Charyn Canyon Charyn Canyon is a really beautiful place, well worth the trip from Almaty whether as a daytrip or overnight. I even went as part of an organized tour group, something I generally flee from like other folks flee from contagious diseases. Surrounded by a bus load of Kazakh […]
Photo Blogs
Blogs told in pictures, rather than words. Ok, there are a few words thrown in too.
Fann Mountains Seven Lakes: Tajikistan Haft Kol
I love Central Asia. I love hiking. I particularly enjoy the people of Tajikistan, whose hospitality and warmth to outsiders I’d rank amongst any other culture in the world. It should be no surprise, then, that many of my favorite experiences of 6 months in Central Asia involved multi-day hikes […]
Vienna Central Cemetery: Death, Fame, and Beauty
I know this a bit weird, but I really like visiting cemeteries. Something about the monumental aspects of them, the air of quiet contemplation, and the bounteous living greenness of a space devoted to death all appeal to me. In Vienna, then, how could I avoid the two historic cemeteries […]
Istanbul Galata Neighborhood Guide
Going to Galata Galata, to most tourists in Istanbul, seems to mean little more than “the place with the tower and the bridge”. And it is both of these things. It also, conveniently, happens to be a GREAT district (perhaps the favorite I’ve found in the city) for street food […]
Visiting the Carslberg Brewery in Copenhagen
I may not have mentioned this before, but I’m a big fan of beer. How, therefore, to spend twelve days in Copenhagen without at some point stumbling upon the Carlsberg brewery? Its probably the best beer in town, after all. In another edition of “Good Things Beer Has Done For […]
Xinaliq Azerbaijan :The Little Hilltop Village that Saved my Opinion of the Country
After a ton of bad experiences and disappointments in the rest of Azerbaijan, it took one final destination to restore any semblance of pleasure to my time in the country. I liked almost everything about Xinaliq, and spent more than twice the time there than any other place in Azerbaijan. […]