East of Emirates

Instead of taking a tour to Abu Dhabi which is another modern city in the United Arab Emirates, I took a tour to its east coast. At least I got my first glimpse of the Arabian desert and countryside.

Nothing really great.... oasis towns, mountain scenery, canyons, beaches with fine grey sand, roadside fruit stalls, and a 300 year old fort which does not look that old!

Destination Dubai

Al Fajidi Fort and Dubai Museum

Burj Al Arab

The Creek and Water Taxi

Dubai Skyline

We flew Emirates to get to our final destination which was Egypt. Emirates offers free stopovers in Dubai. They will arrange for your transit visa in Dubai provided you avail of their stopover tours. So we took this opportunity to finally see the financial center of the Middle East.

You will like Dubai if you are after a progressive city with modern and high rise buildings and big malls. But if you are after culture and history, you will be disappointed. You will be brought to Al Fajidi Fort where the Dubai Museum is located during the city tour. Although the Fort is said to be at least 150 years old, it appears to be newly constructed/restored.

Nonetheless, Dubai is still worth visiting if only to get to see the great strides achieved by a once poor Middle East nation in the last decade.

Ramen in Makati

Noodles continue to be my all time favorite comfort food. And so when I heard about this place in Makati that serves good ramen, I just had to check it out. And it lived up to its good reviews!

Isshin on Pasay Road ( close to where Dusit Hotel is located and in front of Park Square) serves authentic Japanese ramen at very reasonable prices. With prices ranging from P155 (US$3) to P220 (US$5), the ramen choices are truly satisfying and serving portions generous. I particularly enjoyed the seafood ramen.

The place also looks like the ramen houses that you find in Japan. Service is warm and friendly and they provide free hot and cold tea.

The Old and the New at Alexandria

Since Alexandria was under the Greeks and Romans, you find such historic sites such as Pompey's Pilar ( a granite pillar build in 297 AD to honor Emperor Diocletian) and the Roman Amphitheatre. Impressive also is the Fort of Qaitbay, a fine example of medieval architecture.

A striking contrast to these old structures, is the very modern Biblioteca Alexandrina, which is both a library and cultural center. Its modern design is a refreshing sight amidst the old buildings that surrounds this famous library.

Alexandria Smiles

It is probably in Alexandria where you will find the friendliest Egyptians. The locals here are very warm and always ready to give a smile to foreign tourists. The children would ask for their pictures to be taken. And they take such a delight in viewing their photos on the LCD screen of a digital camera.

French Alexandria

You see a lot of french influence in Alexandria because it was conquered by the French army in 1789. It has a french quarter where old buildings done in french architecture surrounds a wide avenue which has a large open space (used as a park) in the middle reminding you of the main streets of Paris.

The architecture, interior design, and furnishings of Le Metrepole Hotel where we were billeted, were old french. It has gold leafs, sumptuous french furnitures, large bathrooms and high ceilings. The waiters are even dressed in tuxedos, and plates, silverware, and cutlery in its restaurants are of the finest quality. This hotel provided a total french experience in the old days.

Alexandria also boasts of french bakeshops where you can enjoy really good cakes and pastries at very reasonable prices. There are also a lot of sidewalk cafes where the locals sit and enjoy their coffee similar to what you see in Paris.

African Sun, Sea and Sand

Egypt although it is very near the Middle East is actually part of the African continent. Not many people also know that it is a beach and diving destination. The tour that I took brought us to three premier resort destinations in Egypt. These are Ain Sokhna, Hurgada, and Dahab.

The best among these places is Dahab. It has the best diving spots in Egypt and a really good beach which is part of the Red Sea. The clear and clean waters of Dahab is red because of the fine red sand. Dahab is also popular as a windsurfing site.

Unforgettable was the Egyptian massage which I had in one of the resort hotels in the area. It was very soothing and relaxing with Egyptian music played to complete the massage experience.