Tag Archives: Special encounters – 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.  Saayyid Saaid cornered us in the center of Tiwi village. A photo and a cup of coffee, he’d gestured. He looked innocent enough, so we agreed. What could be the harm in a cup of coffee? We couldn’t have known we’d just been caught by the Tourist Collector of Tiwi.  One of my first views of Oman was from the back of a police car. I should have been celebrating – not only had I just entered my fortieth country, but I was ticking one off the top of my bucket list. Instead, I was being driven from immigration to police headquarters, where we would be detained for seventy-two hours, down to the minute.  We were heading back into Djibouti after exploring beautiful Djibouti and celebrating our first wedding anniversary with an incredibly diverse, interesting day. Only one thing was wrong – our whale shark snorkelling trip was cancelled (again) and it was looking likely that we’d leave the country without seeing the biggest fish alive…  Bruno met Josu and Ana, a couple of Basques traveling overland around the world, in Nepal. They re-met in India. Then in Pakistan, Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia. And here, In a little campsite on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, they reunite on a third continent. That’s just how it rolls with overland roadies! |
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