Abu Dhabi Tour The Emirates (pretty much as a whole) isn’t exactly my thing. It feels all about ostentation ‘bling’ and spending and consumption and less about connecting with people and seeing much of local culture. My last trip through there started to change my attitude on this a little […]
Middle East
Maiden’s Tower (R)
Istanbul: Maiden’s Tower I don’t know if this is something I should really mention, but I once made a point of watching all the 007 films. In order. That should go at least part of the way towards explaining why I took so many pictures of Istanbul’s Maiden’s Tower, right? […]
CityScape: Istanbul (R)
Cityscape: Istanbul Take away Sultanahmet. Get rid of the delicious food and colorful markets. You can even have the City Walls, if you’d be so cruel. Even without most of the major tourist sites in town, Istanbul would still be one of the prettiest cities in my world. I dig […]
Watery Heart of Dubai (R)
No experience speaks to me more of Dubai than riding across the Creek on one of the countless abra boats that cross between the two halves of the old town. I’d be hard-pressed to guess whether there are more abras or seagulls on the Creek, but while the birds will […]
A Stop for Tea in Istanbul (R)
I’m come to realize more and more that the “Life on the Streets” cultures are some of the most appealing to me. Places where the social interaction is outside, in the open air, a source of color and noise to the rest of the world. Perhaps, then, this is one […]
Istanbul on the Water (R)
Istanbul: Better By Boat Probably my most liked parts of Istanbul (and, according to Pamuk, the warm beating heart of the melancholic city) are the waterways that cut in an around town. Like with the Star Ferry in HK or the Abras on Dubai’s Creek, there’s something special about seeing […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.