Tag Archives: people

The Sultanate of Oman is a land of forts and castles. Sitting at the southeastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, this Middle Eastern country has always been a centre of regional trade. As early as 120 AD, a branch of Nabataean Arabs arrived in the vast desert interior. By the 1600s, the Omani Sultanate was […]

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The terraced fields of the Kathmandu Valley were bright green and yellow with blooming mustard plants the last time I visited (see: People of the Rice Bowl).  I couldn’t help but wonder what it was all being used for! I’ve always thought of mustard as a condiment, designed to add piquancy to an Austrian/Slovenian Kransky […]

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As any visitor to these pages knows, I love markets! Under the care of a guide, I and another solo-female traveller were on our way to visit some of the adobe fortresses for which the Sultanate of Oman is famous. I knew that that would result in history-overload – so, I was especially pleased that […]

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India is a real experience in sensory overload. That is true of all the places I’ve visited in the country, but especially true in Varanasi. Varanasi – previously known as Benares, Banaras, and Kashi – is considered the spiritual capital of India. It is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities, and has been […]

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It is currently winter in Australia. I’m wrapped up in a blanket and wearing my sheep-skin ugg boots. It is so cold in my house that the olive oil has solidified! Given the country’s (warranted) reputation for sunshine and glorious beaches, it might be hard to believe that winter is a real thing. But, even […]

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