Blogs from Middle East - page 912

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Middle East » United Arab Emirates » Dubai May 15th 2008

So, I am in Dubai right now on a four hour stopover. I just endured an 8 hour flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur, a 3 1/2 hour stopover and then a 7 hour flight from KL to Dubai then this stop over. My ankles have swollen to the size of a large elm tree trunk.... and to make matters worse, my throat is swollen and my medication is in my checked luggage! I'm surviving on the tastes of Lemon/mint Riccolla lollies because I couldn't find strepsils anywhere! So theres my first whinge for the trip. But I am super excited to get to Ghana, it's just a matter of getting through this next 8 hour flight. And I am worried about how hot it is going to be! I mean stinking hot, 38 degrees Celsius ... read more

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Selçuk May 15th 2008

We woke up quite early on Tuesday in order to make our 7:00 ferry from Istanbul to Bandirma. Ali met us outside the police house at 5:45 in order to escort us to the dock. We got onto the ship and settled in for the 2 hour sailing across the Sea of Marmara. We had set Canakkale as our destination for the evening. Canakkale is only a few km from the ancient city of Troy and was the setting for a movie bearing the same name. In fact the horse built for that movie is displayed in the town centre. We reached Canakkale at about noon, much earlier than we had anticipated. Over lunch we decided to skip Canakkale and head to our next destination at Ayvalik. On the way we stopped at the ancient city ... read more
Troy
Road to Selcuk
Road to Selcuk

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul May 15th 2008

We arrived in Istanbul after a long drive. I think it was about 8pm when we got there. Driving around the city was an experience - I am very glad I didn’t decide to drive myself this time around! The hotel looks very nice - it’s 5 stars and the foyer is very fancy. The rooms were nice and large, the bed huge and very comfortable, and I felt like I had finally got what I deserve! There were a couple of minor issues with the bathroom, but nothing major. Apparently the couple on the tour had a stinky bathroom, so I think I got a good room. One odd thing was that in my bathroom, on the mirror, was a sticker saying that the tap water was not drinkable. Nobody else in the hotel seems ... read more
Hagia Sofia
Some Roman Sheep
Inside the Hagia Sofia

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Edirne May 15th 2008

May 15, 2008 Edirne to Luleburgez This morning we had breakfast with our Edirne families and then boarded a bus to Luleburgez. It was only about a 45 minute ride. We were greeted by the GSE coordinator and the men of our new host families at a hotel located in the middle of the city. My host family is WONDERFUL and their house is AMAZING! Huso and Gulten are the parents of three beautiful girls: Selin, Birsu, and Seren. The high school that we visited today was for students that scored high on their exam in the 8th grade. 94% of the students that attend this school will attend and graduate from a university. Rotary sponsored an E grant which provided the school with 25 LCD projectors, computers and screens. A few facts about Luleburgez: • ... read more
Dinner
Tyco
My family

Middle East » Jordan » North » Amman May 15th 2008

Today was very hot! It was the warmest day since i have been here, luckily it is nice out right now but then again it is 11:15pm while it is 4:pm EST. We began our day like usual discussing the readings and talking about what would happen over the course of the day. We were going to the gold and spice markets to see them and to apply them to what we had to read for the day before. A group of 4 of us, found our way to the markets and after we went to an ancient Roman theater where they had a museum of folk art and modern history. It was amazing to see the theater. It was almost is perfect conditions despite the fallen poles. Afterward, we were so hot and tired that ... read more

Middle East » United Arab Emirates » Dubai May 15th 2008

Sitting in Santorini, it's a bit hard to sit back and recall our two days in Dubai. Although less than a week ago, it seems a lifetime away. There are certain things I definitiely remember. Dropping my camera in the Arabian Gulf being a key one (and of course the reason why there are no photos with this blog). Yes, my faithful old Pentax is dead, it doesn't swim, and my attempts at taking it to bits with Christie's pen knife availed nothing more than my being able to say "so that's what the inside of a camera looks like". Yes, my looking at the inside of a camera is about as useful as my looking under the bonnet of a dead car. Unless there's a sign somewhere saying "this bit is broken, hit it twice ... read more

Middle East » Kuwait » Al Jahra May 15th 2008

The weather is terrible. There is a light sandstorm the wind is voracious and the sand is in everything. My uniform is buttoned up all the way. I have a boonie cap, sun glasses, and bandana tied over my face. Picture a soldier robbing a bank. There is pallets of bottled water in front of every tent. I think that the water has sand in it - all I taste is grit and dirt. Maybe it will whiten my teeth. We stay in large tents made of plastic. The floor is plywood which is nice as my feet don't get to dirty when I get up to go to the bathroom (the bathroom is a little walk from the tent). We had our first experience with 220 voltage. The ourlets here have a funny shape. They ... read more

Middle East » Kuwait » Al Jahra May 15th 2008

Arrived in Kuwait today. It is wierd - I lost May 14th. I do not know where it went. It is 7 hours ahead of East Coast. We arrived and had yet another briefing. I learned that we had a suprise benefit.Since a war zone is tax free and you only have to be in the war zone for one day to recieve the tax free benefit we begin today. Pay is 1-15 and 16-30. We arrived on the 15th so tax free from the 1st-15th - hooah. We drove to our base which is a few hours away. It is real now as we had live ammo and had to ride with the windows blacked. After we arrived we ate and took a nap. Food is good. I sure miss everyone. ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » North » Amman May 15th 2008

Today we went back to the market and was able to walk around for a few hours. Then we went to a restaurant that served Jordanian food, it was very good and there was alot of food! It was a very nice touristy restaurant, so the service was better than any I have ever had in the states. Then we came back, it was exceptionally hot today, but it didn't feel that bad. We were put into groups this time so the cab drivers wouldn't over charge us, that was a plus! From there nothing too exciting I pretty much stayed in the building and just talked with a couple people with all intentions of doing my reading for tomorrow! Tomorrow we are going to family's home and having linner (lunch/dinner, this is not an arabic ... read more


Well, they warned me that it would be hot, but here I am - shocked by how hot it is outside. Therefore, I am facinated with the news and weather and am learning about the Celcius temperature scale a bit more. 38 degrees Celcius is approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, the temp is 41. ... read more
Abu Dhabi = 42 degrees Celcius




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