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Burj Al Arab: Living up to its promise
It was in the year 2000 when I first set foot in United Arab Emirates and since then Dubai has been my second home. As any resident from that time could attest, Dubai has had a huge and wonderful transformation especially when it comes to its architecture and infrastructure. One of the most iconic buildings is the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, or “Tower of the Arabs”. It is a luxury hotel which stands on an artificial island. For several years I was just one of those admiring its unique beauty from a distance and wishing someday that I could visit and see its exquisite interior up close and personal rather than…
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Ozymandias – by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Ozymandias By: Percy Bysshe Shelley I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The…
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A visit to a Neighbor
In between my major trips I satisfied my ‘wanderlust’ by visiting neighbouring countries to my workplace – Dubai. One such country that I have been to on different occasions is Oman. Flight to the capital Muscat from Dubai takes around an hour. Normally, I would take an early morning flight so I could have the entire day to explore the city. This is made convenient from the back seat of a taxi as this was the only option of transport on a very last minute decision to escape the normal day to day routine at home. On one occasion, I managed to visit and look around the Oman National History…
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A Trip to Jerusalem
From Amman, I hired a taxi to take me to Allenby Bridge, also called King Hussein Bridge, in Jordan. This is the closest land border between Amman and Jerusalem, a crossing point from Jordan to Israel and Palestine. This is the main inland route that I knew of to enter Israel. Another entry point is via Eilat, which is ideal for those who are travelling to and from Egypt. Needless to say, the easiest way to travel is by plane through Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, which is the largest international airport in Israel where most internationally known commercial flights operate. It was a rainy morning when I…
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A short visit to Yerevan
Armenia: It is one of the oldest countries and the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion. My visit to Armenia was hassle-free as it’s one of the countries that didn’t need a pre-approved visa for us Filipinos. It was something that I was pleased about as I did not have to worry compared to previous difficult experiences when applying for visas. My partner and I decided to spend four days in Armenia by taking just over a three-hour flight from Dubai to its capital city – Yerevan. We were both excited as neither of us had been to the country in any of…
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A Taste of Medieval England
Before I visited England, whenever asked which part of the country I would like to visit aside from London, I would always say that I wanted to visit somewhere with authentic ambiance, a rustic appeal and with medieval style. I wanted to see for myself actual places that were similar to what I saw in the movies depicting Medieval England. Luckily, my partner granted my request. He took me to the Cotswolds and to Castle Combe which to me were mind-blowing. The beautiful rural landscape, stone-built villages, historical towns and stately homes and gardens were real. It seemed to me that every corner has its own story to tell to…
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A visit to the Land “Down Under”
Australia is one of the countries that I longed to someday visit and see for myself. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I had to decide the best point of entry knowing its massive land area. I thought that there was no better way to start my exploration than at its largest city – Sydney. From Dubai, it took 14 hours flight to reach Sydney. It was an exhausting flight which meant that as soon as I reached the accommodation I had to rest the whole night to recharge myself and make sure that I would be fully fit to start my exploits for the following day. There were so…
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Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Discover, Explore, Fashion, Food, Nature, Religion, Sightseeing, Travel
Indulge in Turkish Delight
It was a freezing December when I set foot in Turkey. Istanbul is the country’s largest city, the financial, cultural, and historical centre. It is the only city in the world located between two continents: Asia and Europe. Istanbul is a fascinating city that houses various compelling attractions. Luckily, most of the sites are in close proximity to the hotel where I stayed. Many well-known sites such as the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, which is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, are amongst the most visited. One of the activities not to be missed when in Istanbul is a boat ride and I…
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A Prayer – Michel Quoist
I have fallen, Lord, Once more. I can’t go on, I’ll never succeed. I am ashamed, I don’t dare look at You. And yet I struggled, Lord, for I knew You were right near me, bending over me, watching. But temptation blew like a hurricane And instead of looking at You I turned my head away, I stepped aside While You stood, silent and sorrowful, Like the spurned fiancé who sees his loved one carried off by his rival. When the wind died down as suddenly as it had arisen, When the lightning ceased after proudly streaking the darkness, All of a sudden I found myself alone, ashamed, disgusted,…
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A moment with the selfie king
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands: One of the joys of travelling is to be able to see up close and personal the works of famous people who are well known in their respective chosen fields. If I remember it well, it was during my high school days that I learnt and came across the names of some famous Dutch artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt. Another one is Johannes Vermeer, the artist who painted the Girl with a Pearl Earring. In the world of drawing and painting, undoubtedly one of the well-known artists is Vincent Willem van Gogh. Many of his works are on display in Van…
