When I was in Israel in 2009, I thought it would be Jerusalem that made an impression on me. But while I found Jerusalem an unique experience in its antiquity, overall it was a bit too stuffy for my liking with its overwhelming religious zeal. Tel Aviv, rather, was more my speed. My hotel was [...]
Photo Friday: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
December 17, 2010 By 14 Comments
While I’m famously not a fan of Vegas, there’s something to be said for a city that can do bright, bold and flashy light displays in a tasteful manner. Dubai is such a city. It’s oddly reminiscent of Disney World’s Electrical Parade, wouldn’t you say? And what better vantage point from which to observe said skyline than an aerial [...]
48 Hours in the United Arab Emirates
August 4, 2010 By 21 Comments
I’m of the impression that 48 hours is enough time to orientate oneself with a new city—especially if you come from a family of “Super Mario characters on stimulants,” as SVV says about my mom’s and my abundant energy, and don’t mind zipping around said city on foot for eight hours a day—or at least [...]
When in Dubai…Don’t Fly Emirates Airlines
May 10, 2010 By 31 Comments
The same day SVV was going under the knife in San Francisco for a shattered wrist, I was paying homage to the porcelain gods halfway around the world. Up until that point, my entire month in Africa had gone off without a hitch: Although I had packed Pepto Bismol, Cipro, a variety of antibiotics, Zantac, [...]
Photo Friday: Ein Avdat, Israel
May 7, 2010 By 15 Comments
When I was in Israel last fall, the thing that came as the biggest surprise was the diversity of the landscape. And by diversity, I mean the number of deserts and their varying landscapes. I don’t know about you, but I thought a desert was a desert was a desert. I didn’t know there could [...]
Israel: We’ll All Float On
March 8, 2010 By 18 Comments
Back in November, when I was trekking it across the Israeli desert, I got the chance to see one of the world’s wonders.* After driving for miles and miles through brown rocky terrain and placid, sandy desert, it truly is magnificent to see muted shades of turquoise peaking back through the haze from just over [...]
Photo Friday: Negev Desert, Israel
January 15, 2010 By 17 Comments
It should come as no surprise that one of my favorite facets of trekking through Israel was due to the presence of one of my favorite animals: the camel (duh). To be honest, I’m not sure when my camel obsession began. Maybe it’s always been there. What I know is that, as a nomad, the [...]
Photo Friday: Jerusalem, Israel
December 11, 2009 By 17 Comments
Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. morning fog Yad Vashem, Holocaust memorial local market the Jewish Quarter Hasidic Jewish boys a wiseman dragonfruit an accordion player randomly practicing in the woods of Ein Karem Jerusalem at dusk *Shot with a Canon XTi, 17-85mm lens, housed in a LowePro SlingShot. **For more Photo Friday fun, head [...]
Photo Friday: West Bank, Israel
November 20, 2009 By 11 Comments
In lieu of a full-blown Photo Friday, I give you this to look forward to upon my gallant return to writing: Appropriately captioned: An Ass and His Camel. Taken somewhere along the West Bank, because I’m a rebel like that. Don’t forget to enter the Shutterfly photobook contest by 9am Monday morning! *Shot with a [...]
Photo Friday: Baku, Azerbaijan
June 5, 2009 By 20 Comments
Not wanting to be outdone by the two adventurous GIRLS* I was classmates with while studying in Europe circa 2005, for my final project I chose to travel to Azerbaijan and write about environmental/oil issues in the Caspian Sea. I was able to justify the project because Europe was (and still is) attempting to get [...]
