Alcoholic Horse Milk Perhaps a remnant of Soviet culture, drinking culture is big in Kyrgyzstan. While vodka is usually the preferred imbibition, another option does exist. Kumis, a slightly alcoholic horse milk popular in a number of Turkic cultures, is particularly prevalent in Kyrgyzstan. Stalls on the country’s mountainous roadways or yurt tents at many of …
Without enough money or time to reach Patagonia but needing a break from Chile’s urban triangle of Santiago, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, we overnight bused it south to Pucón, in the heart of the Chilean ‘Lake District’. The name Pucón means ‘entrance to the mountains’, in the language of the native Mapuche …
Listen in on a story about the beautiful mountains of Tajikistan, and you’ll almost certainly hear a tale of an epic road trip through the harsh but beautiful plateaus of the Pamir’s. Spend any time in the country, though, and you may find yourself equally drawn to the far less visited mountain ranges on the …
Aksai Gorge near Almaty Kazakhstan Almaty just exudes ‘nature’ and ‘mountains’. From almost anywhere in the city, the Tian Shan Mountains form a beautiful snow-capped backdrop to city life. After spending nearly two weeks in the city waiting on an Uzbek visa, though, getting out of the city and into these mountains was my highest …
Photo of the Week: Gorge-ous Outpost Aksai Kazakhstan Read More »
As a non-European, the Pyrenees are definitely off-the-beaten track Europe. Even after years of visiting the continent, this was my first time really exploring the region. A few years back, I started the Camino de Santiago in the Spanish Pyrenees, but within a day, I had walked out of them. This time around, I planned …
Photo of the Week: High in the French Pyrenees at Can Rigall Read More »
View of the Yulong River from Dragon Bridge By Stephen Bugno The karst surrounding Guilin in southern China is famous throughout the world. These limestone mountains have been immortalized in Chinese scroll painting and on the back of the 20 Yuan bank note (used by one-fifth of humanity). Many travelers and tourists prefer to base …
One of the most popular ways to soak up the scenery of Guangxi Province is to take a bamboo raft down the Li River. Yangdi is the preferred starting place and the new fee structure starting January 1st, 2012 requires a 118 RMB (US $19) fee which includes a spot on a four-seat bamboo raft. …
Photo of the Week: Rafting on the Li River near Yangshuo Read More »
By Beau Miller “It’s governed by a council/ All good souls and wise./ They’ve only $5 for armaments/ And the rest for cakes and pies.” -Pete Seeger, “Andorra” As your attorney, I advise you to rent a fuel-efficient automobile and drive at top speed to Andorra, but before you start packing the trunk with ether, …
Photo of the Week: Green Mountains of Vermont People say you’ve got to see Vermont in the autumn, when the fall foliage is spectacular. But I think the state is gorgeous in the summer, when the mountains are green, just like their name suggests. Some would argue that winter in Vermont, with alpine and …
Hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire The White Mountains are one of the top destinations for travelers in New England. But don’t let that turn you away. There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails, so it doesn’t feel crowded once you hit the backcountry. It’s popular for a reason: these mountains are tall, …
