VIVA ESPAÑA

España por favor! 3 years ago I started learning Spanish with the Cervantes institute hoping that one day I would get to travel to Spain. Years pass as my Spanish dwindles from lack of practice and no hope of being serenaded… Until 3 months ago, my friend surprised me that she had decided to move to Madrid. Òle!

With only a few levels of Spanish, or lack thereof, 3 weeks from her surprised call I finally booked my flight to good old Madrid. Where else would I practice my Spanish?

After months of planning with our mutual friend from LA, the day finally arrived, May 29.

MADRID'S POST OFFICE WHICH WAS OUR CENTRAL POINT OF MEETING

 A GLORIOUS 10:30PM SUNSET THE CITY LITERALLY NEVER SLEEPS.

WATCHING A BULL FIGHT WAS PART OF THE PLAN.
HOWEVER AFTER SEEING THE PROTEST AND REALIZING
WHAT THEY DO TO THE POOR ANIMALS
WE DECIDED TO CANCEL THAT EXCURSION.

MERCADO DE LA REINA
YES IT WAS NON STOP EATING, WALKING AND DRINKING!

TINTO DE VERANO POR FAVOR.
THE DRINK THAT NEVER STOPPED COMING!

SQUID STUFFED WITH RATATOUILLE

A TINY BREAK @ ONE OF THE CAFES

TAPAS TAPAS TAPAS

A PERFECT CHORIZO FOR A PERFECT HANGOVER
EGGS POTATO AND SAUSAGE...YUMM!

PLAZA REAL - BARCELONA
A SQUARE HOUSING HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS.
WE HAD AN AMAZING DINNER WHERE STREET PERFORMERS SHOW OFF THEIR TALENTS.
CLOSE BY YOU CAN RESERVE @ LOS TARANTOS FLAMENCO OR JAMBOREE FOR JAZZ  

9PM DRINKS AND THE SUN STILL SHINES  

MONASTERY INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL

CATHEDRAL OF BARCELONA - DESIGNED BY GAUDI
AND THE BEST THING IS THAT OUR HOTEL WAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

GAUDI'S HOUSE
DESIGNED AND LIVED 

HIS SKELETAL BALCONY DESIGNS

MERCADO ST. JOSEP - BARCELONA
WHERE YOU CAN FIND FRESH ANYTHING

EVERY INCH OF HIS HOUSE IS FILLED WITH LIGHT

NAMASTE NEPAL - PART 2

Now, this is a 5-day trek to reach 3900 meters; this is crossing

mountain upon mountain with a guide. Obviously during my research I

wanted to know what kind of animals and insects we would encounter on these road-less routes, and you can only get out of there via helicopter in case of an emergency trek. This is where villagers would take their elderly in baskets, hauling them to their village.

The only thing that got my icky cringe factor going was the fact that there were ticks.  They're as small as ants, but with 2 sharp clampers; and if you know ticks, they like warm places to sink their teeth into, so they grab hold of your skin and don't let go.  Yiiiik!

Once we started the journey in the mountainous forest, up and down rocks and boulders, we found out that in fact this was not the case.

What were really out there waiting for our innocent boots to pass by were the bloodsucking leeches! How did I discover all that you might ask? Well at first I felt there was something pricking my calf muscle; however I didn’t check until we reached a resting spot.  I lift up my pant leg to scratch the annoying itch and discovered that one had slithered up the inside of my pant leg and started to lunch on my calf!  It was growing in size right in front of my eyes from all my precious blood…  All I remember was running around in place screaming “GET IT OFF ME – GET IT OFF ME!!!”

Thunder and lightening accompanied our nights, and if it wasn’t for my iPod and some relaxing classical music I don’t think I could’ve slept with the winds howling and rain pelting on the tin roofs.  The food was delicious.  At first, I couldn’t even finish my plate, but after a 10 hour of daily trekking and reaching heights I would have never imagined, I would go back to the kitchen holding out my plate.  More please…

Crossing long unsteady rope bridges and passing one mountain to get to the other, we encountered a Nepali funeral.  All I could see at first was a long white floating sheet, moving in a zigzag motion and descending the mountain to get to the river.  You could hear their chanting and the clang of the bell at the end of each chant. We stopped and regarded the religious rite of how they said goodbye to a loved one.

It was incredible meeting new people on our journey: couples, groups and families from every corner of the world, which was a great way to make friends and connect.  If you were lucky, you could buy precious babuls from the locals that you met on some desolate spot.

Reaching our final stop for the night at one of the Annapurna lodges after being drenched to the bone was a great respite.  The town was so quaint, like an old picturesque scene with a cute Danish making bakery where I could indulge myself with mouth-watering pastries.  However, the only thing I could think about was a nice hot shower.

Unfortunately that was a rare find in this part of the world, as heating was a luxury (unless of course you planted yourself close to a chimney). So, all I could do was refresh myself with freezing water in record time!

The next day we had to start our last ascent at 4:30 in the morning in order to watch the sunrise from the tops of the Himalayan Mountains.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the clear starry night.  There were so many shooting stars that I couldn’t keep track of how many wishes I had made in that one second.  Reaching 3900 meters, a tall metallic structure was the perfect spot to watch the most remarkable view that nature could only create.  A man knelt down on one knee proposing to his future wife, and people started clapping, while the girl fainted right next to me. Whether from excitement, lack of oxygen or low blood sugar, I automatically grabbed my sugary power bar from my pocket and handed it to her partner.  Drama and excitement were all around me, that I almost missed the rise of the sun over the majestic mountaintops, I look at my friend and he smiled saying “I’m definitely coming back!”

NAMASTE NEPAL - Part 1

From all the countries that I have visited, Nepal has a special place in my heart. Before traveling to Nepal via Sharjah, U.A.E. I did a bit of research on what to expect but nothing could have prepared me.

Landing in Kathmandu airport surrounded by trekkers and elephant trippers, we were all waiting in line under a concrete structure with only some scattered ceiling fans to rustle the smells and humid air around us. Lifting my backpack I wonder what lay behind the closed doors.

We were awaited by our ride to take us to our hotel in the city. The drive was an eye opener. I mean driving in Lebanon always prepares you to some exciting maneuvers, but I never expected bicycles to be part of the maneuvering especially when the roads where really bumpy with tight turns and an unexpected cow. With every bump in the road, I tried to get some pictures of the sites that where colorful yet melancholic.

Reaching our hotel in an alley where the car couldn’t cross as to some construction, we heft up our backpacks and trod on to the entrance.
 

Walking to the gate...talk about an Eden in the middle of chaos. Kantipur Temple Hotel with its original traditional Nepali structures and gardens was a surprise. As it is an ecofriendly hotel, plastic is not allowed, they provide you with reusable bags for shopping and bottles to fill your water rather than buying plastic. To the point that a sign hangs on the bathroom door asking to conserve shower water and what better way than to have someone share it with you. Hospitality all the way!

A small stroll outside the hotel was like landing on another planet. If I can find the picture that my friend took of me with my eyes so wide trying to save a puppy by a car backing up, it was simply priceless. 

A tip for future trekkers you can find all original trekking gear at the shops for half the price. Did I just sound like an Adsense...

The next day we head out back to the airport to catch our flight to Annapurna with Air Buddha. The lovely hostesses passed out cottonplugs for our ears to dull the wump wump of the propellers for the 30 minute flight.  The seats where so compact that they were perfect for my size and for the first time I could actually drag my hand on the ceiling. Yes it was a small 20 seater plane.

The view from the plane showed green pastures, hills and majestic mountains peeking from clouds. And still I feel the vibrations of the plane leave a rumble in my soul. Do I see the Himalayan mountain?!

Road Trip Day 2

Day 2


The next morning gathering our camping gear we head out for a hardy nutritious breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes, the all American breakfast of champions.

On the road again heading towards Idaho State, let me tell you, I’ve never seen such beautiful scenery. It's a two way lane surrounded by mountains, and tall luscious green trees, while the Clear Water River crosses right under us. We stop several times to stretch our legs and drink in the view.


90 more miles of winding road to reach Montana and the rain starts to hammer from above. Snacking and munching all the way, Hani and I come up with a game to keep us entertained. I come up with a story, were mine ends he picks up to continue and on and on. Until the poor woman in the story finds herself naked, abandoned and hallucinating on cookies in the woods...

It's 12:30am and we're finally in Montana, we make our final coffee stop and it's time for me to take over the wheel. Hani starts getting comfortable and secure that I’d wake him up when we reach the house in Bozeman, which only takes 30 miles. 
That’s how secure my brother was to leave the last 30 miles for me, which is about 30 minutes depending how fast you drive.

I start jamming with the radio to keep myself awake and I pass Bozeman by oh let’s just say by only 60 miles - SHIYZA... AAH Hani I think we're lost. Yep I was so into singing to Sting that I didn't realize until I saw a sign welcoming me to Yellowstone. 
 Well no problem we just need to find a gas station, as the half tank of gas that was supposedly good enough to Bozeman is now on empty and no gas station in sight. We finally find one and my brother pushes me to the passenger side to take over. Well at least he got an hour’s sleep!

Road Trip 2007

Road trip – California (Hidden Valley) to Montana

May 2007

Day 1


It's 2am and after many many little sips from the wine bottle, my cells start to wobble in front of my eyes. I really need to sleep it off if we're going to start out at 8am.


Morning arrives too soon, thanking God that I had the sense in packing the other night, vowing to never drink again to the insisting pounding in my head. My brother 
Hani, his friend Steve and I get in the truck on our way to meet up with another friend Shawn in another town. With two cars zooming on the highway, we get off to a more scenic road. Me being the keeper of the map, I got to dictate the best routes to reach our destination.




By mid afternoon, our first stop was Oregon. We reached a rural road to search for some famous obsidian rock, which my brother and his friends were in need to share with their class. Yes folks I was joining my brother to attend a workshop on surviving in the wilderness.


After being bitten by mosquitos, I vote to stay in the car while the boys go dig up their little hearts out. 
Night starts to fall, in which my brother "decides", of course including us with the voting, to stay the night and camp out in the middle of nowhere. Now I had my reservations, it's been ages since I’ve camped out. What am I going to do with the bathroom situation! I mean I was young and in the scouts when I did these things and I still had bathroom issues, which haven't completely dissipated. 
Hey I’m cool, I’m an adventurous person, why not it's a road trip anything can happen on a road trip.

I help gather some wood for the fire, while I search for an insect and animal free tree to do my business. Shivering from the cold, but happy to be walking away insect free, I go to the car to gather some warm cloths. Now remember I was in Arizona, desert Arizona, Hot and Dry Arizona. Can you guess what I forgot to bring with me...yep, warm cloths. My attire consisted of cargo pants on top of sweat pants, multiple shirts and sweatshirts. Oh yeah, I was a walking grizzly bear with no fashion sense. Oh well at least they have the fire going and...wait! Does my nose deceive me, do I actually smell something that will take all the insect bites and scary wolves calling to the moon in the distance seem like a dream? 
I think I’m going to cry.

Around that glorious fire they're passing my favorite doobie...oh yeah baby, come to mama!

Blast From The Past

Happy New Year, 2012, my dear friends and family!

Hope this year brings you the drive, patience and well being to keep moving on in this crazy world. 

I would like to add to those who have been predicting the end, are already at their end.  Would you all stop with the doomsday routine! When the time comes the time comes.

After all the hubbub of the holiday, the best part of today is enjoying the sunrise when it first hits your window gently nudging you to wake with barely a peep from the outside world. Although all you want to do is stay in bed under the covers, you know that your mini celebratory feast has come to an end. In a way, my pants did not feel celebratory as they were tugged and jerked to an inch of their pant life this holiday, i'm sure they'll be happy to know it will be taken care of :p

Trying to get back to a routine seems too conventional, yet I feel full of inspiration and gumption. And first on my list was deciding whether or not to share my older travel posts. So here goes…

Stuck at the airport indefinitely

May 2007

Starting out late I miss my 8:30am flight to Sacramento by 2 minutes. Scheduled on another, no problem I think, I’ll just have to wait another 2 hours plus a lay over in Orange County airport. Hey my middle name is go with the flow, especially when I have a good book.


Waiting in the plane at OC airport, passengers started to board. The Captain comes out of the cockpit microphone in hand explaining that since the airport is so close to a residential area, he would have to blast up directly to a 1000 feet before leveling out in the sky. 


Well now, this should be interesting. Seatbelt sign on and ready for that adventurous take off.

The engines start revving to full blast with a short distance of runway and off we go. Up UP UP UPPPPPPPP...have you ever been on a rollercoaster and you know it's going to take you to that final ascent and just drop with all your insides hovering up to your nose! Well, my heart just lodged into my throat. When the plane "LEVELED", leveled interesting word leveled: flattened, steamrolled, demolished.... is that what the Captain said! Please, it felt like we were plummeting back down to earth. 
After the initial shock and a sideways smile to my fellow passenger, I wanted to try it again. WOOOHOOO! That was fun and I could've missed it if I made that earlier flight.


Happily deplaning at 1:30pm, I called my brother who explained that I had to wait until my scheduled pick up comes back at 3:30/4pm. No problem, I have my iPod, I grab a coffee and light a cigarette.

5PM - where are they? I call my brother again and he says that it seemed the driver left because he couldn't find me. COULDN'T FIND ME!?!@?

Ok calming down, I start doing my OUJI breathing. BLOODY EFFIN HELL! 
Ok no problem, my brother will pick me up which will take him another 2 EFFIN hours!!!

Trying to act less of a crazy person I start walking around outside and light my 5th cigarette, shaking my bum bum to BEP. As I stop right under the passenger pick up sign, a guy smiles at me and states: "did they forget you?"…really...really… But I smile sweetly as he continues on with a shake to his head. My smile grows wider as I say "you're zipper's open" with a flutter of my eyelashes and an innocent smile...ok ok, so I didn't say that, but I did say, no kidding. 
 Would somebody get me out of here!

Finally 7pm arrives and with it my brother and my two beautiful nieces.

Siren's Call

Greece, with its entire unfortunate economical debt crisis it has been going through since 2009, it is still my favorite place to travel to from such a short distance – Beirut, Lebanon.

This year I traveled to Greece in June to visit a friend in Athens for a few days and then in July to visit two islands to promote Greece as one of the most popular vacation spots. Although there were strikes in the city center, we were 30 minutes away on the beach catching some rays and free WIFI at Astir beach. While lounging and enjoying a good book, all of a sudden big black clouds obscures the clear blue skies, bringing on rain descending on our bikini-clad bodies. All took cover under the umbrellas waiting for the clouds to pass; some took to the sea swimming with carefree laughter. It was amazing looking on the contrast of people’s reactions.

When explaining Greece to my friends, I always mention that you get to explore two different worlds; the historical city where even the sea has a siren’s pull calling you to dive in its fresh clear waters and ofcorse the islands. When choosing an island, I tend to pick a new one each time; there are after all 6000 islands and islets.

Come July, I was looking forward to some island hopping. And this year Crete was the winner for some chic spa relaxation; of course it comes right after Mykonos’ beach parties. Who would ever miss out on cosmopolitan Mykonos!

Mykonos oh Mykonos while small it sure packs a big punch of heart throbbing dance moves. Staying at Kivotos hotel was serene with an old style setting. They even had Shakira and her beau staying in their villa, which was pretty amazing as I had just seen her in concert in Beirut in May.

Whether you are the type who likes to zoom on a mo-ped or play it safe driving a car around the island, always remember to bring something warm when the sun sets, as it can be windy at times. There is much to do in Mykonos, walks through the narrow streets of town for shopping of brand names, souvenirs, restaurants, cafes and pubs scattered along white and blue-shuttered two story buildings. Our evening started with sushi and lots of cold saki, but this time nobody drove as we were as the locals say "methismenos". We grab a cab and head out as the night only continues on to Super Paradise Club for some after hour clubbing until the sun rises; make sure to bring your sunglasses you’ll need them to safeguard that the pictures you’ll be taking won’t have you looking like Kermit the frog with puffy ‘beer’ goggled eyes.

Embarking onto the next island Crete, heading out to Capsis resort, a 20-minute drive from the airport while admiring the scenery from the back seat window of the car; cruising through winding roads, you can sense the calmness in the air, the picturesque mountains and rows upon rows of pine trees passing to my left while I turn and look down at the stretch of sea leaving behind Heraklion. Capsis Resort a unique peninsula with 5 hotels surrounded by a botanical park. We spent 3 tranquil days of sun, having little fish swim around my legs with a clear view of my pink colored toes and as for the Cretan cuisine at one of their restaurants, makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Before our last day the long awaited day at the spa leaves us feeling revitalized.

The next morning we decide to drive to the northern coast of Crete; Elounda Peninsula resort, an hour drive, was our next destination. Did I mention that one of the best spas in the world, the six senses spa, was where we were headed! Oh yes, I couldn’t wait until I got their signature treatment as well as enjoying the Turkish hammam. With such an extraordinary day at the spa, I was energized enough to wake up before dawn. Stepping out to the private deck of the suite enclosed by 2 walls on each side, all you see ahead is the bay of the Aegean Sea as far as the eye can see. I sit at the edge of the lounge chair watching the sunrise over the horizon as the last glimmers of the stars disappear.  Words cannot describe how magical it felt, it will always be etched in my mind. Realizing how private and quite my surroundings were, I look down where a winding staircase leading to rocks and sea inspired a little devilish grin to test the waters. With such complete privacy, except for some anchored boats, I look left and right…hell it’s all about adventures!