TRAVELING TO A HAWAIIAN ISLAND

It was difficult for me to choose the fifth - and final - trip to a different place in the world. I thought that this time I should probably talk about a place here, in America. So I chose Hawaii, a dream vacation and destination for most people around the world. I have visited Maui twice, I love it, and that is why Maui will be the focus of this post. 

MAUI

Aloha from Maui!

Maui is not the biggest or the most populated island in Hawaii, but it may be the most romantic one. 

Kahului is the largest city on the island and its financial and commercial center. More places worth visiting are definitely Makena and Lahaina, each of them near the most beautiful beaches of the island.

Haleakala Crater

Maui is home to Haleakala Crater, and Haleakala National Park covers the summit area of the larger of the two volcanic mountains that make up Maui. Haleakala literally means the House of the Sun. The crater is a huge area and if you decide to visit it, remember that apart from sunscreen and water, you should also bring warm clothes. It is cold up there!

Maui Rain Forests

Isn't it surprising that an island with two volcanoes can also have a rain forest, or according to others, a jungle? Maui has a unique ecosystem with an infinite number of amazing landscapes and seascapes. It offers a variety of climates, with both a dry, sunny side and a wet, lush side. The road to Hana winds through the lush rain forests of Maui, and visitors can see, smell, hear, and feel the rain forest. 

Ka'anapali beach

Maui has beaches for everyone and everything: swimming (Makena and Ka'anapali beaches);  snorkeling and scuba diving (Oneuli and Black Rock beaches); kiteboarding and windsurfing (Kanaha and Ho'okipa beaches); even canoe racing (Hana beach). Whale watching is also a must, especially if you are there from January to March.

Maui Luau

You can't complete a trip to Maui, or Hawaii in general, without attending a Luau, a traditional Hawaiian feast with lots of entertainment. Most luaus serve a buffet style dinner, which includes Kalua pork, island fish, local style chicken, steak, and many different salads and side dishes. Luaus feature various forms of Hawaiian song and dance.

As the locals say, whenever you are at a luau, you are "ohana" - family.

Maui is like a paradise on earth for me. I can't wait for the next time I'll be there again. 
If you decide to travel to Maui, start by visiting this site: http://www.hawaii-guide.com/maui

You may have noticed that I haven't talked about any place in Australia. Do you know why? I've never been there. Any decent world traveler should visit Australia. You guessed right: this is my next destination.

Traveling Around Tunisia

After Dubai, a city full of riches, I think that now it is time for me to talk to you about my trip to a place which is completely different, a continent, a country and a city where poverty is more prevalent that wealth. That's why I chose Africa, and more specifically, Tunisia.

Tunisia is a small country in northern Africa, and it is also one of the central Mediterranean countries. It has a long history since in the second century B.C., the Greek historian Polybius talks about Carthage, now a suburb of Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia. The population is about 11 million, and the official language is Tunisian Arabic (and French). 

I will start with the first unforgettable impression, or to tell you the truth, the first unforgettable smell that struck me the moment I exited the plane. There was a heavy smell in the air, which took me the first two days to get used to. That smell became even heavier when jasmines, Tunisia's national flower, were closer to us. 

Sousse

The most popular tourist resorts are on the east coast, such as Sousse, Hammamet, and the historic city of Monastir. When I was there back in 1999, the hotels were very good, but not in the usual sense of luxurious hotels. I was disappointed to see that the sea was not clean and the water rather cold, and so we had to stay by the pool. 
I'm sure there are new and luxurious hotels now.

On the left, you can see Ribat, the most famous landmark in Monastir. It is one of the oldest Arab fortresses right on the Mediterranean coast. It was featured in Franco Zeffirelli's movie "Jesus of Nazareth."   



What impressed me most though was the hospitality of the locals. Only local men worked or entered the hotels, while local women had to always be accompanied by male members of their families. These local men were very warm and friendly while trying to persuade tourists to buy their local products.

When you are there, you should visit one of its marketplaces, where you can find pieces of local art, such as Tunisian traditional lamps, rugs, hookahs, vases, leather goods made of camel leather - if you can stand the smell. Spice markets are also worth visiting. 
Don't hesitate to bargain for some time before you buy your souvenir.

I will never forget the day we decided to travel south, an arid area merging into the Sahara Desert. It was the first time that I experienced what the desert feels like. After driving for more than three hours in a small, rented car without air conditioning, we arrived tired and sweaty in Kairouan, a sacred city and a place considered to be at the beginning of the desert. One hour later, the Sahara Desert was under our feet. Although we were wearing very light summer clothes and hats or caps on our heads, the heat was intolerable. I still remember that the temperature was 58 degrees Celcius or about 137 degrees Fahrenheit, not a very hot day there. Dust - or should I say sand, but it felt like dust - was everywhere around us and on us. 

As for poverty? Once a waiter I talked to every day in our hotel saw my leather wallet, and asked me how much it cost. When I told him the price in their currency, Tunisian dinars, he said, "it is four to five of my salaries, and I work a lot." You can now understand how poor people are there. But despite the poverty around us, we never felt threatened as potential victims of theft; actually, I can admit that I felt very very safe walking among local people everywhere. 

It is a pity that today Tunisia is not considered a safe place to visit any more due to terrorist attacks against tourists. It is a beautiful, small country which combines a long history influenced by many civilizations, the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea, and the awesomeness of the Sahara Desert. 


Where will our next trip take us? Let's see...

Traveling to the United Arab Emirates

Do you know anything about the United Arab Emirates (UAE)? If this name doesn't ring any bells to you, I'm sure that Dubai and Abu Dhabi are more familiar names and even more desirable destinations. The two biggest cities of the UAE are probably more well known than the country itself, a country which is rather small but its wealth is rather immeasurable.
DUBAI

There are no words to describe Dubai, maybe a series of adjectives, such as luxurious, magnificent, wealthy, affluent, impressive, abundant, opulent. Outside its malls, I saw the most expensive cars in the world parked one next to the other. 
Dubai is hot 4 months of the year, and hotter in the remaining 8 months. Most of the entertainment is indoors, in malls. There's a ski-slope, a world class ice-rink, go-karting facilities, all indoors, in artificially regulated environments.

Burj Khalifa

I stayed at a hotel next to the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, which is so tall that it can be seen from the space, as I read. What I can definitely tell you is that the view from up there is unbelievable and the feeling of awe you have when you look at it from the ground is indescribable.

Burj al Arab

The Burj Al Arab is the only 7-star hotel in the world, or in other words, the most luxurious hotel in the world. Built on a triangular man-made island, the billowing sail-like structure is the iconic symbol of modern Dubai. The hotel's atrium lobby is the tallest in the world. You are right to assume that I couldn't afford to stay there, but I was able to reserve a table to have dinner in one of its luxurious restaurants - you need to reserve a table many days in advance - but the experience was worth the wait and the money. 

Palm Jumeira

Do you know whether there are islands near the coast of Dubai? Well, there were not, and that is why Arabs created man- made ones. The first one is called Palm Jumeira, and it has the form of a palm tree, topped by a crescent. When I was there, it had not been completed yet, but I was able to see the sand sprayed by dredging ships. That's how to make an island!

The World

I also saw the designs for the other two islands. One of them, the World, has the form of a world map. If you are a millionaire, go ahead and buy a house on one of these islands. If you can afford to, you can even buy your private islet!






What is astonishing is the fact that in the middle of such wealth and technological innovations, you can also see traditions and customs and habits that you would never expect in a developed country. Everyday things that we - in the western civilization - take for granted are different there.
For example, you can't kiss your spouse or boy/girlfriend in public; if caught, you are arrested. You can't buy alcohol as a tourist there, so the only place to drink alcohol is the expensive hotel bars.
You can't swim at every beach; there are beaches for Arab women only, Arab men only, and tourists only. 

And outside the city? Sand, more sand, and sand dunes...

If you want to learn more about Dubai, click here to read a New York Times article with an interesting video.


To be continued on a different continent...

Traveling around Great Britain

Although I have traveled to more than 30 countries so far, I chose to devote this post to Great Britain because I stayed there for almost four months and I had the opportunity to see most parts of it and experience their lifestyle.





Where should I start from? London of course. London is the crossroads where people from all over the world can meet.

Tower Bridge

I went to attend a teacher training course for three months and I stayed at a college in Northwood, northern London. After my morning classes, I was free to explore London. I saw the famous Houses of Parliaments' clock, Big Ben, the famous Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the London Eye, the murky Thames, the British Museum, and numerous other landmarks. That is a problem for tourists there; they don't have enough time to see everything. But time was on my side...

University of Cambridge

What I also enjoyed was visiting the world-famous universities, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. Especially, walking around the campus of the University of Cambridge, I was overwhelmed by feelings of awe and admiration for all the magnificent buildings and all the important people who studied there.

And now my favorite part of the trip: Scotland. It is a special place with special people and traditions. Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, is a city which offers its visitors a combination of rich history and natural beauty. Don't forget to buy some of the well-known brands of Scottish whisky, their traditional kilts and taste haggis, their national dish.  

Scottish Highlands

The best part of that great place? The Scottish Highlands, a historic region full of castles on a mountainous land, was the Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland. Now it is sparsely populated, but the beauty of the place is breathtaking. Even the weather, mainly cloudy or wet, seems to match and intensify the beauty of the scenery. Does the photo remind you of a scene in Harry Potter films?

Highland Games

I was also lucky to visit the Highlands when the famous Highland Games were taking place. It was a spectacle coming from the past to see huge Scottish men in their kilts competing in heavy athletic events, such as log throw, hammer throw, etc. Against the same scenic Scottish background, dancers gave dazzling displays of fancy footwork in Scottish dances, and massed bands of pipers and drummers played and marched in unison.

Loch Ness 

Needless to say, the great lake of Loch Ness is a must for all visitors. It is best known for alleged sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, aka "Nessie."
The day I was there the weather was cloudy and misty as in the photo, and it contributed to the mystery. But during my boat ride, I should confess: I didn't catch any glimpse of Nessie. Good luck to you!


Next time we are traveling to a different continent... 

TRAVELING

I always thought - and still think - that traveling is one of the most fulfilling experiences we can enjoy in this life. As a child, I was not privileged enough to be able to travel to faraway places. But once I started working and making my own money, I decided that I would spend a big part of my annual income traveling around the world. Of course, I have not yet managed to literally travel around the world, but I have visited countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
I would like to share with you some of my experiences traveling to some fantastic places of our world. 

TRIPS INSIDE GREECE

It goes without saying that I would start seeing new places by traveling around Greece. Being born and raised in Greece was definitely an advantage for me since Greece has so many great places to visit for all kinds of purposes, entertainment, relaxation, and even education. Let me talk to you about my country. 

Greece, also known since ancient times as Hellas,  is a country in southeastern Europe consisting of 2 mainland peninsulas and thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands, of which 227 are inhabited.
Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki, which is commonly referred to as the co-capital.

The Acropolis and the Parthenon

Greece is often called the birthplace of Western civilization, and it is famous for its ancient landmarks, scattered everywhere in all parts of the country. Millions of tourists visit Athens to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon. 

I have visited most major archaeological monuments: the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the symbol of the 5th century Athens where democracy was first born and established and philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle lived; Olympia, the birthplace of Olympic Games; Pella, where you can see the ruins of the palace of king Philippos, the father of Alexander the Great; the Minoan palace of Knossos in Crete; and many more.


Apart from its great history, Greece is also famous for its islands and their beautiful beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos.

Santorini is an island of unique beauty. It combines the breathtaking scenery of an active volcano next to the blue sea, a romantic atmosphere, many archaeological sites, and fantastic beaches with white, red, or black sand or volcanic pebbles. In its narrow streets, you'll see tourists from all over the world taking pictures, especially during sunset while the sun sinks in the sea behind the volcano.

Mykonos, Greece's most famous cosmopolitan 

island, is the place where almost nobody goes to bed before dawn. On this island, celebrities from all over the world, college students, and families mingle to enjoy its fantastic nightlife and celebrate the Greek summer. 

                                       

I have visited and loved the most famous Greek islands, but I have equally enjoyed traveling to more quiet and less popular ones, such as Ithaka - yes, the island and home Odysseus, the hero in Homer's Odyssey, was trying to reach for ten years after the fall of Troy - Kythira, Alonissos, and many more.

I recommend all of you visit Greece, and I can promise you that it will be an unforgettable experience.

To be continued with other countries and other experiences...