Travel diaries Archives

Hi Boston

You would think that our world is immune to certain things by now. Then some events happen where you see the bad guys unapologetically, shamelessly, & loudly challenge what we thought to have morally agreed upon regardless of our multitude of differences. What is more puzzling is how some previously loud voices suddenly turn silent, in a display of moral incoherence, which to me is immoral. Like the German national football team (and many supporters) taking a stance against the World Cup in Qatar contesting about human rights while remaining forever silent when it comes to the Gaza-issue. Most of us are morally naked. This is somehow my answer to the question “Why are you going to the United States, while Trump is the president?”
A 10-day trip, mainly to attend my friend Amr’s wedding in Boston. Amr is a bright Egyptian doctor that went to the States to get his PhD and recently finished his medical residency and training as an epileptologist, which is a few things we have in common. I thought I would combine the trip with a short visit to Miami, which would be my second time after my lovely visit in 2022.

Landing in Boston and crossing the border was a breeze. I took the public transportation to my Couchsurfing host, Steve, a 67-year-old gentleman. It has been a while since I couchsurfed, having only hosted travelers in the last few years. I was looking forward to refreshing my “traveler’s nomadic soul” and stretching my arms wide to the serendipity of the universe. As I approached Steve’s house, I found the Ukrainian and Palestinian flags hanging outside. I now knew we were up to some good conversations. Steve welcomed me into his home where he lives with his foster child and two cats. He has been fostering children for a couple of years, giving them a roof and providing for them in his retirement. Steve insisted that I use his bedroom while he slept on the couch. A remarkable generosity.

During our conversation over his prepared breakfast and our long walk in the Arboretum that belongs to Harvard University, I got an unexpected glimpse into Steve’s life. His inspiring resistance to the government in different periods, joining protests and refusing to pay taxes to object to how the money is used by the government. He would declare his tax money and put it in an escrow account and tell the government “Here is the money that I don’t want to pay to support you.” He is not even keeping the money for himself. Counting the consequences that followed, I was more inspired to know that he started doing the same thing last year to object against the Gaza genocide. I bet Steve looks in the mirror and feels true to himself.
After our walk, Steve had to leave for some appointments, among them his piano lesson. I prepared myself for Amr’s wedding, picked up the rental car, picked up Anna, one of Amr’s friends, and we drove to the wedding at a venue on the lake.

Amr’s bride is American, the wedding had a majority of American guests and some Egyptians from Amr’s side. The ceremony started in joyous and classy fashion. My heart melted to the words of their vows and I truly wish them a prosperous life with never-ending love. I mingled with other invitees and introduced myself randomly. “The world is too small,” I said when I met Sayed, another Egyptian doctor who used to live in the same building as my late grandmother!
I was seated at a table with other epileptologists from Amr’s department in Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Eating, socialising, and dancing to Western and Egyptian songs concluded the beautiful event.

The next day Steve had to leave early for a sewing lesson. It is impressive how many things this man is still learning. I had my breakfast in a nearby café, then decided to visit the Museum of Science. A big building full of creative scientific experiences that would delight the most apathetic child. I roamed around avoiding stepping on the thousands of children that filled the museum with their accompanying adults and felt slightly overwhelmed with inspiration. Ideas for art projects that include scientific principles always excite me, knowing that I will only manage to realise a few of them in my lifetime 🙁
I grabbed a bite and decided spontaneously to attend an improv theatre show. Improv theatre is one of my favourite hobbies from many years ago and is again a place that never disappoints for some laughs and creativity. During the show, the actors asked which guest thought he came from the furthest. Egypt (or even Switzerland) was obviously further than New Jersey. They asked me a few questions about Egypt and I shared with them that Victoria’s Secret has many branches in Cairo since a few decades ago. They used my answer to generate a hilariously improvised show including King Tut wearing lingerie and an actress who had a bra branded “King Tit” hehehehe.
After the show, Steve and I went to a free jazz concert in a nearby local church. It featured a mix of Black and white artists. Steve mentioned that this is not very common, and that the music scene in Boston is unfortunately often segregated. Steve offered to host me for two extra nights since we got along very well. I was thankful for his generosity and company.

With a neuron in Boston Museum of Science

I had no plans for Sunday. So I joined Steve and his friend Linda at an estate sale — which is practically when a family is leaving a house and selling everything: furniture, books, etc. Everything has a price tag, and you roam around and buy what you want. I went to the book section and bought a couple of books from the intriguing collection of what seemed to me to be a remarkable family. “The Lost Art of Healing” was written by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Bernard Lown, the man who invented the cardiac defibrillator.
Steve and Linda dropped me near Harvard Square where I visited the Harvard Art Museums and roamed around different Harvard buildings. It felt somehow surreal to be there, where some of the greatest minds on the planet existed/exist. I wondered how it is to live here. What kind of interactions do you have with people in the bakery or in the canteen? What kind of conversations do you start or overhear in a bar? A kind of self-sufficient and auto-stimulating environment?
I went for the famous lobster sandwich and oysters for lunch, then took my newly acquired book and went to a Harvard common area, sat among students and scientists, and hungrily devoured the pages; learning, being inspired, and thinking about the chain of events that led me to this moment. The butterfly effect. Was it deciding to Couchsurf? Or contacting Steve? Or deciding to join the estate sale? Has another sequence of events, in a parallel universe, led to an even more enriching experience?
Steve went to donate platelets (would he please stop making me feel useless to society??) and afterward we met at an Egyptian restaurant where I introduced him to Koshari, Mahshi, Hawawshi and other typical Egyptian dishes. We split again so he could go with a friend to another jazz concert, while I intended to go to a bachata party — only to be overpowered by the sweet tiredness of jet lag.

On Monday morning I put on my suit and went to Brigham Hospital to spend the morning in the Epileptology Department. I had agreed with Barbara, the head of the department, to shadow there and see how things are done. I wanted to get a feeling of how things are done in a Harvard hospital. I attended a consultation with a patient with her, a meeting about functional neurological disorders (she is the president of the International Society of Functional Neurological Disorders), and exchanged a few questions about how epilepsy is diagnosed and our corresponding institutions. Another interesting episode in my Boston chronicle, and I have to say — how we do things in Zürich is not bad, it is not bad at all.
Probably one thing that caught my attention was a wall with “Best Teacher of the Month,” where some doctor was awarded this title for his teaching activities. This reminded me of that rewarding American work culture that is almost absent in German-speaking countries. In Germany and Switzerland you only get letters of warning and lists of shame, listing doctors who are late in delivering patient reports, while good doctors (or other workers, for that matter) never get any recognition.
So this is a shout-out to anyone who managed to read until this line: please use positive feedback at least as often as you use negative feedback, whether in work or in a relationship. We need a stronger positive-feedback culture.
I grabbed a quick lunch, went to Steve’s place, picked up my stuff, and headed to the airport where I would fly to Miami. I’m done with this Boston cold weather.

In Miami, I won’t be Couchsurfing. Instead, I will try HomeExchange.com for the first time. I learned about it at the end of last year, and another encounter a couple of weeks ago refreshed this knowledge. So I decided to let some people stay at my place during my trip. This gave me some “points” that I can use to stay at other people’s places around the world. I used these points to book an apartment in Miami for five nights. This has already saved me a few hundred dollars (if you wonder how I can travel so often 🙂 ).
I will be joined in Miami by Mohamed, a Syrian epileptologist who, after finishing his training in Germany, decided to go to the United States and re-do his training, currently living in Texas. He saw my posts on Instagram and happened to have holidays he was undecided about. He decided to fly to Miami to join me. Sweet serendipity.

Moro-Diaries #4: Rabat

Before coming to Morocco, I had more negative than positive experiences with Moroccans in Europe. This trip flipped my perception 180 degrees, turning me into a fan of the country and the countrymen (including countrywomen for our feminist readers among you). They were mostly kind and sincere people. Compared to Egypt, I found more quality services in Morocco. I always felt very welcomed, especially when people came to know that I am Egyptian. The two countries share a history rich in culture. I also noticed that the rate of obesity is not as high as in many other Arab countries (and definitely less than in Germany and England, for example). To my surprise, the local cuisine does not have a lot of carbohydrates. It is hard to find a dish that is served with rice, and the cuisine in general had lots of meat and vegetables.

I arrived in Rabat on a Saturday, just in time for the Liverpool vs. Tottenham football game. A local taxi driver guided me to a rooftop terrace crowning a fancy-looking hotel, where a simple espresso costs 5$. The other clients were mostly couples enjoying romantic dates. Joining me in a non-romantic way were Mirjam, a new local friend she had made, Sufian, and two fellow young travelers from Ireland and Colorado that she had met at the hostel. We exchanged travel impressions and suggestions, a great way to refine your trip-plan on the fly.

The Colorado traveler, Braeden, had taken the opposite route, starting in the north. He visited Chefchaouen, the famous blue mountain village known for its reputation in weed production. Surprisingly, he was disappointed by the quality of the weed in comparison to Colorado, where marijuana had been legalized around a decade ago. It seems they’ve likely perfected the art of growing weed using scientific methods, research, and development.

I left the crowd after the game and headed to my accommodation in a local riad in the old town. Moroccan riads are traditional, elegant residences with distinctive architecture, often centered around a courtyard or garden. They are renowned for their intricate tilework and Islamic decorations.

***

Rabat showed me a different side of Morocco. Its clean, wide streets were lined with perfectly aligned palm trees and featured many beauiful architectural constructions. I went to meet Sarah, a Moroccan architect who had spent six years in the United States pursuing her MBA and managing some exciting projects in DC. We had a lengthy walk in the suburbs of Rabat, near the king’s palace and a golf course.

The highly intelligent and talkative Sarah shared valuable insights about Moroccan society, the economy, and politics. A significant portion of the economy is based on mining, particularly phosphate mining, with Morocco holding the world’s largest phosphate deposits, comprising 75% of global reserves. I was charmed by her liveliness and her fluency in four languages. She expressed her intention to leave Morocco after a few months to explore new life perspectives.

Following our walk, we enjoyed a cozy lunch with more conversations. Then, Sarah volunteered to drive me around Rabat in her white Fiat 500. We drove through the streets of Rabat as she pointed out different landmarks, including the new, under-construction Hassan VI’s tower and the soon-to-be-operational magnificent Grand Theatre of Rabat, designed by the late, great British-Iraqi power woman and renowned architect, Zaha Hadid. I made a promise to myself to come back to Rabat.

After saying goodbye to Sarah, I attended a local afternoon Latin party for some social dancing, where I was impressed by the excellent local salsa dancers, surpassing those in other cities. Soon after, I had to depart after nearly 24 hours in Rabat to catch my train to the historic town of Fes. At the train station, I discovered that the train was delayed by 2 hours. I hummed some thankful prayers for the taken-for-granted Swiss railways company, and spent my waiting-time reading.

Miserable me im the train st for two hours

Moro-Diaries #3: Casablanca

After a bus journey to Marrakesh , it was time to split the company. David stayed in Marrakesh while Mirjam and I took the train for Casablanca. The almost 3 hours of discomfort in the second class was not my most favorite experience, and the train was packed with locals with no significant air conditioning so that by the end of the ride, I felt myself drained of all manifestations of life, like a deflated balloon!
But Casablanca was a significant stop on my trip. Many travelers would say that Casablanca is just a big jungle of concrete not interesting to visit. For me, big cities are homes for many smart and professional people, which is a big focus of mine in my trips.

***

On the first day in Casablanca, I had a local breakfast and then headed to meet Mirjam to visit the remarkable Hassan II Mosque. It is the largest functioning mosque in Africa, and its minaret ranks as the second tallest in the world. When we arrived, the 60-story minaret was almost disappearing in the fog that surrounded the mosque. It was nearly prayer time, making it clear that Mirjam wouldn’t be going inside. I decided to attend the Friday prayer, while Mirjam waited in a café, and we met again after the prayer.

The mosque is immense, and its decorations exude majesty. Intricate patterns in marble, wood, and other materials, the nature of which I couldn’t identify, contributed to a certain atmosphere of peace and serenity.

During the “Khutbah,” the imam’s sermon, the topic was the earthquake, highlighting how Moroccans were united in managing the aftermath. The absence of differences between Arabs and Berbers hinted at underlying sensitivities in the region. Throughout my trip, I encountered many Moroccans who took immense pride in their nation’s earthquake response, recounting stories of how they proudly declined assistance from France. France was not amused.

A short video showing the Hassan II Mosque

After visiting the mosque, I met Mirjam again, who had managed to make a random new friend, Faisal, a local young guy in his thirties. I also got to know Faisal while observing surfers ride the high ocean waves just outside the mosque. Faisal didn’t hide the fact that he was deported from Germany after living there for 5 years. He was then trying to build his startup, specializing in various crimes like stealing and selling drugs. He traveled around many European countries in the process of finding a new home. After his deportation, he decided to start a new life and switch to the side of the angels by visiting Mecca. He currently works as a taxi driver, and today was his day off. We all went to the “Medina” together, where we had a quiet, fancy lunch with even better food than usual. Afterwards, we joined a Couchsurfing meeting where many young Moroccans and travelers gathered for chatting and later for a party. At some point, I detached to visit a Latin party, only to find that it was canceled because of the prophet’s birthday (which is not as important for Muslims as Christmas is for Christians). I called it a night.

***

The next day I went again for a local breakfast and decided to have a Moroccan hammam experience. Who could imagine, that there is a big colossal hammam underneath the big Hassan II mosque?

I decided to go all-in, and took the deluxe package with all the features, which costed me around 60 euros.

First, I found myself in a jacuzzi filled with sea water, where I tortured my body with a hydraulic massage. After around 30 min, they took me to a steam room, where my hammam-man (?, I don’t name of this job, maybe hammamist?) soaped up my body, and I stayed there for eternity, I think to open the pores of the skin to receive the next mystery.

Then came the main event – the hammam table. The hammamist got to work, scrubbing away at my skin like it was his enemy. As I sat down, I noticed some dark thingies on the floor. With an embarrassment, I asked him if that was what he had just exfoliated from my skin. He grinned and confirmed it was indeed my “dead skin.” I thought I was Mr. Clean with my daily showers, but this was next-level cleanliness. I had to ask my hammamist how often he subjected himself to this ritual, and he proudly said that he did it once a month. From that moment on, I became a believer that Morocco must be the cleanest nation on Earth. Sorry, other “hammamistans” out there.

After the epic scrubbing session, he slapped on a mask made of coffee and chocolate, claiming it was a treat for my skin. I felt like a piece of fruit dipped in chocolate in a Christmas market. I didn’t have any erotic thoughts at all 😀

Then, he unleashed a full-body massage and some moves that looked like he was a chiropractor. Following the mask’s wash-off, I received another round of massage, this time with argan oil.

Leaving the hammam, I looked at my skin in disbelief. Somehow I didn’t recognise my own skin. I felt new and I promised myself that I shall offer my body this love regularly. I went straight to the beautiful Casablanca train station and took the train to Rabat, the capital.

A short video showing the hammam

With one of thr fount In front of Hassan II Mosque

Moro-Diaries #2: Essaouira

Although surfing with Adam in Marrakesh was a nice experience, I decided that it was enough for this trip. I guess at my age, I prefer a certain minimum amount of comfort. On the other hand, hostels are great places to meet people. I decided to continue the trip sleeping in private rooms in hostels or hotels. I grew to appreciate good privacy and alone-time at the end of a socially packed day.

***

The bus from Marrakesh to Essaouira took around 3 hours with a short break. Beside me was a French girl with whom I started chatting in the second half of the trip. Upon arriving in Essaouira, I immediately felt pleasant vibes, the complete opposite of the chaotic vibes in Marrakesh. Already from the bus, you could see countless kites of surfers in the famously windy city. I went straight to the hostel where I booked a room and was greeted by a German young man with one arm. He volunteers working there in exchange for surfing lessons and accommodation! I immediately climbed to the roof terrace with my book to have a read while observing the sun setting in the Atlantic Ocean. Around me were groups of young people who seemed to be traveling together, mainly French or German. I thought about putting on my noise-cancellation headphones since young people in general intimidate me👴🏼. In parallel, I checked out “couchsurfing hangouts,” which is a section of the Couchsurfing app to find other solo travelers to meet up. There, I found Wouter, a Dutch gentleman, and we agreed to go for dinner. Soon enough, a young European lady entered the terrace, saw me, and directly came to me, saying “you were on the bus from Marrakesh.” I said yes and invited her to have a seat nearby, and we started chatting and getting to know each other. Mirjam, a Norwegian 27-year-old traveling solo around Morocco. Mirjam, Wouter, and I went for dinner in a tiny family-run restaurant in the old town of Essaouira. The cook was a Moroccan lady, assisted by two others who looked really old, while the son waited on the tables. We ordered Tajines while discussing life, love, and Morocco. After dinner and the homemade cream caramel, we wandered around the “medina,” charmed by all the handcrafted goods, the small alleys, and passing by the fish market where fishermen prepared their fish of the day for the market the next day, I assume. Mirjam is a janitor, and Wouter is an animation artist. The conversation was very engaging and went much deeper than the casual customary fact-based chit-chat, to include childhood traumas and matters of the heart.

***

On the next day, Wednesday, I started the day with breakfast in the hostel. A modest breakfast that included my new favorite Moroccan almond spread “Amlou.” It consists of argan oil, almonds, and honey. The almonds are toasted, then crushed and kneaded with honey and argan oil. I enjoy it with some freshly made pancakes despite the flies hovering over the whole breakfast!
I then went to the medina, met Wouter, where we bought a chess set and went to a local cafe for some games of chess and more conversations. On the second floor of the cafe, we sat separated by the chess set, the early morning sun rays sneaked from the window and shone directly on the chessboard as well as on Wouter’s stressed face 😅. While playing, we discussed differences between Morocco and Europe and mainly topics which one can’t discuss in Europe since they are tabooed. Wouter’s lack of political correctness was refreshing, and I enjoyed the time we spent together a lot. We exchanged contacts and decided to try to meet later in our trips in another city.

***

Mirjam has a talent to know random people on the street; I met her later in the afternoon with her new friend, Hicham, a Moroccan French young man passionate about Salsa and working in tourism around the world. We spent some beach time where we built a sandcastle like a group of kindergarten children. The sea is relatively dangerous for swimming since the waves can be very high. This is why Essaouira is a good place for wind-surfing, kite-surfing, and etc-rfing. In the evening, we went for dinner accompanied by two new travelers that Mirjam recruited from the hostel, David, from the Canary Islands, traveling the world and speaking 5 languages, and Bartly (fake name), a Chinese electric cars engineer. Bartly barely spoke English but had a radioactive enthusiasm and positivity. We all went for dinner and had funny x-rated conversations, where Bartly was the protagonist translating everything we say with some efficient Chinese app. David and I laughed till tears when Bartly referred to oral sex as “sea-food” 😂😂😂. I hope no children are reading these lines. After another great meal, we went for some dancing in a local bar that was also filled with tourists. On the way back to the hostel, in the windy night of cute Essaouira, David said, “First and last time in f***ing Essaouira.” Mirjam and I will head to Casablanca tomorrow, while David will join us halfway and then stay in Marrakesh.

Moro-Diaries #1: Marrakesh

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at the world map and pondering where I want to go for my two weeks off. It was Africa calling me and I was also thinking about some dance festival in Barcelona at the end of the two weeks. So why not fly to Marrakesh and hitchhike your way up to Spain? I booked a very cheap one-way flight to Marrakesh and decided to do it the old way, Couchsurfing 🙂 at least start this way. I have been spoiling myself with hotels and resorts for sometime now that I don’t even know if can do hostels. I thought I go for it anyway. Two days after booking my flight, an earthquake happened in Marrakesh leaving a couple of thousand people dead 🙁

I felt like going anyway. Somehow, irresponsible decisions usually bring a lot of fun 😀 my mom was wondering, why I keep making such decisions. A certain fatalism, that we all have in a way or another? Maybe!

I landed in the nice Marrakesh airport which appealed to me with its beautiful design. My host, Adam, said I could take a taxi for 15-20$ or the local bus that costs less than 0.5$. I said let’s try the bus. But when the bus pulled off and I saw the people stacked inside like a sardine tin, I decided I am still a spoiled p**** and backed off. A random local with one tooth approached me and asked if I needed a ride. I told him my destination and he asked for a funny amount of 200$ 😀 despite mostly not understanding each other, we managed to agree on 10$

I reached Adam’s place and we immediately started a long conversation getting to know each other. This conversation stretched over a few hours and partly took place on his motorbike where only he wore a helmet (for the police) and I was constantly anticipating getting one of my knees (or both) smashed while he squeezed in between cars. We talked about everything. Adam is a very smart guy with excellent English and works as a freelancer graphics designer. We bought seeds (eating them is a usual activity in the Middle East, you usually spit the peel on the floor) and went to a small park to chill, watching local families chill and lots of children play on the street. This reminded me of my childhood with all the adventures of our children/teenage gang back then (it was named: “strip and run naked in the darkness”).

After making a mess with the seed peels on the ground, while Adam assured me that it will be cleaned in the early morning and me feeling guilty, we went for dinner in a local restaurant that offers “Tanjia”, a Marrakesh speciality of meat that is made in a clay pot. This was the beginning of my culinary adventure in Morocco. The meat was so soft, it breaks before you even touch it 😀 melts in your mouth like a Swiss chocolate, and its taste triggers senses you didn’t know you had.

***

The next two days, Sunday and Monday, my schedule was the same, have breakfast in a local breakfast place near Adam’s place, trying different options. Impressive was the local avocado-and-nuts smoothie which seemed like an aphrodisiac bomb, inappropriate for my trip. After breakfast I would go to the “Medina”, the old town, where I get lost in its alleys full of exotic handcrafts, leather goods, copper lamps and souvenirs. A lot of beautiful things I would like to buy. Here and there I stop to bargain and mostly have a funny conversation when the local sellers discover my Egyptian dialect. Due to the decades of spread of Egyptian movies and music, the whole Arab world understands our dialect and mostly have some appreciation for Egyptians. The market is huge and I enjoyed it immensely. Outside there was a huge square named “Jema elfnaa” which might mean “The assembly of death”! Now for me, this square was THE MARRAKESH! Full of unbelievable chaos of people, juice sellers, cobra charmers, monkeys, singers, darwishs, musicians, more fresh juice sellers, food stalls and many other things. Many things to see, many sounds and noises that penetrate your ear drums, and many smells (mostly seductive smell of a tajine). An overload of sensory input that amazes you shortly but could also give you a nervous breakdown if the exposure time slips unattended. At night, a lot of locals come and gather around the local musicians that played mostly drums and oud. I confess I didn’t like this music at all. I observed the locals swaying with these awful tunes and wondered, what could have led to this affinity? But then, there is also “heavy metal” and other kinds of horrible music tastes out there in the world.

The evening was usually slow meeting with Klaudia from Poland and going to a Latin party where I met some locals and some Latinos.

***

One of the things I like to do during travelling is to learn cooking. I only succeeded in doing this in Mexico a few years ago but I also don’t insist on this experience in all countries. But in Morocco it was a must. I booked one cooking class for Monday where I met a british gentleman, an australian couple, an american nurse with her holywood-director aunt as well as three gorgeous and obviously intelligent Austrian ladies with their not-so-gorgeous and not-so-bright fourth friend!

We were picked up by Kauter, our host, at the meeting point and took to the market where we bought the ingredients for the tajine. We then arrived to the house where “Khamisa” was waiting for us. We learned how to prepare Moroccan tea with mint, which I would describe even as a spiritual drink. We then started cooking all together. Cut this vegetable, put this Safran, smash those garlics, stir this mixture. We cooked and exchanged jokes and stories until the food was ready to enjoy. It was quite surreal to me that the process seamed easy but produced a delicious taste!

Happy with my Marrakesh experience, I went back to Adam’s please and where he give me tips and tricks for the rest of my trip. This conversation continued in the morning when I joined him for his daily morning routine, including rolling a joint, taking a coffee from the coffee stall and having a short walk to enjoy his coffee and joint in the nearby park. Adam advised me to go to the nearby city called Essaouira. So I packed my stuff, booked a bus ticket and went!

Sakura Diary #10: I Love You Japan, Adios

Three nights in Okinawa. Sometimes you go to a tropical island hoping for sun and enjoying the white sands and transparent turquoise water but find a clouded sky and a strong wind. This was the case in Okinawa. I was already warned by Kate, that a cyclone is approaching and that a typhoon is possible. The predictions said that it is approaching on the day I leave the island. I hesitated only a little before flying to Okinawa, since most of our fears are exaggerated, and since it is a regular event in the region. I assumed that the island is prepared to face such events. It is Japan after all and what I have seen so far makes me trust this country in many things. Things simply work here.
Sometimes when I see organised societies, it seems all natural and self-explanatory: There is no garbage in the street because there is a garbage man whose job is to collect the garbage, and people don’t throw garbage in the street. Why would anyone throw garbage on the street? This all sounds very logical but most of the world does not function like this. Most of the world is dirty and dysfunctional, or at least does not function using the same logic.
The check-in process in most of the Japanese hotels I stayed in was done by a machine and a hotel employee is hovering around the machines to assist those with less digital competence. The machine scans your passport, finds your reservation, collects your payment and then spits out your room key along with a small paper with your room number.
I checked in to the nice room and rushed to explore the features of the toilet 🤣. This is a thing here. This toilette would open the toilet lid once you approach it. By a click of a button you can also control the toilet seat. The usual other functions include controlling water flow to clean you, control water temperature, a funny function oscillates the water so that you increase the area covered 😁. A button for music covers up for the auditory pollution that you might create, and sometimes there is even a button for drying your sparkling clean rear. Most of Europe still needs this kind of evolution, instead of this strange habit of wiping with papers!
Living in Europe, one can sense the feeling of “superiority” of the west. Because of the industrial and economic dominance of western countries, as well as the higher quality of life, many people there assume that they are the top of human civilisation and that this welfare is an indicator of an advanced society. Unfortunately, some people generalise this into thinking that the western way of living is the best and the rest of the world has just to “catch up”. Specially in topics like social interactions and morality. A lot of this is justified by its affiliation to science, which is also mostly coming from the west. Here I borrow Tanizaki’s question: how would the world have looked like, given that Japan (I add: or other non-western societies), were at the front of scientific and industrial innovation? Let’s remember that science is the product of scientists, which are always biased human beings. Humanity would have probably advanced in a different way, other than changing the last name of women after marriage or just wiping our rears with papers, and other countless examples of things that don’t make sense to me.
The trip to Japan was a milestone for me. Here I saw a top society with totally different culture than the west. An example of how things can be done differently and still function with excellence. Specially on the social level. This gives me hope that globalisation does not necessarily mean westernisation or Americanisation of all countries, but rather on taking the best feature from each culture around the globe.

I spent my time in Okinawa chilling, eating, getting massages daily and dancing. I visited one beach but that was below average. The best Hawaii-like beaches are either more than an hour drive or an hour of ferry ride. Since my driving license is suspended at the moment and I didn’t want to get stranded on a remote Japanese island while the typhoon hits shortly before my return-flight, I relaxed myself by meeting travellers and locals on the island and enjoy lazy and schedule-free 2 days.

At the end of my trip, I will take back with me a new affection for Japan and Japanese people. The way they bowed to welcome you or to bid you farewell was always heart warming. Sometimes a business owner or worker will come and bid you farewell and wait until you take the lift. Their smile can be felt behind their masks. Always polite, always courteous and always eager to help you. I observed that this is how they treat each other in general. When the flight from Okinawa to Tokyo landed in the rain, and the airport bus came to pick us up, there were two meters from the stairs till the bus where you could get some rain on you. But no! two gentlemen stood there carrying two umbrellas so that the passengers don’t get uncomfortable. The flight attendant came down the stairs of the plane and kept on waving bye-bye to passengers and specially children. I ask myself, is this a job? Is this in the job description? or do they add an extra humane touch? or is it the ”natural” thing to do for them?

So, that’s it. My time in this trip has come to an end and it is time to go back and serve. Thankful and privileged I am to have the time and means to go on this trip. I appreciate your time reading my words and sharing the trip with me. This is one way of fighting the traveler’s loneliness. I am now excited to see how this trip will influence me in the future. I am also excited to come back to Japan one day.

Okinawa! I bought my fl0ral island shirt 😁

A few friends that followed this trip expressed that it would be nice to travel with me. I would gladly disappoint you 😄 having a companion changes the dynamics completely and strips your time of the priceless freedom. Then there is often he conflict of interests and the need of compromise. Unless you are immensely lucky to have the perfect travel partner, I would mostly choose to travel solo. I guess an exception of that would be going to nature-filled destinations like Iceland or camping, then i believe that a loved and like-minded soul is essential to share what you see and what you feel with. Until the next trip, I give you a kiss and a hug.

AI generated art using the following text: **Japanese samurai fighter meditating on a rocky formation at sunset with cherry blossoming far in the horizon. Intensive, high details, 8k image quality**

Sakura Diary #9: Old Friends in Cute Kyoto

I arrived in Kyoto in just two hours, thanks to the bullet train’s remarkable speed. Although it isn’t the fastest train in the world, the Maglev in China and the TGV in France hold that honor. Maglev trains are a glimpse into the future of transportation, and works by magnetic levitation. Japan is currently developing its own Maglev, aiming to surpass all speed records. Nevertheless, the bullet train provided exceptional comfort and generous legroom. Despite hearing tales of its stability, I was surprised when my iPad took a free fall from the table.
I reached Kyoto shortly before midnight and checked into a modern hotel that offered face recognition technology for check-in and room access. It was undeniably cool not having to worry about carrying a key during my stay there.

I know a lot of you are very cautious with social media and also a lot value their privacy. I am not crazy about privacy and hence you see that I post photos and updates about my trip. Through these posts, a friend of mine, Erick from Brazil, contacted me and said he is traveling with his wife Sandra around Japan. He shared with me their itinerary (a tricky word to spell and to pronounce) and we found that our plans coincide in Kyoto. Erick is one of the smartest people I know. We met around 10 years ago when I started my PhD in Tübingen, Germany where he was also working on his PhD. My professor sent me to him to learn a few things and, since we are also both couchsurfers, we met regularly and our friendship grew over the years. We went often for lunch breaks where Erick would discuss any topic of his abundance, be it about philosophy, religion, sociology or science, and I would play the role of a devil’s advocate and challenge his theories, rather for amusement. We enjoyed these conversations and I missed them since I left Tübingen in 2018. His wife Sandra, is also very intelligent and she started a project on scientifically making certain diets for cancer patients. I was excited when I knew, that we will be exploring Kyoto together.

Kyoto is a relatively small town in comparison to Tokyo or Osaka. The buildings are shorter and life is calmer. We met in the morning of Tuesday the 23rd of May and started by walking in the market while catching up. We updated each other about our whereabouts during the last 3 years. We also exchanged our experiences in Japan so far and started tasting different dishes in the market. Starting from the famous Japanese Wagyu beef, to different sea foods with countless ways to prepare it. I am again and again impressed by the richness and variety of the Japanese cuisine. In the market you would also see unusual shops, for example here you can drink coffee and pet cute animals like puppies or guinea pigs. There you can learn how to forge your own ring. We spent some quality time at the market and decided to head to a bamboo forest, which is one of the beautifully natural things you could see around Japan. We walked among the countless bamboo trees but also countless tourists. Then we found refuge in some garden with a tea-house that were created by Samurai movie-actor. In the shadow of the trees and while sipping green matcha tea and eating traditional sweets, the conversation spanned quantum physics, eastern religions as well as sex 😀 Erick has the capacity to talk for hours uninterruptedly, which is something he and we are aware of. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to have flowing conversations. Living in Germany or in Switzerland, one often feels like you have to beg people for conversations. They are not as talkative as the southern countries for sure. This is why I appreciate my chatterbox friends, not to mention if their talking is rich with content.
Over two days in Kyoto, we visited Shinto temples and restaurants. We also went to the neighbourhood where geisha are active and we played the game: ”spot the geisha!”
Geisha are highly respected in Japanese society and are regarded as cultural icons. They are skilled in various traditional arts, such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, and playing musical instruments like the shamisen. Beyond their artistic talents, geisha are also trained in the art of conversation and are known for their intelligence and grace. This is why they render any gathering more pleasant and entertaining.
This is not something about sex and one can’t simply book a geisha online. You have to have the connections to organise an evening with a geisha and you have to be vouched for.

The food in Kyoto was wonderful. Day after day, I love Japan more and more! I ate not when I was hungry but rather when I was not full. For the smell of this or that restaurant kept flirted with my nostrils in the streets and alleys. Even at midnight, you can go to the traditional Japanese pub, the Izakaya and have a cheap and wonderfully tasting food. The prices here are also comparable to Europe if not slightly cheaper. Tokyo could be a bit pricier but not even close to Zurich. You can easily have a decent meal and a drink for 10 – 15$.
I walked a lot in the side streets of Kyoto. For me, everything in Kyoto is cute! I decided to name it Cute-o and I am sure I am not the first to have this idea. The tiny houses, the tiny streets, the tiny cars that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world, are together painting a beautiful little town. I felt romantic in Kyoto and it will stay in my memory despite the fact that I took only very few photos. What could I do? Every corner I saw something worth of photography and my artistic talents fell short to capture the beauty of the moment. Take my word for it, Japan is beautiful. Someone has to pay me for all of this marketing 😅
On one of the days in Kyoto, we were discussing strategy games. Then Sandra suggested we go to a local “Go” club. This was not a common touristic activity. But Sandra asked the hotel receptionist to call the club and organise a visit. We went there and were welcomed by the instructor before the club members arrive. Erick has already explained the rules to us in advance. The instructor went deeper on the board. He didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Japanese. So we worked with google translate which has two useful modes. The camera mode, with which you can point the camera on any text and it translates it, and the conversation mode which listen to both of you and translates the conversation in real time with sound output. This worked good enough to manage some kind of conversation and understanding of the game. Slowly, the club members started arriving and they were mostly retired women and less men. I appreciated this social activity for the retired. I think it is useful to have some interest or passion that can fill your life when you aren’t working. Both now and after retirement.
My time in Kyoto with Erick and Sandra came to an end on Thursday afternoon. I then took a short train ride to Osaka, a much bigger city full of skyscrapers and glittering LED lights. I spent there almost 24 hours that included a lot of eating as well as one more dance lesson. I met locals and travellers and walked until my feet hurt. I have walked 10-20 km daily since I landed and my brain has been working continuously trying to understand or process the new input everyday. To some extent, I felt saturated and needed to rest my body and my brain. This is why I am glad that I am flying now, on Friday the 26th, to Okinawa, an island far in the south of Japan, which is famous of sandy beaches, equatorial temperatures, and typhoons!

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A post shared by Adham Elshahabi (@adham.elshahabi)

AI Photo of today, using the following text: Peacock as a geisha, full body, feathers, dress, elegant feet, very expressive, eclectic, on a black background, red, white and blue, multiple lights, intensive, Hyper realistic photo, ultra detailed

Sakura Diary #7: Unique Dance and Different Ways to Die in Okinawa

Sunday 21.05.2023

“I rushed from the bed to the shower to the street, determined to make it on time for the dance class I had reserved two days ago. The perks of the internet knowing everything about me are the precise advertisements and suggestions 😂. Two days ago, my Instagram feed reminded me of a dance video I had liked a few weeks ago. I remembered that the dancer was based in Tokyo, so I followed him on Instagram. Yesterday, I saw his story announcing a dance lesson, so I immediately signed up. I arrived a few minutes late because I got lost in the famous busy Shibuya square. The instructor, nicknamed “Boxer,” was already leading the class. There were some Japanese regular dancing students, as well as tourists from the USA and Germany. Boxer began the lesson with easy steps, gradually increasing the difficulty level until only a few could keep up. As the lesson progressed, I realized what made his dance style so special: he could move his hips to one rhythm, his steps followed another rhythm, and his head seemed to beat to a third rhythm. There I was, in the corner, trying to forge a new path in my brain called “multitasking,” a concept I had never excelled at.

Dancing is an incredibly social activity that allows you to connect with other passionate individuals. After the lesson, I joined Boxer, another Japanese dancer, and a group of tourists at a nearby traditional restaurant for lunch. The tourists happened to be two kind-hearted American ladies, who were art professors on a work trip, and a dancer from Germany. We engaged in a lively conversation filled with travel advice from Boxer, creating a light-hearted atmosphere full of fun and laughter.

During our conversation, I mentioned my plan to visit Okinawa. At this point, Boxer warned me about the presence of dangerous sea snakes that occasionally come to the surface to breathe. I responded by expressing concern not about their visibility on the surface, but rather about encountering them while swimming around my lower body. Boxer explained that these snakes pose a threat when they feel attacked while breathing, as their bite can be lethal within a matter of seconds. Naturally, his words left me feeling a bit worried.

A few seconds later, Boxer added, “Also, be careful of the snakes on land; they can also kill you.” I paused, contemplating his words. He then mentioned an interesting addition: “But if you manage to catch one and bring it to the police station, they’ll reward you with 5000 Yens.” I jokingly replied that risking my life for a little more than 30 dollars didn’t sound quite appealing, and besides, I had no clue how to casually catch a snake and deliver it to a police station. Our conversation continued, playfully exploring various hypothetical ways one could die in Okinawa, ironically known as one of the places on Earth where people live the longest (over 100 years). So why meeee?

In the midst of our conversation, Boxer recommended some intriguing dishes for me to try, such as sparrow or turtle! Curious, I inquired about the infamous deadly fish dish called “Fugo.” Boxer’s response was rather blunt: “That can also kill you!” Fugo is a highly toxic fish that, if prepared improperly, can be fatal. Only licensed chefs are allowed to handle it. Boxer shared that, around 200 years ago, many Japanese people lost their lives due to this fish. I couldn’t help but wonder about the determination it took to persistently search for a proper way to cook a toxic fish. How did they test it all those years ago? For example:

“I think I found a way that maybe less toxic, guys do you want to try it?”,
then they all die.
— “Ops, maybe we should prepare it in another way!”

After this nice encounter, I headed to Asakusa, a neighborhood in Tokyo where one of the biggest religious festivals, called “Sanja Matsuri,” was taking place over the weekend. You can learn more about it here: Sanja Matsuri Wikipedia page. The festival, rooted in the Shinto religion, attracted a multitude of Japanese locals and tourists alike. I couldn’t help but admire the Japanese people wearing traditional kimonos; full of elegance and grace. While I knew I would probably feel out of place wearing one myself, it was a joy to witness the locals embracing their cultural attire.

The focal point of the festival was the procession of moving shrines throughout the neighborhood, eventually making their way to the temple. The shrines were carried by enthusiastic participants who rhythmically shouted and were accompanied by claps from the crowd, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere. As I strolled through the streets, I was amazed by the number of street food stalls, small businesses, and skilled craftsmanship on display. The hustle and bustle of people engaged in various activities added to the charm of the event. It reminded me of the general beauty of large gatherings of people, be it at the cinema, stadium, concert, or even religious ceremonies, where the collective energy and shared experiences contribute to the enjoyment.

After immersing myself in the festivity, I decided to take a lazy walk along the riverside, on my way to one of the tallest towers in the world, the Tokyo Skytree. There, I indulged in a panoramic 360-degree view of Tokyo, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t ideal, but I found a plan B. I savored a small snack in the sky bar, while admiring at the sunset casting its warm blanket over Tokyo.

As the evening unfolded, it was time for El Cafe Latino, a perfect way to cap off the day’s adventures.

Sakura Diary #6: Contemplations on a Lazy Day

Saturday 20.05.2023
Forgive me if I come back fat. But if there were a devil specialised in food seduction, he will have Tokyo as his headquarter. I just wonder how people here are not fat. Japanese people are mostly lean. The food is actually mostly healthy but the desserts seem criminal. There are food courts/halls in some malls with maaaany stalls for dessert. You don’t really know what to pick. The dilemma of choice when we have too many options which is the curse of freedom. People here are also very fashionable, but also decently dressed. Japanese fashion is minimalistic, and relatively conservative. Most of the people dress loose fits you also wouldn’t see a lot of flesh. Most of the bodies are covered. So in general, it is not a very revealing attitude. If you see very short pants or skirts, specially without taste, then you can be almost sure that’s a tourist. In contrast, some tourists look quiet vulgar in the way they are dressed. This was something I didn’t know about Japan, specially in the capital, Tokyo. I keep on seeing different tailored cuts for women cloths, beautiful, aesthetic and not just naked. I wondered, who designed all these pieces? How many designers per capita does Japan have? Or are they the same clothes from international brands that are simply well put together? I would say that Japanese people in general take an extra effort to make things look good, which combined with their brilliant engineering aspire for the formula of perfection.
It is Saturday, the 20th of May 2023.
I checked out and moved to another hotel. This time I treated myself to a fancy one and my room is in the 19th floor among the skyscrapers in Ginza. After tiny rooms in the previous hotels, I felt comfortable and a bit home. After enjoying the luxury of the day, I did my favourite activity which is purposelessly walking around the city. Without idea which direction is what. This is something you can enjoy in Japan. Since everything here is observable. The architecture, the fashion, the shops, the street signs, and more, are all different. You are never bored in the streets of Tokyo. I decided spontaneously to visit a huge park with temples and shrines in the center of Tokyo. Well, “the center” is not very precise since Tokyo is more like a collection of small cities, each is worth a visit and has a lot to be discovered.
After many years of traveling and visiting mosques, churches and temples, one gets quiet saturated. At some point, they become similar. I go inside every now and then for a glimpse of the spiritual energy in that place, regardless of which religion. I like to observe the faces of believers and wonder what kind of thoughts are now in their minds or feelings in their hearts. But my visit to the temple Meiji Jingu was more concentrated on the huge park surrounding it and less time close to the shrine/temple where hundreds of tourists gathered and no traces of spirituality were left. I tried to take a selfie but ended up with this double-shinned photo that I am posting here anyway since you probably know I am not as ugly as the photo shows 😀

Tomorrow is a busy day since I have planned a few things. Before I leave you today I would like to share with you a travel tip: ”eSIM”. If you have a relatively modern smartphone, you can buy a local phone number or data plan without needing to go to a shop. You can even buy it before you travel and activate it when you need simply with a couple of clicks, even as soon as you touch down. This is available for almost any country. Just google “eSIM Japan” for example. This way, you can satisfy your digital addiction with minimal downtime!

Sakura Diary #5: Adham in Wonderland and Cleopatra’s Tears

Nothing beats a good cup of coffee. Probably this is one of the best perks of holidays, that you can enjoy the tranquility of a good cup of coffee without worrying about what’s next. I had that cup of coffee in a really good roastery close to the hotel and planed my day.
The first stop was a Japanese sweets-company, Toraya”. There I had lunch and tasted again the traditional sweet beans pancake. The food here looks always good. Here I quote Tanizaki from the current book I am reading “It has been said of Japanese food that it is a cuisine to be looked at rather than eaten. I would go further and say that it is to be meditated upon, a kind of silent music evoked by the combination of lacquerware and the light of a candle flickering in the dark.”. Involving beans in desert was novel to me as well and it seems common here. I actually really like it and it is going to be on the long list of things I will miss from Japan.
It is raining. I took a taxi to the teamLab Planets museum, a museum for an immersive experience in artwork installations. A lot of people lining up. Once entered, the patch of visitors lined up in organised lines looking at a screen giving us instructions about the experience. Somehow looked like “Squid games”. The instructions told us that we will have to take off our shoes and socks since we will be walking in water sometimes. Also if you had a skirt, your underwear might be seen since some floors are mirrors! It reminded me of a favourite joke of my late father that I can only tell you in person 😅.
So We entered the venue! First we had to climb a slope with water flowing down. It seemed like a smart way to wash the feet of all the visitors before going bare feet into the museum. At the end of the slope there was this kind of water fall falling from the ceiling. I felt the excitement. Everywhere is lit with the minimal lighting. This goes well with what I am reading now “In Praise of Shadows”. I felt I was on the verge of a new experience, and I was not mistaken.
So the whole experience was divided into halls. The first hall was a black room with two doors, one for entrance and one for exit. The floor is covered by beanbags, so you can not walk straight. You step somewhere and this shifts the structure of the beanbags. Since many people pass through the room simultaneously, the pressure distribution becomes very dynamic depending on other people around you, and this is the point. It is about the effect on each step you take on your progress as well as on the others around you. I caught myself laughing out of joy. Then we went through black dark corridors with dim lights and with surround music to the next hall.
All walls, ceiling and floors were covered by mirrors, and hanging room the ceiling were strips of LED lights that changed colour in an amazing sequence. All this was accompanied by orchestrated music to fit the patterns. I was impressed. The whole installation felt surreal, somehow like Superman’s Kryptonite from the 1978 version (sorry young boys!). I sat in a corner of the installation and kept on watching. The whole mirrors thing makes you reflect a dozen times and this somehow was humbling.
The next hall was filled with creamy water till the middle of your leg. On the surface of the water were colourful projections that included various swimming fish as well as abstract colourful patterns. This experience was also kind of surreal, somehow like an LSD trip!
The next room was less significant. It was filled with huge balloons either resting on the ground or hanging from the ceiling or attached to the walls. The light of the room changed probably randomly to change the ambiance. The following hall was both simple but touching. It was a dome with mirror floor! On the doom was projected a vast space of blackness filled with all sorts and sizes of flowers. The flowers flew in countless shapes, numbers, and forms. Visitors were asked to lie on the mirror floor and enjoy the experience that was accompanied with mysterious space music. Here, I don’t know why, I felt emotional. I laughed a bit, then I got waves of sadness. This installation has touched something quiet distant inside me. I am not really aware what it was. Then there were two more exhibitions outdoor that I found less impressive. If you are interested in seeing these rooms, check this video below, of course you will be neither immersed nor impressed 🙂

After the exhibition I went shopping in the Ginza district since it was raining and cold. I managed to checkout a couple of small art galleries as well. I ended the first half of the day with a wagyu-steak dinner. It was delicious but a less than my expectations.

***

In the evening I went to another Latin club, Cafe Leon. I found mostly older people and only a few young ladies. I chatted a little with the owner and his friend in Spanish (both from Peru). Then I danced a few bachata songs. The level was quiet low, except of one young Japanese lady that had the moves. We had a good connection, which was noticed by my new Peruvian friend David. When I went back to my seat and sat beside David, he told me to go “get” that girl since she was “ripe” and an easy catch 😂. I told him I was not interested which shocked him and he showed a hugely disappointed face. Exactly like the GIF below and said “Cleopatra is crying in her tomb!”, I burst laughing.

I chatted with him a bit more and he suggested me to go to Okinawa, the “Hawaii of Japan”. I asked a few more things and got excited about some beach time in this trip. So I decided to include it in my plan. I soon left to go to El Cafe Latino since I knew that there will be a busier party there, and there was. A looot of Latinos make me feel home somehow. Shortly later I found “David” entering the cafe to my surprise hehe. We are almost friends now.

Dance, dance, dance.
for my heart mirrors every turn of yours,
Swiftly glide through space,
Spreading elegance and captivating smiles
like charity that makes us poorer

A shining beauty in the shadows of Tokyo,
witnessed by your admiring crowd.
With unmistakable passion,
your presence is clear and loud.

But they all seem to fail,
To see what’s beyond the veil.
I can see and I can tell.
But … well..