http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Chi/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Chi en-us Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:01:09 +0000 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:01:09 +0000 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 st http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/South/Petra/blog-274824.html Do you remember the time when you were a little kid and loved listening to fairytales 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 remem http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Syria/West/Hama/blog-241903.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Syria/East/Palmyra/blog-230104.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Syria/South/Damascus/blog-228559.html 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 f http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Lebanon/Baalbek/blog-221545.html 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 wi http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Lebanon/Tripoli/blog-206515.html Once known as the Paris of the Middle East Beirut was long considered the most liberal and laissezfaire 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 fut http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Lebanon/Beirut/blog-202252.html They say bdquoNever say neverldquo 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 chap http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Mediterranean/Antalya/blog-198422.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Uganda/Eastern-Region/Jinja/blog-197947.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-195974.html The Swahili are a people and culture found on the coast of East Africa mainly the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya and Tanzania parts of Uganda and north Mozambique. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil which means coastal dwellers.The Swahili Coast along the Kenyan and Tanzanian coastline had been the site of cultural and commercial exchanges between East Afri http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-194884.html Before I travel to a destination I'll make up my mind about what to do and what to see there. For Bali it was to dive the SS Liberty shipwreck stroll through some evergreen ricefields and terraces see a Balinese dancing performance eat delicious Balinese food climb one of the volcanoes for sunrise and to watch the sunset at Tanah Lot one of Balirsquos most famous scenic wonders. Some say t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/blog-183639.html Sooner or later every journey will end like everything in life so the last destination of my Southeast Asia journey were the Philippines. In the past I used to make fun about the Philippines so whenever friends asked me to visit them there I was like What Philippines Hell noooo way that's somewhere in the middle of nowhere and it actually is somewhere in the middle of nowhere inde http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/blog-184838.html They say bdquoNever leave that to tomorrow what you can do todayldquohellip but as all of you know these words are sometimes easier said than done. My last extent trip to Southeast Asia is dating back a few years. Since then a little travel bug has been nagging me from time to time that I still have a few Southeast Asian countries left on my list to visit and to name them Myanmar In http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-175786.html Remember that I ended my last entry with ... travelling is like blood and we travellers are like blutlusting vampires always thirsting for more and more... fresh sweet seductive inspiring new blood how right these words are After I've travelled almost whole Southeast Asia parts of the Middle East India Nepal East Asia Northern America and most countries in Western Europe I could http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Coast-Province/blog-186415.html A white mist shrouds the plain and the first birdcalls across the valleys announce the imminent arrival of another dawn. Slowly the mist dissipates in the rising sun to reveal the spires and Buddhas that meditate in bliss and gradually the forms coalesce to unveil a temple that many who have seen it consider to be the finest example of Buddhist architecture ever raised to the sky by man the mag http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Borobudur/blog-184836.html We see the day and the night coming and passing by the change of seasons flowers blooming and fading snow falling and melting the sun the clouds the rain the storm the thunder... coming and going... and all that reminds us that this bluegreen planet we are dwelling on is in a constant change. In some parts of this world you have the chance to see volcanoes. Volcanoes have something magi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Bromo-Tengger-Semeru/blog-183873.html How many times on my journeys have I stood at the ocean or sat on a ferry while crossing a beautiful sea and wished that I could dive I can't remember but definitively too many times But this time I was ready and well prepared with a diving licence in my pocket for venturing into the deep blue... Scuba Diving is undoubtly one of the most incredibly beautiful and rewarding hobbies you could ever http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Tulamben/blog-182277.html It is said that when the continents and islands had been created on earth the Gods gathered together. The highest god explained to all other Gods that there is one more island to be created a special island for all Gods and that on this island all Gods will be worshipped and honored util the end of time. So the Gods started to create the most outstanding island of all. The bottom and upper la http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Kuta/blog-180193.html Kuala Lumpur is one of those places where I have been a couple of times but never felt the desire of exploring it though I have to admit that I donrsquot really know why. In Germany we have the expression bdquoWeder Fisch noch Fleischldquo neither fish nor meat so Kuala Lumpur is neither like 'this' nor 'that' for me it's simply just Kuala Lumpur. So if you're expecting an useful blog http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Wilayah-Persekutuan/Kuala-Lumpur/blog-179810.html