Istanbul: Grand Bazaar I’m a sucker for markets, of every shape size color sound and smell. With a market in Istanbul styling itself the Grand Bazaar, then, how could I not go? In terms of a market, the places honestly wasn’t that great. I swear I only saw 10 different […]
Travel Words
Budapest Underground
Some of the coolest parts of Budapest seem to be those hidden underground. By day or early evening, the Labyrinthe on Castle Hill opens the twisting underground passages beneath the old fortress section of town to the wandering of visitors. Even better, for the last hour or two before the […]
Freud’s House in Vienna: Tell Me about your Relationship with your Mother
Freud’s psychology may be a bit far-flung for my taste at times, but he is rightfully one of Vienna’s most famous sons and obviously did a lot for the development of his discipline. Though I’d certainly never want to find myself on the guy’s couch, his former office and apartments […]
Mary the Museum
When I think of Central Asian regional museums, I usually don’t expect a whole lot. I was really pleasantly surprised, then, the with Mary Museum. Though the cost was a bit more than I expected, it was full not only of old cultural artifacts from the nearby ancient city of […]
Chora Church in Istanbul – Not a Chora to Visit!
Chora Church in Istanbul: Magic and Mosaics Ok, so it might not be magic. Though it doesn’t seem to get nearly the acclaim of the Sultanahmet hotspots like the Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque, the Byzantine-era Chora Church and surrounding area make for an excellent day in Istanbul. The church nearly […]
Turkoman Horse Riding: The Epic Akhal-Teke
The Turkoman tribes of what is now Turkmenistan were long feared as famous raiders and slavers who prowled the black-sand desert plundering caravans and harassing Russian army expeditions. And what good, I ask you, is a nomadic desert raider without an epic-strength horse? While the Turkmen may not be quite so […]
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.