Missing

It's been a year since I've travelled. Exactly 1 year, when we flew off from our wonderful Changi Airport heading for Beirut via Dubai. And I'm really feeling the loss of not travelling, it's akin to missing someone .... my version of withdrawal symptoms haha.

The last time I didn't travel for a year was in 1996, also due to work work commitments. Then I all made up for it by going away for 1 month for the unforgettable journey to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Egypt. Where we spent one glorious week in the Old City of Jerusalem, getting acquainted with the labyrinthine mazes of the ancient fortressed city, with the 8 (if memory serves me correctly) gates (Lion's Gate, Bab el-something or other ..... ), looking up at the blue, blue skies of the Middle East, walking on the Ramparts -- the top part of the fortress -- and seeing life outside the Old City, exploring the different ethnic quarters, following the hordes of humanity who were there for Easter Sunday pilgrimage and the countless processions, eating gorgeous absolutely yummy shawarma and falafel, visiting the Western Wall, visiting the Al Aqsa Mosque and the sublime Dome of the Rock .....

That was just Jerusalem! Our Insights tour was wonderful too, we had a brilliant group of people who came from Canada (one of the nicest people on earth!), South Africa (another warm, warm people), Australia, US, New Zealand and the Philippines. We had the most fun at the Galabea Party one evening on the Nile cruise :D It was just perfect, coz we just gelled and got along. Doesn't happen to often in tour groups.

Egypt was pretty brilliant too, with the best museum in the entire world - Egyptian Museum - 6,000 years of history under one roof. The Mummies Room was eerie, but boy were these mummies well-preserved! Science was so advanced even during ancient times, for the bodies were so well-kept. Sometimes, it felt like they could just wake up and walk out of their caskets ....

And our walk up Jebel Musa (Moses Mountain), the hill where Prophet Moses was supposed to have received the 10 Commandments. We climbed up via the Camel Route (ie you can take camel transportation if you want the easy way up, as most Japanese tourists did) at 2am in the morning and after 3 hours, reached the summit to be welcomed by the glorious dawn and sunrise. Right at the summit, there was a little stall where this Egyptian man sold tea and we were lucky to witness a scene where this Egyptian man conversed with his Israeli Jewish friend, who could speak excellent Arabic. If only the politics of nations could be conducted this way :)

We visited the seaside resort town of Dahab on the Red Sea, which was the lower-end version of the upscale resort town of Sharm-el Sheikh, where I had the opportunity to visit the filthiest restroom in my entire life. (But then again, I have not been to China ;-). The quaint lovely boutique Sanafir Hotel at Sharm El-Sheik was where we stayed, where we met Diana from Indonesia who was working at the Hilton.

Regarding Diana, 10 years on, Diana's still the same, Potatohead and I caught up with her when she came down to Singapore a few weeks back .... but caught herself a huge fish, make that a whale, in the US, a self made man who owns a coffee joint, they have like 5 cars (BMW-types, she's asking for a Porshe next) and 5 properties across the US, and are building a 4-storey house near the beach right now. Such a lucky gal! Also had a huge dazzling rock on her wedding finger, and he's the type to visit Cartier etc and say, "I'm gonna get you those earrings." The pair just costs US8K ;-)

At Sharm el-Sheik, we went on a mini 4-WD in the desert, where due to my speeding, my vehicle flipped hehe twas interesting to see the world flipping the way it did. Boy! Was it FUN FUN FUN. Going back to Cairo, I will never forget how the Egyptians came up to Potatohead and pointed at her and called her, "Oshin, Oshin." Oshin is this fantastic Japanese soap opera from the 1980s :) And the Egyptians just insisted I was one of them, taking my Japanese friend around .... haha One memorable afternoon, a sandstorm just whipped up while we were out, thankfully we were near our hotel, and walked back quickly to avoid it.

Memories are made of these ....

That's why I miss it so. And last year's 2-week long trip to the Levant based on a flexible, 2-to-go itinerary, was pretty brilliant. If I could go back to Syria, I'd do that at the drop of a hat, to meet the warm, beautiful people always with a smile, to see the wonderful Roman ruins, the architecture, the old, old mosques, Maluula with its Church with a 3,000 year old wooden bar still in existence and the only place on earth where Aramaic is spoken, the marketplaces, Aleppo, the delicious, delicious cuisine (Jordanian and Lebanese food just can't compare), the local wares ....

How not to miss travelling? I have been blessed with wonderful memories and invaluable lessons.

Have plans for Maldives in mid-June, hope that happens. Hopefully Greece or Italy in October, depending on work. 13 years since I've been to Europe ...

So glad we're gonna have our secondary school reunion next year over Chinese New Year. We're in the midst of collecting email addresses, and making reacquaintances. Our schoolmates have relocated far and wide ..... it'll be great to see everyone again.

Tomorrow's another work week. Didn't do any work this weekend. Early start tomorrow ...