sami saayer
A marketer by profession, writer/poet by passion, cricketer by interest, photographer by desire, husband by accident and father by luck.Saayer
Travel Blog Posts
MYKONOS: WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
Published: July 17th 2011Europe » Greece » South Aegean » Mykonos
March 6th 2011
Have you ever been to an island where you are the only human? I have. Have you ever been to an island where the only other living creatures are plants, three cats and two pelicans? I have. Have you ever been to Mykonos? I have. Four and a half hour ferry ride from Athens takes you to Mykonos. An island known for its wild and never-ending night life. An island known for its beautiful beaches and gorgeous architecture. An Island known for its conviviality and warmth. If only you are not the only human on it. I had not booked a hotel online and in Athens when the travel agent showed me the only hotel available with rooms, it was a bit below my ‘standards’ which have gone considerably high because of business traveling. ‘I’d find ... read more
Amsterdam - A Beautiful Poem
Published: July 17th 2011Europe » Netherlands » North Holland » Amsterdam
February 20th 2011
After the food, they started playing a local Dutch song. The local crowd started singing in unison. “I don’t understand it.” I said to Mariah who was sitting next to me and listening to the song silently. “But it sounds really nice.” “I will translate it for you.” She put her head on her knees. “Is there anyone who can boat without a paddle? Or fly a kite without wind? And who can part with his beloved without tears in his eyes?” She would pause for a while to listen to the words and then translate them for me. “I can boat without a paddle… and fly a kite without wind but I cannot part with my beloved without shedding tears.” The dream of mid winter’s night was over. The journey that started from Paris around ... read more
February 13th 2011
After wandering in the streets of Helsinki for the whole day, Shazil came to the Hilton Kalastajaturrpa. He sat in the lobby and ordered a cup of café latte. The restaurant was totally empty except for one old man who was enjoying red wine. He started fiddling unnecessarily with his cell phone as he usually did when he was pretending to be busy before the old man said something to him in a foreign language. A woman who was probably his wife and a young girl who was probably his daughter had joined him on the table. “I’m sorry, I don't understand Finnish.” He smiled. “It was Italian.” the old man also smiled. “I thought you were Italian. I was actually asking you about the waiter who has disappeared.” Shazil also realized that his coffee had ... read more
January 22nd 2011
am in a city where no one knows who I am. I sit in the cab and tell the driver to take me ‘wherever’ and he drops me at a place where there is a bit of life in what appeared to be a dead city. It’s a wonderful feeling. I don’t know where I am and I don’t want to know either. I keep walking on the streets. (Entrance of a Bazaar in Centrum) I am not asking for directions because I don’t have to go anywhere. I cross a food-street and indulge myself in another Doner. Much tastier than one I had in Istanbul and custom made. I keep walking on dark streets. I realize that I am walking opposite to the direction where majority of people are going. I stop for a bit ... read more
November 4th 2010
“Where are you from?” “Pakistan.” “Ah… Pakistan… Kaardish!” “Kaardish?” “Yes… Kaardish… Brother. Brother Country. Long time ago, Pakistan helped Turkey.” “And now Turkey is helping Pakistan in floods.” “Pakistani. Thank you and God bless you.” Pakistani… God Bless You. If a Turk taxi driver thanks you and gives you his blessings, it’s not because you are too bloody big and have done him some favor. It’s because you are a Pakistani and you are Kaardish. Since my first day in Turkey, wherever I went and whoever I told that I was a Pakistani, the other person had one word… Kaardish. In a time of extreme universal refutation of the term Pakistani, in the time of ‘You Pakistani You No Good’, in the time of ‘You Look Like a Terrorist’… Kaardish was a big pleasant surprise. Beautiful ... read more
June 16th 2010
I fell in love with Yemen the moment I stepped out of the airport. I was tired. I had to wait for the visa at the airport for two hours after landing. That too after a long sleepless night in Dubai. The good thing about the whole ordeal was the experience of going through it. Surprisingly, it was. Under normal circumstances one will be worried at the airport without a visa especially when your passport has also been taken away by the authorities, you don’t know anyone in the country you are visiting and your phone is not working. The guy at the immigration counter told me that the visa was not there and I would have to wait. I was offered water to drink while I waited for the visa to arrive. The guy kept ... read more
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