Shannon’s travelogue

Tokyo Kitchen

Surviving 15+ years (an eternity in small business years!), Tokyo Kitchen stands head and shoulders above the countless Sushi & Teppan Grill digs in So. Cal's Inland Empire.

Historic Port, Quarter & Souks

The city we know as Byblos in the Western world is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon, called Jbeil (جبيل Ǧubayl) in Arabic. It is believed to have been founded around 5000 BC, and according to fragments attributed to the semi-legendary pre-Trojan war Phoenician historian Sanchuniathon, it was the first city ever built, and even today is believed by many to be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world.

St. Joseph's Monastery

The monastery of St. Joseph al-Dahr in Jrabta, Batroun, Lebanon was built in 1897 by the Lebanese Maronite Order.

Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport

Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport (formerly Beirut International Airport) (IATA: BEY) (Arabic: مطار رفيق الحريري الدولي - بيروت) is located 9 km (5.6 mi) from the city center in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon and is the only operational commercial airport in the country. It is the hub for Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (more commonly known as MEA).

Qartaba, Lebanon

Qartaba (aka 'Kartaba'), Lebanon is a beautiful, tranquil mountain village. At 54 km distance from Beirut, Qartaba sits on the mountains above *Byblos, one of the oldest cities in the world (*worth a visit for the old souq, countless fossils--20% of the world's supply is from here!, and ancient seaport).

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Mid Air

Kybele Hotel

This colorful boutique hotel in a quiet corner of Sultanahmet in Istanbul is located within steps of Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and the famous mosques. Multi-hued glass lamps hang by the dozens from every ceiling, illuminating the rich woodwork and plush antique furniture.

Amman, Jordan

Amman (Arabic عمان ʿAmmān), is the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a city of 2,125,400 inhabitants (2005 estimate), and the administrative capital and commercial center of Jordan.

Amman is located in a hilly area of north-western Jordan.

Cairo, Egypt

Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة), which means "The Vanquisher" or "The Triumphant", is the capital city of Egypt. Cairo was founded in AD 969 and is the sixteenth most populous metropolitan area in the world, as well as the most populous metropolitan area in Africa .