Heading out from Old Dongola, Sudan we drove for hours across the desert… …Until arriving at a small town near the Nile (as all towns in Sudan are). The “town” consisted of just a few homes, but Ramadan, our guide and driver, knew one of the families and so we stopped for a visit: The … Continue reading
Author Archives: Justin
Paintings Of The Day: Frederick Arthur Bridgman
In 1907 Frederick Arthur Bridgman became an Officer of the French Legion of Honor. However after the First World War, his popularity declined and he moved out of Paris to Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy where, although continuing to paint, he died in 1928 almost forgotten by his former admiring public. Continue reading
Puerto Colombia, Venezuela
Inside the Henri Pittier National Park, we stayed in the town of Puerto Colombia. Puerto Colombia is where most of the accomodation and action can be found in this area. The lifeblood of Puerto Colombia is the malecon, where the fishing boats dock. People congregate here at night and on weekends one can supposedly see … Continue reading
Parque Nacional El Avila and The Village Of Galipan
For a quick escape to nature from the intensity of Caracas, one can ride the cable car that ascends from the streets of Caracas (at the intersection of Avenida Principal de Mariperez and Avenida Boyaca) to the top of Parque Nacional El Avila. Separating Caracas from the coast, the park is based around a mountain … Continue reading
A Nomadic Watering Hole in Sudan
I’ve discussed these nomadic wells before, but given that their existence is absolutely essential to the nomadic community, it is worth describing another one. Ramadan spotted this one as we were driving back to Khartoum: The depths of the well… Unlike the last well I described, the water was drawn out of this one by … Continue reading
Jebel Barkal and The Cobra Temple of Sudan
The small mountain of Jebel Barkal (also known as Gebel Barkal) and the area around it was the capital and spiritual center of the ancient black kingdoms of the Nile for nearly a millennium. Around 1450 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III extended his empire to the region and considered Jebel Barkal its southern limit. … Continue reading
Colombian Motorcycle Regulations
I was intrigued by the motorcycle regulations in Colombia. Although the picture below is far from perfect it helps to illustrate the fact that all riders are required to have their license plate numbers prominently displayed on a vest they are required to wear as well as their helmet (also required). This is, of course, … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 