Paying the Price for Visiting Oman

Recently, we did something we had never done before.  We went for an extended trip to a very expensive country. Or so we thought we did. Oman was our first Gulf country, and all we heard before our visit was that the oil-rich countries of the region were not the […]

In the Heart of Oman: Exploring Sharqiya Sands

One of my favorite memories from Egypt was the two days and one night we spent in the White Desert with the endless starry sky, surreal white rock formations, and sand dunes glowing in the sunlight.  I’ve wanted to go back for over a decade and Oman finally offered a […]

Essential Oman – Forts and Castles

When we traveled to Thailand 10 years ago, one of the planning concerns was how to see as many Thai temples as possible without being “templed out”. Although by the end of the trip, the beautiful Thai temples did start to resemble each other, we left the country just in […]

The Wonders of the Wadi

The next few posts are going to be about what we consider to be “essential Oman” – the natural beauty of breathtaking landscapes and the traditional architecture of historic forts and castles.  I am going to start with something we’ve never seen before and that only exists in a few […]

Hump Day in Oman 

It was 5 am and we were on the move.  We got up in the middle of the night to drive out of Nizwa, a lively city full of neon signs and bustling markets, towards a dusty outpost town of Sinaw in the desert.  The next thing I am going […]

Georgian Food on My Mind

By Julia / October 23, 2020

“You must be happy when making dough,” said Levon. “That’s the most important part of Georgian cooking.  Your happiness will seep into the dough and make it delicious.  An unhappy person cannot make authentic khachapuri or khinkali.” We were in a small restaurant in Kakheti, the type of place where […]

Georgia the Country, Not the State

By Julia / October 16, 2020

There are a lot of things in this world I do not understand and probably never will.  One of the most confusing concepts for me is why, how, and what is going on with Georgia not being on every “You Need to Get Your Butt to This Country ASAP” list […]

I Fell in Love With a Dog in Tbilisi

By Julia / September 17, 2020

Someone once asked me what was the most romantic, poignant, heartbreaking thing that happened in all my travels.  I told them the truth – once upon a time, I fell in love with a dog in Tbilisi. I was sitting on a bench, and she walked up to me, large […]

Following the Musical Trail (U.S. South)

By Victor / September 10, 2020

When we travel, we rarely have a “theme” in our trips. Usually, we just show up in a country or a region and explore everything it has to offer. However, in the summer of 2008, we drove through three southern U.S. states (Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana) exploring sites associated with […]

Wallonia: Discovering Undiscovered Belgium

By Victor / August 27, 2020

We absolutely love Belgium! Despite its tiny size, the country packs a lot, and spending 8 days there was barely enough to scratch the surface.  With the size of Maryland, Belgium has three very distinct regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, French-speaking Wallonia in the south, and the capital city […]

Poland: Blast From My Soviet Past

By Julia / August 20, 2020

Please start with Part I of My Solo Polish Travels Here When Belarus very unceremoniously refused me entry, I thought my memory trip back to U.S.S.R was over. As strange as it might seem, I was actually looking forward to rude serving staff, late buses, and angry janitorial staff – […]

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