I have always liked Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea in present day Saudi Arabia. Jeddah has been a city welcoming pilgrims, travelers, and business people for centuries across various empires that have come through this area. Famously Jeddah is the entry point for most of the pilgrims who come for the Hajj (as well as Umrah) and for it the city … [Read more...]
Photo Essay: The old town of Al-Ula – Saudi Arabia
Al-Ula, the beautiful oasis in North Eastern Saudi Arabia has a long and storied history. People have been living in this region for centuries…well actually millennia. It makes sense as it is the reason we are here, to see the ancient city of Mada’in Saleh and of course the surrounding regions too. What you don’t realize is that there is so much … [Read more...]
Into Madain Saleh (مدائن صالح) – Saudi Arabia
I’ve been wanting to visit Madain Saleh (مدائن صالح) for years. Ever since I heard there was another beautiful Nabataean place outside of Petra. The photos of Mada’in Saleh reminded me a lot of my time in Petra…but without all the tourists and infrastructure. Perhaps Petra before the fame and notoriety of being one of the “New World Wonders”. And … [Read more...]
Travels in the Eastern Province: Hofuf – Saudi Arabia
- It was one of my first weekends in Saudi Arabia, finally getting here after a disastrous attempts at getting visas that required me at one point to even replace my passport. The folks had already been here for several months, mostly just traveling to Bahrain and sitting around the hotel pool. They were antsy to go and seemingly since I was … [Read more...]
Travel Information: Baku Azerbaijan
Where is Baku Located? Baku, the largest city in Azerbaijan is located on the banks of the Caspian Sea in the eastern tip of Azerbaijan. Baku is the capital and commercial hub of Azerbaijan with a population of over 2 million people. The city itself covers 830 sq. miles (2100 sq. km) and actually sits below sea level at –92ft (-28m). The GPS … [Read more...]
Dead Sea – Jordan: It’s the End of the World and I feel Salty
“Is it time?” We sat there staring out into the salty abyss beyond. My friends laughed a bit as we awaited the biblical flood to wash over us. Such things invoke humor when you know nothing is going to happen, but in a strange twist if such a thing were to a occur, this is the most likely of locations. It was the supposed end of the … [Read more...]
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Rideau Canal
Built in 1826 for military defense purposes, the Rideau Canal is a historical and cultural artifact of a past world and past wars. The interesting part is that the canal was built in relation to prevent an invasion of Canada by the United States. Back in the War of 1812 when the US was at war with Britain there were reports that the US had planned … [Read more...]
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera house is one of the more recent additions to the UNESCO World Heritage site list, added in 2007. I have had the privilege of visiting this site on several occasions during my trips to Australia but have not yet had the opportunity to see a show there yet! Hopefully one of the times I will do so. … [Read more...]
From Naples to Sicily
The short time together with my friends was about to come to an end. They had been here in Italy for over a week more than I had, and I had planned to take a few extra days and go somewhere new. I basically figured that Sicily would be a good place to go because I had never been and I really couldn’t quite think of anything else I felt … [Read more...]
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