Got to sleep in a bit this morning, since our flight to Istanbul wasn't until 11:30. Usual routine: repack, breakfast, bus, airport. Wheels up on time and goodbye to Jordan. A 2 hour 20 minutes flight over Egypt and the Mediterranean to Turkey. Had a bit of a problem at the Istanbul airport, in that the paperwork for our group visa was MIA and the organizers had to argue with authorities. I was also annoyed that it cost $2 to use a luggage cart, the first time I've ever seen that. Anyway we were eventually safely loaded on the bus and on our way to Istanbul proper. Istanbul is unique in the world, the oldest continuously inhabited place on the planet. It is teeming with humanity, officially 15 million but unofficially much more. It is frenetic ... read more

We sleep well. Up at 7 am. Breakfast and then we prepare for our excursion to Petra, which we know is going to be somewhat arduous. We board our bus for the 2 1/2 hour bus ride. The terrain is amazing. Essentially we get to see at ground level the endless mountains we saw from the plane. The land is so arid and barren, you wonder how anything can survive. There are occasional clumps of buildings that constitute villages, and we also see Bedouin tents. On the way, Abraham talks about daily life in Jordan and outlines the history of Petra. Petra is an ancient settlement first discovered and settled by a nomadic tribe called the Nabateans around 200 BC, later conquered by the Romans. Around 800 AD it was mostly abandoned and essentially lost for ... read more

Up at 6, check our packing since at our next destination, Dubai, we are supposed to leave our main suitcases on the plane and live for one day out of carry-ons. Breakfast at the hotel. Bus leaves for the airport at 7:30. On the way we say goodbye to Anu, who has been a great guide. Through airport administrivia in fairly efficient fashion, and it's wheels up just after 9 am. Just under 4 hours in the air until a refueling stop in Bombay. Then another 2 1/2 hours to Dubai. As we approach Dubai, we pass over a series of rugged mountains, which are nothing but rock: no white, no green. The mountains give way to desert, punctuated by tiny scraps of green clustered around small oases and towns. Dubai springs suddenly out of the ... read more

Up at 7. Breakfast at the hotel, an expansive and quite delicious buffet. On the buses and off to the area's most important buddhist temple, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. This is an hour's drive outside the city halfway up a steep mountain. The temple complex is breathtaking. There are many separate shrines each with exquisite statuary. Gold is everywhere, gleaming in the bright sun. The temple is very busy with a combination of worshippers and tourists. In the main temple, monks in orange robes bestow blessings and people are lighting candles and praying. Several people are carrying candles, incense and flowers clockwise around the perimeter of the temple, a ritual that must be completed three times. I take dozens of photos; there is so much beauty here. There are many small shops as well and Vi enjoys bargaining ... read more

Up at 7 am. Breakfast at the hotel, another fantastic spread. We have a mixture of Western and Asian food. On the bus and off on our city tour, animated by Clarence. We first attempt to get to the royal palace, but unfortunately there is some kind of political visit going on and the police have closed the area off. So we are off to the next stop, the Malaysian national museum, which traces the country's history from early kingdoms and sultanships through a succession of dominations by foreign powers: Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese, British again until the country gained its independence in 1957. Next was a photo stop for the Petronus towers, the famous twin towers that have become a symbol of Malaysia's modern development. They are indeed striking. Apparently there is not enough time ... read more