Chi - Chisus

"Life is like a puff of smoke, a wonderful seductive illusion..."

Sometimes when I look up to the sky, it happens that a plane is flying by... taking off to a far away destination somewhere over the rainbow and beyond the horizon... So now and then I ask myself where is the plane heading for... and what would the pilot say if I asked him whether or not he could fly me to the moon!? Maybe he would just smile and think: "What a silly request and what a silly boy"...

Every place of this world's got different colours, different people with different stories to tell... so if you feel like listening to some of my "travel" stories, feel free to click on the 'Subscribe' button below... and join me on my journeys! All comments are cordially welcome... :-)

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Chi - raised and lives in Hamburg, Germany - Not native in English, but trying my best - No fancy camera equipment, but a keen eye...
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Joined on: July 1st 2007
Last Login: September 25th 2009

Blog Entries: 23
Photos: 576
Recommended by 17

TB Code: [blogger=42209]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Chi, order by Date newest first.

By Chi
May 10th 2008

Jordan - The City half as old as time... Middle East » Jordan » South » Petra

Sunset
Wadi Musa, Jordan

Somewhere in the Middle East, south of the Dead Sea, on the edge of the Jordanian desert, hidden and surrounded by a ring of mountains, is a place unique and bizarre, a city carved into the rocks, a wonderland of temples, tombs and caves. Even though its life, colours and structure are long fallen to dust, its magic stayed alive throughout the centuries and legend became mystery, and one of the strangest, most fascinating places in the world... or how a poet once said: "Match me such a marvel, save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city, half as old as time...!" [View Full Entry]

By Chi
February 1st 2008

Syria - The Castle of the Knights & the Axis of Evil... Middle East » Syria » West » Hama

Castle of the Knights
Crac des Chevaliers, Syria

Do you remember the time when you were a little kid and loved listening to fairy-tales or reading books full of adventures from places somewhere beyond the horizon and far far away. Tales of powerful kings and queens and beautiful princesses? Tales of brave heroes and conquerors, tales of unbeatable armies in their shining armors, tales of the everlasting battle between good and evil? Do you remember the time...? The time when one side was good and the other side was evil? But as time does not stand still and as everything changes, even the good and the evil will change...! [View Full Entry]

By Chi
August 15th 2007

Syria - The Queen of the Desert... Middle East » Syria » East » Palmyra

Sunset
Ruins of Palmyra

Go back the timeline for a thousand years or more and imagine a caravan in the Syrian Desert, coming all the way from the far East, travelling along the silkroad from oasis to oasis, through a seemingly endless landscape of sand, rocks and stones, and then out of the sudden, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, one of the most graceful and splendid ancient cities of the Middle East with green palms, great Colonnades and temples for the gods... rises from the sands, rises right in front of your eyes.... like the Fata Morgana of a seductive beautiful woman, a Queen... [View Full Entry]

By Chi
August 10th 2007

Syria - The Pearl of the East... Middle East » Syria » South » Damascus

Two Kids
Umayyad Mosque, Damascus

The city of Damascus wakes up every day and opens its arms to touch you softly like the fabric of damask and bloom in front of you in its entire splendor like a damask rose. Walking through its streets you will soon find yourself intoxicated by the magic of this ancient city and the magic of the Middle East. T.E. Lawrence once wrote about Damascus: "The silent gardens blurred green with river mist, in whose setting shimmered the city, beautiful as ever, like a pearl in the morning sun. No wonder that they call it - The Pearl of the East..." [View Full Entry]

By Chi
August 8th 2007

Lebanon - The City of the Sun... Middle East » Lebanon » Baalbek

Sunset
Columns of the temple of Jupiter

Approximately 90 kilometers northeast of the city of Beirut in eastern Lebanon stands the magnificent temple complex of Baalbek, the ruins are one of the holiest places of ancient times. Before the Romans conquered the site and built their enormous temple of Jupiter, long even before the Phoenicians constructed a temple to the god Baal, there stood at Baalbek the largest stone block construction found in the entire world. The Phoenician word Baalbek means "God of the Bekaa valley". Ancient legends assert that Baalbek was the birthplace of Baal, later the town became known as Heliopolis, the "C [View Full Entry]

By Chi
August 6th 2007

Lebanon - The Road Trip along the Coast... Middle East » Lebanon » Tripoli

Hole in the Wall
Tripoli, Lebanon

If you take a look at the map of Lebanon, which is situated at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, you will realize that Lebanon is pretty small. Most people will be surprised that there are, unlike most other countries in the Middle East, no deserts in Lebanon. The landscape varies from beaches at the coast to mountain ranges with snow white peaks. It sounds amazing but it's possible to swim in the Mediterranean Sea in the morning and to ski down 3000m high peaks in the afternoon! [View Full Entry]

By Chi
August 3rd 2007

Lebanon - The Paris of the Middle East... Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut

Paris of the Middle East
Downtown Beirut

Once known as the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut was long considered the most liberal and "laissez-faire" city in the region - the "joie de vivre" is evident. Without a map telling me that I was in the Middle East, I could be at any coastal city in Southern Europe. Despite the recent troubles the country has been facing, and the political instability which adds to the uncertainties about the future, Lebanon is a country with a lot to offer. Due to its unique geographical position at the western edge of the Arab world and the eastern edge of Europe... [View Full Entry]

By Chi
August 1st 2007

Turkey - The Great Wall of Turkey... Middle East » Turkey » Mediterranean » Antalya

The Mediterranean Sea
Off the shore from Antalya

They say: „Never say never!“ After my last trip to the Middle East back in 1999, one of my first backpacking trips ever, to Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Israel, I returned home and said to myself: "Islamic countries?! Never ever again!" So it took me four more years before I finally dared to venture into an Islamic country (Morocco) again. But deep inside, I always felt like that the chapter "Middle East" was still open and my travel bug kept nagging me to close it. In fact, there were still some countries which I really wanted to see: Syria and Lebanon... [View Full Entry]

By Chi
June 12th 2007

Uganda - The Source of the Nile... Africa » Uganda » Eastern Region » Jinja

African Sunset
Near the Equator

There is something magical about the Nile, the longest river in the world and the source of life for many great civilizations throughout the ages. For centuries the Nile's source remained unknown. Today we might ask, "How hard can it be? Why not just go up the river?" But the quest became fascination, fascination became mystery and mystery became legend. Hundreds of explorers and adventurers died seeking to solve the big mystery. Ancient Egyptian pharaos sent armies in search of the source of the great river and the Greek philosopher Ptolemy held that the source was the "Mountains of the M [View Full Entry]

By Chi
June 9th 2007

Kenya - The long Road to Kampala and a real Safari... Africa » Kenya » Nairobi Province » Nairobi

Kenyan Sunrise
Train from Mombasa to Nairobi

Safari?! Just say the word and images of Africas wildlife will come to your mind. Close your eyes. Speak out the Swahili word "Safari", and your imagination will go off and away, over mountains, across the sea and around the globe right to the East African Savannahs and right to places like Serengeti or Maasai Mara with its endless herds of wildebeests where you can see lions, elephants, giraffes etc... just a few steps away from your jeep... Say the word "Safari" again, and you will find yourself trekking through the thick forests of Uganda or Rwanda to see some gorillas. [View Full Entry]

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