Still on the list...

Well, in case you haven't heard, I received a grant from Notre Dame that will allow me to prolong my stay out here in the Middle East. I'll be taking part in an intensive Arabic program this summer in none other than Cairo. Should be home in early August. But I'm sure I'll talk more about all this later.

Anyway, with an extra two months out in this neck of the woods, my opportunities to travel have just expanded immensely, especially considering the fact that I have three weeks in between the end of the spring semester at AUC and the beginning of my summer program. That's a lot of time that needs to be killed. Here's a brief collection of destinations I'd still like to cross off my list before I head back to the Land of the Free:

 Alexandria, Egypt: Located only two hours away from Cairo, Egypt's second biggest city offers a discernible change of pace from the country's hectic capital. Although the seafood the city is renowned for isn't likely to suit my fancy, I'm sure I'll be content with the Roman ruins, the Qaitbay Citadel, and just the refreshing Mediterranean air. I'll probably make my way up there over a weekend in the summer.

Luxor, Egypt: Luxor is an absolute treasure trove of ancient Egyptian wonders. You need at least three days just to scratch the surface. It's a bit of a trek (10 hours by train, straight south from Cairo), but I plan on getting down there sometime later this month. And the sooner the better- it's supposed to be 110+ F in the summer months.

M

Dahab, Egypt: When the summer heat rolls in, I can think of nothing more appealing than a get-away to the lazy Red Sea resort town of Dahab. It may not have the glitz and the glam of Sharm al-Sheikh, but that's really not what I'm looking for. A few days of swimming, snorkeling, and plain and simple relaxation are all I need. A celebratory trip to Dahab (which means "gold" in Arabic) appears to be in the cards following the end of classes.

Mount Sinai, Egypt: Located smack dab in the middle of the arid and rugged Sinai Peninsula, legend maintains that this is the location where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Regardless of the merits of this claim, the sunrise from Mt. Sinai is supposed to be quite a spiritual experience in its own right. I'll probably make my ascent on the way back from Dahab to Cairo.

Istanbul, Turkey: Well it didn't look like I was going to be able to fit Turkey in, but now that I'll be in the area until late July, I really have no excuses. I'm not sure what all I'll be able to see in Turkey (it's a massive, fascinating country that you'd probably need to spend a few weeks in to do it full justice), but Istanbul is definitely a necessity. Simply put, there is no other city in the world quite like Istanbul. It is the only city to straddle both the European and Asian continents. It has served as the crown jewel of the Byzantine Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and is currently the cultural and social capital of one of the Middle East's most powerful players. Only decades ago, it was the seat of the Islamic Caliphate, but now is championing Turkey's push for admittance into the European Union. Caught somewhere between the East and the West, Christianity and Islam, and antiquity and the future, Istanbul is one of the world's most fascinating places. I'm planning a trip in early June.

Kurdistan, Iraq: What! I want to go to Iraq? But isn't there a war going on there? Isn't it ravaged and unsafe? Isn't travelling there a death wish for any white-skinned American? Well, perhaps partially true. Much of the country is highly volatile and dangerous, completely unsuitable for travel. However, the same cannot be said for region in the northwest that's controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government. Since the '91 Gulf War, this area has been essentially an autonomous country, only loosely affiliated with Baghdad and the rest of Iraq. While the rest of the country fell into chaos following the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, Kurdistan remained relatively calm and tranquil. "The Other Iraq," as it's happily referred to by locals, has undergone a bit of a boom in recent years and now has an emerging tourist economy. The draw for me is the area's beautiful natural landscapes, as well as the simple fact that I'll be able to say, "I've been to Iraq." I'm thinking about working a visit to Kurdistan in as part of my trip to Turkey.