Category: Daily Notes

- TRAVEL DIARY4 EuropeDaily NotesFrance

Anxiety and Appreciation @ Gorges de Paganin, France, March 28, 2019

Anxiety and Appreciation Driving at night is riskier in general. For overlanders, it is especially not recommended because you are not familiar with the road conditions, you probably don’t speak the local language, and sometimes you pass areas with no cell signal, which is dangerous in case of emergency. Despite this advice, many travelers including myself often drive at night because many things just don’t go as planned. One of the frequent culprits is not wanting to leave a place so soon during the day. And...
- TRAVEL DIARY4 EuropeDaily NotesFranceMoments Together (Friends)

Highs and lows @ Carrières de Lumières, Les Baux-de-Provence, France, March 17, 2019

Highs and Lows Mostly because Spain was very comfortable for me, where there was no language barrier, entering France was both exciting and mildly anxiety-inducing. It was new country, language, and people. After several days of intense driving followed by a scene of big confusion in a supermarket where I got the attention of everyone including the security personnel, I realized I was mentally exhausted. But the next day, I had the pleasure of having a picnic with new local friends, where we spent a warm...
- TRAVEL DIARY6 Middle EastDaily NotesEgypt

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...
- TRAVEL DIARY6 Middle EastDaily NotesJordan

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....
- TRAVEL DIARY6 Middle EastDaily NotesEgyptMoments Together (Friends)

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...
- TRAVEL DIARY6 Middle EastDaily NotesEgypt

Giza Necropolis @ Giza Necropolis, Egypt, February 16, 2019

Giza Necropolis   The famous Egyptian pyramids are in Giza, a city about 40 minutes west of Cairo by car. In Giza Necropolis (cemetery), there are 9 pyramids and the biggest and the most famous one is the one for King Khufu, with a height of 146 meters. The pyramids are big and tall enough so that as you approach the city of Giza, you can already see them. (The well-known secret is that you can have a great view of the Pyramids at the Pizza Hut right...
6 Middle EastDaily NotesEgyptWhat I Had Today (Food)

Kushari @ Abou Tarek, Cairo, Egypt, February 14, 2019

Kushari Kushari or Koshari is one of the traditional Egyptian dishes, made of lentils, macaroni, and rice, accompanied by tomato sauce, vinegar, chickpeas, and fried onions. The two metal jars in the background contain spicy sauce and vinegar, which are optional, yet still critical in my opinion. The rumor has it that the food was first invented during the British occupation, and later evolved through Egyptian soldiers. For me, the dish offers a hard-to-fail combination: garlic, vinegar, spicy sauce, and the crispiness and sweet taste of...