Personal

I live in the East Midlands but am prepared to travel. My contact is cooperphil140@yahoo.com. I would like travel expenses and donations are used for worthy causes.

Syria and Jordan in the Middle East a trip of a lifetime from Cairo to Istanbul

I started in Cairo and for Egypt I focus on Mount Sinai and the Monastery of St Katherine, the oldest working one in the world. No doubt many will wish to know more about Syria, a country which these days is difficult to visit. Krak des Chevaliers was a major crusader fortress and was greatly admired by TE Lawrence. A photo is shown  on the main page.

The Citadel at Aleppo 
The souk is one of the biggest in the Middle East, while other buildings are featured such as the famous Barons Hotel.

Palmyra unfortunately cannot be viewed these days, but I was fortunate to visit it before it was extensively damaged. This Greco- Roman establishment was a major trading hub in the region and as such Roman buildings sat beside earlier ones such as the temple of Bel above.

On the left below is the mausoleum of An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub otherwise known as Saladin in Damascus. Damascus at the time I visited it was a city where the Catholic cathedral happily co-existed side by side with a mosque. Other points of interest include the Umayyad Mosque and early Christian churches.
In Jordan at Petra amongst tombs carved in the rock and Roman colonnades, perhaps the most notable building is the Treasury below right. Also in Jordan is Wadi Rum, where TE Lawrence had his headquarters during the Arab Revolt against their Ottoman rulers.

Worth inclusion is the underground city at Derinkuyu Cappadocia and some scenes from Istanbul.

Along the Silk Road in Central Asia

 The Citadel in Bukara and the mausoleum of Tamerlane in Samarkand are pictured here in Uzbekistan.


The sights at Samarkand are impressive and it was the capital of the empire of Tamerlane, who ruled over a region which today includes 22 countries. The Gūr-e- Amīr where he is buried is spectacular, as is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque,, one of the largest in Asia and dedicated to his wife.

The area was one of the major theatres for the "Great Game", in which Britain and Russia sort to gain influence over the region. Below is the city wall of Kiva, which became the local capital after the changes to the Oxus river.

Many won't have heard of Kunya Urgench in Turkmenistan, but it is a UNESCO heritage site. It was the centre of an empire and a major trading stop, until being devastated by armies from the east. Below is the mausoleum of Turabek Kjanum the wife of a rule Kutleg 1321

There is a lot of material in potential talks. Therefore I have split this into a talk with a travel emphasis and one focussing on the history. This looks at the political conflict between empires, in particular the Great Game, during the 19th century. However this erupted again during the communist era, with Russia seeking to gain access to India.

Along the Silk Road in Western China and Tash Rabat in Kyrgyzstan

Above the caravanserai at Tash Rabat and on the right The Magao caves - caves of a thousand Buddhas, which date back to 366AD. It is at the Magao caves that Aurel Steyn discovered the oldest printed document in the world and removed many historic treasures relating to the times of the Buddhist monks.

Below is the now derelict Yar City an abandoned Buddhist city from the 7th C, near Dunhuang.

It is an area which has been ruled by different countries over the years and now is part of China. One of the main inhabitants are the Uyghurs who originate from Central Asia.







To get to Kashgar (immediately  below) in Westernl China travellers had to cross the dangerous Taklamakan desert - many didn't survive the crossing. Kashgar is an oasis town which borders on 4 other countries. which was an important stop on the northern Silk Road.

Cuba and Panama – Independence, revolution and pirates.

The trip was along the south coast of Cuba, Panama City, San Lorenzo fortress (shown below) and Portobello. Much of this area was in the possession of Spain, but with its wealth was a target for attack, often from British ships.

Havana is famous for its vintage cars, which have been renovated - several times.

I mentioned revolution - this delivery van was used to assault the Presidents residence in the revolution, which wasn't authorised by Fidel Castro.

Of course other places in Cuba are included - such as Trinidad, Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba (shown below).

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción  founded 1522 Santiago de Cuba.

Cuba and other Spanish possessions like most colonial establishments fought for and obtained their independence.

Assam Amritsar and Kolkata.

The wildlife reserves in Assam are beautiful and at Kaziranga there is a chance to see the vulnerable one horned rhino. I visited five reserves in all and the birdlife included examples such the Red Hornbills and others.

Amritsar is of course famous for the Golden Temple, which is the holiest site in the Sikh religion. In the Punjab it was isolated from Lahore during partition.

Kolkata as the former seat of the Raj is a really interesting place. The East India Company set up its trading headquarters here, which is reflected in its buildings.  Below is the Victoria Memorial, while nearby is St Pauls cathedral.

I also include interesting areas in Old Delhi, my first stop off, associated with the Indian Mutiny. Of course I encountered some interesting transport problems along what can be a chaotic system.

Beasts Birds and Bugs of Costa Rica

This presentation showcases video (and some still photographs) taken on my 2018 trip to this fabulous country. There are some unique shots of sloths, one mother ans child and another of a rarely seen encounter between two alpha male sloths.

Of course Costa Rica is well know for its bird life. While many will have seen humming birds, (as I have) it was a superb sight to be close to these magnificent birds.

 This talk I am trying to promote to a large audience with the intention of raising money for reforestation at a national reserve at the Esquinas Lodge. This has been done in Austria and hence the name "The Rainforest of the Austrians".
At Esquinas I met Michael Schnitzler a world renowned violist and conservationist. It is he who founded Esquinas and is trying to add more land to the reserve for reforestation. I include in the talk a video about his work.