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Trip Diary | Arcosanti, Arizona

April 10, 2016 Maleeha Sambur
Sunlight streaming in to the Sky Suite | Photo by Maleeha Sambur

Sunlight streaming in to the Sky Suite | Photo by Maleeha Sambur

by Maleeha Sambur

I've been wanting to get to Arcosanti for years, and when the opportunity presented itself in the form of a friend's Arizona wedding, my husband and I jumped at the chance to spend a night there. We arrived in pitch dark after turning off the highway and bumping along an unpaved, unlit road, dodging prickly-pear cacti at every turn, and praying our shoddy rental car would stay the course. The harrowing drive proved well worth it, however. Over the next 16 hours, we were treated to a a dazzling night sky speckled with stars, watched the sunrise from the beautiful Sky Suite (a concrete-and-glass dream), and toured the facilities while learning about the life's work of Arcosanti's founder, the visionary architect and urban designer Paolo Soleri.  

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In DESTINATIONS Tags Arcosanti, Arizona, Paolo Soleri, Arcology, Architecture, Trip Diary
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24 Hours in Tokyo

April 9, 2016 Kelly Britton
Streets of Shinjuku | Photo by Kelly Britton

Streets of Shinjuku | Photo by Kelly Britton

by Kelly Britton

Tokyo may well be the world's greatest metropolis. Its 38 million residents live, work and play in an area roughly the size of LA county. An estimated 15 million people ride its subways each day, nearly three times that of the New York City subway system. It is also safe - the safest city in the developed world - and incredibly, unapologetically clean, with its white-gloved cabbies and spotless toilets. Drivers don't honk their horns, people don't shout. Even the homeless line up in orderly park tents, their shoes neatly arranged outside. 

But Tokyo is much more than a well-oiled machine. Around every corner is a bustling food market, a star-chitect designed glass tower, a blinding array of neon, an ancient, winding alley. Tokyoites are gluttons for more than food. History, sports, art, music, nature, fashion - residents of this great metropolis want for nothing. Take almost anything you can do, see, buy, or eat elsewhere, and Tokyo will do it better. Having lived in northern Japan for nearly three years, this city to end all cities also holds a very special place in my heart. And touching down for the sixth time, I am no less awed by its unparalleled style, scale, and energy than I was at first sight. 

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In DESTINATIONS, TRIP DIARY Tags Tokyo, Japan, 24 Hours, Asia
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Trip Diary | Marfa, Texas

November 11, 2015 Maleeha Sambur

There is much to fall in love with in Marfa, and much of it has been written about ad nauseum - the unique, charmingly offbeat vibe of a remote little speck of a town with a lone stoplight, peopled (sparsely) with the friendliest folk, where tumbleweeds dance merrily across desert plains; the air of supernatural mystery surrounding the Marfa Lights; its history as a backdrop for John Wayne westerns; and of course, Donald Judd, the man whose artistic legacy has been intrinsically fused with the town since his arrival in the 1970s. 

Eager to immerse myself in all of this, I traveled to Marfa with my friends Sylvia and Jen in September of 2014. After flying into El Paso from our respective home cities - New York, Seattle, New Orleans - we crashed with Sylvia and Jen's parents (who happened to live there at the time) for the night. The next morning, we borrowed their car, filled up the gas tank, and embarked on a three hour drive through the flat expanse of West Texas. We were mostly alone on the road, save for the occasional  truck rumbling past, or the odd train snaking along in the distance, kicking up dust trails in its wake. We found ourselves enjoying an uninterrupted vista that was mostly sky, across which enormous white clouds gathered and rolled before our eyes, joining and separating in their own fluffy drama.  Thoroughly mesmerized by the cloud theater, the solitude of the open road, and the warmth of excellent company, my mind was suddenly light years from New York. 

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In DESTINATIONS Tags Marfa, Texas, Trip Diary
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Trip Diary | Marrakech

November 10, 2015 Maleeha Sambur
Photo by Maleeha Sambur

Photo by Maleeha Sambur

by Maleeha Sambur

My husband and I landed in Marrakech in a Saturday afternoon and checked into the gorgeous six-room Riad Dixneuf la Ksour, where we were welcomed with delicious mint tea and almond biscuits in the tranquil central courtyard, tucked away from the cacophony of the streets. The riad was a study in understated elegance, each turn revealing another simple yet perfectly composed vignette.  After exploring its beautifully appointed spaces and taking in a birdseye view of the city against the backdrop of the snow-covered Atlas Mountains from the rooftop, we went for a walk through the labyrinthine alleys of the medina. As the melodious call to evening prayer reached our ears, we found ourselves at Jemaa el-Fnaa square just in time to watch the setting sun wash the buildings in rose gold hues and observe crowds of people shuffling off to the nearby mosque. 

As evening fell, we walked through the square's storied open-air market, which sprang to life after prayer time. The atmosphere vibrated with energy, awakening our groggy, jet-lagged senses. Under the enchanting glow of string lights and patterned lanterns, we took in the scene, charmed as much by the vendors' clever multilingual sales pitches as their intriguing wares. The way they switched effortlessly between languages conjured in my mind the world of the nomadic traders, caravans, and global marketplaces of old. Fortunetellers beckoned and food stalls enticed us with tantalizing aromas as we walked past carts piled high with dates, nuts, and spices, magicians playing tricks with rapt audiences, and medicine men of dubious qualifications touting miracle cures and herbal remedies. 

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In DESTINATIONS Tags Marrakech, Morocco, North Africa
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A Road Trip Through Morocco

November 9, 2015 Maleeha Sambur
 The Atlas Mountains | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

The Atlas Mountains | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 A drive up into the mountains | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

A drive up into the mountains | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Game of Thrones-esque scenery | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Game of Thrones-esque scenery | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Oasis town of Tinerhir -- not a painting! | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Oasis town of Tinerhir -- not a painting! | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Oasis town of Tinerhir | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Oasis town of Tinerhir | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 A shepherd and his flock | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

A shepherd and his flock | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 A rest stop at the Todra Gorges | photo by Maleeha Sambur

A rest stop at the Todra Gorges | photo by Maleeha Sambur

 Dust storm in the distance | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Dust storm in the distance | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Photo by Tawfeeq Khan

IMG_3275.jpg
DSC_1852.jpg
DSC_1835.jpg
 Riding to our desert camp | photo by guide

Riding to our desert camp | photo by guide

 The surreal desertscape | photo by Maleeha Sambur

The surreal desertscape | photo by Maleeha Sambur

IMG_3185.jpg
 Pit stop for some shopping | photo by Tawfeeq Khan 

Pit stop for some shopping | photo by Tawfeeq Khan 

 Translucent vessels for sale at the fossil shop | photo by Maleeha Sambur

Translucent vessels for sale at the fossil shop | photo by Maleeha Sambur

 Fossil sculptures in Erfoud. This area of Morocco is teeming with remnants of prehistoric life. | photo by Maleeha Sambur

Fossil sculptures in Erfoud. This area of Morocco is teeming with remnants of prehistoric life. | photo by Maleeha Sambur

 Placid lakes and green landscapes | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

Placid lakes and green landscapes | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

 The Atlas Mountains | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  A drive up into the mountains | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Game of Thrones-esque scenery | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Oasis town of Tinerhir -- not a painting! | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Oasis town of Tinerhir | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  A shepherd and his flock | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Photo by Tawfeeq Khan  A rest stop at the Todra Gorges | photo by Maleeha Sambur  Dust storm in the distance | photo by Tawfeeq Khan  Photo by Tawfeeq Khan IMG_3275.jpg DSC_1852.jpg DSC_1835.jpg  Riding to our desert camp | photo by guide  The surreal desertscape | photo by Maleeha Sambur IMG_3185.jpg  Pit stop for some shopping | photo by Tawfeeq Khan   Translucent vessels for sale at the fossil shop | photo by Maleeha Sambur  Fossil sculptures in Erfoud. This area of Morocco is teeming with remnants of prehistoric life. | photo by Maleeha Sambur  Placid lakes and green landscapes | photo by Tawfeeq Khan

by Maleeha Sambur

Each year, my family members and I carve out one week of our lives for a family vacation, and in 2014, Morocco was our chosen destination. Morocco is a country of remarkably diverse landscapes, and with so many fascinating regions to explore, it was tough to choose which places to visit. Since only one member of our party had been there before, we were seeking a general introduction to the country, and with six of us traveling, we decided that the easiest way to accomplish that would be to travel by car, with a tour company guiding us in our explorations. With the help of the excellent folks at Rough Tours, we settled on an itinerary that took us from Marrakech to Fes to Chefchaouen, along with a night in the Sahara and plenty of interesting stops in between.

Since we usually prefer self-guided exploration over organized tours, we were a bit concerned that taking the well-trodden tourist route would feel inauthentic, but our guides made it seem unique, catering their talking points to our individual interests (architecture, history, crafts, sociology), showing us key sites while steering clear of tourist traps, and weighing in on where to eat and shop without leading us to a friend or relative's business (a common practice among tour companies, as they can earn a commission for bringing in business).  It was a lot of driving, but the ever-shifting landscape provided plenty of distractions, as we watched the scenery change from lush, palm-lined oases to surreal, mind-bending desertscapes; barren stretches of otherworldly rock formations to terracotta kasbahs camouflaged among undulating ochre-colored hills; verdant valleys with crystalline lakes to pine-forested, snow-blanketed ski towns.  

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In DESTINATIONS Tags Morocco, Road Trip, North Africa
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