2026

The Sacred and the Profane in Hong Kong

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I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more city-like city than Hong Kong. It’s miles and miles of skyscrapers, unrelenting traffic noise, and concrete. At first, it had a lot of anonymity vibes, but, after Id’ walked around for a couple of days, it felt almost user-friendly. Overhead foot paths cross giant boulevards and wind through high rise complexes. Quiet paths hug the harbor through green spaces and large parks. No garbage and no bad smells except the fish sauce. The public transportation is impressive. Buses, trams, subway trains, and escalators. Also ferries. Because Hong Kong’s commercial districts are located on different islands, there is a lot of back and forth across Victoria Harbor. For 80 cents, you can hop a Star Ferry and almost any time of night or day.

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Ljubljana Means Beloved

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If you’re looking for idyllic, try Slovenia. It’s one of those places that is so rightfully self-confident and pulled together, it’s almost other-worldly. Once a part of Yugoslavia, Slovenia declared its independence in 1991, following the death of Yugoslavia’s long-time benevolent dictator, Tito. Since then, Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, has changed a lot. It’s a wildly popular tourist destination and I understand why.

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The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

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On my way from Syria to somewhere else, my first stop was Istanbul’s airport, where I took a short flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a region in Central Turkey called Anatolia that’s famous for its “fairy chimneys” — geological formations created by volcanic eruptions that occurred when the region was underwater. That was about millions of years ago.

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Syria’s Fragile Peace

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I left Syria about a week ago, both gratefully and regrettably. On the morning I was scheduled to fly to Istanbul from Damascus, the US and Israel launched a senseless war against Iran. The war forced the closure of the airports in Syria, as well as those of many of its neighbors. At the time, I was in Damascus visiting my (amazing) nephew who works for an NGO after traveling with a (wonderful) group to Syrian cities and historic sites. I had an uncertain five days after the war started, and then a kind Canadian couple invited me to join them in their hired car to Amman, Jordan. From there, I flew to Istanbul.

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Egypt a Little Off the Beaten Path

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I’ve been in Egypt for the past few weeks, lucky enough to see the most important pyramids and temples and tombs for the second time. I’m not going to write about them here because you have a million online resources at your disposal, or you can check out my postings from 2014. https://kimmie53.com/category/egypt/

Of course, anyone who travels to Egypt should see the antiquities but, like everywhere else, Egypt has plenty of lesser known magic and I personally needed to get away from the crowds. Egypt is one of the most visited places on the planet right now. Of the 73 countries I’ve visited, it’s also the most difficult from the standpoint of keeping my equilibrium. It’s been a constant hustle. I’m glad my first visit here was on a tour. And I’m glad my second visit included these gems.

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