Ephesus (Efes) Turkey

The ruins were very nice though not as impressive as others we've visited like Rome, Pompeii & Paestum (Italy), Merida (Spain) or Jerash & Petra (Jordan).

Kos Island, Greece

We took a ferry from Bodrum to Kos for an overnight trip to celebrate Ingrid's birthday. The food was great and the water was warmer than in Turkey. We stayed at a family-run hotel in Kardamena on the south side of the island. We went to the beach, in the pool and out to dinner in the town. It was a really nice way to spend her birthday.

Bodrum, Turkey

This beautiful town was a 20 minute bus ride away, and we went here several times to: tour the castle, catch the ferry to Greece and meet some new friends, Flor and Natalie from Holland, for dinner & drinks. According to the locals, it was the Turks of the Ottoman Empire who built the white houses first and did so on the islands that they ruled which later became Greece. I must admit, this town looked more Greek than Kos, Greece did....

Gumbet, Turkey

We had the best vacation in years! Western Turkey is far more European than we expected, and even though it was Ramadan, everything was open all day & night, so we spent the days lounging on the beach or sightseeing and the nights partying like we were 20 again! We stayed on the SW coast near Bodrum, very close to Greece (we could see Kos Island from the apt!) Here is our apartment and views from the balcony. The weather was sunny, warm and windy, but the sea was really cold, maybe low 70s (it's 95 in Dubai!)

Abu Dhabi, UAE's Capital City

We spent a few days here when Lance & Virginie came to check out HCT. The city has really grown since we were there in 2009. We stayed at the Sheraton, and these are picks from the rooftop pool looking towards the Corniche. It's hotter than Dubai but surrounded by mangrove swamps and beautiful blue-green tropical seas.

Fujairah, UAE

Some shots from UAE's most eastern city on the Gulf of Oman/Indian Ocean, where we spent the night for Alya's wedding. On the right is HCT Men's campus.