TravelStream™ news feed for member aopaq on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/aopaq en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:53:26 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/5/1248198454/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/5/1248198454/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/5/1248198454/tpod.html Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:53:26 -0400 Taiwan and Korea on the way to Canada

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Taipei, Taiwan

These are pictures from my short visit to Taiwan where I stayed in Taipei and then visited the area around Keelong city in the northeast of the island.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/5/1248213129/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/5/1248213129/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/5/1248213129/tpod.html Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:52:35 -0400 Taiwan and Korea on the way to Canada

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Seoul, Seoul, Korea Rep.

I travelled to Seoul on July 10 where I stayed a few days and then went to the northeast to the city of Sokcho.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/4/1240730520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/4/1240730520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/4/1240730520/tpod.html Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:25:06 -0400 Life in Xiamen

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Xiamen, Fujian, China

This is mainly a photo view of my initial impressions of Xiamen.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/iran-2005/1107381300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/iran-2005/1107381300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/iran-2005/1107381300/tpod.html Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:30:08 -0500 Beijing to Iran - from Asian to Islamic cultures

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Shiraz, Iran

We arrived in Shiraz in the late evening still thinking about the episode with the smugglers. It was now quite easy to laugh about the entire escapade given how everything turned out for the better. I checked into a local downtown hotel (pretty good for $25/night) while my friend went to stay at her sister's.
The next morning we met to go shopping in the local bazaars. The carpet one was especially interesting and it was truly amazing to see the variety of different Persian rugs that were available. What was really incredible were those that from a distance looked like beautiful paintings.

We then wandered through the regular market which reminded me of the one in Tehran in its labyrinth type nature. However, one big difference was the abundance of brightly coloured clothing items which were apparently for women from another region/country that lived in Shiraz. Of course there were also an incredible array of jewelry items along with foodstuffs that looked quite foreign to me (not a surprise I guess).

Later we also decided to check out some of the famous tombs such as those of Hafez and Sadi, both renowned Iranian poet / philosophers. These were incredibly peaceful oases in the middle of a bustling city with both having relaxing teahouses on the grounds. Not only was it nice to relax at these places but it was also very interesting to see how people that visited these sites relied on these poets for inspiration and guidance.

While returning back downtown we were passing by a bus stop where I noticed a lady staring at me. I smiled at her at which point she got up and approached me asking if I spoke English. This is how I met the extraordinary couple Arezoo and Ohmid. We then spent a good hour chatting with them which was so nice because we all connected so well. It was also so very refreshing to hear Omid and Arezoo talk about their future plans and love they had for each other. They were just like a young couple in love anywhere in the world. And I guess the nicest and most refreshing thing was the amount of respect that Omid had for Arezoo.

After meeting with this special couple, we headed to the airport for our flight to Esfahan. Once again we arrived in the late evening but managed to find decent accommodation. Fortuantely, this was not a holiday time, so getting two rooms in a hotel was not a major concern. After a good nights sleep we of course headed to the heart of Esfahan..the Emam Square.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/iran-2005/1113841080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/iran-2005/1113841080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/iran-2005/1113841080/tpod.html Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:03:13 -0400 Beijing to Iran - from Asian to Islamic cultures

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Tehran, Iran

So what is your favorite Iranian food? Or when was the last time you ate at an Iranian restaurant? Before my travels, I would have had negative answers to both those questions. But now that I have been to Iran, I must say there food is simple but very good. And of course they eat a lot of rice which was a pleasant and unexpected surprise for me.

So my first meal was of course the staple of the Iranian diet, that consisting of meat kebabs and bread. This was my first taste of food in Tehran and other than the fact that the local restaurant was quite intimate and the owner very friendly, it was quite good. Of course, how you identify kebab restaurants from the sign is another story.
On the way to this kebab place we also passed a shop selling one of my favorite fruits....pomegranates. These are obviously popular in Iran such that you can purchase them and associated products from special stores. I didn't see a lot of these shops, but this one definitely caught my eye.

My next introduction to Iranian food came about when I ate at another local restaurant near Tehran University known for its ash (osh). This restaurant below street level was not only unique because single males had to sit in a separate section of the restaurant but also because the food was very good and obviously quite popular and inexpensive. So what is ash? Well as you can see from the photo, it does not look particularly appetizing but when eaten with bread is quite tasty and filling...it is like a thick barley stew with yoghurt on top. This also brings me to one of the most popular drinks in Iran.....yoghurt. It is served in glasses or in plastic bottles and is just plain yoghurt. I tried to drink this but it was much too sour for my liking....just couldn't get used to yoghurt without fruit and sugar!

I was also fortunate enough to be invited to a spectacular meal at an Iranian family home. Not only was there the obvious salad but also ash and qormeh sabsi which is a dish consisting of spinach, beans, meat and lemon. And another typical Iranian dish was the rice cooked with an egg or yoghurt to make a crunchy brown crust that is broken up and served on top of the dish.

Of course, one cannot visit Tehran without spending some time in a tea house sipping tea and/or puffing on a water pipe. And if you happen to try out a local's teahouse, you can even taste the dizi or abgusht, a soup-stew combination which you can also partially prepare yourself at the table (if you know what you're doing!). And like most places, this is served with delicious Iranian bread for which there are bread shops all over the place. Most of these use stone ovens and may even cook the bread on rocks that you have to pick out when you get the fresh bread slabs/sheets.

If you wander around the markets, you will also see many meat shops with sheep heads displayed that comprise the main ingredient of another famous Iranian dish that I have yet to try. As well, you will find beautiful shops which specialize in dried nuts and fruit. These are amazing places to wander around and many allow you to freely sample the goods (yummy!).

And of course if you go to the Persian Gulf area seafood is in abundance and nothing beats fresh crab and fish which you may well be able to get a local to prepare for you and to eat at his home (we ate in a beautiful prayer room of a fellow we met....the accompanying dates were awesome).

And in the warmer southern areas, oranges are everywhere and can be bought on the street from pickup trucks loaded to the brim. And if you are inclined to suck on a real sour orange, they are everywhere you walk around downtown Shiraz. I declined trying this out remembering how much I enjoyed the sour yoghurt.

Ice cream is also popular in warmer places so shops selling this sweet and coffee such as the one shown from Shiraz can be found. And of course there is also a wonderful Iranian sweet made from sesame and honey which is just to die for! Finally, if one does hanker for so more "familiar type" food, you can always enjoy pizza in Iran which I thought was pretty good.

So Iran may not be famous for its culinary treats, but it definitely has its unique dishes and I'm sure you won't starve if you travel here.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171197240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171197240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171197240/tpod.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 02:29:58 -0400 China-Thailand-Middle East: A never-ending search for revelations, connections, understandings, cultural enlightenment, spirituality, good food and a good time.

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Damascus, Syria

I decided I would first travel to Syria from SE Asia to the renowned capital of Damascus. If I am not mistaken, Syria is part of Bush's "Axis of Evil" or at least a terrorist supporter but this is far from what one experiences or sees. The new part of Damascus is a bustling modern metropolis and I chose to stay in a hotel located close to the main throughfare called Said al-Jabri Street.
Of course the hilight of Damascus is the old city and I spent an enjoyable day there wandering and getting lost in all the narrow streets and alleyways which is half the fun. I chose to head out early in the morning before the crowds developed which is great for taking photographs. It was also nice to visit the Umayyad Mosque later in the afternoon when many muslim worshippers come to pray in the cavernous building. Although I am not muslim, the opportunity to sit, observe and think about life is always welcoming contrast after experiencing near sensory overload on the city streets.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1172553360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1172553360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1172553360/tpod.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 02:13:01 -0400 China-Thailand-Middle East: A never-ending search for revelations, connections, understandings, cultural enlightenment, spirituality, good food and a good time.

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Arbil, Iraq

After returning from Amedy and spending a few more days in Dohuk, I proceeded on to Hawler/Arbil. I took a shared taxi from downtown Dohuk and after about 3 hours found myself in the busy streets of the central market area in Arbil. The trip was legthened by about a half dozen security checks which became more thorough as we approached the outskirts (within about 20 kilometres) of Mosel as well as approaching Arbil. Fortunately, in all cases. the soldiers were all relatively friendly and we only had to leave the vehicle once (nearer to Arbil) during which time my passport was quite thoroughly sructinized by a group of soldiers and a brief search was done of my backpack.

The quality of the road varied throughout the journey with a number of fairly rough spots. Of course, the numerous jerry can gas sellers were ubiquitous wherever we came to any type of community. Unfortunately, I ended up with the middle back seat so any photo taking was pretty well eliminated. Once into Arbil, I stayed with the car until it reached the final station at which the driver was very helpful at getting me a cab to the centre of the city (fortunately, I remembered the Kurdish word for "centre".)

The city of Arbil has quite a different atmosphere from sleepy Dohuk and definitely a little more intimidating with the bigger crowds. However, after wandering a bit, I finally found an ok hotel which was still pretty expensive ($50/night) compared to the wonderful place I had been at in Dohuk. However, I figured for a couple nights, I would be fine at this hotel which seemed to be in the heart of all the activity. However, little did I realize how quickly things could change. Expecting to be able to go out for dinner later in the evening, I rested only to wake up and see that the streets were bare and dark. And I mean dark! There were no street lights and it was obvious....no electricity either. Neverthelss I decided to wander around a little and pick up some snacks since I wasn't too hungry. It seemed like the entire center area was shut down except for places like my hotel that had there own generator. But really, there was little to see or do so after picking up a box of pistachio nut pastries, I headed back Fortunately, the few people I saw were not looking to accost anyone as it was truly a perfect setting for muggers!

The next day was just spent wandering the market and really just starting to psychologically prepare myself to the fact that my holiday was winding down. I also spent time checking out the Citadel fort which overlooked the city and was rather interesting. It was there I also chatted with some friendly police who were quite insistent, I have my picture taken with them.

The next morning at around noon, I grabbed a taxi to take me to the "international " airport.. It was not a long trip but interesting. After turning off into the main road to the airport, we hit the first checkpoint without problem. However, a kilometre or so further we came to a more thorough checkpoint which sort of looked like it could be a very small terminal building (it probably was at one time). At this point, my cab dropped me off and I took my bag into the security building where it was x-rayed and I was patted down.

Upon exiting this security hut, I came upon some taxis which was a bit confusing. However, the Filipino drivers explained they could rush me to the terminal or I could hop onto the free bus. The 5 minute bus ride quickly brought me to the fairly small terminal building where again the x-raying and patting down was done.
I had to wait a while before I was finally able to check-in but once that was over, I proceeded through security and customs to the boarding gate area. However, as I was going through security I was told that I could not bring batteries for my camera or discman. This is the first time I have ever had to actually remove batteries from my camera and fortunately the staff were able to have these rechargeables put into my checked baggage. In the boarding area, I had to laugh because playing on the wall-mounted TV was the movie of Farley Mowatt's Never Cry Wolf....who would have thought!

Almost on schedule, the Iraqi Air plane was ready to board for Amman and I was also surprised that it was open seating. This was most annoying for one particlar passenger who ended up giving the airport staff and stewardesses a very hard time..... I felt sorry for them. However, the flight to Jordan went quite smoothly and before I knew it we were landing in Amman and my first visit to Kurdistan Iraq was officially over.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171718100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171718100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171718100/tpod.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:16:21 -0400 China-Thailand-Middle East: A never-ending search for revelations, connections, understandings, cultural enlightenment, spirituality, good food and a good time.

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Hassake, Syria to Cizre, Turkey to Zakho, Iraq, Turkey

From Palmyra, I took a bus to the northern city of Hassake, a place not known for tourism but a pleasant enough location nonetheless. The most surprising thing about my journey to Hassake and further on to the border community (with Turkey) of Qamisle was the relative abundance of other ruins in this part of Syria .... definitely a reason to return.

I also noticed in my LP guide that there is another crossing between Syria and Kurdistan Iraq which I have no information on in terms of the ability for foreigners to cross. This crossing (Al-Yaroubiyeh) leads to the Iraqi town of Sinjar but it seems that the only other road continues on through the dangerous city of Mosel. However, I later learned through Dohuk University students from Sinjar that there are other roads such as one that goes to Zakho. It would be interesting to try this crossing in the future.

From Hassake, I took a taxi to Qamisle where I crossed into Turkey at the town of Nusaybin. In this sleepy little town I was surprised to see a relatively large contingent of army personnel in riot gear which made it clear that the Kurdish-Turkish issue is a major concern for the government here. After taking a minibus, I then ended up in the small city of Cizre for the night. Here I got my first real introduction to a community of Kurdish people who were incredibly friendly and hospitable. From spending 1.5 hours sitting on the sidewalk chatting with some older shopkeepers to 5 hours in a local restaurant talking with people about life, politics, religion, sports and almost any other other topic that could come up, the warmth and sincerity of the Kurdish people was very evident.

From Cizre, I took a mini-van to Silopi which is the border town on the Turkish side. However, Silopi is still some 25 km away from the actual crossing, so I grabbed a cab to take me to and across the Turkish-Iraqi border. This was rather expensive (I negotiated for $30) but after seeing what the cabbie had to go through in terms of getting all the paperwork approved (especially on the Turkish side) and paying the odd bribe, I felt at the end, the price was well worth it. I am sure that on my own, the process of crossing the border would have taken much, much longer.
However, everything did not go as quickly as I hoped on the Iraqi side as the friendly border guards (they let me take a picture of the crossing welcome sign) ended up telling me that I had to have a chat with their big boss. So it was a short ride to the main administartion building where I was escorted finally to the office of a very confident, no-nonsense official who was quite clearly very respected and the obvious boss. He also spoke pretty good English and again asked me the same questions that had already been asked....."why are you coming to Kurdistan, Iraq"...."do you not know somebody here"? After he understood that I was indeed a lone tourist just coming to check out Northern Iraq, he indicated that his main concern was that I have no problems during my visit. He also wrote down his name and phone number saying that I should call him if I have any type of problem. This was the "official" hospitality that I experienced and fortunately this meeting was not too intimidating ...but it certainly could have been!
After leaving the office, I hooked up again with my cabbie who then drove the last little bit so that I was outside of all the government border buildings and officially in Kurdistan Iraq! From there, I grabbed a ride with the Turkish businessman who crossed the border with me. He was very friendly as were his business partners and after helping me change some money, they treated me to a wonderful lunch and then took me a the same hotel the Turkish fellow was staying ($20/night...not bad).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171457400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171457400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1171457400/tpod.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:11:50 -0400 China-Thailand-Middle East: A never-ending search for revelations, connections, understandings, cultural enlightenment, spirituality, good food and a good time.

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Palmyra, Syria

Although my intention for visiting Syria was never to specifically visit the ruins of Palmyra, I sort of felt obligated since I was so close and my travel route also passed right through this town. I had heard and read that Palmyra was a typical tourist trap with many high pressure touts so my expectations were not for a very positive experience. However, perhaps a benefit of travelling during the low season, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Palmyra.
I ended up staying at the Citadel Hotel which had a great view of the ancient castle (Qala'at ibn Maan) high on a hill overlooking the town.
Being able to wander the ruins with hardly anyone else around (other than the camel drivers who were actually quite understanding and polite) also allowed me to contemplate and attempt to visualize and comprehend what an incredible city Palmyra must have been so many centuries ago. I truly felt humbled and enlightened thinking of what it must have been like at one time in the very spots where I was walking and sitting.
I would highly recommend a visit to Palmyra which I think is comparable to the incredible ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Of course many of the people I met in Palmyra were extremely friendly and I have to smile when I think of the young fellow/manager at the Citadel who was eager to share an evening wiith me smoking a nargileh (water pipe) and also proved that porn can even be seen on Syrian satellite TV (although we settled on watching CSI!).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1172255340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1172255340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aopaq/asia-me_2007/1172255340/tpod.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:53:54 -0400 China-Thailand-Middle East: A never-ending search for revelations, connections, understandings, cultural enlightenment, spirituality, good food and a good time.

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Amadiya, Iraq

Since I had to wait for my flight ticket to be processed, I decided I would spend a couple nights in the small mountain town of Amadiya/Amedy which a number of the university students indicated was a very beautiful place. Taking a shared taxi the 70 kilometres to the town of about 6,000 inhabitants showed a changing landscape highlighted by the traverse through a range of snow-dusted mountains. On the other side of the the pass, the taxi driver said something to me about Saddam that I did not understand but later realized he was referring to the mountain palace that sits on one of the peaks. Apparently, Saddam built this palace because he loved the beauty of the Kurdistan region and also to demonstrate his reign over the region.
Once we approached Amedy, it was exactly as I had read, situated on a small plateau and clearly a very strategic site from a military perspective.

Unfortunately, I quickly learned that the hotel in the centre of town was closed so I had to stay in the lower suburb area at the base of the plateau. After unpacking, I immediately walked "up the hill" to the main town. This proved to be quite a hike and as I took the stone staircase upwards, I noticed a collection of mine warning signs. I had seen these on the drive from Dohuk and ultimately learned they were the handiwork of Saddam's army. Fortunately the ones beside the stairway were not real indicators of live mines but someone's "collection" for what reason, I could not determine.

Eventually, I got to the town and started to stroll the streets. However within a half hour, I was chatting to a group of young men enjoying a leisurely stroll on their day off. These proved to be a group of young professionals, consisting among others of Havgar (lawyer), Fawsi (agricultural engineer) and Botan . They were very friendly and as we walked pointed out the various sites and were sure to point out the ancient entrance to the city. Shortly, they were asking if I wanted to join them for a picnic and not really understanding what that meant, I was initially a bit hesitant. But after a while and seeing that these were all very nice fellows, I agreed to join them. Before that, I was invited to Havgar's place to take lunch with his family. This ended up being a wonderful experience with excellent food and I had the pleasure of also meeting Havgar's parents, brothers, sister-in-laws and nieces.

Shortly after lunch we met up with the others for the picnic and after getting refreshment supplies and snacks, headed off from the town onto back roads where the guys settled on a nice scenic spot beside a creek. After starting a small fire we ended up chatting and enjoying each others friendship. Of course, I also had the opportunity to learn how to dance a few steps Kurdish style. On the way back to town Havgar was insistent that I stay at his home so I agreed to do so on my second night. After that, I was taken back to the hotel where I spent a very restful night appreciating the wonderful hospitality provided by my new found friends.

The next morning, on schedule, Havgar picked me up and I immediately enjoyed a delicious and filling lunch with his family. I especially enjoyed "talking" with his mother who although did not know much English, was still interested in trying to communicate with me. I also found it interesting to chat a bit with one of Havgar's sisters-in-law who had recently married and moved back to Kurdistan from the Netherlands. Hearing her thoughts on the cultural differences between being back in Amedy versus Europe was quite provocative.

Afterward, Havgar and I met with his friend Kovan and we wandered around Amedy streets. One of our first stops was the community hall building where there was a "party" going on. We stopped in to observe the festivities (singing and skits) which were quite entertaining considering everything was in Kurdish and with an all-male audience and performers.
From there we took a look into the community gym where an indoor football match was occurring and then on to a small park with an excellent view of the mountains. As we headed back, we also passed by the Turkish military installation where several small tanks were parked. Havgar explained that the Turkish army first came about 7 years ago when there was fighting between the PKK and PDK (different Kurdish political organizations). However, even though the hostilities had ended, a Turkish contingent of about 15 soldiers remained in Almedy. I found it so interesting that such politically motivated circumstances still prevailed in a sleepy and peaceful town like Almedy.

Later it was back to my "Almedy home" for dinner and to chat more with my new family.
It felt so comfortable and friendly with Havgar's parents and their hospitality was incredible. For me, the opportunity to spend such close time with new friends who treated me like one of their own was so special and the highlight of my stay in Almedy. I will never forget my memorable connection to this small mountain town.
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