Around the World 🌎 🌍 – Confessions of a Lady Sindbad

The World Seen From …

Exploring the world from different perspectives, be it:

Riding :

A donkey while in Tenerife, Canary Islands – 19 July 1985

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An elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand – 17 November 2007

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A camel in Norita campsite, Uzbekistan – 9 May 2008

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Sitting in:

A carriage in Fontainebleau, France – 6 September 1986

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A rickshaw in Vietnam – 11 March 2001

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An ox cart in Isalo Park, Ranohira, Madagascar- 5 May 2009

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Diving underwater in the Maldives – 11 July 2012

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Climbing up mountains in Bhutan – 9 October 2016

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Rising higher up above in a hot air balloon in Luxor, Egypt – 4 December 2016

There are two different types of people: the massage lovers and the others. I belong to the first group and admit having tried almost every kind of massage one might have heard of…yes, wherever my wanderlust bug took me I thrived to indulge in my favorite pastime.

While the “Razzie award” belongs to the Inca massage in Agua Calientes, Peru (it triggered pain in my neck i.e. Brufen was my best friend for quite a few days ), some of the best experiences were in :

–Siem Reap, Cambodia – 25 February 2003 : advertised as “massage by blinds”, all the employees in this center were professionally trained visually impaired masseurs and masseuses.

–Sri Lanka : Ayurveda treatments

Spice Gardens in Matala, Sri Lanka – 24 February 2004

and the star of them all, the Shirodhara – oil dripping technique 27 March 2017

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29 March 2017

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-Bali – 22 August 2012 : yummy treat(ments) i.e. coffee scrubs, chocolate massages…

–Maldives – 10 July 2012 : the outdoor picture perfect spectacular setting

– Shanghai, China – 4/5 September 2011 : relieved me from a chronic back pain in only one session…like magic!

– Chiang Mai, Thailand – 15 November 2007 : Sleep inducing reflexology

– Chiang Mai, Thailand – November 2007 : the 2-hour body massage felt like seconds

– Bagan, Myanmar– 9 February 2005: Room-reflexology

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–Madagascar: much needed pampering between hikes

–Reserva Forestal Los Santos, Costa Rica – 22 March 2018 : excellent “surround sound system” reaching us from the surrounding rainforest…chirping birds, cascading waterfall… live, no CD.

However, the one treatment that left me with the strongest impact was closer to home…Yes, here in Abu Dhabi where I enjoy an established yet dynamic routine.

Honestly, I went to the spa at the Emirates Palace out of curiosity…understandably, it’s the most luxurious spa I’ve ever been to. I suspected the tag price to be associated with the lavishness, the splendor of the surroundings.

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I found out it wasn’t exactly true: the treatment was above my expectations…pure bliss is a cliché! Words fail me… I can’t describe the burst of emotions I never knew existed and caused my eyes to well up with tears towards the end of the treatment, once I felt, inch by inch, a warm blanket descending on my back before being left there and covering me like a warm cocoon.

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Heroin! It’s like heroin! Yes, well suddenly this particular article came to my mind…I read it twelve years ago in a Glamour UK issue while visiting my daughter Sara in Beirut. It was the addiction journal of a teenager who revealed that the first time she tried heroin it felt like she was being enveloped in a warm blanket. I still remember that I thought then and there why wouldn’t she simply envelope herself in a warm blanket instead of letting herself be sucked into the downhill spiral that could have cost her her life?! Strange how our memory works.

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Anyway, back outside sipping on my minted tea in the relaxing area, a smooth transition before exiting the enchanting “realms of the senses”, I inquired about the “heroin effect ” treatment. They don’t have it on the menu, it was bespoke! They came up with it when I asked for a “brain teaser” : a relaxing and energizing treatment.

Still under the spell, I left the premises with the feeling that the treatment I just experienced could really lead to a habit, a guilt free and harmless habit.

Technically It’s The First Time

Throwback to July 2017

Technically it is the first time..yes, my eldest grandson is 3 years and 8 months now but during the two ” Mr. & Mrs.’s only ” post-parenthood trip his mommy and daddy have planned, my dear hubby has taken care of the offspring solo as I was away on both occasions…When 17 months Aboudi’s parents went to California, I was on a prescheduled trip to Japan playing geisha dress up with a few girls friends.

A year and a half later, same scenario: when 3 years old Aboudi and 9 months Sama’s Mommy and Daddy took off to NYC, the teta was in Bhutan doing the Druk Path Trek…

The least I can say is that the abuelo was up to the responsibilities with a relish and a rare merit…During the first trip, he used to come home early in order to accompany Aboudi to the nearby park and petting zoo..

During the second one, he took baby Sama to the pediatrician because her mom was worried after one of the daily WhatsApps with the nanny….the redness around her mouth ? Hand, foot and mouth disease!!

So yes, technically it’s the first time I’m going to practice the loving role of the teta -babysitting -the -grandkids but how can I compete with “a man with experience “?! Yes, while I was busy typing this in my room, Aboudi was sleeping soundly in my husband’s….

Men in Uniforms

Men in uniform – and women- have a certain appeal..whenever I notice one, well.. I have never managed to reign my desire to immortalize those encounters…always with a smile, a knowing smile, a smile acknowledging the ludicrousness of my impulse

Checkpoint Charlie, a vestige of an unhappy period for pre 89 Berliners Berlin, Germany –5 June 2016

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Who is he? No clue. A passerby in uniform…et voilà Moscow Russia – 9 May 2016

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With the guard at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V- and his two sons Rabat, Morocco – 6 April 2016

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This Mayan site has some of the best-preserved stelae and those vigilant men in uniforms are making sure it stays it that way Archeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua, Guatemala – 4 November 2015

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Alpha female in uniform Todos los Santos, Guatemala – 1 November 2015

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Windsor Castle, Windsor, UK – 1 June 2014

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Notting Hill, London, UK – 24 August 2014

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With the of our Paris➡️Havana flight aboard a Cubana Airlines’s Ilushin II-96 – 25 November 2013

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With the “eyes” watching over the weekly Sunday march Huancayo, Peru – 30 October 2011

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During a demonstration, probably a minor one as the Riot Police officers didn’t seem slightly worried, considering that one of them lent me his cap and the other one his shield Arequipa, Peru –18 October 2011

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Police officers in longui, Bali, Indonesia- 27 March 2010

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Historically responsible for safeguarding the Crown Jewels: a Beefeater, Tower of London UK –15 August 1989

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The closest I could get to him behind the chain, Tower of London, UK– 15 August 1989

This Cup of Coffee

This cup of coffee, the morning cup is the “jewel of all coffees “..it has absolutely no match. It simply tastes different…forget the brew, forget the blend, it’s the whole experience…an experience one fails to recreate later on throughout the day; I’ve endeavored to duplicate it though…for a certain period of time I’ve been wondering with each sip of the magic brew whether it tasted as good as the earliest one only to admit the evident: regardless of the place, whether outdoor or indoor, sipping my first coffee in silence seems the most enjoyable mission . This recurrent daily small pleasure is one of the simplest and cheapest life enjoyment, it’s the ritual I look forward to when at night I close my eyes in bed , and despite the build up I’m never disappointed. It’s a selfish pleasure…no company needed…

One home requirement though: the mug…I stick to on specific style and it shouldn’t be heavy, absolutely not…who wants to do weight lifting in the morning?!

However I have to admit, my morning coffee is not the crowned King of all beverages … I have another daily ritual: the afternoon tea …and that’s another love story.

Arabic coffee, at The Emirates Palace Hotel’s Beach tent, Abu Dhabi UAE– 7 December 2018

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Capuccino italiano, Hotel Villa d’Este Cernobbio, Lake Como, Italy – 15 July 2016

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Palace cappuccino sprinkled in real 24-carat gold flakes at Le Café, the Emirates Palace Hotel’s – Abu Dhabi UAE 24 April 2015

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Latte, historic Demel Konditorei (1786) Vienna Austria – 12 July 2016

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Mochachino Mzaar Intercontinental Kferzebian Lebanon – 26 December 2017

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Café liégeois Liège, Belgium –3 Septembre 2018

Café gourmand Champs-Élysées – 9 September 2018 & Butte aux Cailles – 8 September 2018 Paris, France 

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Kopi Luwak AKA civet coffee Bali, Indonesia –20 August 2012

It includes partially digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by the Asian civet. Coffee producers claim that this process improves the coffee due to the following:

⁃ selection as the civet choose to eat certain cherries only

⁃ digestion affects the composition of the coffee cherry

Although kopi luwak is a form of processing rather than a variety of coffee, it has been called one of the most expensive coffees in the world, with retail prices reaching US$700 per kg.

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Coffee with a spectacular view Hotel Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman – 13 October 2017

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Tent service “morning coffee” campsite between Paro and Thimphu, Bhutan – 11 October 2016

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“On cloud nine” coffee between London-Abu Dhabi, Airbus A380’s lounge Etihad Airways – 18 October 2018

Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde Sans The Evil Streak …a Woman of Many Contradictions

My sister once said to me, you are like Lebanon, the country of contradictions…

You are a devout practicer and a party animal… you endeavor to perform your 5 daily prayers and more, the beautiful voice of one specific muezzin makes you stop everything to listen to his beautiful call for prayer, but again certain songs can pull you to the dance floor with shameless abandon…

Your friends? Social butterflies and literati. You are equally pleased in the company of the younger in their 30s as well as the older with experience in their 80s.

What else? I love a good workout as much as I love farniente. I enjoy living in the fast lane, enjoy the adrenaline that helps me cope with a hectic lifestyle but equally enjoy a relaxing morning just catching up on the world or reading a catching book, staying home and not having any planned outings…

In the morning, I look forward to the peace and quiet of the late evening and the rituals preceding the “engine switch off” while at night I look forward to the morning “waking up process” and its routine – a warm shower and coffee in the garden listening to the chirping birds.

These contradictions must be explained by the following: my yin and yang DNA is probably the “joint account “of 2 extremely different ancestors.

Knowing this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I enjoy the luxury of 5* hotels as much as I enjoyed the overnight homestay in Amantani Island, Lake Titicaca in Peru , the shared sleeping accommodation – we were 12 – of a traditional wooden boat during a Mekong cruise in Vietnam, the rudimentary comfort of a yurt in Uzbekistan, as well as camping in Bhutan under torrential rain i.e. muddy terrain.

Anyone like me?

Four Seasons Hotel Anahita, Mauritius –3/6 December 2014

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Le Negresco Hotel Nice, France – 14 June 2014

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Lake Palace Hotel Udaipur, India –15 February 1998

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Riads, Morocco – 6/14 April 2016

Les Jardins de Shehrazad Fès 7/8 April Riad Nashira Marrakech 10/12 April

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Shwe Inn Tha Floating Resort, Inlay Lake Myanmar – 10/11 February 2005

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Beach bungalow Hotel Vanille, Manakara Madagascar – 8 May 2009

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Local’s casa, Amantani Island Peru – 22 October 2011

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Wooden boat, Mekong Vietnam – 22/24 February 2003

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Yurt Campsite, Nurata Uzbekistan – 8 May 2008

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Campsites between Paro and Thimphu, Bhutan – 8/11 October 2016

Dressing up

Dressing like the locals gives you a feel of the place, whether for:

-a photoshoot: India, China, Peru and Japan

-modeling the outfit for your travel companions: Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Guatemala

-going out for dinner: Cambodia

-dressing up as an empress for dinner in a “palace turned restaurant”: Vietnam,

Or for the whole stay: Iran.

7F20F976-E068-4F14-AFD2-80A61A436855 Udaipur, India – 16 February 1998

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Beijing 31 August 2011 China 25 Cheng Du April 2012

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Lake Titicaca, Peru – 21 October 2011

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Kyoto, Japan – 2 April 2015

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Sri Lanka – 24 February 2004

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Uzbekistan –7 May 2007

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Guatemala – 30 October 2015

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Siem Reap, Cambodia – 26 February 2003

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Hue, Vietnam – 16 March 2001

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Shiraz 28, Isaphan 30 Apr 2003 Iran Kangavar 9 May 2001

Come On Baby Light My Fire

Rincon de la Vieja -1,916m. It has 9 craters and a large number of fumaroles and hot springs on its slopes. The name means “The Old Woman’s Corner”, a reference to a local legend about a girl whose lover was thrown into the crater by her father. She became a recluse living on the mountain, and was credited with powers of healing Costa Rica – 18 March 2018,
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Arenal -1,670m. This conic volcano has a crater 140 m in diameter. We made it in time for the sunset Costa Rica – 15 March 2018

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Kilauea–1,247m.We were lucky it was active. The hotel concierge advised us to take our chances and head there instead of calling the monitoring center to inquire about the volcano’s activity because that may be misleading as by the time we reach there the eruption might be over. Later on, we followed some other tourists’ recommendation and biked, then hiked in a pitch-black night to observe the incandescent lava flowing into the ocean *Hawaï, Big Island – 24 April 2017*

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*Haleakala* crater- 3045m. This massive shield volcano forms more than 75% of the island. Another volcano forms the western 25%., Maui, *Hawaï – 20 April 2017*

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*Lake Atitlan*’s famous trio *San Pedro’s-3,020m-,* *Atitlan-3,535m-, & Toliman -3,158m.* *Guatemala* – *31 October 2015*

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*Mount Fuji*– 3,776m. This iconic conic snow-topped volcano is the highest mountain in Japan, and a World Heritage site since 2013. Majestic, despite the works beneath *Honshu,* *Japan – 28 March 2015*

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2010, Indonesia, Bali, Mount Batur – 1,717m- is an active Volcano. We left the hotel at 3:00 am; after around a 2 hours hike we reached the caldera and along with another friend, I resumed the last leg up to the peak- another half hour. From our promontory we watched silently the sunrise bringing life to the still life around us.

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*Mount Eden-*196m. This dormant volcanic cone overlooks Auckland and offers one of the best views of the city *Auckland*, *New Zealand – 8 April 2008,*

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*Mount Teide* – 3,718m. According to hubby, the honeymoon turned out to be more like a boot camp…day tours and night shows: barely few hours’ sleep *Tenerife*, *Canary Islands – 16 July 1985*

From Place to Place

Applying black lacquer on the teeth of young coming-of-age women was a very popular rite of passage Hoi an,Vietnam – 18 March 2001
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Gold teeth are a traditional status symbol. Uzbekistan – 3 May 2007
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Tanakha paste is used as a sunblock Bagan,Myanmar –8 *February* *2005*

Tea plucker in Newara Eliya, *Sri Lanka* –26 February *2004*

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*Vientiane, Laos – 24 November 2007*
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Xangkhong, Chiang Dao, Thailand – 17 November 2007
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Carmine or brown red teeth colour are a side effect of chewing betel nut, a very common practice in SE Asia Paro, Bhutan– 7 October 2016

It’s a Wild Wild World

🇺🇸•🇰🇳•🇵🇷•🇭🇹•🇲🇽

// Part 4 of 7 //

On the Riviera Maya, while snorkeling the Great Mayan Reef, the world’s second largest coral reef, between the “butterflies of the oceans” – stingrays – I felt overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness triggered by the following thought… I realised I love all creatures except the Homo Sapiens found in my birth country: the rulers and those electing them…the greedy and corrupt as well as the ignorants and bigots who put them in power…

The maligned animals of prey hunt out of hunger, ONLY…if they were to duplicate those Homo Sapiens’ greedy and auto-destructive behaviour, many species would have been extinct by now…

After reflection, I realised I didn’t feel that way during the previous encounters with the animals in their natural habitat…

South Africa – 12 April 2009

On the contrary, I had some of the most exhilarating experiences while scuba diving in the beautiful Great Barrier Reef ( crossed paths with a white tip shark )

The Maldives – 12 July 2012

The Maldives – 10 July 2012

And in Sharm El Sheikh – 24 November 2015

Ditto on terra firma during our safari in South Africa – 11 April 2009

As well in Madagascar’s tropical rainforest – 3 May 2009

And again in the Andes mountains in Peru’s Alto Plano – 24 October 2011

And lately in the cloud forest in Carara National Park Costa Rica – 20 March 2018.

My moodiness must have been induced by the elections taking place at the time in my birth country…this charade did affect me despite the distance!

Category: Around the World 🌎 🌍