while there in the valley, after the storm (Jordan)

Looking down into Wadi Dana from Dana Village in Dana Biosphere and Nature Reserve, southwestern Jordan
December 2016

"We were penned in verminous houses of cold stone; lacking fuel, lacking food; storm-bound in streets like sewers, amid blizzards of sleep and an icy wind: while there in the valley was sunshine among spring grass, deep with flowers, upon flux in milk and air so warm that men went uncloaked."
-TE Lawrence, from Seven Pillars of Wisdom, describing Wadi Dana.

instagram 2015 best nine

2015 Instagram Best Nine Photos

There's an end-of-the-year meme going around that generates your nine most popular photos posted to instagram. These aren't my nine most popular - but they are my nine most favorite. They represent an otherworldly, incredible travel year to more than 26 countries - 10 which were lifers!

The photos, from left to right represent: Amman, Jordan; Quartz Mountain, Oklahoma; Kandalama, Sri Lanka, St. Petersburg, Russia; Toronto, Canada (Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony); Kona, Hawaii, Cape May, New Jersey; and Pico Bonito, Honduras. Although Australia was the last country I traveled to in 2015 (still here as I write) - travels to Honduras in early December brought me to my 120th country (not that I am a lister!). 

And since I am fairly certain no one reads my blog anymore - I might as well go ahead and post my travels from 2015 - because they were pretty mind-blowing:

January

San Antonio, Texas (Alamo Bowl)

Palau (#110)

South Korea

Seychelles (#111)

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

February

Cartagena, Colombia (#112)

Lake Tahoe, California

Tucson, Arizona

March

Joshua Tree National Park

Sydney, Australia

April

Madagascar (#113)

Kona, Hawaii

May

Honolulu, Hawaii

Toronto, Canada

Rome, Italy

Lisbon, Portugal

La Coruna, Spain

Bilbao, Spain

Bordeaux, France

June

London, England

Amman, Jordan

Beirut, Lebanon (#114)

July

Toronto, Canada (Pan Am Games)

a five-week assignment

August

Alaskan Cruise

Beijing, China

September

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

St. Petersburg, Russia

Kona, Hawaii

October

Tonga (#115)

Adelaide, Australia

Sri Lanka (#116)

Madagascar

Maldives (#117)

Bali (#118)

Papua New Guinea

Fiji (#119)

November

London, England (Rugby World Cup)

Yangon & Bagan, Myanmar

December

Honduras (#120)

Port Douglas, Australia

belle vue amman

The belle vue from the Belle Vue Hotel
Amman, Jordan
June 2015

in transit

Queen Alia International Airport
Amman, Jordan
@trryan June 22 2015

view of amman from rainbow street

i have always loved the desert

Sunrise at Wadi Rum
On tour with National Geographic Expeditions in Jordan
October 15, 2014

I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams...
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

through the portal of time: jordan's ancient city of jerash

The Ancient Roman City of Jerash
toward the Syrian Border,  Jordan
October 2014

It was so unexpected to see this nearly intact Roman settlement rise up out of a remote, tranquil valley only 45 minutes from the bustling capital city of Amman.  Jerash is said to to be the most complete example of a provincial Roman city to be seen anywhere.

In its thousands-of-years lifespan, this spot has also been a Neolithic settlement, an Early Bronze Age village, and part of the Nabotean Kingdom. The founding of the city is sometimes attributed to Alexander the Great or to Ptolemy II. Emperor Hadrian wintered here in 129-130 AD. Its both ancient and legendary and a definite must see as part of any visit to Amman.

Check-out the rest of the photos in this 33 second slide show below:

Photographic montage of the ancient city of Jerash in Jordan

room with a view: from amman in the hashemite kingdom of jordan

 The city of Amman, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, as seen from the Le Meridien Hotel.