Category Archives: Middle East I was pumped for my two weeks of solo travel in Istanbul. It had, after all, been a very long time since I took a trip without a partner or friend. But after money issues and health problems, I began to wonder if I was no longer cut out for solo travel. Would I be able to enjoy Istanbul alone?  Over the past three months, we have felt nothing but warmth, hospitality, and safety on the Arabian Peninsula – surprising if you follow Western media-created perceptions of this region of the world. As I depart for Turkey, and Bruno for Iran, all we can say is shukran (thank you) Arabia, for teaching us the truth about your culture.  Surprise, blog readers – I’m in Istanbul! And Bruno is in Iran. It’s rather unusual for us not to be traveling together, but there’s been a bit of a complication to our travel plans. Read on for details of why we had to change our travel plans.  On the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, a pointed tip extends like the horn of a rhino. And on this tip, surrounded by the United Arab Emirates and the Strait of Hormuz and with a view of Iran on a clear day, is a tiny enclave of Oman – the Musandam Peninsula. It is here that one can experience the fjords of Arabia. We did so, from road, mountaintop, and sea.  Tightly-packed red dunes extend before us, as far as the eye can see. It’s now or never, I think, and nod to Bruno to deflate Totoyaya’s tires. We’re heading into these dunes, into the desert of Arabia. I feel anxious, and for good reason. The deserts of the Arabian Peninsula have been kicking our ass. |
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