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The Wind of Change: Egypt Decides
The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. — British Prime Minister Harrold Macmillan on Decolonization, 3…
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Voices of Democracy: A Third Paradigm for the Arab World
We have been back from our trip to the Middle East for almost a month now, settled back into work and our daily routines of life in London. I mentioned in one of…
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Weekend in Rotterdam & Amsterdam
It’s been awhile since I’ve stepped foot on Dutch soil, the last time being a 7 hour layover on our way to Cairo in 2005, and before that on a post-uni backpacking trip…
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In the Holy Land: Jerusalem
Exhausted, hungry, slightly ill, and getting grumpier by the minute, our patience for the delay was wearing thin. The long hours of waiting were made bearable only by our dry sarcasm about the…
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Adventures in Petra, Jordan!
Before Indiana Jones arrived to Petra in search of the Holy Grail, the “Rose City” was first established by the Nabataeans in the 6th century BC. At its peak, the nomadic Nabataean Arabs…
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Baalbek: Roman Ruins, Wine, and Prosciutto in Hezbollah Territory
A lot can drastically change in the world during the course of a few of weeks. When we travelled to Hezbollah dominated Baalbek from Beirut less than a month ago to see…
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Enjoying Medieval Aleppo
We bid farewell to our friends who were heading south to Petra and Wadi Rum, while our next destination was Aleppo, once a thriving commercial hub located on an important crossroad along…
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A Birthday in Ancient Roman Palmyra
Sand blown two lane roads, stretching straight and endlessly into the horizon, sharing scenery only with a flat desert landscape straddling us on both sides, the drive from Damascus to the Roman ruins…
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The Marvels of Old Damascus
After a fabulous few days in Beirut, some 50-60 people from the conference, including wedding guests, caravaned to Damascus in waves either with the official post-conference tour (the delegation got to meet President…
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On the Road to Damascus
On the road to Damascus comes from the biblical story of St. Paul who converted from Judaism to Christianity while traveling on the road to Damascus. Saul, then a zealous Pharisee, was on…
