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above the clouds

International Travel and Lifestyle Blog


Arriving Into Iran and the Tests of Traveling

August 21, 2018 by Dave18 Comments

I left for the Tbilisi International Airport in the country of Georgia at 10pm. I arrived at my final destination, Shiraz, Iran some 20 hours later - the next day. If you look on the map this is about a 3 to 3.5 hour flight. As it were, the airport in Tbilisi is under construction; a new runway is being built so all day flights have been moved to the night. I spent all night in the beautiful fairly new Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Airport, Animal Rescue, Australia, Georgia, Iran, Korea, Mosque, Papua New Guinea, Taxi, Travel Insurance, Visa

Greetings from the Jordanian Desert

September 2, 2016 by Dave7 Comments

This was part of an epic mid summer trek from Dana Biosphere Reserve to Petra - via Little Petra. RUNNING OUT OF WATER In temperatures approaching 40 degrees (104 degrees Fahrenheit) - perhaps higher in the shadeless rock strewn environment, we started day one of our trek under the searing heat of the mid day sun (to be sure, not the wisest move). After an hour of our estimated 6-hour trek I had already consumed 1/2 of my water allotment. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Africa, America, Art, Asia, Australia, Biosphere, Desert, Drinking, Europe, Farming, Hiking, History, Jordan, Massage, Mountain Climbing, South America, Trekking

Springtime in Shiraz Is …

May 6, 2016 by Dave2 Comments

... the smell of citrus blossoms - the fragrance that follows you as you pass numerous orange trees planted as urban vegetation on city streets. It is the smell of running water on hot sidewalks as a young man washes his motorcycle. And the mulberries - I am reminded they are among my favorite fruits - yet I rarely get to gorge in this capacity. They are beginning to ripen, their sweetness runs all over one's fingers - their flavor only leaves me … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Iran, Mosque

Layers of History, Jerusalem

February 13, 2015 by Dave8 Comments

We spent several days here exploring as there is something significant to see around seemingly every step; today was entirely spent in the confines of the walled old city. Tensions felt high at times as there were some recent isolated incidents of violence - enough to plummet tourism 70% in the last few weeks according to one shop owner we talked with. As a corollary to this, lines that would normally form around major attractions were completely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Animal Rescue, Art, History, Israel, Shopping Mall, Taxi, Volcano, Wildlife, Zoo

Exploring Tel Aviv, Israel

February 6, 2015 by Dave5 Comments

After a packed 10 days in Qatar and Bahrain I flew over to Israel to meet my brother who was flying in from Italy where he lives. I was initially concerned about coming from Arabic countries straight away to Israel and also receiving an Israeli stamp. In actuality Israel no longer seems to stamp passports, rather they give you a printed ID card which they check when you leave the country. After 10 minutes of solid grilling with random questions, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Arabic, Art, Beach, Bicycle, Coffee, Israel, Italy, Los Angeles, Restaurants, Sydney, Wedding

Greetings from Doha, Qatar – Just Another Beautiful Sunny Day

January 30, 2015 by Dave2 Comments

With no causeway over the open sea yet built between Bahrain and Qatar - the most convenient way between each country is via plane. It is a very short flight - something like 130km with maybe 30 minutes in air. My flight was empty - the few people on this Qatar Airways flight each had their own row as well as several rows of extra empty space around them. We were given little candies upon takeoff. Doha Airport is large, modern, gleaming and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Airport, Animal Rescue, Art, Drinking, Museum, Shopping Mall, Taxi, Walking tour, Wildlife, Wine Tasting

An Insiders Perspective: Night tour of Bahrain

January 24, 2015 by Dave6 Comments

In doing some research prior to my travel to Bahrain I stumbled upon a website advertising private tours. I emailed the owner, Hanan (she no longer offers tours) but she kindly agreed to meetup after work. This was a real insiders tour from someone who grew up in Bahrain and knows the island extremely well. Her diversity of interests, local knowledge and passion for both travel and for Bahrain were clearly evident. We immediately drove to some … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Animal Rescue, Art, Celebrity, Meetup, Restaurants, Seafood

Tiny Al Dar Islands, Bahrain

January 17, 2015 by DaveLeave a Comment

Looking to capitalize on some unseasonably December weather in Bahrain I decided to make a day trip from Manama to the tiny Dar Islands, just off the coast of an industrial section of the country called Sitra. You come to these islands for relaxing and to enjoy the water - taking breaks from the searingly intense summer heat. A variety of activities are offered - including diving for pearls, kayaking and snorkeling. And there is a special … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Art, Beach, Cruising, Drinking, Food and Wine, River Rafting, Scuba Diving, Seafood

Bahrain, A Diversity of Experiences on a Tiny Island

January 3, 2015 by Dave3 Comments

Today I headed out to explore the island with my driver Babu. Babu, like many expats who have come to Bahrain is from India - and came here to take part in the construction boom a number of years ago. He worked his way to supervisor - the boom ended and now works with the hotel I am staying at to drive people around the island. He asked me how difficult it was to get a visa to the USA. I had to tell him for a single man like himself, it could be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: America, Art, Coffee, Desert, Drinking, History, India, Mosque, Rainforest, Sand, Shopping Mall, Visa, Walking tour, Yemen

Touchdown at Sunset, Lets go Explore Manama, Bahrain

December 27, 2014 by Dave2 Comments

I touched down gently at the Manama airport just prior to sunset after making several short regional flights, glad to have arrived to some warm and humid weather after rain and cold temps came to California the prior week. The last time I was in this area it was 47 degrees when I landed, sometime in September. The heat can be brutal in the summer here but by this time of year the temperatures have subsided considerably. I soon found myself … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Airport, Beach, California, Christmas, Massage, Restaurants, Sailing, Thailand

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Hi I'm Dave. After a life changing trip in 1996, I began this site as a creative outlet to educate, inspire and share travel experiences. Read more...
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