This is a picture of the very closed border between Armenia and the odd piece of land squeezed between Armenia and Turkey that forms the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan: I suppose I could have pushed it and tried to get closer to take the above picture, but an Armenian that saw me heading down … Continue reading
Author Archives: Justin
The Landscapes Of Armenia
I think one of the best ways to get to know a country is to simply drive around it. Sure, go ahead and visit the capital, but out in the countryside and small towns, I think you can get a sense of what a country and its people are really like. I’ve already shown you … Continue reading
Gergeti Trinity Church
This is one of those places where the journey really is the destination. It isn’t just the drive out along the Georgian Military Highway to the town of Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), but also the drive up to the church as well. The Gergeti Trinity Church sits high on a ridge west of Kazbegi, silhouetted against the … Continue reading
Chisinau, Moldova
No one can accuse Chisinau of being overburdened with tourist sites. Lacking in ‘must sees’, it is more of a pleasant city to walk around and discover as you go. Unfortunately, little remains of its historic heart due to heavy bombing during World War II. There are still some great museums and parks, however, and … Continue reading
Living The (Financially) Hedged Life… The Road To Happiness?
An unconventional route to happiness (or at least less stress) occurred to me back in 2000. I elaborate on it here for the first time… Back in 2000, I was stopped at a Chevron (CVX) fuel station and was filling my car up with gasoline which, at the time, was selling for a record price. … Continue reading
Quote Of The Day: Anthony Loyd Has A Close Call
One of my favorite authors, Anthony Loyd, describes being in an automobile accident in Africa… A few miles before Makeni, the surface of the road improved and Twin put his foot down. The sun shone from a cloudless sky. We moved faster and faster. I leaned back and began to doze in the heat. The … Continue reading
The Landscapes Of Georgia (Or A Lesson On The Best Route To Drive From Tbilisi To Yerevan)
My original intent for this post was to simply give my dear readers a sense of the southern Georgian landscape outside of the Caucasus Mountains, which I have already described. However, as I was uploading the pictures, I realized that I possessed valuable information for someone making the drive between Tbilisi and Yerevan – information … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 