquities in the world. (iPhone6)
![Sculpture of King Menkaure, Hathor and Waset, Egyptian Museum, Cairo](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Timeless Black Schist Triad The age of these artworks is mind boggling! This triad depicts King Menkaure, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt (centre), flanked by the Goddess Hathor and Waset, the ancient God of Thebes. In spite of its modern appearance, it dates to around 2500 BC. (iPhone6)
![Painted limestone statue of Niankhre II, Egyptian Museum, Cairo](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) “Everyman” Pharaohs are not the only ones immortalised: this painted limestone statue of Niankhre II, a physician, dates to the Fifth Dynasty (2494–2345 BC). (iPhone6)
![Tutankhamun](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Tutankhamun’s Collar The riches that were buried with this young pharaoh are simply awe-inspiring. (iPhone6)
![Man glass blowing, Essence Of Life AlFayed Perfume, Aswan Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Glass Blowing I love watching glass blowers as they sculpt it into wonderfuls shapes over flame. This was near the entry of a large store in Aswan selling essential oils.
![Ornate glass bottles, Essence Of Life AlFayed Perfume, Aswan Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Ornate Glass Bottles Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians were making perfumes at least 5000 years ago.
![Bottles of essential oils, Essence Of Life AlFayed Perfume, Aswan Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Essential Oils Egyptian priests used aromatic resins to sweeten the smell of sacrificial offerings, and oils have long been believed to have psychological, physiological, and spiritual healing properties.
![Bottling essential oils, Essence Of Life AlFayed Perfume, Aswan Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Preparing Fragrances Today, the essential oils are packaged for tourists to take home with them. After a cooling karkade (hibiscus iced tea), we were treated to samples of healing oils and fragrances that mimicked expensive branded perfumes.
![Buying essential oils, Essence Of Life AlFayed Perfume, Aswan Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Buying Fragrance Even though I had bought frankincense resin at the markets earlier that day, neither I nor the rest of my group could resist! I’ve read many unhappy reviews from similar places in Cairo, but I can’t fault this one in Aswan: I’m still loving my ‘Secret of the Desert’ – and my ‘not-quite-Chanel’.
![Fresh fruit at the market, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Fresh Fruit in the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar Markets bring a city to life!
![Souvenirs packed into a display, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Souvenirs Although this historical market still houses local merchants, craftsmen, and traders, …
![Souvenirs packed into a display, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Trinkets … much of it today targets tourists.
![Traditional glass tea set, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Traditional Glass and Brass Tea Set
![](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Qalawun Complex The souq is bounded on the west by El Moez Street – or al-Muizz Street – transliteration from Arabic is notoriously slippery. This kilometre (0.6 mile) long pedestrian street is crowded with magnificent examples of Islamic architecture. This building, named after the the seventh Bahri Mamluk Sultan Qalawun, was built between 1284–1285 and includes a hospital, a madrasa, and his mausoleum.
![Madrasa and Mosque of al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Madrasa and Mosque of al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub Directly across the street, the extensive complex started by the Ayyub Sultan As-Salih Ayyub in 1242, stands tall.
![Blue-painted doorways, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) El Moez Street Doorways Shops are tucked into every nook and cranny.
![Craftsman hammering metal in a laneway, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Craftsman in a Laneway There are still a few craftsmen working in the narrow laneways – although fewer than in the past.
![Craftsman](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Tooling Metal I was fascinated watching the intricate work taking shape.
![Bab al-Ghuri, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Al-Ghuri’s Gate The last Mamluk Sultan al-Ghuri (r. 1501–1516) redeveloped this area; the southern gate of Suq al-Nabulsi remains from that time.
![Upstairs balcony, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Living in the Old City Houses and workshops fill the upper floors of many of the old buildings.
![Foods for sale, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Foods for Sale Dates are ubiquitous in the Middle East.
![Old stone gate, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Another Old Gate
![Old Minaret against a gray sky, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Minaret There are so many old mosques in in this neighbourhood, I couldn’t identified most of them, …
![Al-Azhar Mosque, Khan el-Khalili, Cairo Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Al-Azhar Mosque … but the distinctive Al-Azhar Mosque marking the southern boundary of the market stands out. One of the oldest mosques in Egypt, it was originally established in 972. The three minarets make it immediately recognisable: especially the double-finial minaret of Qansah al-Ghuri.
![Pots on the stove in a Cairo kitchen, Egypt.](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cairo Kitchen We finished our last day in a middle-class Cairo home, … (iPhone6)
![Portrait: Egyptian woman in her kitchen, Cairo](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cairo Home-Cook … where our bubbly hostess, teacher and mother of two … (iPhone6)
![Portrait: Egyptian woman in her dining room, Cairo](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cairo Dinner Table … laid out a wonderful meal, and introduced us to her family.
![Night lights on the Nile from the Novotel Cairo, Egypt](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Last Lights on the Nile From my hotel room, I had a last view over the majestic Nile River.
I departed Egypt with several pieces of Egyptian cotton which I paid too much for – and some of it was later found to be synthetic. And, my beautiful blue-stone necklace discoloured my neck on the very first wearing!
Caveat emptor applies even more when you know you are a target, and purchasers in foreign ports need to pay special attention to what they are buying.
But, I love my souvenirs anyway, and I’m always sorrier for the things I don’t buy. It’s all part of the fun!
Pictures: Cairo: 06October2019 and 12October2019; Aswan: 10October2019
Posted in Architecture,Egypt,TravelTags: architecture,arts and crafts,Egypt,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,market,Photo Blog,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
![Rock pools full of water, shells and sea creatures, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Rock Pools It is impossible to count the number of tidal rock pools on Vancouver Island’s beautiful Botanical Beach – and each one is unique in its colours and textures.
It is nice when advertising slogans actually make sense and ring true!
British Columbia (BC), Canada’s western-most province, has coined the phrase: Super, Natural British Columbia. And it fits. Wherever you go, there are natural spaces of the most incredible beauty.
I had landed in Vancouver, and almost immediately headed for the woods and nature trails (see: Back in the Land of Tall Trees). I was lucky: some time later, I was visiting with ‘friends-in-the-know’ on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of BC. They took me to visit what used to be called Botanical Beach Provincial Park, but since 1996 has been subsumed under the larger Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. This magnificent coastal preserve is a two-hour drive from where I was staying in Victoria. It sits overlooking the Salish Sea – or the Strait of Juan de Fuca, depending on the age of your maps – and is accessed through the tiny community of Port Renfrew. Serious multi-day hikers know the locale because it is the trailhead for the celebrated Juan de Fuca Marine Trail and the historic West Coast Trail; even so, it is not an area I would have found by accident.
But, like every other corner of this remarkable province, it is a joy!
Botanical Beach, with its abundance of intertidal life, was identified as a notable location for the study of marine tidepools by Dr. Josephine Tildon from the University of Minnesota. The university set up a marine station in 1900 – but students had to travel by steamship from Victoria to Port Renfrew, and then walk a narrow and muddy trail (with all their scientific equipment) the rest of the way. A road was promised but never built, and the station closed in 1907.
Fortunately, we were able to drive to the trail head, from whence the beach was an easy one kilometre (0.6 miles) walk!
Come for a waterfront stroll among the tidal pools.
![Dappled light on skunk cabbage leaves, , Botanical Beach Provincial Park, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Western Skunk Cabbage in the Shadows Skunk cabbages (Lysichiton americanus) are ubiquitous in the wet spaces here. They are also monocots – which I had to look up: monocotyledons are grass and grass-like flowering plants whose seeds typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. Helpful, right? The contrasts between brilliant sunlight through a clear sky and dark, damp understory of a tall forest are a challenge for the camera – and for the editing process afterwards!
![Interpretive sign on the walkway, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) “Scientifically Significant” The interpretive signage along the track provides lots of useful information.
![Tall tree trunks, Botanical Beach Provincial Park, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Tall Trees and Alectoria Sarmentosa I have always called it Spanish Moss – silly me! Thanks to a signboard along the track to the beach, I now know it’s a witch’s-hair lichen.
![The path to Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) The Path We parked near the toilets; as we were about to set off, a woman asked if we’d done the track before. “It’s very muddy and slippery!” she said. …
![Walkers on the path to Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Walkers on the Path … Lucky for us, she pointed us to a cleaner, shorter trail to the beach close by.
![Green shoot of a bush on the path to Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Green Shoot in the Sun
![View onto Botanical Beach from the pathway, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Approaching Botanical Beach It doesn’t matter how long I spend in BC where sights like this are an everyday occurance, this kind of view always takes my breath away.
![Person on the sandstone waterfront, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) A Figure on the Beach Even if you are not alone, there is a feeling of space.
![Steller](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Steller’s Jay in the Trees Regularly sighted in these forests, the native Steller’s jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) was named in 1788 for Georg Steller, a naturalist who first sighted them in Alaska in 1741 from a Russian explorer’s ship.
![Pockmarked sandstone waterfront, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Waves on the Rocks The soft sandstone foreshore has been pounded by the waves of the wild Pacific Ocean, carved by boulders tossed around by water, and further detailed by purple sea urchins.
![Bull kelp on the stony beach, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Bull Kelp – Nereocystis Luetkeana More than once on this trip, I heard stories about how the over-hunting of sea otters lead to the rise in sea urchins, and the subsequent decimation of kelp forests. This then had numerous negative flow-on effects, especially – but not restricted to – the reduction in other marine life. Scientists are currently looking at ways of restoring the balance; but what would balance look like?
![Looking east ove Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) The Eastern Shore An unnamed (as far as I can ascertain) promontory marks the eastern end of Botanical Beach. In any event, the tide was coming in; it was time to work our way back!
![Rock pool full of water, shells and sea creatures, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Tidal Rock Pool Provincial Park rules prohibit the collecting or harming of any marine species (whether it is alive or not) …
![Rock pool full of water, shells and sea creatures, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Another Rock Pool … but the wonderful colours and textures make the urge to reach in and touch (almost) irresistible!
![Small cave with water dripping, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) A Little Drippy Cave Even the vertical sandstone walls have been carved into interesting shapes.
![Water-filled indentations on the sandstone, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Nature’s Watercolour Pallet
![](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Rock Pool Moonscape The incoming tide can rise quite quickly: it is time to move on, before we lose the foreshore.
![Mussels attached to a driftwood log, Botanical Beach, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Mussels on a Log Creatures are everywhere we look.
![Salmonberry flower Botanical Beach Provincial Park, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Salmonberry Flower Nothing says the Pacific Northwest like the native bramble: the salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), which will soon be covered in delicious, raspberry-like fruit.
![Laurel bloom, Botanical Beach Provincial Park, BC Canada](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Laurel The laurels were also in full bloom, but I’m not so sure these are native.
![Text: Take only Pictures](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif)
We were lucky: the low temperatures that had dogged the usually warm west-coast spring were ideal for walking, and the copious rains that had been mostly unrelenting all month held off long enough for us to get back to the car for the drive back home.
Super, natural, …
Indeed!
Pictures: 16May2022
Posted in Aquaculture,Canada,Landscapes,NatureTags: BC,blog,Canada,landscape,nature,Photo Blog,Provincial Park,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,walk,waterscape
![Portrait:Sadhu in an orange turban and grey beard, Haridwar India.](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) A Penetrating Gaze Sadhus, pilgrims, and locals alike, meet your eyes boldly in the streets of India. The county is street-portrait heaven!
India is truly a street-portrait paradise.
People are everywhere. Swathed in colourful fabrics and draped in layers of beads, they sit or stand against backgrounds of textured wash-painted buildings or rusting roller-doors, colourful ads or fading billboards. It is as if they are just waiting for an aspiring photographer to wander past! They meet your eyes unselfconsciously, and implicitly give consent to the camera lens.
This is especially true in a holy pilgrimage city like Haridwar, where the streets are full of travellers on the move. In Sanskrit, Haridwar means “The Gateway to Lord Vishnu”. Sitting on the right bank of the Ganges river – in and of itself a most sacred entity in Hindu tradition – Haridwar is one of the seven holy places (Sapta Puri) in India where Hindus can be liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
I was lucky enough to visit the city twice: the first time for the Kumbh Mela in 2010 (see: Weekly Wanders Kumbh Mela), and on this, the second occasion after the Pushkar Camel Fair (see: Weekly Wanders Pushkar) with photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours.
Early one morning, I braved the November chill to wander the streets, where plenty of willing subjects greeted me and my cameras.
![Balcony silhouetted, Haveli Hari Ganga, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) The Balcony – Haveli Hari Ganga Exploring the chaos of Indian streets can result in sensory overload very quickly! Having a centrally-located oasis to escape back to makes it manageable. (iPhone6)
![Portrait: woman and child in blankets, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Woman and Child It is early morning, and it is cold, but people are happy to greet me and smile for the camera.
![Portrait: Old woman in a headscarf, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Old Woman This elderly woman was happy to pause, …
![Henna-decorated hands, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Hennaed Hands … and proudly showed me her hand decorations.
![Portrait: Man in a woollen hat, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Man in a Woollen Hat
![Portrait: Child with his tongue out, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cheeky Child Children are the same the world over!
![Portrait: Man in an orange blanket, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Man in a Blanket The colours in India always catch my eye – especially when they are against dark, textured backgrounds.
![Portrait: Smiling man in an orange blanket, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Big Smile
![Three men in a Haridwar street, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) In the Morning Streets The morning light sneaks into the dark laneways where pilgrims gather to chat.
![Three men walking in a Haridwar street, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) More Blankets Who knows how far some of these pilgrims have walked?
![Image of Shiva behind a screen, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Shiva This is a holy city, and shrines are everywhere.
![Rhesus Macaque outside a Shiva shrine, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Rhesus Macaque The monkeys gather to eat the marigold offerings.
![Portrait: macaque outside a Shiva shrine, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Rhesus Macaque – Macaca Mulatta
![Women in layers of clothing, Haridwar, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Women in the Street People are all layered in an assortment of clothing to ward off the cold; I guess it beats carrying bags!
![Portrait: Indian men in woolen hats and blankets, Haridwar](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Men in Blankets More pilgrims – wrapped up in blankets against the November morning chill – …
![Indian men in woolen hats and blankets, Haridwar](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Pilgrims at Rest … rest their weary legs and walking sticks on their long journey.
![Portrait:Sadhu in an orange turban and grey beard, Haridwar India.](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) The Eyes of a Sadhu
![Portrait: Man in a long beard, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Man in a Long Beard India is a country of 1.4 billion people – and they are all such individuals!
![Portrait: Man in a white head wrap, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Waving Man Everywhere I have been in the country, the people have been friendly and welcoming.
![Lassi Shop, Haridwar, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Lassi Shop There are some things things that define a place: lassi – a tasty blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit – is so India.
![Man cleaning the lassi-making equipment, Haridwar, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cleaning the Equipment Raw milk is at high risk of transmitting foodborne illnesses, and this shop was taking its job of cleaning the equipment seriously.
![Two shiny lassi machines, Haridwar India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Lassi Machine This equipment was so shiny I could see the street in it!
![Three men in turbans, Haridwar, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Pilgrims The morning light slants through the narrow streets …
![Three men in turbans, Haridwar, India](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Men in Turbans … catching faces, turbans, and bare feet. .
![](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif)
It was time for me to get myself some masala chai and breakfast – and to leave the pilgrims to their travels.
Until next time –
ॐ
Photos: 19November2013
Posted in India,Portraits,TravelTags: environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Haridwar,people,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,Street Portraits,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
![](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Bushy Needlebush – Hakea Sericea Although it is part of Metropolitan Melbourne, it is easy to lose yourself in nature on the Mornington Peninsula.
It is very easy to find interesting and diverse walks into the woods and wetlands of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Although it is only an hour south of Melbourne City Centre, you feel like you are a world away.
But, there is no need to rough it here: the region is also home to more farm-to-table speciality restaurants and boutique vineyards than you can possibly sample in a short stay. The accommodation I had booked for my week in the region was in a central location on the compact peninsula, making all corners accessible. Armed with a terrific map highlighting places of interest – including for shopping and eating – and describing a variety of walks (see: Mornington Peninsula), I was able to plan my time around foods I wanted to sample.
I was staying next to the Eagle Ridge Golf Course, so I enjoyed daily morning and evening walks around the landscaped greens. I also spent time exploring the region’s history (see: A Walk into the Past) and some of the different preserved and recovered landscapes (see: Red Hill Rail Trail and Endeavour Fern Gully).
On my fourth full day on the Mornington, I walked just over six kilometres (4 miles), out and back on the Balcombe Estuary Boardwalk beside Balcombe Creek. After this meandering stroll into saltmarsh and bushland, I returned to Mount Martha for local wine and flavoursome Italian-style wood-fired pizza made with regional produce and cheese. I think I ate much more than my walked had earned me!
On my last day, I lunched at the hatted-restaurant at Pt Leo Estate, and wandered through their Sculpture Garden (see: Pt Leo Estate). I decided to check out the nearby Coolart Homestead, and explore the wetlands there in the remains of the winter afternoon light before heading back to my room.
Join me!
![Eagle Ridge Golf Course under a winter sky, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Eagle Ridge Golf Course My morning walks around the beautifully-landscaped golf course were a pleasure. (iPhone12pro)
![Sandy Mount Martha entry to the Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Entry at Mount Martha The hardest park of any walk is getting started! I parked on the wrong side of the estuary at first, and had to consult with locals about where best to put my car.
![Rusty metal cutout of a swamp hen, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) “Purple Swamp Hen” Once on the path everything is well signposted: including with metal signs letting you know what birds to look out for.
![Wooden walkway, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Balcombe Boardwalk The boardwalk makes life for mums with strollers a breeze! The walkway was in good condition, and I passed many people making use of it.
![Grasses and trees reflected in Balcombe Creek, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Balcombe Creek Little detours in the walkway take you down to the water’s edge …
![Cormorant and trees reflected in Balcombe Creek, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cormorant on the Creek … where there is plenty of waterbird life to enjoy.
![Evergreen leaves, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Native Scrub
![Grey shrike-thrush in bush, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Grey Shrike Thrush I’m always excited when I catch even part of a bird in the wild!
![Grey shrike-thrush in bush, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Colluricincla Harmonica Used to people here, this one sat and watched me for a while – from a safe distance.
![Names written into cluster pine bark, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Graffiti on the Cluster Pine The texture in the the cluster pine (pinus pinaster) bark allows room for people to leave their marks.
![Cluster pine trunk against the sky, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Pine against the Sky These trees, native to the Mediterranean, grow to reach 20–35 m (66-115 ft) tall.
![Plastic sleeves around tree branches, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Protecting Nests Volunteers engage in a variety of activities – including installing plastic sleeves to prevent ground-based creatures like feral cats from attacking precious hollows and nesting sites.
![Close up: She oak needles, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) She Oak Needles I love casuarinas, and I loved finding out that they were named for way their needles resemble the feathers of cassowary birds. (iPhone12pro)
![Eastern yellow robin on a stump, Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Eastern Yellow Robin – Eopsaltria Australis Another bird! The eastern yellow robin lives only in the southeastern regions of Australia.
![Coolart Homestead against a winter sky, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Coolart Homestead Dating from 1895, this late Victorian-era family home is usually open to the public. Managed by Parks Victoria, the heritage estate is currently undergoing renovations.
![Morning Flight by Heather Ellis, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Morning Flight Ibis by local sculptor and potter Heather Ellis adorn a pond outside.
![Pine cones against wild bush, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Pine Cones A network of walking tracks criss-cross the 87.5 hectare (216 acre) property, taking in coastal woodlands, wetlands, lagoons, and formal gardens.
![Stumps, trunks and undergrowth, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Like a Bear in the Woods I followed the Woodland Walk. It was late in the day, and I imagined I saw creatures in the weathered stumps.
![Trees and undergrowth, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Into the Woods According to the website, the dominant trees here are manna gums, drooping she-oak, and coast banksia.
![Trees and undergrowth, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Tree Trunks Rising
![Wetlands, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Winter Light on the Wetlands Several creeks and waterways – some of them estuarine – intersect the property, and the open waters of the Western Passage are just a short distance away.
![Overgrown pathway, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Overgrown Pathway The recent strict and lengthy lockdowns have taken their toll: clearly not many people have been able to use these pathways, and they have become quite overgrown.
![Tree stump lying on the ground, Coolart Wetlands, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Still Life Found I love the natural patterns and shapes one finds in the landscape.
![Eagle Ridge Golf Course under a winter sky, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Australia](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Pergola : Eagle Ridge Golf Course There is just enough light left in the winter evening sky for another stroll around the golf club before dinner. (iPhone12pro)
Truly, some very different terrains!
And, some wonderful meals between walks.
I was sorry to leave the peninsula behind!
Pictures: 22-23June2021
![A woman a girl and a toddler in traditional Quechua clothing spinning wool, Ollantaytambo Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Spinning Wool above Ollantaytambo Behind these women in their colourful traditional Quechua clothing, you can see the intricately fitted bricks leading up the hillside to the tambo, or inn, built during the time of Pachacutec (1438 – 1471), the ninth ruler of the Inca state.
When you are trekking at altitude in Nepal, the Sherpas will tell you: Go high, sleep lower. In the Peruvian Andes, the guiding companies seem to take the opposite approach.
Cusco, in the south-east of Peru, is the starting point for most Inca Trail tours. This little city in the Central Peruvian Andes sits at 3350 metres (2 miles) above sea level, while the surrounding towns like Pisac or Urubamba at 2,900m (9,514ft), Ollantaytambo at 2,792m (9160ft), or even Machu Picchu at 2,400m (7,874ft), are lower. So, for our first three days in the Andes, we slept high (not very well, I might add!) and toured lower.
At the time of our trip to Peru, my husband and I were living in Bangkok – which at 1.5 m (5 feet) above sea level is as low as you want to get – especially in rainy season! Fortunately, like most other Inca Trail tour companies, ours gave us two full days to acclimatise.
Cusco and its surrounds are historically and culturally fascinating, and time there is easily filled! We spent our first day walking around the city itself, and visiting the remains of Inca sites nearby (see: Cusco, Heart of the Inca Empire).
On this, our second day, we were heading a little further afield, into the Sacred Valley.
Unfortunately, the pictures that I took were on my very first little digital camera and often fall into the: ‘What was I thinking?’ category. I often can’t crop them into a more modern 2×3 format because I have filled the frame so completely. I am horrified by how many feet I have cut off!
But, they are fond memories of a unique place.
What I never could come to grips with in the region was the smell! I eventually identified it as alpaca and/or llama. It can only be described as being like rancid oil and it permeated everything, even the tap water – which we naturally were warned not to drink, but nonetheless washed in – and was especially strong in the woolen clothing worn by the local people.
Join me in Cusco’s Sacred Valley:
![Llama, Awana Kancha Llama Farm, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Llama Our first stop of the day was at the Awana Kancha Llama Farm. I knew from meeting a guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in Patagonia (see: Patagonia’s Autumn Colours) that llamas weren’t the only camelids in South America, …
![Camelids poster, Awana Kancha Llama Farm, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Camelids … but I was surprised by the range – all of which were on display at the farm.
![Llama portrait, Awana Kancha Llama Farm, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Llama Portrait They are all very affectionate – but smelly! Their soft but strong wool is known for its warmth.
![Display of natural dyes, Awana Kancha Llama Farm, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Natural Wool Dyes The centre seeks to maintain and foster ancestral knowledge.
![A woman in traditional Quechua clothing weaving, Awana Kancha Llama](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Traditional Andean Weaving They are working to preserve traditional techniques for the production of textiles …
![A woman in traditional Quechua clothing weaving, Awana Kancha Llama Farm Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Young Quechua Weaver … and to make sure that younger generations understand the meanings in the complex patterns.
![Llama, Awana Kancha Llama Farm, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Grazing Llama The Awana Kancha project is an association of several communities; as well as rescuing ancestral traditions, they provide economic opportunities to hundreds of local families. The shop was full of traditional fibres made into modern products, and I couldn’t resist going home with a beautifully knitted alpaca evening cape.
![Pisac and the Sacred Valley, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Písaq /Pisac and the Sacred Valley Before descending into the valley and crossing the Urubamba or Vilcamayo River, we admire the town of Pisac from above.
![Pink Peruvian peppercorns, flowers and leaves, Pisac, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Peruvian Pink Peppercorn Tree – Schinus Molle
![Pisac Church, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Pisac Church The little church here is more modest than those we had visited in Cusco the day before!
![Vegetables on a blue cloth, Pisac Market, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Vegetable Market I love the colour and chaos of village markets – and the insight they give you into local foods.
![Heritage corn on a market table, Pisac Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Heritage Corn A quick internet search tells me there are 55 corn varieties in Peru!
![Woven woolen cloths, Pisac Market Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Woolen Weaves The market is full of wonderful woven fabrics in rich colours and lively Peruvian patterns.
![Colourful embroidered appliqué cloth, Pisac Market, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Embroidered Appliqués
![Young Quechan child, Pisac Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Little Cutie
![Saleslady with her cheese and onion bread, Pisac Market Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cheese and Onion Bread Turnovers Fresh and hot from the clay oven, these were delicious!
![Old houses of Ollantaytambo with Pinkuylluna looming behind, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Ollantaytambo and Pinkuylluna Further up the valley, we come to Ollantaytambo, which was an Inca administrative, religious, agricultural, and military complex. The mountain looming up behind is Pinkuylluna, which features grain storehouses and the face of Tunupa. It is believed that the face is natural, rather than man-made. His eyes appear to open or close depending on the light and shadows.
![Sone Inca storehouses in Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Storehouses The storehouses were built out of fieldstones to keep grain. The high altitude and dry mountain air kept the produce fresh; when the Spanish arrived, the Inca had enough food stored for more than six years.
![Tumbling buildings in Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Ollantaytambo The town of Ollantaytambo is home to two massive Inca ruins, those storehouses up on Pinkuylluna, and the ruins of a 15th-century fortress built by emperor Pachacuti.
![Gate to the Tambo or Inn, Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Gate to the Tambo or Inn We walked up the Ollantaytambo side, to the entry gate to what was believed to be a travellers inn above the city.
![Stonework around the Tambo or Inn, Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Stonework The stonework around the inn is another example of Inca precision.
![Looking down over the green fields of Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) A Fertile Plateau The fertile valley below us is the product of the meeting of the Patakancha and Willkanuta rivers.
![Graffiti carved into cactus, Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Cactus Graffiti People the world over feel the need to leave their mark!
![Houses at Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Houses at Ollantaytambo Ollantaytambo is said to be the only remaining example of pre-Columbian urban planning. The buildings and courtyards as well as the narrow lanes have their original form.
![Terraces at Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Terraces at Ollantaytambo From the bottom of the river valleys, extensive andenes, or agricultural terraces, rise all the way up the surrounding hills. They permit farming on otherwise unusable terrain, and create micro-climates, allowing farmers to grow a range of crops at different altitudes.
![Old stone village well, Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Village Well
![Stairs and terraces, Ollantaytambo, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) More Stairs
![Fertile valley around Cusco, Peru](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif) Fertile Valley The altitude and the stairs took their toll, and returning to Cusco, we were glad to admire the fertile valley from the comfort of our bus!
![Text: ¡Salud!](https://www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/28-25102-post/Salud-Sign-Off.gif)
It was a fascinating insight into an almost-lost culture, and helped prepare us for the trek were were about to undertake.
Until next time –
¡ Salud !
Pictures: 06April2006
Posted in Animals,Architecture,Peru,TravelTags: animals,architecture,arts and crafts,environmental portraits,people,Peru,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
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