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"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
Cultural Cuba: an arts tourist’s notebook
http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2022845443_cubaartsscenexml.html#.UvhTV0dFOmY.twitter
"For the people who live there, the upheavals in the Middle East have been disastrous. But for travelers they have also placed many of the region’s great archaeological sites out of bounds, leaving big blanks in the atlas of cultural tours."
Georgia and Armenia: a spiritual journey
http://buff.ly/M0yWOl
Real People #23: This woman claimed to be 94-years-old, but she was still going strong, dancing and weaving baskets. Must be the beautiful surroundings on an island on Lake Bunyonyi.
As 2013 is coming to an end, I figured it’s a good idea to list my favorite moments on the road this year. It wasn’t an easy list to make, but here’s my best effort, in no particular order. And I have to say that the outcome makes me feel very grateful: what a fantastic year.
1. Having a long moment alone inside the great pyramid of Giza. And I really mean alone. Even the guide went outside to give me a moment. Such tangible, mysterious energy. (I visited Egypt right after President Morsi was ousted. Interesting times but worked out well for me: there were no tourists around and yet all was peaceful.)
2. Attending Roger Waters’ The Wall concert in Istanbul and seeing how he incorporated the recent demonstrations there to the show. The audience’s reaction was as worth seeing as the concert.
3. OK this one was pure luck: I happened to arrive in Lalibela, Ethiopia, during the colorful and fascinating timkat festival, which is the Ethiopian Orthodox church’s Epiphany celebration. I even got to join in some of the dancing.
4. Being invited to share a Ramadan dinner with a Nubian family in Aswan, Egypt. Such incredible hospitality and excellent, spicy Nubian dishes.
5. Sleeping in a safari tent on the banks of River Nile in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda and being woken up by a roaring hippo in the middle of the night. It seemed to be right next to our tent! A little scary, I have to admit, but also memorable.
6. Waking up in the beautiful Rooms Hotel in Kazbegi, Georgia and seeing the majestic Caucasus Mountains the first thing in the morning from the balcony. I’m a sucker for mountains and this was a top-notch view.
7. A lovely day cycling and having a Turkish mezze picnic with a friend at Princes’ Islands just outside of Istanbul. A perfect summer day.
8. After two hours of hiking in a national park forest in Uganda, witnessing chimpanzees in their natural environment. And trying to get our photographer friend to leave (it was as hard as finding the chimps)!
9. Getting to try khat for the first time with my guide and his friends at their home in Harar, Ethiopia. Fun times! (You really shouldn’t go to Harar and not do it: it’s such a part of their daily lives and khat is exported all over the world from there. Just be warned it takes at least 2 hours to chew the leaves to reach the desired effect.)
10. Visiting the vineyards of Pheasant’s Tears boutique winery in Sighnaghi, Georgia, followed by a multi course, organic dinner with wine pairing. An incredibly tasty evening.
Happy holidays everyone and have an exciting year of 2014, filled with joyous and unforgettable moments both at home and on the road!
"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
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