Monthly Archives: March 2010
Brest Fortress, Belarus
No, it’s not a strip club… Brest Fortress is famous for its defense against the Nazis which took place from the 22nd to the 30th of June, 1941. One of the first battles of Operation Barbarossa, it was a vicious fight. The Brest Fortress, defended by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht, held out longer … Continue reading
Blagaj, Bosnia-Herzegovina
When the Ottomans arrived in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the sultan immediately ordered a dervish tekija (house/monastery) to be built next to the source of the river Buna – one of the largest water sources in Europe with a flow greater than that at the source of the Danube. This tekija was built in the 1500s for the … Continue reading
A Body In Bogota
On our way down a side street to a late dinner in Bogota one evening, we passed this gentleman face-down in a pile of garbage. It was a cold night (Bogota’s elevation is 8,661 feet above sea level), but I figured that was his problem and not mine. Just a short while before in Plaza … Continue reading
Colonia Tovar, Venezuela
Not your average Venezuelan town, Colonia Tovar was founded in 1843 by German settlers and is still inhabited by their ancestors. It wasn’t until the 1940s that Spanish was introduced as the official language and the ban on marrying outside the community was lifted. Today, this Teutonic enclave attracts Venezuelans that come for the Black … Continue reading
Salento, Colombia
Salento Population: 3,500 Elevation: 1,900 meters Salento was founded in 1850 and is one of the oldest (and possibly the smallest) towns of Quindio. The town is 24 kilometers east of Armenia and today survives on coffee production and trout farming. Aside from the nearby Valle de Cocora and Don Elias and his coffee plantation, … Continue reading
Pictures and Scenes of Bogota, Colombia
Maxim magazine recently voted Bogota the “hardest city” in the world. Here’s how they explained their decision: Bogota is tough. Drug barons and guerrillas infest the place like flies and brutal violence occurs daily. Around 23 people are murdered each day, and the leading cause of death for citizens aged between ten and 60 is … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 