by Calvin Sun | Mar 22, 2022 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Crisis, Dubai, Egypt, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Serendipitous!, United Arab Emirates
Adventure is a mindset, not a destination.Last month after I had spoken at Mercersburg Academy and returned to DC, Kimmy, Ihita and I debated what we could do with our extra 4 days after Iraq now that Syria would likely be once again postponed. It was...
by Calvin Sun | Mar 14, 2022 | Jordan, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt
I’m back, and this time with a tripod. The last time I was in Jordan, it was nearly 11 years ago on one of my first monsoons and I had regretted not leaving enough time to visit the Dead Sea or bring a tripod for the awe-inspiring Petra by Night. Be it so...
by Calvin Sun | Mar 13, 2022 | Iraq, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
For our third and final day in Iraq, we embarked on our journey to Samarra, capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and the only remaining Islamic capital retaining its original architecture, plans and relics. Before leaving we were treated to the royal treatment when...
by Calvin Sun | Mar 12, 2022 | Iraq, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
After a morning paying our respects in the holy city of Karbala, we enjoyed a private chicken and lamb lunch at a rest stop in Hillah before another 30 minutes’ drive to Babylon. Upon arrival we first posed in front of the only remaining (and...
by Calvin Sun | Mar 12, 2022 | Iraq, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
For our second morning in Iraq, we drove an hour onwards to Karbala, the “mecca” for Shi’ite Muslims where tens of millions of Shi’ite Muslims visit twice a year to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. As we...
by Calvin Sun | Mar 11, 2022 | Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, Iraq, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
Less than 4 years ago I was invited on a whim to join my friend Rik Brinks for a beer in Kurdistan Iraq. So I went without a moment’s notice, not realizing how easy it was to get in with a visa on arrival. There I ran into not only Rik, but also...
