-
The Capital Capitol
One of the very important things that I would always want to do when travelling for the first time to a particular country is to visit its capital. Indeed, when I visited the United States of America the number one on my ‘to do’ list was to visit Washington in the District of Columbia and have a stroll along its symbolic National Mall that is said to be where the core identity of America can be found. For once on this visit I was not a solo traveler, rather I joined a group and through a tour company from New York, I was able to reach D.C. and had a…
-
The Birthplace of Eau de Cologne
One of the things I did when I arrived in Cologne, Germany was to visit the famous place that is said to be the oldest fragrance factory – the birthplace of Eau de Cologne. Like any other individual who works in the perfume industry, I too was excited to visit the Farina Fragrance Museum. “I have discovered a scent that reminds me of a spring morning in Italy, of mountain narcissus, orange blossom just after the rain. It gives me great refreshment, strengthens my senses and imagination.” Johann Maria Farina, an Italian-born perfumer, wrote to his brother Jean-Baptiste when he created a fragrance that would become Eau de Cologne (water…
-
“It is better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times.” – Asian Proverb
-
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…
-
Trees – by Alfred Joyce Kilmer
TREES By: Alfred Joyce Kilmer (Joyce) (For Mrs. Henry Mills Alden) I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
You cannot create experience. You must undergo it. – Albert Camus
