Tash Rabat Caravansarai, Kyrgyzstan We took the road south out of At-Bashi immediately passing a huge animal bazaar. Our Kyrgyz driver carefully weaved his way through the cows and horses being led across the main road. We continued, overtaking huge 18-weelers full of Soviet scrap metal, lined up miles before the Torugart Pass border, the […]
Photo of the Week: Tash Rabat Caravansarai, Kyrgyzstan Read More »
After hopping a train two stops south from Apatity, my hosts’ father and I walked about an hour further along the railway and then cut through the forest on a trail and over a short mountain with and old rusty lookout tower. The mosquitoes were incredibly huge and we constantly swatted them from our face
Photo of the Week: Arctic Fishing Read More »
“Don’t go to Gamarra. It’s not safe.” Ever since Noelle, my American friend from Spanish class, suggested we go there, I was told not to by just about everyone I encountered…Limenians included. But the fact of the matter is, if I only did what people told me was safe, I would be staying within a 10-block
Don't Go to Gamarra Read More »
Since I’ve started blogging, many of you have shared with me things you’ve learned about Peru online; some of you have even bought books about Peru! I hope this is because you are trying to plan a trip to come and visit Charlie and I. If not, let’s use your researching skills and have a
A Day in Lima Contest Read More »
Traveling through Eastern Turkey, you’ll lose the tourists, see incredible sights and landscapes, and rub shoulders with marginalized Kurdish population. If you’re tired of the crowds at Ephesus, Olympos, and Sultanahmet, hop on a long-distance bus to the opposite end of the country.
Losing the Tourists in Eastern Turkey Read More »
Photo of the Week: Giant’s Causeway The Giant’s Causeway is a series of 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns thought to have been formed from rapidly cooling lava some 50-60 million years ago. In the morning, I left my hostel in Portrush on a rented bicycle and peddled the 10 miles through a strong headwind along the
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My alarm clock goes off at five. It’s been about four hours since I fell asleep. I’ve woken up to go to the early-morning festivities for a neighborhood circumcision ceremony which is locally and collectively referred to as one of several Uzbek “weddings”. I have been a Peace Corps Volunteer in a small provincial town in Uzbekistan for more than a year now. The people of my town are exceedingly friendly and known to be the most festive in the country. If there’s a wedding to go to, it will be a neighbor of mine pouring the vodka and cracking jokes for the table.
Of Rice and Rams: A Boy’s Circumcision Ceremony in Uzbekistan Read More »
San Francisco is a city where residents have historically lived by their own set of rules and is brimming with an unflinching independent spirit. Where else can you find zombie flash mobs, public pillow fights, an enthusiastic bike and skate culture, a great music and arts scene, more hipsters and gays than you can shake a stick at, and limitless options for amazing food on any budget.
Your Indie Guide to San Francisco Read More »
When planning your trip between Central and South America, whether you’re a backpacker or a luggage puller, Darien National Park must be discussed and crossed. The Darien is an infamous stronghold of the Colombian revolutionary group, FARC, who have inhabited this national park region for more than three decades. Their presence is still a major threat to safety in the forms of extortion, kidnapping and death. It is not recommended to enter the area. Although there are groups and individuals who attempt to cross every year, the vast majority of travelers hedge their bets on boats and airplanes where kidnapping is not common and survival is the status quo–not a question mark.
Crossing the Darien Gap Read More »
Photo of the Week: Armenian Cowboy This photo of the Armenian Cowboy was taken in Nagorno-Karabakh. Earlier in the day we visited Gandzasar Monastery, a beautiful 13th century hilltop Armenian monastery. A few miles down the road from the monastery, at junction in the road, we tried to hitch a ride on a country road
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