World Tour 2000 - Highlights

I write this from the my auntie's house in New York City, only 3 days from
London. Yes, the tour is nearly over. It feels weird. Inshallah, I will get
used to it soon.

It has been a fantastic 10 month period. Here are the brief highlights...


EGYPT
The Great Pyramids of Giza tourist free; sailing in the River Nile; climbing Mt
Sinai/Moses.

JORDAN
The architectural and natural splendours of the Nebattean lost city of Petra;
the Roman ruined city of Jerash.

SYRIA
The Umayyad Mosque and the busting souks of Damascus; the Mosque of Umar in
Bosra.

LEBANON
Watching the rebuilding of the centre of war torn Beirut; the ancient mosques
of Tripoli.

UAE
Visiting an uncle I hadn’t seen in 16 years in Al-Ain; camel market in
neighbouring Oman.

PAKISTAN
Receiving great hospitality from everybody I met; getting arrested for
trespassing in the Parliament.

INDIA
The great architectural legacies of the Moghul Empire; the beauty that is the
Taj Mahal.

BANGLADESH
Family; home.

NORTHERN THAILAND
The ruined wats and palaces of the ancient capital of Ayuthya.

LAOS
Cycling in the villages near Vang Vieng; the ecological park of Lao Pako.

VIETNAM
The Vinh Hoc tunnel village near Dong Ha; the cycle mad city of Hue; biking in
the mountains near Dalat; boat trips to the Mekong Delta.

CAMBODIA
The No. 9 Guesthouse; free water skiing on the Mekong; travelling on the worst
roads in the world; the great temples of Angkor.

SOUTHERN THAILAND
The beaches of Phucket.

MALAYSIA
The island of Perhentian Kecil; the Taman Negara rainforest; the Islamic Art
Museum in Kuala Lumpur; the Shah Alam mosque.

SINGAPORE
Mountain biking in the island of Ubud.

INDONESIA
Mountain biking 70km around beautiful Lake Maninjau; the adventures climbing
the country’s highest volcano, Gunung Kerinci; the mesmerizing volcanic
activities of the Dieng Plateau; horse riding in the breathtakingly beautiful
Bromo-Tenangaru-Senaru National Park; receiving the best welcome ever in the
tiny island of Gili Trawangan; white water rafting in Lombok.

BRUNEI
Visiting two of the world’s most beautiful mosques in Bandar Seri Bagawan;
Kampung Ayer, the amazing water village; maxing it on speedboats through the
jungle.

AUSTRALIA
The beautiful Kata Tjuta and the significant Ayer’s Rock; the Melbourne Cricket
ground, the Canberra Australian Academy of Sports and the Olympic Stadiums;
watching life go by in beautiful Byron Bay; scuba diving in the Great Barrier
Reef; whale watching in Harvey Bay.

NEW ZEALAND
Caving in Waitomo; Soda (hot) Springs near the volcanic town of Rotarua;
swimming with dolphins off Kaikoura; driving in the most majestic scenery; Fox
and Franz Josef glaciers; bungy jumping off 134m in to the beautiful Nevis
Gorge; the beautiful fiord that is Milford Sound.

FIJI
The sand dunes of Sigatoka; the waterfall of Nataman.

CALIFORNIA
Seeing the biggest trees in the world in Sequoia; the sand dunes and salt flats
of Death Valley.

MEXICO
Swimming in the beautiful aqua waters of the cenote near Valladolid with
overhanging stalactites and bats for company; the Maya ruins of Uxmal and
Chichen Itza.

BELIZE
The surreal capital of Belmopan.

GUATEMALA
The beautiful freshwater island of Flores; the volcanic setting of Antigua.

EL SALVADOR
Souks in San Salvador to rival those of Damascus.

HONDURAS
The beautiful city of Santa Rosa de Copan; meeting people in San Pedro Sula
originating from nearby villages in Bangladesh.

NICARAGUA
Hiking through banana and coffee plantations to the summit of Volcan Ilpec in
the biggest freshwater island in the world. 

COSTA RICA
Horse riding to Fortuna Falls, the best waterfall in the world…ever!

PANAMA
The peaceful, beautiful and cool mountain surroundings of Boquette; the Panama
Canal.

COLOMBIA
The living museum that is Cartagena; mud bath in the active Volcan del Lodo;
scuba diving near the fishing village of Taganga.

VENEZUELA
The breathtaking waterfalls of Canaima National Park, including Angel Falls.

CUBA
The friendliest people in the world; watching the system at first hand.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Just chilling out, staying in the only mosque in the whole country.

EAST COAST OF THE STATES
The alligators of the Everglades; wonderful kids of friends in Seminole; views
of Manhattan from the air.