Tagged With "Middle East"
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Re: Pere Lachaise: Home to Permanent Parisians
Pheymont, I'm sure you're familiar with Montmartre and know when you're at the cemetery you'll be very close to Rue Lepic and environs, my "home" neighborhood. If you haven't already, from the cemetery walk east on Blvd Clichy to Rue Lepic, turn left and go uphill, jog right/left at the top onto Rue Tholoze where you'll pass my first Paris home, and on a few steps more to the old moulin of Impressionist fame. After years and many visits it's still my favorite village and, after trying...
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I
Wow! Thanks for this fascinating contribution, Lestertheinvestor. I was exhausted just from reading the directions for applying for the visa. It is quite obvious that Saudi Arabia doesn't want infidels visiting them. A few questions you might know the answer to: 1) Is the process stream-lined for a Muslim wanting to go to Mecca, and what kind of proof do they need to have that they're a Muslim? 2) Do you have any rough idea how many hours you spent on this process? Ball-park guess would do.
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I
1) The process is easier for a Muslim who is going on a hajj. However, unless you are native born, you must present a document from the Imam of your mosque documenting your status as a Muslim in good standing. For a Caucasian woman who is a converted Muslim, you must still get permission from your husband or a male relative, along with the letter from the mosque to allow you to make the hajj. 2) Between my wife and I (she actually presented our documents each time to the consulate in Los...
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I
What a bureaucratic nightmare! I wonder if there are countries that make it harder to visit than this one?
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I
Originally Posted by Travel Luver: What a bureaucratic nightmare! I wonder if there are countries that make it harder to visit than this one? My wife and I have visited 119 countries, with China, Bhutan and Saudi Arabia the most challenging to enter.
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I
My husband and I were invited to live there for two years while he did a medical fellowship in genetics. The challenge for me was that I am a very independent traveler, and I could not imagine how I would deal with the restrictions on women. In the end, those restrictions influenced our decision to go to Germany for two years instead. However, after having seen your photos, I am curious to see more. I regret that I do not know this part of the world.
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Re: New Hope for the Jet-Lagged?
I always put my watch onto the destination time as soon as I board the plane. Like most other travellers it only affects me when I go West to East - US to Europe !
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Re: New Hope for the Jet-Lagged?
I always find the worst jet lag is my journey home. Be it from east or west. Strange how we all differ in the functioning of our internal clock.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#63)
The clues are: 1. Deciduous not coniferous trees. 2. Sign in Latin script. 3. Cars in parking lot look German, particularly a VW Beetle (not made in Germany for many years). 4. Date of 1992 on one arm. Overall, I favour ex-communist East/Central Europe, possibly Poland.
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Re: A Winter Visit to Dresden and Leipzig
Well Dresden and Leipzig pretty nice cities to visit. In Dresden the former Frauenkirche got rebuild which got totally destroyed by the bombing attack if the Second World War. Also the side on the river Elbe invites in long walks and beautiful areas. Especially the sights like Zwinger and the Semper Oper are worth to visit. Leipzig is the City I come from and it has changed a lot after the reunion. The inner city is not that big but it has a lot if history. Sebastian Bach and his famous...
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Re: When there are no more beaches, will we all head for the hills?
I do not believe that the burning of fossils fuels has any effect on the direction of the Jet Stream. Which in turn controls the weather around the world. I do believe that the Petro-Chemical Refineries from the New Jersey coast and further south releasing tons of nasty unwanted chemicals into the atmosphere does have a big effect on the de-forestation of Europe with acid rain. They release this gas when the wind is blowing east across the Atlantic. And when the wind suddenly changes the...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#48)
There's a kid roller blading, with knee and elbow pads but no helmet. Has to be an American kid. Not sure I can recall kids that young on Rollerblades in Europe. Europeans, help me out with this! But I favor USA, likely east of the Mississippi.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 2, 2014: Looking Across Time
Bercy is the one, and the one I had the hardest time recalling. But! SMH, as they say these days, I realized that it is actually No. 7! I left out the Gare d'Austerlitz. The 6 came from a reference online, which I since realized was old enough perhaps not to include Bercy, which was a freight station until 1977, when it was reconfigured to handle overnight sleepers, especially those on which you can take your car with you. The two no-longer operating stations are Orsay (of course) and...
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Re: Agritourism Bed and Breakfast in Normandy
Definitely visit the Mont St. Michel (island) after the tour buses leave. So a great time to head out to the island is mid afternoon (ie. get there by mid afternoon, don't leave Bayeux at that time). By the time you get to the old island itself the crowds will be thinning. It's a bit of a climb up to the monastery, but the views are incredible as the great history and beauty of the place. Just be sure you don't delay visiting the monastery too long (believe it closes at 6 pm but double check...
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Re: Mercado de San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
My first experience of a "Spanish" style market was in Menorca. A small island off the east coast of Spain. The Island of soldiers and cows the locals called it. We had our kids with us as we went around the market square calling at each of the butchers shops. None had steak for sale - but would have plenty at 3pm ! So we returned at 2:45pm. We could hear the excitement but there was no one there. A few minutes later a bull was dragged into the marble floored market square. Kicking and...
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AirAsia offers 1-month 10-city pass
AirAsia, one of the major budget arilines in Southeast Asia, is offerning a one-month pass for about $148 that allows travelers to fly free among 10 Southeast Asian cities. Airport taxes, etc. are extra. The pass is designed to increase tourism...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec 4th, 2014: A Ride to Paradise
The Strasburg Train - Pennsylvania. Climb aboard the larger-than-life steam train and enjoy a round-trip ride through the tranquil Amish countryside to Paradise, PA and back. This is the most relaxing...
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A Remote Canadian Village offers Indescribable Natural Discoveries
As I left the hotel in Winnipeg I was outfitted in all my brand new cold-weather gear headed for the airport and a two hour flight to the remote village of Churchill. I prayed my preparation for facing the sub-zero temperatures and brutal...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 2, 2014: Boats at Cassis, France
We had a day to spare on a recent trip to Marseilles . The B'n' B we were staying at recommended a visit to Cassis (French pronunciation:kasi). We took a local train there, about 40 minutes journey from Marseilles. The town is situated...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 10, 2014: Black Arctic Ground Squirrel
Ground Squirrels are fairly common in western North America. Many people call them gophers but this is not correct. A gopher is an animal that lives underground and stays there. Most people have never seen one. Ground...
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Memphis, Tennessee 3) The rest of the city
There’s a lot more to Memphis than Graceland, although Graceland is by far the city’s most popular attraction (which I’ve previously discussed here ). A city of about 650,000, Memphis has a...
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Tupelo, Mississippi. Birthplace of the King of Rock 'n Roll
This is the first post in a short series on visiting Elvis Presley related sites. I've been a huge Elvis fan all my life and my love for the man's wonderful music has not abated in the 35+ years since he died. My brother (Ottoman) and I...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 27, 2014: Cromer, Norfolk
A line of colorful English beach huts, not unusual, but always a happy sight, especially on a gray day, also not unusual, on a day trip to the East Anglian town of Cromer, on the North Sea. Read more than you ever thought you’d...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 3, 2015: Norfolk Broads
A boat trip on the Norfolk Broads is one of the pleasures available for visitors to one of the world’s most idiosyncratic areas of wetlands and waterways. The low-lying coastal lands of East Anglia, the English counties of Norfolk...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 15, 2014: The artificial Lake Reschen - Italy
I have visited a few artificial lakes on my travels but Lake Reschen tops my list - simply breathtaking. It is located in the western portion of South Tyrol, Italy, approximately 2 km south of Reschen Pass which forms the...
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The Bear Blog
I had a hunch when Shelly and I were planning our 59 National Park in 59 weeks tour that wildlife would be center stage. I knew that the buffalo would roam in Yellowstone, that the tropical fish would dance...
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Arctic Birds on Migration: Saskatchewan
Many of the Arctic birds are large white birds such as geese and swans but also include smaller and different coloured sandpipers and other birds. Where is the best place to see these magnificent Arctic birds? The most...
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Ottawa – NOT the coldest Capital in the world!
Ottawa is a vibrant and charming small city — so pleasant that it’s hard to believe it’s home to soooo many politicians. Of the national capitals I've visited, Ottawa seems the most livable to me (ie. if...
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Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America
Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province). It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent. We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov, 9, 2013: "The Gates of Paradise", Florence, Italy
Imagine spending more than 20 years of your life crafting a set of doors, and beginning that daunting project when you're just 21 years old. But the result is perhaps the most beautiful doors that have ever been made. Then think of...
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Washington State’s Long Beach Peninsula
For most travelers, the southwestern corner of Washington state is easy to bypass. It lies well over an hour’s drive from the busy I-5 Interstate Freeway. The broad mouth of the Columbia River limits access from the Oregon...
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Chicago — City of Skyscrapers & Cloud Gate
Like the monolith in Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s monumental film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, “Cloud Gate” looks like an alien object dropped onto a terrestrial landscape (not the African Savannah, but rather into...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 31, 2013: Lindisfarne, the Holy Island
Located 2 miles from the north-east coast of England and linked to the mainland by a tidal causeway, Lindisfarne has an area of some 1,000 acres and is the site of the first Christian monastery established by Saint Aidan in 635AD when he came here...
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The North Cascades: a National Park and Scenic Highway
The North Cascades Highway (Washington SR-20) offers the northern most route across the Cascade range in Washington state, just south of the Canadian border. The eastern (and highest) part of the road is...
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Steamboat Rock, Washington — Wildflowers and Vistas galore!
The large basalt mass of Steamboat Rock is a distinct landmark in Central Washington state. Steamboat Rock State Park is a dozen miles southwest of the massive Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. The Park is on a peninsula...
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Washington state's Wild Horses Monument & Gingko Petrified Forest
The Columbia River is one of the most interesting and beautiful geographic features of the Inland Northwest, from its headwaters in British Columbia to the dramatic Gorge just east of Portland, Oregon. When...
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Colorado National Monument
While many of the units of the US National Park system are frequently visited and very busy, there are also a few less crowded places. Colorado National Monument (known to locals as " The Monument" ) falls into the latter category....
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San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)
El Morro, the giant fortification that's guarded San Juan Harbor for nearly 500 years, is the sight we saw before we saw it. Its image is everywhere when you do online research for a trip to Puerto Rico; its "garitas"—small domed...
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JetBlue adds Reno-NYC non-stop
JetBlue is sending its newest A320 on a round-trip mission to bring New Yorkers to the Nevada/California gambling and scenery sites around Reno/Lake Tahoe, and to exchange them for westerners looking for East Coast vacations. Service starts...
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El Yunque: A visit to the rain forest
When we began planning a trip to Puerto Rico, and planning to include our 14-year-old granddaughter, we sent her some of the material we were gathering and asked her what her priorities were. She, and we, both had El Yunque right near the top of the...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part I – Three Towns
In July 2006 I gave in to curiosity and realized my ambition to visit West Greenland. I returned 6 times in the next 8 years! I knew that about 10% of the world’s freshwater was sitting on Greenland with the capacity to raise...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part II – Western Greenland on Foot!
Part I covered three Greenlandic towns I have visited but my real passion is being out in West Greenland’s wilderness. So this part is about what it has to offer those willing to get out there on foot and under canvas! I...
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Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Where Gumbo was #85)
In addition its contributions to the performing arts Los Angeles is also home to the largest art museum in the Western United States – The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Located on Wilshire Blvd just east of Fairfax Ave....
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San Juan, Puerto Rico: Outside the Walls
Because Puerto Rico was the first freshwater island for 16th-century travelers from Spain, and because it guards the entrance to the Caribbean, its Spanish masters went out of their way to defend it, not only with the huge fortifications at the...
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The Minturn Summer Market
One of the pleasures of summer across the northern hemisphere is that farmers markets spring to life for a few months, serving a bounty of fresh produce along with other items people buy at a market, like handicrafts, baked goods,...
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A summer trip to Valencia, Spain
Last Summer, in 2014, I went on an internship program in Valencia, Spain. My internship took place in a nice hotel near the center of the town and lasted 3 months. While I was there I could visit and enjoy many touristic points while also...
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Silver Plume, Colorado
I love going on leisurely road trips -- the kind where you've several spare hours to pull over somewhere and explore. If a place seems interesting, I like to check it out. So it was this past summer while we were visiting...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 1st, 2015: Cameron Falls, Waterton
Cameron Falls, Waterton The Cameron Falls are located in the townsite of Waterton Village. This serene cascade is well lit at night for viewers enjoying a peaceful evening stroll. These falls are also the site of the oldest rock in the...
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Skyscraper hotel planned for Swiss valley
A 100-suite luxury hotel, the same height as the Empire State Building, is planned for a tiny Swiss town of only 1000 residents. Room rates would run from just under $1000 a night to nearly $25,000 a night. It's aimed at (VERY) wealthy guests from the...