Our cosy rickshaw sits at idle beside a grey curb, whispering for us to step aboard; more words uttered than our rickshaw driver. His blank eyes lead us to his wooden workhorse, his rotund face devoid of any emotion or interest in us. As we ease into our share-seat we snuggle together while our driver […]
Mrs Fong’s Hutong House Read More »
The rhythmic hum of our train rolling along the tracks lightly shakes me from my shallow sleep. Ten hours earlier we boarded our train in busy Cairo. Now, in its early morning hours we’re rolling through the outskirts of Luxor. As the sun rouses dozing train passengers around us, farmers are tending to their lush
Pacing the Hallways of Karnak Read More »
Across the road from dusty high-rise buildings and endless bumper-to-bumper lines of cars beeping impatient horns, we lay our eyes over the vastness of the Nile. The Nile has nursed Egypt since the birth of civilisation and our location, Egypt’s southern-most city of Aswan, has been an epicentre of trade and pharaoic rule. The Nile’s
A Nubian Float Trip Read More »
My watch closes in on 4am and we’re dozing lightly on our small bus at Aswan’s bus depot. It feels like we’re waiting for clearance on an airport runway. Our guide Ahmed is finalising our departure time in a non-descript office as we experience a mix of anxious anticipation and an overwhelming need to slumber.
Sunrise and Abu Simbel Read More »
Our bus casually rolls through Palmyra, an ancient town lying against a backdrop of a fertile oasis and Roman ruins dating back centuries. It’s located in Syria’s central desert and pays homage to its prosperous history as a major caravan stop along the Silk Road trade route. Palmyra is also one of those towns that
I boarded my flight at Cairo’s airport with bricks of sadness pressing against my shoulders. My backpack became soggy from the overbearing weight of my reluctance to leave this ancient city. People of all walks of life clambered into their seats before me, to either return home to loved ones, fly to Abu Dhabi for
My driver speeds down a highway that is lined with kilometres of barbed wire to my left (turn-off signs to Lebanon beam overhead) and crumbling sandstone homes to my right. As I near the inner realm of Damascus, I’m bombarded by erratic traffic and convoluted streets. My mind is spinning but my quiet driver knows
A Day of Prayer in Damascus Read More »
