As I was marveling at the bright colors of the watermelon, eggplant, and tomatoes against the typical Omani cream-colored backdrop of souq buildings – I felt that something was ‘off’ – but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I continued to walk around the Nizwa souq (market) with our guide Zahar but since I [...]

The wall of thick, humid air hit me as I got out of the safety of the air-conditioned truck. I breathed it in – filling my lungs with the salty sea air that is so distinct in coastal regions. From this point on, I was going where no vehicles can go – I had to [...]

I packed my down coat rather skeptically – but on day 3 of my Oman hiking trip I found myself eagerly unpacking it and putting it on – in addition to my gloves! When you think of the Middle East – you probably don’t think of mountain ranges and freezing temperatures. However it was the [...]

I was surrounded by jagged canyon walls jutting up from the pools of water and shading me from the sun. I wondered if it could get any more beautiful than this – and my answer to that question came as I rounded the corner out of the canyon and stepped out into the sunlight. This [...]

I stood staring upwards at the chandelier in the dome of the Saltan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat Oman admiring its soft glow. I was slightly surprised that it gets the dubious title of 2nd largest chandelier in the world. It didn’t seem that large to me, but as our guide Rob was pumping out [...]

I laid out my new sleeping bag on the thick mat under the stars. It was muggy outside but I still got into the down sleeping bag else I felt too exposed. I turned off my head lamp and said goodnight to my fellow travelers going through the same ritual nearby. As I lay there, [...]

  The home of tulips – the Netherlands When I lived in NYC and San Francisco I used to treat myself to a bouquet of flowers weekly to spruce up my apartment and my attitude.  Seriously – how can you be stressed or angry with a colorful bouquet of flowers in your home?  I made a decision [...]

I felt as if the whole city of Copenhagen was under construction. All of the beautiful squares and plazas were not only torn up, but they were dusty, and loud. The sounds of equipment was in the air as I tried to visit many of the famous buildings and squares around town. The city is [...]