Travel Journal
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Visiting Petra (Jordan): the 7th new wonder of the world
In 2001, a private organization began reaching out to countries around the world to have them and their residents vote for the 7 new wonders of the world. In over 8 years of travel, it took us 5 years to visit the first 6 new wonders, but Petra in Jordan resisted us because we are rarely in the region. This time, we decided to visit the last new wonder on the list: Petra. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Saudi – Jordan The flight from Medina to Amman went wonderfully well because each passenger had at least 5 seats to themselves. Since the war in…
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Visiting Medina and the Prophet’s Mosque as non-Muslims (Saudi Arabia): Travel Diary
Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 8 (road trip continued) It takes us a little over 3 hours to drive from‘Al Ula to Medina. We decide to dress in traditional clothing in Medina. Before coming, we researched the dress code, and YouTubers all say you can come in loose, well-covered clothing. No need to veil. However, reading the comments, I found that some people are very reluctant to have tourists in Medina (which happens to be the second holiest site in Islam, after Mecca). Some sarcastically say “ahh, we must thank our prince for inviting these tourists”, and others say “please, we are pilgrims…
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Al Ula & Hegra (Saudi Arabia): Travel Journal
We continue our December 2024 road trip in Saudi Arabia, which we are discovering for the first time. We learned that the country was open to non-Muslims during the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, and the magnificent Saudi Arabia booth gave us a strong desire to go there. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 5 of the road trip (continued) Cairo – Al Madinah The airport in Cairo is not the most peaceful in the universe. Everyone has tons of luggage, is very impatient, and very rude. Luckily we get there 3 hours early because it takes us 1 hour of waiting to check…
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Cairo #4 (Egypt): The New Egyptian Museum & the Sphinx
Last time, I loved my hotel in front of the Sphinx so much that this time, JB found another hotel even closer to the Sphinx for me. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 3 (continued) I know everyone is impressed by the pyramids, but I find them lacking in special energy. On the other hand, the Sphinx impressed me a whole lot, and it has such a presence, such a special energy that I want to get as close to it as possible. Last time, we stayed at the Egypt Pyramids Inn guest house (Booking link), which I highly recommend because it looks the…
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Cairo #3 (Egypt): Visiting the Pyramids of Giza
After dropping off our luggage at Mena House, we grab our smartphones, cameras, and water bottles and walk to the pyramids. The taxis in front of the hotel offer to take us to the entrance for $10, but that’s way too much for just a 7-minute walk. We bought our entry tickets in advance on the official website, which saves us from waiting in line at the ticket office. In addition to the Giza Plateau entry, we also opt for the entry inside the two pyramids of Khufu and Menkaure (a surcharge that must be decided when buying tickets, not in front of the pyramid). Last time, we went inside…
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Cairo #2 (Egypt): Our Pyramid-View Room at the Marriott Mena House
In Egypt, there are three historic hotels that really appeal to me: Winter Palace, Old Cataract, and Mena House. Last time, we stayed at the legendary Winter Palace in Luxor. This time, we’re thrilled to spend a night at the legendary Mena House, at the gates of the pyramids. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Mena House Hotel (Booking link), located at the foot of the majestic Giza Pyramids in Cairo, is one of Egypt’s most iconic establishments. Built in 1869, originally as a hunting lodge for King Ismail Pasha, who wanted to host foreign dignitaries during the inauguration of the Suez Canal. Built in…
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Cairo #1 (Egypt): Visiting the Old Egyptian Museum
Welcome to this new road trip in Egypt and beyond. We weren’t able to properly celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary because of Covid, so we’re taking advantage of a slightly more relaxed time at work this year to celebrate our 10th anniversary a few years late. Let’s take the opportunity to celebrate anything and everything because there’s always an excuse to treat ourselves, right? Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 1: Chaotic Arrival in Cairo We weren’t originally supposed to go to Egypt, but to get to Saudi Arabia from Athens, we have to make a stop in Cairo. We’ve been there before, but…
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Visiting the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens (Greece)
On the day we arrived, we briefly passed by the Panathenaic Stadium (which means “stadium of all Athenians”) in a taxi. It was only two days before we left that I finally decided to visit it. It is a bit out of the way, but you can get there by public transport. This stadium has a (very, very) long history. Entrance to the site costs €10. If you just want to take a photo, you can do so from the outside. The stadium certainly no longer looks anything like it did in antiquity, but you can still feel the weight of history. Its stands, all in marble and with very…
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The Island of Paros (Greece) in December
We’ve been in Greece for almost a month now (at Athens) but we haven’t been doing much sightseeing. The exact reason will be revealed soon, but let’s just enjoy this little travel journal. We did manage to find some time to visit a Greek island. The choices are endless, there are so many islands! We decide to visit the island of Paros, which is more accessible and less famous than the others, completely skipping Mykonos, Santorini… Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Paros is a 4-hour ferry ride from Athens. We could have taken a plane, but a ferry of that duration seems quite reasonable…
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Visiting the Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon & Shopping (Greece)
After about ten days in Istanbul, here we are in Greece for the first time! Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Oddly enough, we took a long time to visit some European countries. Since it’s close to France, there’s the “we can go later” side. That’s why a destination as popular as Athens has remained unknown to us after almost 8 years of traveling the world. This is the first time we’ve set foot on Greek soil. We were told to come to Greece with a lot of imagination because the archaeological sites aren’t as well preserved as in Italy. And indeed, they are less…
