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Mecca Wasn’t “Ta’if” on Us!

Mecca Wasn’t “Ta’if” on Us!

by Calvin Sun | Oct 14, 2021 | How Did You Do That?, October 2021: Saudi Arabia, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Saudi Arabia, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

Ta’if About a 2 hours’ drive north of Jeddah lies Ta’if. Located within the Mecca region and one of the oldest towns in Saudi Arabia, it has been famous for its rose production and views over Mecca itself:     Along the way we stopped to say hi to the...
Picnic on the Edge – Jebel Fihrayn: The Edge of the World

Picnic on the Edge – Jebel Fihrayn: The Edge of the World

by Calvin Sun | Oct 11, 2021 | October 2021: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

    After our first day in Riyadh with an early 6am rise and coffee, Salwa’s partner Mohammed picked us up in his car where we began our 2.5 hour drive to the Edge of the World:     Stop by for the Saudi Arabia’s distinctive black...
A My-“Riyadh” of Potential

A My-“Riyadh” of Potential

by Calvin Sun | Oct 10, 2021 | Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, October 2021: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

 Got my third booster for COVID-19 yesterday! And what better way to revel in my potential side effects of the booster than a 12 hour red-eye flight from NYC to Abu Dhabi to Riyadh?  The days of loopholes and hurdles to obtain a business or transit visa...
I Love Lamp-edusa

I Love Lamp-edusa

by Calvin Sun | Sep 13, 2021 | Crisis, Epiphanies on the Road, Fail, Italy, Lampedusa, Lessons Learned, September 2021: The Tyrrhenian Sea, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

Definitely didn’t look nearly like this 24 hours prior to taking this photo…  After a week rampaging throughout Sardinia’s coastline including a pitstop in Corsica — with a final night belonging in a 90s teen prom movie (I really...
“Cagliari” Take Me Away From Florence

“Cagliari” Take Me Away From Florence

by Calvin Sun | Sep 1, 2021 | Italy, Sardinia, September 2021: The Tyrrhenian Sea, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

 Another monsoon begins, and this time in Sardinia: the Italian island between where we were only 1 month ago among the Balearic Islands and the Italian peninsula.I finally got to redeem all the thousands of miles I accumulated over the year of the pandemic...
Madeira About You

Madeira About You

by Calvin Sun | Jul 14, 2021 | Fail, July 2021: Portuguese Island Hopping - Azores & Madeira, Lessons Learned, Madeira, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Portugal, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

  After 3 days in the Azores, I took the 8:10pm flight from Ponta Delgada to Funchal, arriving at 11:15pm local time.     As long as you upload a copy of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival, proof of recovery, or your vaccine card...
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