Sweet Suites

While travelling, I have stayed in a variety of "levels"of accomodations. Time with Rachel seems to lean heavily toward "high end" (thanks to the generous contributions of her employer towards her general comfort while "living" abroad). Time spent travelling alone (Yemen, for instace) lean toward the bottom end (thanks to the limited funds of my personal bank account and my generally low maitainence demands as a cheapskate traveler (same standards actually applied in Nepal - with Rachel - we're both frugal meisters in that respect).

Anyhow, I've certainly shot a plethora of photos (digital cameras make it far too easy to "just shoot one more") over the ensuing weeks, and I'll eventually sort through them and post SOME of them. I'm past 1,500 so you really don't want to see them all anyway.

In the mean time, I thought these two videos would be mildly entertaining and show the contrast of options in accomodations.

My Hotel in Yemen


Our Hotel in UAE

Sure, Why Not?

When I planned (and I use that word loosely) this trip, I didn't really have many specifics in mind. I only knew that I had an invite for a place to stay in UAE and a cousin ready to welcome me point me in the right directions to find entertaining and enlightening adventures.

As the plans developed, and I arranged time off - Rachel mentioned he was interested in leaving UAE during the time I was planning to be there... and how convenient... she wanted to leave to see places I too wanted to see. So, when rachel asked, "Do you want to go to Nepal?" I said - "Sure, why not?" And when she mentioned Lebanon, I echoed, "Sure, why not."

So, the trip of UAE, Yemen and Oman - expanded to include Nepal and Lebanon. I really didn't know what I was doing on the front end - except that I wanted to travel for about a month and UAE would be home base. I had considered Thailand and some other destintations - but that's the basics of how the trip developed.

I'm a "Yes" guy - and that often casues me trouble, but in this case - it was a perfect situation. Ask me if I want to travel somewhere, and chance are... the answer is "sure, why not."

Sweet Suite

I finally found Rachel. Or rather, she found me. She arrived the next night and we settled into a suite before heading off for a early morning flight to Nepal. However, I still had a bag filled with 9 days of dirty laundry and nothing suitable for the flight (of course, knowing now what I do about the smell in the coach section of a flight to Nepal - it seems I did have clothes suitable for the flight, but at the time - this didn't seem to be the case).

Anyhow, I was elated to find that our suite had a washer dryer included: a true luxury by current standards, it seems. Granted, it may have been the smallest washer/dryer ever, but it was enough to wash some vital items from my bag - leaving the rest to be dealt with down the road.

If you can't solve it today - put it off till tomorrow!

Anyhow, we were only in that suite for 6 hours, but it was enough time to sleep for a few moments and - get the laundry done.

People Ride Buses

Today, a man in LA rode a bus.
Today, a woman in Russia rode a bus.
Today, a kid in Oman rode a bus.
Today, I rode a bus in UAE.

As I looked around at my fellow passengers I remember thinking, "What's so different about these people - so different that so many in the US think they're all 'twisted, different, or potentially dangerous or evil' (you know - being middle eastern Muslims)?"

Oh sure, there were a few uni-brows, dark mustaches... and a few of the wen were wearing dresses (kanduras) but what does that have to do with anything? Nothing.

Dresses and bad-hair asside - these were average, everyday people going about average everday lives... Or so it seemed to me. As 9/11 made clear, but as it seems still continues, there are a lot of misconceptions about Islam and people from the middle east. Travelling in Yemen, Oman, and UAE - I've met mostly genuine people with general good will in mind (except that guy who ripped me off in Yemen and the taxi drivers who simply wont tell me where to catch a bus).

Anyhow, my point: travel the world, meet a few people - then disregard all those language, culture, religion, family, economic, race, gender classifications we've created to rate, segregate, stereotype the world. They're usually overly superficial, and likely misleading and biased. Granted, I'm biased too - but I'm feeling soap-boxy, so there you go.

Shoe Golf and our President

In 1988 Lee Russell and I played shoe golf during lunch (more than once). We would wander outside and set up a course... then attempt to kick our shoes from "hole" to "hole" by launching them in parabolic arcs into the air.

I'm left wondering if Lee has since defected to Iraq and become and international journalist... specializing in shoe baseball?

I've been seeing and reading reports of that recent journalists' Press-Room-Rage. But, I'm learning about it throught he filter of the midle east perspective. Although I have yet to meet anyone overtly opposed to Americans or The United States... there are plenty happily congratulating me on our upcoming change in leadership. They're all quite happy to see Bush go, and apparently giddy with anticipation of what Omaba will bring to the world scene!

Also, I've been hearing (from Jen) how exstatic the Kenyans are our our new US president from Kenya. Seriously? Wow - I think some people need a little ejukatin! Even so, I'm guessing there are a few Americans that could also use a does of "seriously - do you know anything about international politics or cultures?"

Another Missed "Connection"

So, I arrived in Dubai a day late to catch my flight to Yemen, right?

Well, I arrived in Abu Dhabi a day early to meet up with my cousin Rachel. So far, I'm not doing so well on proving my scheduling abilities!

Turns out she was driving to the DC airport in the US as I was landing in the Abu Dhabi Airport in the UAE (where she's been living for the last year). I thought she was arriving a day before me (but, as should be pretty obvious, she actually arrived a day after me).

Man oh man, those taxi drivers at the airport were all over me. They soooooo wanted to take me somewhere... I just didn't know where to have them take me (and frankly, I didn't want to pay them when I knew there was a bus that would do just as well at 1/10 the price). If only I knew where to go.

After an hour fighting the pay phone and various international call restrictions I finally figured out where Rachel was (not in UAE) and that (unexpectedly) I needed o fend for myself for a good night's rest (at was already 11pm).

I started calling local hotels and finally found myself a bed. Ahh - sweet sleep. A guady hotel in the downtown Abu Dhabi area - "near" the fish market, but really in the middle of nowhere. But really - by the time I go there (1:30 am) I didn't really care where it was, I was just happy to have a bed, and laughing at the absurdity of flying around the world to meet up with my cousin (planning it a month in advance) and still messing it up. Ha ha ha.

More on UEA (and Nepal, and Dubai, and more) later.

Now, it's time for some sleep and hopefully another wonderous day as the adventure continues. Computer time is something I'm finding hard to "fit in" to the schedule, but I'll do what I can. And yowsers, have I taken a "few" photos. I'll deal with them later.

Oman

Muscat Oman was a wonderful surprise for me on this trip. Going, I really hadn't given much thought as to why. I just thought "hey, I'm here - it's here... I'll go."

Turns out, Muscat satsfied the adventurer, pirate, cartographer, ameteur history buff, and nature hiker in me. In almost everyway, it was NOT what I expected. But then again, realy: I had no idea what to expect.

Omani's have forts - everywhere. I'd say that they mastered the fort building of the Arab world (historians might differ on that assessment, but that how I feel after 3 days in their fine capitol city).

I hit several museums, and regretfully admit that I also had 1 McDonalds chicken sandwich while walking the streets (I was hungry - and Oman is not cheap). I've avoided McDonalds and other fast food as much as posible, but it happens from time to time. There are some travelers that seek out such "comfort foods" but I shy away as much as possible, opting for the local fare.

Ironically, I ended up at one restaurant (the day after that MD run), a restaurant suggested in Lonely Planet (also the only restaurant within a squeare mile) and found myself surrounded by Europeans (also following the Lonely Planet walking tour). I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it. Here was are, all trying to get an authentic experience (avoiding the fast food and option for local cuisine) and we all end up eating with other tourists.

Didn't change the fact that the food was fummy and the atmosphere engaging. Also, in addition to us Yanks, Gringos and Brits.... there were a fair number of locals as well. But I couldn't help but wonder if they're happy or sad that their favorite local dive is now tops on the Lonely Planet list?!

OK, OK, OK

That's 3 "OK";s

1) I'm OK. I'm alive. I've not been captured by terrorists, arrested by over-eager border guards or kidnapped by a cab-driver. Life is good and the adventure continues!

2) OK, I know I "promised" some travel-logs and I've done little to satisfy that expectation.

3) OK, seriously - did you think I'd have time to dilly-dally at a computer while trying to fit in so much in so little time?