When I’m not trekking in the mountains of Central Asia, the somewhat nerdier side of my character really enjoys beautiful intellectual spaces as well. With that in mind, then, I had to make a stop at Copenhagen’s well-renown Black Diamond. Attached the to historical Royal Library, the Black Diamond is […]
Recent Posts
Ruins of Merv: the 12th Century Mother of the World
Ruins of Merv: The 12th Century Mother of the World Ancient beyond ancient, the ancient of Mary was a known settlement as far back as 500 B.C. as part of a Satrapie under the Persian ruler Darius (yes, of 300 fame). Well beyond that, though, the city was also later […]
Istanbul’s Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque: Sultanahmet Camii Quick, think of one thing you know about Istanbul! Those of you who said Hagia Sophia, very good. You can put your hands down. Anybody else? Of the things I knew I HAD to check out in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque was tied […]
Hiking in Xinaliq: Up, Down, and Around Again
Hiking in Xinaliq
Almaty Kazakhstan Travel Guide
Almaty Kazakhstan Travel Guide Central Asia is not typically a place I think of going to enjoy ‘city life’. At worst, places like Tashkent leave negative impressions. At best I walk out with fond memories of Ashgabat or Bishkek less because of the cities themselves and more because of the […]
Topkapi Palace: Why You Should Skip It.
Topkapi Palace: Why You Should Skip It. There are a lot of beautiful things, and Topkapi Palace is among them. Old harem, rooms full of gold and jewels, mosques, libraries, etcetera, etcetera. Its a pretty place. It also, unfortunately, is just about the single most crowded thing to do in […]
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.