Typical 24th Birthday... In Muscat, Oman!

After hitchhiking the 1000km across the desert from Dubai to Muscat I checked into my hostel, took one glance out my window and my heart knew I reached a truly Arabian land. My room overlooked the harbor of Matrah where an old fish market hustled below full of locals pulling in wheelbarrows of fresh catch to sell. Surrounding the harbor was a rim of desert cliffs dotted with old fort outposts looming overhead. The quaint waterfront was dotted with mosques and quaint cafes; while floating in the center of the harbor was the Sultans private cruise ship.

The next day I headed out early on a walk along the coast. Tropical fish could be seen scurrying about through the turquoise waters with desert cliffs lining the entire coast with fortresses perched atop. After passing through the famed Gate of Muscat I entered a most beautiful country capital. It's miniscule nature was filled with picturesque views of the coast, vibrant mosques, flowers in bloom, and Arabic style government centers. On the two hills overlooking the Sultans lavish blue and golden palace (41 year reign), were towering stone forts. The area was breathtaking from every perspective.

Feeling a much more Arabic culture I returned to Matrah and entered its famed Souq Muttrah bazaar. It was at this point I felt I was truly in Arabia. The bazaar had seemingly endless alleys of shops full of mysterious veiled women moving to and fro with merchants selling everything from genie lamps to hookahs, silks to frankincense, and perfumes to jewelry. The aromas, sights, and sounds of the market tantalized the senses.

Of course no birthday can be complete without a trip to a secluded beach with new friends! We headed via car along the coast to a secret beach. We arrived to a place where only a dozen others were on a long stretch of pristine beach. The turquoise waters and white sands were completely surrounded by cliffs and ruins. I was treated to a birthday boat tour along the coast, needling the eye of the cliff wall. It was the perfect way to spend my birthday.

On the last day I couldn't claim a trip to Muscat without visiting one of the world's largest mosques; the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The expanse of land was full of lavish gardens and ponds with gorgeous minarets towering from all corners. The central prayer room was filled with the most dazzling chandeliers I have ever seen, shimmering on the ceilings. It's peaceful atmosphere, royal nature, and solace instilled a feeling of pure satisfaction of my first and certainly not last trip to Oman.

Hitchhiking the Arabian Desert...

With just over a week left on my first visit to the Middle East, I grew restless to experience more authentic Arabian culture. On a whim and without hesitation had the friend I was staying in Dubai with drop me off at the last petrol station before the desert highway at 7am. Having only hitchhiked several times before and being a shy reserved person, a bit of nervousness commenced when I saw my friend pull away.

I began pacing back and forth for the first half hour observing vehicles filling up on petrol and trying to gather an attack plan. After a few awkward walk bys of asking near full trucks if they were heading to Oman I changed my tactic to a more desperate hitchhiker. I took out the only piece of paper I had with directions and contact information and against the wall of the petrol station wrote “Muscat.”

I very awkwardly sat out front of the petrol station holding my sign to my chest. After around 15 minutes a young Arabic man in his summer clothes and shades followed by another gentleman exited a newly arrived car to pay for petrol inside.

Upon passing me, the driver with his shades on did a double take at me, came back and ordered me to wait there. After a minute the man with his friend came out and said wait 1 second. He returned to the car and asked the female in the back if it was OK to pick up a hitchhiker. I was then signaled to come over and they said they could take me as far as the border.

With a smile of success on my face I immediately jumped in the car and sparked off conversation. The second guy to get out of the car was from France and needed to go renew his visa at the border.

The drive was an awe-inspiring vista of the mountainous desert landscape. We passed free ranged camel alongside the road and were forced to present ID’s at several police checkpoints, with no one questioning the obscure American hitcher in the backseat.

After a few hours I began seeing signs that said “Welcome to the Sultanate of Oman,” and became nervous that I had missed the checkpoint to be stamped out of the Emirates. The girl sitting next to me saw my panic and having not spoken the entire ride assured me that it was coming up.

After a few minutes we were quickly stamped out of the Emirate checkpoint and we arrived at the Omani checkpoint. I was easily stamped in and with much grace, thanked my new friends for the free lift to the border, shared a cigarette with them and they were on their way.

I remained alone on the frontier, sitting in the blazing midday sun on the stoop in front of the immigration office. Before I could pull my sign out 2 foreign businessmen pulled in and walked passed me into immigration. When they came out I had my sign out and ready. After passing me they took another look and simply said come on!

Upon entering the car they introduced themselves as Hussein and Mohammed from Algeria and fed me chocolates and orange juice. The entire ride they explained to me their live stories and graciously continued to feed me and keep me hydrated. As we entered Muscat they asked me where I needed to go, and having no game plan responded “Wherever you are and I will walk from there.”

Hussein called his business liaison and simply on the phone stated “We picked up a young American hitchhiker, where is the cheapest place to stay?” They drove me straight to the coastal fish market and showed me around. They left me on the doorstep at the cheapest hotel in Muscat, wished me luck, and after 1000km my Omani adventure commenced!

Dubai.. "The New Arabia"

Dubai is the world renown capital of the "New Arabia," for it's glitz, glamour, and constant strive to be the biggest, fastest and strongest. Being the first stop on my Arabian tour however, I was left with a great sense of disappointment. At no point in Dubai did I feel like I was in Arabia at all, but rather in an over the top westernized urban shopping center.

Even with an obviously increased presence of Islamic men wearing long white throbe's and women in burqa's among other uniquely Islamic dress, the majority of the population of Dubai is foreign. Hindi's make up the majority of the population with the rest of the majority being from Asia and Europe.

The increased presence of Mosque's is the only other major change. They even appear to far out number the seemingly endless churches in Latin American nations. There is never a point where minarets (mosque towers) and their associated domed prayer halls are not in sight. Even at gas stations there are minature ones for your on the go the Muslim to visit during call to prayer.

However, like any major city the architecture alone is something to be uniquly admired. With the Burj Khalifa standing at a world record 828 meters, it is the center point of modern Islamic and world architecture. It shadows over a large reflection pool which hosts a fountain and light show that makes Las Vegas' Bellagio fountain show appear timid. Connected to the Burj Kalif is the Dubai Mall, fully equipped with cinemas, an ice skating rink, aquarium, not 1 but 2 waterfalls with life size statues of men jumping off, the largest food court I've ever seen and nearly any store you could want.

The city is filled with smaller but equally unique in design skyscrapers, including the famed luxury hotel, the Burj Al Arab. The major problem like any city however, does appear to be money. Next to every already complete skyscaper seems to be 2 more incomplete construction project. At what point does a city say enough is enough?

Abu Dhabi

Technology yet again proved it's worth as a backpacker. Staying in touch with a friend I met at the pyramids in Tikal, Guatemala gave me cause for a necessary trip to Abu Dhabi to visit half way around the world. After a seemingly unnecessary, arduous journey from Dubai to Abu Dhabi I was greeted with a warm welcome from a long lost friend.

After being picked up from the bus station we drove through the city to Yas Island to visit Ferarri World! Still being a poor backpacker we quickly toured Ferrari World where the worlds fastest roller coaster is and left. With a beeping empty tank button in the car, we headed out across the desert in hope to find gas before running out of petrol in the 40 degree sun. Joking the whole time "that we will dig for oil" in the event we run out of gas we luckily made it to a gas station about 20km later.

We picked up the 4 and 6 year old my friend nanny's from school and headed to the Grand Palace of Abu Dhabi. We spent a few hours swimming in the fountains in front of the Palace by people being proper, beneath the skyline of the city. When we were done we took the children out for some peddle boating around the harbor. After being exhausted of peddling around as a tour guide for the kids, we headed to the a famed needle tower restaurant above the Marina Mall overlooking the sea.

As one of the most classy of places, where billionaire businessmen were meeting with its grand view, we had a most hilarious dinner in our wet street clothes and 2 small children. Not realizing how fancy this rotating restaurant above one of the wealthiest cities was, we sat down and ordered dinner. I felt just like one of the children and am surprised we were not asked to leave for lacking class and eating spaghetti with out fingers!

After dinner it was time to leave and I was sad to say goodbye to two funny children and my long lost friend. However, I got a chance to see the main sites in the city of Abu Dhabi, relax, and have a day of acting like a child all for free! Very much a vibrant city, I would like to visit again someday!

Yes I'm From New York! No Not The City!

When travelling the world I am instantly assumed by most by saying I am from New York means New York City instantly. Usually it is not worth the time and effort to explain that NY is a State, and that Niagara Falls is 6 hours away from NYC.

My first time in NYC in 2007 with my roomate, I held a door for a businessman leaving a McDonalds who replaced a thank you, with a hasty "We don't do that for people here!" After the most stressful day of driving around Manhattan during rush hour in my Mother's car, able to only get glimpses of sites as we drove past, I was left with disappointment. However even with this first negative experience I now have so many friends in NYC and Long Island, that I've become a frequent visitor and I feel like a city veteran.

Every time I visit I make the same lap down 5th Avenue, passing the Empire State Building, Rockefellar Center, Chrysler Building, Times Sqaure, Madison Square Garden, Grand Central Station, Ground Zero and always ending with a nap in Central park! There are endless museums, art galleries, sporting events and numerous other entertainment venues that give the city no chance to disappoint.

Walking through the crowded streets of fast moving business people, slow moving window shoppers, and endless tourists with maps; makes for a day of intense people watching. Never do I leave Manhattan before grabbing my $1 hotdog and french fries at Papaya's underneath the Empire State building; before trying to track down the NYC Blood Center bus to make a blood donation.

NYC is an intriguing city to visit from time to time, but it's size and speed makes it a place unsuitable for my laid back living style. As long as I still have friends there I will continue to make my yearly jihads to NYC, my assumed worldly home...

My Capitol

While idling around Lewiston, my friend informed me about the poor man’s gateway to the eastern United States; that gateway being Megabus. For a mere $3.50 each, three of us hopped on a bus from Buffalo to Washington D.C. with a 30 pack of keystone and bag full of munchies. We pulled into a shady abandoned parking lot in D.C. around 11PM with proper buzzes. Thankfully they had a friend pick us up and bring us to Annapolis.

The next day we got dropped off to tour the quaint Annapolis harbor for the day.  We hung out around the Annapolis Naval Academy for the day which gave me great insight into what the United States Navy has, is and will do for our great nation. Seeing the original style US flag in the original US capitol building inspired a great sense of pride in my nation. After a good night of partying we headed back to Washington D.C .

The Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, White House and never ending Smithsonian Museums were amazing. However, visiting Washington D.C. proved to be one of my most inspiring trips yet. Visiting the war memorials left me with a much prouder sense of patriotism. Seeing the Vietnam Memorial after visiting the actual sites of war in Vietnam; having lived in Korea and understanding the war and seeing the Korean War Memorial; going to the Genocide Memorial and seeing the images of the Rwanda genocide post touring Rwanda; the end result was an indescribable feeling .

We are a proud nation, and I am a proud to be from the land of the free and the home of brave. That is, the brave men and women that not only protect our great nation but mankind as a whole.