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
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
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 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
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
Our first night out of Khartoum was spent camping in Old Dongala. Old Dongola is situated on the east bank of the Nile opposite the Wadi Al-Malik. Originally founded as a fortress, Old Dongola soon grew into a town. With the arrival of Christianity, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Makuria until the … Continue reading
I found it incredibly difficult to find any reliable information at all on this topic before heading for Venezuela. So, hopefully, this post will go some way in enlightening those that are frustrated and confused by the lack of reliable information out there. First of all, don’t be put off by the guide books that … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 