ENTRY 51 — Visa Denied

'Rodos', Greece

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Miranda takes a stroll as the sun sets on the Island of Rhodes. July 8, 2003.

In front of our room, Youth Hostel, Rhodes, Greece

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Miranda liked the luxury our Villa in Mykonos, but Bryan liked the friendly atmosphere of the Youth hostel in Rhodes. Go figure!

Selcuk, Turkey

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After leaving Greece we were drawn to Turkey and ended up staying six weeks in the small town of Selcuk near the amazing ruins of Ephesus.

Along the Bosphorus

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Miranda on a boat cruise along the Bosphorus River in Istanbul.

The Hagia Sophia

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We were blessed to stay in central area of Istanbul near the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Bryan meeting with President Yasser Arafat.

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At his compound in Ramallah President Yasser Arafat indicates that he and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon are close to peace. A short time later both men would be felled, one by a stroke the other the other by a secret illness.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

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The different holy sites around Jerusalem were inspiring. Such a beautiful country torn by so much violence.

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter old city East Jerusalem

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A wall mosaic depicting Jesus Christ's body being prepared after his death.

The King David Hotel, Jerusalem

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After Turkey the next stop was Israel, where we spent most of our time in Jerusalem. Here Miranda marvels at the luxury of the King David Hotel where Bryan has brought her for a birthday celebration.

Punjab Sweet Corner, Karol Bagh

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Our favorite restaurant in Delhi.

The Ghat, New Delhi

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Raj Ghat is a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi: It is a black marble platform that marks the spot of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation.

The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi

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The Imperial was built in 1931 near Connaught Place and was New Delhi’s first luxurious grand hotel. Today it has the largest collection of colonial and post-colonial artifacts anywhere in India. Bryan and Miranda would often go for drinks at the Imperial to avoid the heat and dust of Delhi.

Gandhi's footsteps

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Miranda traces Mahatma Gandhi's final footsteps at Birla House in New Delhi. Gandhi Smriti formerly known as Birla House or Birla Bhavan, is a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, situated on Tees January Road, in New Delhi, India. It is the location where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life and was assassinated on January 30, 1948.

Cathedral in Calcutta. *Distortion: Travelblog photos are best viewed with Internet Explorer.

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St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral of the Church of North India in Kolkata. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta. The building itself stands on the "island of attractions" in Kolkata - beside the Victoria Memorial, Nandan, Rabindra Sadan theatre complex, and the Birla Planetarium. Bryan and Miranda spent Christmas morning in this ornate Cathedral.

Bakkhali, India

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Miranda limps onto the beach using Bryan's walking stick after spraining her ankle in Bakkhali. Bakkhali is seaside resort in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It is located on one of the many deltaic islands spread across southern Bengal. Most of the islands are part of the Sunderbans, barring a few at the fringes. Some of these are joined together with bridges over narrow creeks. This small island juts out into the vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal. It has a 7 km long beach stretching from Bakkhali to Frasergunj, a twin beach, with gently rolling waves. These are twin towns now forming one continuous locality. Casuarina trees line the beach. Except on an occasional holiday the beach is not crowded. Even if one part is crowded on a particular day, there will be plenty of barren pockets. A small stretch near Bakkhali has been lighted up. It is a hard beach suitable for cycling or even driving. One can take long walks.

Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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We were both very pleased at how beautiful Bangladesh was in January with its sun and temperatures in the high 70s (F).