If you ever make it to Omdurman, Sudan (across the river from Khartoum) be sure to check out the Omdurman camel market. Or, you can just read this site… Most of the animals are brought in (on foot – like the old days of the American cowboy) from Darfur and South Sudan since these areas … Continue reading
This is primarily the story of a loathed dictator and his wife and the country that overcame them. But it is also something of a reminder that revolutions do not often turn out as expected. ***** An exploration of Bucharest will reveal that at one time it was obviously quite an attractive city. Unfortunately, all … Continue reading
I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, but I have some weird fascination with industrial sites. There’s an artistic element to this fascination, but I can’t quite articulate it other than to say that I see some sort of raw beauty in them… So, when I saw this rusting train abandoned on the tracks shortly … Continue reading
An accordion player performing in the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia… The video is here if you want to listen to him play: In an effort to preserve the integrity and objectivity of The Velvet Rocket, I should probably state my bias immediately: I loved Tbilisi. In fact, I would probably even put it in my … Continue reading
Baalbek has long enjoyed a reputation as home to some of the finest Roman ruins anywhere in the world. However, even without the Roman ruins, it would still be an interesting town… To reach Baalbek, one passes through the hot, dry Bekaa, not so much a valley as a high-altitude plain, with its Hezbollah flags … Continue reading
I took this picture of pro-ETA graffiti on a trip through Spain’s Basque region early in September of 2001: I’ve considered doing an ETA Tour along the lines of my FLNC Tour in Corsica or my Bombs and Bullets Tour in Northern Ireland for quite a while now. However, with ETA activity declining for years and … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 