Robyn's Wanderings

Rowing?

“Are those….? No, it couldn’t be.”

“What?”

“Look! The river is frozen and those crazy people are rowing across it!”

So Quebec City started on a very cold, bitten start, but after some serious coffee breaks and some shots of Jagermeister, things were starting to look up!

Well, at least it seemed better as we looked up at the Fairmont Frontenac and the rest of old Quebec City. That’s because we were in the lower town and loving it!

Talk about night and day.

Visiting the lower city

Bienvenue a Quebec City….finally!

At least that should have been the sign greeting me as I trudged from the snow of the Plains of Abraham, past the citadel and down to the cobblestoned streets of this city.

This lower city, as far as I am concerned, is really the only part of the town that counts! Ok maybe that’s harsh, but these streets are so darn cute!

Wandering the little streets of the lower, old town.

Sure there is old Quebec City and then there is the lower part of old Quebec City! Even better? Well starting next week is Quebec City’s Winter Carnival! Yes, on January 27th my misery that was the Plains of Abraham (visit the previous post with the snow covered land) will have an Ice Palace, the nightlife will awaken and there will even be a canoe race?! Yes, a canoe race. Go figure.

But back to my visit. I did not have a winter carnival, but in the lower city I did enjoy the tiny pubs in old wine cellars and all of the restaurants named after animals.

Yes, we could not visit Le Lapin Saute (sauteed rabbit), but Le Couchon Dingue? Oh yes, we could eat with the pigs. Luckily it was amazing food and worth the wait. Ever had a pulled pork, burger? Well, I have now.

Outside Le Lapin Saute

But the best way to visit Quebec City? Well it certainly wasn’t rowing across the St. Lawrence River! But it was crossing the St. Lawrence River….by ferry.

Yes, we boarded the ferry and thoroughly enjoyed watching the ice flows break on the bow of the boat. And making it more perfect? It was during sunset.

Watching the sun set from the ferry

Ahhh…watching the ice and snow go by while warm and cozy on the ferry was the way to go! Of course when we arrived back onto the “mainland” there was little that could keep us from leaving the beautiful lower town, than maple syrup.

Before we could leave, however, there was of course the famous Fresque des Québécois, which tells the story of Quebec City.But can you tell where the mural ends and the real people begin?

Murals of the City

Wanderings beyond this beautiful image we continued back to the Maple Syrup museum and managed to buy all of the maple salt, coffee and syrup I needed to return to Bermuda and try to brib…..I mean welcome the immigration guys (remember the camera?).

Ok well that is the end of Quebec City. Would I return? Probably not in the winter….ever again!

Au Revoir!

So I have traded airplane seats for office seats for a little while and one thing that comes with an office….a commute. It’s true.

I have nothing against my new job, let me preface. It’s a great place to be and I am working on things that matter – healthcare.

What I could trade? My commute. Yesterday as I sat behind the smog-spewing car that would lead me to Bermuda’s capital, Hamilton and my new seat, I couldn’t help but think of….well all the other ridiculous and crazy commutes I have witnessed.

Like this ridiculous video straight from the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh! Honestly, I have never seen such ridiculous traffic in all of my life. Try and cross the road! Near impossible…I had to play “chicken” with the SUV’s!

I mean do you see the motorbike do a U-turn when he is about to be squashed?

Sure Phnom Penh’s traffic was life-endangering, but in Laos it was cow-filled. Witness the scene below with this pink-hewed cow grazing on the side of the road on the way to waterfall! Where do you see that? Certainly not on my commute in Bermuda?

For the next bit of insanity, I bring you to heads as helmets scenario that is all the rage in Cambodia. How about the parents who also stick their toddlers in front of them as pillows? Well, Bermuda often has parents who place their children in front of them, but at least they have helmets on their children; they give them a fighting chance!

This dad below….well…..I crossed my fingers after this photo:

Or what about moving house on a motorbike? I’m not entirely sure what this guy was carrying on his motorbike, but I’m glad that I was not riding beside him! I now feel better riding my own motorbike into work and only having to concern myself with the fuming car!

Moving house?

Or how about how to move your motorbike? Well, in Bermuda we have ferries that will transport motorbikes very comfortably on their bows (front).

In Laos? Oh come on!!!! Who would actually ride their bike? Or put it on the back of the van? A commuter bus, that I had just exited to use the toilet, was far more practical!

How else do you transport you bike?

And when you’re not dragging your bike along with you? Well you have to fill it with gas, of course. But how are going to do that?

Well in Thailand, you ask a woman standing in a shack to start pumping and pour out the blue, red or green gas sitting in tubs!

technical fill-ups

I had never seen this before and I thank my lucky stars, now, when I see my gas gauge going low I can nip into the gas station, whip-out my credit card and head-out on my way…even in rush hour….even with slow attendants (not much in Bermuda moves quickly…I’m Bermudian, I can say that.)

And finally what am I getting at? Well let’s at least, while we sit in the mountains of traffic for Christmas-time commutes remember, we could have been caught in an elephant parade!

elephant parade

What's that swimming in your luggage?

What should I pack? Hmmm…. shirts, shoes, pants and…..my spare fish?

Apparently, fresh fish was a must-have for one passenger traveling through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport yesterday.

He/she packed it in his/her checked luggage to come to America. I guess the trip didn’t work-out well for all involved because the bag, spice fish and all, was left at the airport!

So at noon yesterday, in one of the busiest airports in the United States, baggage handlers started looking through the abandoned bag for identification of the owner.

Leaves and aluminum foil, however, stopped them in their tracks and a bomb squad was called!

What did they find? Well fish wrapped in banana leaves of course!

Apparently Police were not surprised by the find. The Police explained that passengers often try to spice their fish during their trip.

Who can blame the unidentified passenger?

I don’t like the plane food either, but how did he or she retrieve it from the check luggage?

Questions continue!

Walking a dangerous bridge with broken sneakers and a trash bag

It was 7 a.m., dark, very cold and threatening rain, but he arrived at our bus in torn jeans, broken sneakers and a leather jacket.

I didn’t even bother to comment. There would have been no point.

We began the drive to the beginning of the Torres Del Paine National Park hike in Patagonia, Chile and the closer we got, the darker it got.

Of course when the bus dropped us at the ferry stop for the ride to our path, the clouds decided to cry and my travel buddy looked like he was about to; not an inch of his 6’2” frame was waterproof.

Me, you ask? Oh, I had rented waterproof pants, had my waterproof, warm ski jacket on and was wearing hiking shoes so I was not too worried.

But you must have had more time to prepare for your five-day hike, Robyn.

You would have thought so, but actually I had arrived in Punta Arenas (the launch pad for the hike) the night before. The difference between me and my travel buddy? I listened to the advice of the hiking enthusiasts at the rental place.

Luckily we met a Belgium couple who gave my hiking buddy a rain poncho to try and protect some of his leather jacket and backpack.

Which brings me to something I have been thinking about for a while and a conversation I had with a fellow wanderer last week: why are some of the best known travelers men, when men can’t travel?

Am I being sexist? Perhaps, but then she told me about a man she met in Laos who had his passport torn apart in India.

Why? Because he placed his passport in one of those scanner bins before going through security. One of the workers saw his passport all alone and ripped-out pages for use in a fake passport. The traveler was thrown-out of India and had to return home.

Of course he then turned around and headed back to India, but what was he thinking in the first place?

Where is your passport, sir?

Should I go on? Ok, I will.

The two of them had just arrived in Cusco, Peru for a two week holiday from Boston so sun, well, was not their friend.

Day one in the hills behind Cusco, one man became bed-bound with a sun burn. Don’t ask me, I don’t know how you go to Cusco and end-up with a sun burn that looks like its from the Caribbean, but he did.

The next day his buddy threw his body down a cliffside as we biked through the hills near Cusco. Seriously, how were these two men going to make it out alive?

Ok, I did have one mishap. I wore shorts to Machu Picchu and the bugs bit, but I was fine.

My question is: why are men the travel writers? why are men the ones featured on travel shows? Where are all the women?

Before you even try to answer these questions with: but isn’t there Elizabeth Gilbert? I will stop you. She was never traveling.

Elizabeth Gilbert was on some self-defined quest with a very scripted journey and it ended with a love story. Travel is not that.

Which makes me wonder: why is the only story from female travelers one that ends with a love story?

Where are the female, Bill Brysons? Or the Michael Palins? Why, when I turn-on the Discovery Channel, is every single show led by a man?

Why does National Geographic only have one female columnist? Why is the one show that everyone raves about right now: “An idiot abroad” and it features a man? Ok, sorry it would have to be a man.

Women can travel to!

Before I move-on, one last question I have for you is: why when I “google” women travelers all I receive are warning signs!

“BE CAREFUL” “DON’T GO” “WHATEVER YOU DO TRAVELING MAKE SURE YOU DON’T DIE!!”

Look, I am not so silly as to think women do not have to worry when they travel. Of course they do. They also have to worry when they are at home. When I walk down the street at home I am usually scanning to make sure I do not have to worry about the man in front of me and I always think before I go running by myself.

Women just have to have these natural defenses. It’s sad, but it’s true.

Now when it comes to traveling, as long as women do not let these defenses down, there really is no greater problems for women on the road than at home (unless, of course, you are planning a visit to the front lines of a war. Then, well, you might want to take added precautions).

It’s sad. It’s sad that women have two choices when it comes to representing themselves in the traveling world: through love or through fear.

Seriously, are there no women out there who travel simply for travel’s sake? Well I’m one and I know there are others. I have two who write regularly for this blog.

So where is out travel show?

Oh, perhaps, you say, it’s because men have all of these crazy mishaps that women will only have travel shows if they wear bikinis and run around beaches. I mean each sex has to play to their strong points!

Biking through Thailand

Well, I went for a three-day, motorbike trip through Northern Thailand that took us through mountains of mist and water-covered roads.

I even skidded-out on the road to the long-neck village! Isn’t that exciting? Don’t I belong on the Discovery Channel?

I wasn’t going to take a bus and having ridden a motorbike since I was 16-years-old (not counting the rides on my parents’ bikes from two-year-old) I was no slouch!

So where is my show? Where is my book?

Well Robyn you have to survive in the wilderness like Bear Grylls.

Surviving Patagonia

Ok I will. I did survive the wilderness. Sure, I didn’t sleep in a camel or eat some ridiculous bug, but I was ready to walk through the wilderness of Torres del Paine National Park for five days by myself.

It was coincidence that a guy in the rental place needed a partner for his trip. Then he showed-up in jeans better suited for an 80′s concert.

Sure there are women out there traveling and writing. There are women traveling for adventure.

Why are they not famous? Why are they not famous TV presenters? Why, if we can travel, keep our passports, have fun, be adventurous and wear totally appropriate clothing are we not the main presenters on the discovery travel?

And last thing: if men have so much trouble getting around the world, as I witnessed, where are all the sites warning men about travel? Don’t leave your passport alone! Don’t wear broken sneakers through Patagonia…..

Just a few tips to start.

Riding the slow boat to Luang Prabang, Laos

I will be the first to tell you I wasn’t so sure about Laos. It doesn’t have a coastline, it’s little and I had heard nothing about the culture that is Laos.

My trepidation, however, was not fair and as our Monday Wanderer, Emily Ross, is visiting this tiny country I thought it was time to explain why you SHOULD go to the forgotten one: Laos.

So reason one for visiting Laos? Well there is nothing like taking a slowwwww vacation, right? You don’t want time to fly and believe me time will NOT fly on the slow boat from Thailand to Luang Prabang. Most people take the boat in that direction, but there are some boats that go the other way (LP to Thailand).

Comfy? Probably not, but definitely an experience

Greeted by wooden planks for seats and more backpackers than you can swing a stick at, the boat trip is actually quite pleasant. The Mekong is an interesting river to navigate and locals still take the boat to deliver their produce.

Until recently these slow boats were, in fact, used to deliver products to markets because Laos had very few roads. As backpackers started filling the boats, locals starting emptying from them. I still managed to sit next to a woman with a bucket filled with frogs and in front of a chicken coup so…..it’s an experience!

Reason two really has to be Luang Prabang. Painted with a colonial brush, this sleepy northern town is ……well a trip back in time. Curfews are enforced. Yes, you want to feel like a kid again?  No problem. Your hotel will lock it’s doors and bars will kick you out at midnight so make sure you’re tucked in bed!

Sure there’s one or two places that break the rules (there always are), but generally bed time is midnight. The bedtime is enforced to ensure there are no loud backpackers outside to wake everyone up! Fair enough.

Rice cakes dried in the sun

Reason three? Because there are rice cakes drying on the side of the road in Luang Prabang. Yes, drying next to the cars driving by and yet….these are delicious! I got all the exhaust I needed.

Ok, it’s more than rice cakes. I love laos because I saw some of the most random things on the streets here: pink cows, rice cakes, and weird varieties of eggs to name a few.

Of course the food was pretty good, but not compared to Thailand (sorry Laos). Still in Luang Prabang the way to eat is via buffet so I definitely filled the gut.

Luckily reason four is the amazing outdoor activities in Laos. For example? A mere 34km bike ride past rice paddies and hills from Luang Prabang are the Kuang Si Falls.

Water falls

My photos definitely did not do them justice. These beautiful falls offer places to swim and even a sanctuary where they take care of bears. Ok not the most usual of pairings, but still…..

Reason five: the evening market! Yes, filled with all of the jewelry, hand woven materials and baskets for your sticky rice that you can imagine!

Walking through the night market

STICKY RICE….how could I forget sticky rice? Ok this is a weird number six, but it’s important. Sticky rice is amazing and should comfort celiacs anywhere who are worried about traveling. You will find it all over South East Asia, but in Laos it is a staple.

More comforting than normal rice, it will fill the belly and is easy to carry with you as you travel. You will find it stuffed in bamboo shoots, crammed in woven containers and soaked in coconut milk for dessert….mmmmm. In fact….I think I need to revive the sticky rice crew! Yes, travel buddy we need to bring it back.

While you eat the sticky rice, you will also be happy to know that Luang Prabang is clean. Yes my reason number seven? Well walking the streets is an easy feat (ha! feat, feet…. get it?) so visiting temples that litter the area is a lovely treat.

The streets of Luang Prabang

And finally….it’s a hop, skip and six hour drive south to the backpacker tubing experience: Vang Vieng. Before you do take the trip….don’t eat!

The way is windy and the buses are not forgiving, so make sure you stomach is empty or filled only with the sticky rice that will keep things in place.

And when you get to Vang Vieng? Do NOT take the tuk tuks at the bus station….they will just deliver you to the backpacker places. Ahhh Vang Vieng. Stay one day for tubing and make sure you escape. That’s all I have to say (for today anyway). Until tomorrow when we visit!

Iconic Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland

Yep, you read the headline correctly: Assisted Suicide Tourism and it’s happening in Switzerland.

The tourism initiative is obviously not something the country was promoting, it’s a side note to a law that Switzerland passed decades ago allowing people to decide when they want to die.

The individual right to make decisions is a big one in Switzerland and the country’s governance structure reflects that: direct democracy. In this system every major political decision must be sent to the public for a referendum.

While assisted suicide may have been legal for decades, those living in Zurich are not happy at how it has transformed into tourism.

So this week they will be taking a vote on whether or not to continue the practice. There are two different motions set down. The first would completely ban the practice.

The second would limit it to residents of Zurich only. Is that discrimination? Not sure.

Anyway, this was a new one to me. Sure from my homeland, Bermuda, we debate medical tourism, gambling tourism, the African diaspora tourism and even the timeshare tourism, but assisted suicide?

Well, Bermuda would never allow it like the Swiss have.

Talk about a touchy subject! Well Zurich will vote on the issue this week and of course the rest of Switzerland will be watching!

What do you think?

Hanoi Traffic!

As part of my trip around the world I decided to visit the land of war, tailoring and communism….Vietnam. It was a whirlwind trip after I failed to plan enough time in my visa, but nonetheless it was worth it.

Yes, even the night buses! But why feature it today? Well one of our wanderers, Emily, is heading there soon for her trip around South East Asia (she’s been studying in Hong Kong). So I thought, why not revisit my trip?

Here’s what I wrote about Hanoi (for the full version of the account visit here):

I awoke by being thrown off a bus in what the driver claimed to be Hanoi. If I hadn’t seen pictures of the chaotic traffic I never would have believed him and of course there were the ever-present hustlers trying to get us to their hostels. I caved. With backpack in front of him and me behind we somehow negotiated through the traffic. It was clean enough and the price was right (about $8) so I settled in for the night.

My motorbike lift to the hostel

Chaos does not describe Hanoi. Utter mayhem? Maybe. Gets close. There are more motorbikes here than road space and just forget about trying to use a car. Mmmm exhaust fumes.

Now the capital of Vietnam (which is reclaimed from Hue in 1945), Hanoi was also not spared from the war. Instead massive bombings by the Americans managed to destroy a lot of the city and it even hosted one of the most famous POWs, John McCain. In what was called the Hanoi Hilton, McCain, the former presidential candidate, suffered five years of torture and isolation. This former prison was one of my first stops in Hanoi.

Hanoi Hilton (foreground) overshadowed by current hotel!

The Hoa Lo Prison is now overlooked by an actual hotel (slightly and morosely ironic). Nothing, at least that I could see, is said or documented about the POW’s that were held here. Instead it focuses on the Indochina war and the torture by the French.

Then of course I had to go to the Temple of Literature. This was founded in 1070 as a temple to Confucius and the country’s first university was founded here in 1076. It is now one of the most important historical and architectural sites in Hanoi. There are multiple courtyards leading onto one another and even an ATM in one of the last (love the old and new here in Vietnam).

ATM at the temple of literature

This could only be topped by visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Memorial….(note sarcasm). This monstrosity was built to honour a man who never even wanted to be honoured. He never lived in the presidential palace and chose to live in a small bungalow instead ( I guess trying to live the socialism that he instilled).

Right next to this concrete memorial is the tranquil one-pillared pagoda. All in all Hanoi is an easy city to walk around and after an afternoon of sightseeing and with an early start the next day for Halong Bay I returned dodging motorcycles and eager women selling fruit to sleep.

One Pillar Pagoda

A two hour bus ride delivered me and the 9 others destined for a three day, two-night visit to the UNESCO site. Every tour seems to depart from the same 100 feet of dockside so the chaos along with the heat was almost unbearable. That is until I walked on the five-star junk (which is such a bad name for the beautiful wooden, air-conditioned boat that greeted us) where a cold drink and compress greeted me! I was so glad I had splurged on this trip (by splurge it was about $150 for all three days, three meals, one night on the boat and one on the private island) and after at least three overnight buses I figured I deserved it.

Halong Bay….what is there to say? I have never seen anything like it. Forested-green mountains jut out of the turquoise water while monkeys traipse through the expanse and caves offer luminous green escapes. After stuffing myself with crab, shrimp and every type of seafood they could throw at me for lunch it was time to work that off with kayaking!

That night we moored in a nearby cove and with nothing else to do after gorging ourselves on another seafood-stuffed dinner, we all sat on the upper deck watching for shooting stars well into the evening. The next day we traipsed into the Amazing Cave. Yes it is actually called that it is not my poor use of adjectives. Picture Crystal Caves and multiply it by twenty. Nearly 500 to 600 Viet Cong hid in this cave during the war, which should give you an idea how large this stalactite and stalagmite cave is.

View of Halong Bay from the Amazing Cave

From here we transferred to a faster sail boat destined for the private island. With six bungalows and one main house on the entire island there is no electricity all day and at night the stars absolutely glow. Glancing over at the concrete covered Cat Ba Island, where most backpacking tours end-up, I was pleased I had chosen to pay a little extra.

Lounging on the beach and reading, looking out at the natural beauty of Halong Bay was the perfect way to wind-up my tour of Vietnam before boarding my flight back to Bangkok.

I wish Emily all the best and enjoy the trip!! We can’t wait for her tales! It’s an amazing place. For more photos of Vietnam visit My photos.

Daughter and mom walking through the border between Bolivia and Peru

What does it mean to be a mom? Heck that’s not easy to answer when you live in one culture. What does it mean to be a mom around the world?

Lots of different things. Which is why we celebrate mother’s day (today in Bermuda, hence my post. I know, I know, you celebrate mother’s day on different dates in different places around the world!)

When did it start? Well it actually has it’s calls in feminism and the Women’s Movement in the United States when Julia Ward Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870.

No, she did not demand chocolates and gift certificates to a spa. No, Julia was reacting to the carnage of the Civil War (in the US) and believed that women could be involved in the political movements of their countries.

We can! Yippeee now some more than 100 years later women are….well women have a long way to go. Sure in Bermuda and the United States we might have “equal rights” under the law (and not entirely…but that’s another post at another time), but what we don’t have is equality in society.

It’s hard to argue with the subtle sexism that still exists when in societies such as Egypt’s there are mass problems of women being disregarded even with the recent upheavals and demands for democratic rights! That’s what Amnesty International is calling for (women being involved), but that’s another vein to this story…..

So off of my soap box and down to the founding of this day. Since Julia the day has been taken by various counties to match it with historical matters or the Church to be dedicated to….who else? Mother Mary.

Mother Mary Statue in Santiago, Chile

Like this statue that overlooks Santiago, Chile! Overlooking the city she is the one who will ensure the world is safe.

And who else could? We call her Mother Earth. We know women are the ones that reproduce! So who else would you think of, but your mother when you see a sight like this one:

Glacier

Mother Earth is an amazing place, which makes moms of all kinds and all places amazing people or….animals?

I couldn’t help but throw this photo (below) into the mix. Especially following the glacier pic! Who else could I have picked for strong moms, but Penguins

These classy chics leave the egg cracking and toddler rearing to their husbands, while they head to sea and fill their bellies! Good women.

Pruning Penguins

Of course they return to their babies! But after months in freezing temps they need a few minutes to themselves to warm up and get their composure before returning to their families.

Unfortunately, motherhood is not always recognized in the happiest of situations and one of the most disturbing was in fact the way it was portrayed in Cambodia.

A country that went through a horrendous genocide left behind photos that would break anyone’s heart, but the worst are the photos of the children before they were to be killed and the mothers who held them.

Where does her strength come from?

This will be their last photo together before the Khmer Rouge disposed of them. How does she sit there? How does she hold on?

I know mother’s day is supposed to be happy, but it is also poignant. It is also a reminder of mothers who have gone through so much for their children.

Gone through so much as women and for those who still struggle with motherhood. Unfortunately in too many places in the world, women will die from child birth.

Healthcare is still not universal and women are probably those who lack the most for it. I hope on this day we can celebrate the women who make it all come true and try and make a difference for those who still try.

Happy Mother’s Day

Traditional Mother in Bolivia

Coffee in Buenos Aires

Do you know who imports more than 900 million pounds of coffee a year?

No it’s not France. No, not even the obsessed Argentines. Not even my favourite Vietnam.

It’s Japan.

Yes, it’s true. Apparently Japan imports more than 930 million pounds of it each year, which is more than France and less than Italy.

What does this have to do with travel? Well, sure you could ask, but that would mean you haven’t been to Turkey for their sticky and thick coffee that lines the cup.

Or to Vietnam when they fill the bottom of the cup, which turns out to be enough to keep you up through the night.

Coffee in Cairo

How about sipping in Cairo (when they’re not protesting) at one of the oldest cafes in Egypt? One where the Nobel Prize winning authors sit.

It’s a drink that keeps the world ticking and one that you will never be far from where ever you are. Sure there is tea, but coffee is my poison.

Tea in Turkey!

Of course, I am sad to say that my favourite is Starbucks. Yes, I have been around the world. I have tried coffee in lots of places, but my favourite coffee stop is Starbucks.

Plenty of caffeine in their regular coffee and the quality is guaranteed to some degree everywhere you go. Of course that can’t guarantee the Inca Bucks in Peru!

Inca or Star?

Everyone is watching Egypt.

Today is the day: Mubarak, Egypt’s president, must leave as demanded by the protestors or stay and….well who knows.

It’s the culmination of a week of protests predominantly through the streets in Cairo but also other Egyptian cities.

The weird thing about it all? The army is not on the side of the Government. Well and they don’t particularly seem to be on the side of the protestors either. They are stuck in the middle keeping the pro-government side and the anti side from absolutely killing each other.

Now how many countries in the world can you say the army is the moderate voice? USA? Uh…no. The Army’s stance in Egypt among other things (i.e. the population finally finding a voice) will definitely prove to be something academics surmise over for years to come.

What will also be included in these theses will be how this “change” spread to other countries in the region i.e. Jordan.

This Monarchy is only a ferry ride away from Egypt. I should know I took the ferry, but King Abdullah II definitely knows it. On Tuesday he dismissed members of his cabinet at his public’s request.

Ok so he might not have been elected, but this American schooled King knows he’d be crazy to try and fight his public as those around him also get pressure (Yemen was next).

While he’s listening, perhaps King Abdullah II could also hear this: visiting Petra is more expensive than a day to Disney! Ok, yeah it might be a wonder to the world (and it is amazing), but a one day pass will cost you a pretty penny.

And without ferries of tourists coming from Egypt for their one-day trips anytime soon….maybe, just maybe King of Jordan you should think about making your country more affordable and easier to navigate for tourists?

While I’m at it, your infrastructure could use some help. Some public buses that run all day would be a start. That way when I want to go North of Amman (Jordan’s capital) to Jerash (a former roman town) I don’t need to worry about private taxis.

Because I want to see it! I just don’t want to sell my left arm for it. Ok? So for those who also would like a glimpse at what they’re getting in this slowly evolving country here you go: A glimpse into Jordan.

A Roman amphi-theatre in Amman

A temple on the top of one of Amman's original seven Hills (the city now covers 19 hills!)

The ancient Roman City of Jerash which is North of Amman (just make sure you get the last bus at 3 p.m.!)

The Roman display at Jerash. Did you know they only fought at the front for 8 minutes and then moved back?

Start heading south and you'll find Mount Nebo overlooking the Dead Sea (or the place Moses apparently saw the holy land!)

Floating in the Dead Sea! Yeah I'm reading a map....forgot my book!

The Treasury in Petra: A must see of all the places in Jordan. Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It spans miles and is filled with rock carvings (like the Treasury above) that are stunning.

Can you find me?

The Monastery: find me? Now you see how large these things are?

An overview of part of Petra

The crazy natural rock colours!

A couple of camels to help tourists around Petra

The famous Siq and the only way in or out (it is a km long!)