Photo: The Mississippi state capitol building. My first ever visit to Mississippi came on Tuesday (Dec. 8) when I flew to Jackson, the state capitol of Mississippi. I arrived to overcast skies and a slight drizzle (which later turned to a driving rain later that evening). I was met by a driver who took me …. Read More
As my good friend in New York noticed the other day, the Traveling Chemist is still “grounded” at home in Houston. Well, to be candid, I don’t mind spending some time at home and in fact it is often what I secretly wish for on the eve of every long-distance international trip and especially after …. Read More
I wish all my loyal followers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Thanks for following my blog during the past two years. I hope to continue your readership by posting many more interesting notes throughout 2010. And to all the fellow travelers out there (even those among you who can only be vicarious travelers) …. Read More
Just a brief note to wish everyone a Happy New Year in 2010. May this new year be better than the last! And to all you fellow travelers out there – may you all have safe and (hopefully) enjoyable trips to many new places. As for me, I started 2010 off with a trip to …. Read More
>> Photo: Doha City Skyline at Sunset. Photo: One of my favorite buildings in Doha! No clue what it is; it just looks nice – and golden!! My first visit to Qatar! I flew on Qatar Airways non-stop from Houston Wednesday evening and after 13 hours and 38 minutes of flying, I arrived into Doha …. Read More
Before leaving Doha, I managed to take a city tour (lasting only 3.5 hours) and would like to share these pictures. What really impressed me a lot about Doha is the diverse and unusual architecture scattered throughout this fine city! Have a look at some of the more strange looking buildings … along with a …. Read More
My first visit to The Kingdom was way back in December, 1979 so I am considering this trip as the thirtieth anniversary of that first trip to Saudi Arabia. As always, I value my visits here since I can renew my contacts with the many colleagues who work for Saudi Aramco (formerly the Arabian American …. Read More
Dubai is my last stop on this Middle Eastern lecture tour. I arrived on time aboard my flight from Dammam, Saudi Arabia (the above picture shows the Dubai skyline at night). Thankfully, there was no waiting on the airport immigration line and I arrived at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (hte one along Sheikh Zayed Road) …. Read More
Photo: Sunrise over the Arabian Gulf at Mina Al-Zour, Kuwait Well here I sit in my comfortable room in Dubai and I finally have time to pen this posting summarizing the prior ten (10) days in Kuwait. Time flies when you’re having fun! And this short visit sure flew by! I flew in on Friday, …. Read More
Well, it’s that time again – time to return to HOME-SWEET-HOME! I thoroughly enjoyed my short overnight stay in Dubai. This time I booked a room at the Intercontinental Festival City Hotel (shown above). The hotel is right next door to the Festival City Mall (pictured below) – one of the newest malls in Dubai. …. Read More