with Özgür and friends @ Çıtır Balık, Antalya, Turkey, January 26, 2020
Some Turkish friends strongly recommended a fish sandwich place in town. I was happy to learn that the place was only two minutes from where I stay, but from the outside, the popularity seemed overwhelming – the queue for placing orders was long, and there was another queue for the people who wanted to get seated. Trying to figure out how a new place works can be stressful, especially as an illiterate foreigner, but I didn’t hesitate much, anticipating the new experience. By pointing at a...
Arrival @ Antalya, Turkey, January 22, 2020
Arrived in Antalya. From the North East of Turkey, I’ve visited places along a diagonal route to get to Antalya, a city known for its mild climate and beaches. During the past months, I’ve come up with some creative ways to stay relaxed and comfortable in a cold climate, just so that I am still open to new experiences. But, nothing makes me more excited than having to wear a sunblock in the afternoon and not needing a thick coat anymore. @ Antalya, Turkey, January 22,...
Bike riders @ Hopa and Trabzon, Turkey, January 14 and 15, 2020
Bike riders On the first two days in Turkey, I met bike travelers each day. Some of it must have been by coincidence and other could have been due to my desperate energy to meet other people, after a long break in Georgia. The two groups of riders had things in common. They both started in Switzerland, have ridden mostly along the same routes, and they are going eastwards – one group to China, the other to Singapore. They haven’t met each other in person, but...
Listening to Tina @ American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, January 2019
Although I stayed in Lebanon for a relatively long period of time, I cannot claim that I achieved a good level of understanding of the country. It is a lot to learn about. Lebanon has been shaped by several major civilizations of the world spanning thousands of years, and it is known for being the most religiously diverse in the Middle East. If the country is a book, I only had a few glances at the table of contents. But listening to Tina’s stories helped breathe...
Intellectual Sanctuary @ Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt, February 19, 2019
Intellectual Sanctuary Many visit Egypt with the anticipation of seeing the relics from Ancient Egypt such as mummies of Pharaohs and the Pyramids. But Egypt has been as much Ancient Egypt as it has been Greco-Roman Egypt and Arab Egypt, to name a few. That was why Alexandria came to my attention, and as its name suggests, the city was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. And the Ptolemaic Dynasty constructed the Library of Alexandria, which was one of the largest and most...
With Amira @ Cairo, Egypt, February 17, 2019
With Amira I was introduced to Amira in Cairo by someone who I had never met earlier. Compared to my overseas travels about a decade ago, modern technology is helping me have more unique and rich experience. In an environment where I knew little about how things work, she was my gateway to understanding the values and custom of the Egyptians. She was like a mom to whom a baby, me, could ask anything about the world he sees – such as “what does this name...
Wadi Rum @ Wadi Rum, Jordan, February 9, 2019
Wadi Rum Wadi Rum, or the Valley of Sand, is one of the major tourist destinations in Jordan, along with Petra, and the Dead Sea. It is a sand desert but its mountainous landscapes gives it a unique sense of space. And its un-earthly looks have attracted filming of many movies from the Lawrence of Arabia to The Martian. Even if you have an off-road vehicle, an organized tour is mandatory because you are almost unable to navigate once you are inside the Desert....
Curious looks @ Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexandria, Egypt, February 19, 2019
Curious looks In Egypt, I get more curious looks than in the previous countries, including Jordan and Lebanon. Usually it’s teennage boys and girls who don’t hide their curiosity on faces, and exchange it with others in their groups. From time to time, some just come to me and take selfies with me, often without saying anything. I feel a bit awkward smiling at the camera when I know nothing about my selfie friend. At the waterfront in Alexandria, I noticed several looks at me in...
This website chronicles Leebong’s journey around the world for 2+ years, for the time being. To find out more, see The Travel & The Why.
To catch me, see Itinerary.
Impressions Series
