Latest news regarding the Calheta project ...

I have today been given some of the latest presents  for the children of Calheta and  I must confess that even if I have insisted on the limited amount of space I have in my baggage, "Godmothers"  bought what they felt the children needed and would be happy to get ... and on their behalf all I can say is thank you for having thought of these children as if they were your own and taken the time to think about them.

Gabriela has given me a pair of long shorts and a blue long-sleeved T-shirt for Elias, as well as a little toy car (he had asked for). She has also given me a mug and a few other things for Elia's parents and siblings, which I feel I won't have space for (this time).

Isabel has given me a pair of long shorts, a brown skirt and two T-shirts that go with them, as well as a pack of colourful underwear for Justina, to which I have added a doll previously given to me by the girls in the gym I go to. 

Carla Carreira has given me a three piece outfit (skirt, waistcoat and T-shirt) and a pack of colourful underwear for Lola, to which I have added a vanilla scented baby doll, a pen case and a decorated pencil. Both these girls will be given reading books with stickers.

On behalf of Tarine's "godmother", her friend Sandra has bought her a gym coat (as she participates in the soft ball group) to which I will add a soft toy.

Elias's presents (Left). Justina's presents (Right).

One of Tarine's presents (Left). Lola's presents (Right).












Each of these friends has colaborated with ten Euros to provide for their immediate school needs. Cecilia has also colaborated with twenty Euros to provide for anything it may be necessary, before she has a child "under her care", but  one of the greatest presents of all came in the form of an e-mail and two photographs Sibylle sent me today and which I feel we should all feel proud of.

Nessinha, who (last May) was just a child, whose prospect of attending a kindergarten was dependent on the grandmother and great grandmother, who struggle with daily difficulties, is now a happy little girl attending the local kindergarten, she might have never attended, had it not been for Sandra, who decided to take on the responsibility to pay for it.

Her whole family came by my friend Sibylle to get a photo taken and to thoroughly thank Sandra and all of us for what we have been doing to help their child and all the other children of Calheta.
The pictures speak for themselves ...

Nessinha with her kindergarten "uniform" nowadays

 (Left). Nessinha last May (Right).

Nessinha with her grandmother, young adolescent aunt and grandmother in Sibyle's kitchen

It is pictures like these that make me continue believing in this project ...

The "Jordanian approaches circuit" - Day 5

The "Jordanian approaches circuit" - Day 5

Wadi Rum - Rupestral Thamudic rock drawings
The 26th of January 2011

We headed South for an adventurous trip in the Wadi Rum desert and although I had read about it, I was not prepared for such a spectacular natural environment of "giant granite, basalt and sandstone mountains rising up to 800m sheer from the desert floor". We were picked up in three off-road 4x4 vehicles from the Visitor's centre to "explore" the heart of these vast stretches of redish sand, strange shapes and multiple colour rocks, as well as some of the rupestral Thamudic rock drawings, which date back to  the fourth millennium BC.

Somewhere on the way going South (Left). The Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (Right).

We  have stopped twice at bedouin tents to drink tea with cardomon  and now we shall soon be heading towards another group of tents where we shall have an open barbecue lunch and where the bus is supposed to pick us up to continue our trip down South. I am absolutely amazed at the views ... and so is everybody else ...

These are moments I shall not forget ...

More presents for the children of Calheta

I am now collecting the last presents for the children of Calheta, as I shall be leaving in just two weeks time and want to have the already "overweighed" baggage ready. It will naturally be very difficult this time, once there are 23 children under our gardian angel type of "protection", but with the help of my friend Marie Helène, who shall also embark the same day as I do, I have a feeling we might (hopefully) do it without too many problems.

Because some "godparents" don't have the time to get presents for the children I have today taken the morning to do that. I have bought a violet T-shirt and some Jeans long-shorts for Veinilson on behalf of Luis and his family, to which I added a construction kit to make a car (which I know he likes), taken out of the toys and didactic material provided by the Gym I attend.

On behalf of Salomé I have also bought some blue corduroy velvet long-shorts and a long-sleeved red T-shirt for Marquinho, as well as a plane and  some airport vehicles for him to play with, to which I will  later add a colouring book and a box of colouring pencils.

Not having been able to contact Artemisa's two "gardian angels" and anticipating she might be sad and disappointed to see the other children getting some presents, I decided to buy her a long-sleeved butterfly-flower decorated T-shirt with incorporated bag, to which I added a small handbag given by Cristina, a doll provided by the Gym and a colouring-sticker book with a decorated pencil. Carla Brigida will add some sandals and T-shirts to complement her presents, as this young lady is one of the children who needs our support the most.

Veinilson's presents (Left). Marquinho's presents (Right).

Artemisa's presents

All the "Godparents" (with the exception of 5 who will over the next week) have colaborated with ten Euros to provide for some of the school material required along the year and/or the  5 month kindergarten, with the exception of Carla who provided 15 Euros to pay for the baptism party expenses of Leidina, Maria João and Sandra, who had to pay for the uniform and sports outfit and 10 month kindergarten of Eduardo and Nessinha respectively. Ana Maria colaborated with 20 Euros for any further needs.

I sometimes think about the amount needed to provide for the basic  educational needs of these children and the little extra to make them happy ... and wonder ... 

The "Jordanian approaches circuit" - (Still) the afternoon of Day 4

The "Jordanian approaches circuit" - The afternoon period of Day 4 (cont.)

The Royal Tombs (The Corinthian Tomb - The Silk Tomb - The Urn Tomb)
The 25th of January 2011

We were excited, though tired as we approached the Royal Tombs. The Corinthian Tomb was the first one we visited and although I was impressed the facade of the Silk Tomb impressed me a lot more because of the exquisite colouring of the multiple striations on the sandstone. The Urn Tomb was to follow. Apart from its well preserved facade, as well as the whole structure (most probable reason for ha ving been consecrated church in 447 AD) the ceilings were what impressed me most .

The Corinthian Tomb (Left). The Silk Tomb  (Right).

The assembly of the Royal Tombs (Left). The Urn Tomb (Right)

Different images of the Urn Tomb ceiling

As we started heading back to the Siq, we came across a few bedouins ... some just walking about, others riding their donkeys or camels and even horse-pulled carriages. The fact that through to the eighties one of Jordan's tribes  (the Bdul) lived a caved-centred life in Petra can't be overlooked. Until they were re-settled in houses in a purpose built village nearby all they were used to was living in caves within the site and make a living out of providing small services to tourists (which they still do).

The walk up to Petra's entrance visitor's centre was as impressive as the one this morning (almost nine hours ago) ..., it allowed me to notice details I had not thoroughly looked at this morning ...

I don't feel I am (nor ever will be) able to describe my feelings regarding today's experience ... I am  speechless as to Petra's grandeur ... I felt I had read enough to know what to expect ... but I was totally wrong ... it did exceed my expectations ...

 I have bought a book with some reproductions of the Scotish painter David Robert's  1839 paintings of the Ad-Dayr, as well as a unique bright red coloured cross-stich embroidered coat and am now preparing myself for what tomorrow might hold ...

  

"The Jordanian approaches circuit" - The afternoon of day 4 (Cont.)

The "Jordanian approaches circuit" - The afternoon of day 4 (Cont.)

Ad-Dayr (The Monastery) - Lion Triclinum - Byzantine Basilica (Petra Church)

The 25th of January 2011

The "Monastery",  (according to historians) almost certainly a temple dedicated to the Nabatean king Obodas I, who reigned in the first century BC to later be deified, recalls the Treasury in regards to its facade, though the proportions are not the same (its width being greater than its height). The fact that it has a wide flattened plaza in front of it made it stand out in all its grandeur and it was hard not to be impressed by it for a number of reasons.

The facade of the Monastery  

Having left the Ad-Dayr behind we headed up towards a view point followed by another, but were to soon come back again, this time  along the path of Qsar al Bibt to visit the Lion Triclinium, a first century tomb which has two bas-relief lions guarding its entrance.

We continued climbing down a fairly difficult path to soon reach a flat area,  from where the Great Temple could be seen, as well as the East Cliff Royal Tombs in the distance  ... but  right there in front of me stood quite a few camels and camel riders, most probably waiting to take the "tired" tourists back to the  "Treasury" area ...

The East Cliff tombs (Top picture right).

The Great Temple (Left).The southern slopes (Right).

We continued heading towards the Churches' area in the northern slopes to vist the Blue Church and the Ridge Church, though our main interest was the  late fifth century tripartite Byzantine Basilica (commonly referred to as Petra church) floor mosaics, which we confirmed to be superbly detailed, as well as interesting, particularly the ones in the south aisle depicting the seasons, though some mosaic sin the north aisle were also worth noting (such as the camel-like giraffe).

The modern shelter protecting the Petra church and some of its floor mosaics

We finally headed towards the East Cliff to "explore" the Royal Tomb facades which look astonishing enough from a distance ...I don't know what to expect ... and although I am finally beginning to feel the tired, I don't want to miss them ...