A shot from one of our Italian correspondents… Continue reading
Monthly Archives: November 2013
Photos Of The Day: Nick Brandt
Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli 2008. Leading Matriarch Killed By Poachers, 2009. Continue reading
Turpan
Turpan is… Well, it is an ugly city with low quality construction thrown up by the Chinese government: But the people are lively and fun… And I’m laying the groundwork for a broader discussion of the region. For that effort to make sense, it will help to understand the people and how things look in … Continue reading
Urumqi
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has the distinction of being the most landlocked city on the planet. Positioned 1,600 miles from the nearest coastline, this distinction has earned Urumqi a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. In an effort to attract more Chinese tourists, the government of China has … Continue reading
Kashgar
Pressed up against the border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Kashgar – also known as Kashi – is the westernmost city in China. Frequently described as the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found in Central Asia, it is hard not to like Kashgar: We’ve already covered the “Kashgar Night Market” and so … Continue reading
The Blind Dutar Player Of Kashgar
During our exploration of Kashgar we came across this blind musician testing out these instruments – known as the dutar – inside a shop: Here is a video of him playing for us after he was advised of our presence: Rest assured, The Velvet Rocket contributed to his purchase of a new dutar. ***** Continue reading
Photo(s) Of The Day: Tiananmen Square Camera Tree
For most of you, this will be the second photo of the day (POTD) on the same day. Such actions may seem to violate the natural order of things, but The Velvet Rocket is warming up for the theme of the next few posts and we don’t want to lose our momentum… Long a site … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 