A North Korean propaganda poster promoting goats: I measure the success of a society based on the progress and ambitions of its space program and on the prominence of goats in that society. On at least one count, North Korea is earning high marks: Operating on the assumption that goats could feed on grass and … Continue reading
Communism and raw, smokestack industrialism seem to go hand in hand like apple pie with ice cream in the popular imagination… So, it seemed more than appropriate when we paid a visit to the belching smokestacks and roaring furnaces of North Korea’s Chollima Steel Complex. Named for a mythical winged horse, the Chollima Steel Complex … Continue reading
As promised in the most recent post on the Karakoram Highway – part of the Karakoram Highway experience includes Karakul Lake and the Kyrgyz people, both nomads and permanent residents, that live in the region. Karakul, whose crystalline waters beautifully reflect the surrounding glacier-capped peaks, is surprisingly unspoiled, with almost no development along its shores. … Continue reading
One evening while taking a very long walk along the Sinai coast of the Red Sea, we came across these Bedouins making tea along the beach. What was remarkable was that we were miles from any sign of civilization – it was as if these Bedouins had just materialized out of the desert like phantoms: … Continue reading
We receive some unusual tips and requests here at The Velvet Rocket. Nevertheless, whenever our hotline rings, we rush to answer it, eager to hear what the world is unexpectedly delivering to us. And so, when the call came in on The Velvet Rocket hotline requesting that we look into the Cornish National Liberation Army, … Continue reading
Even in a country with a wealth of beautiful landscapes, the Valle de Cocora still stands out. The broad, emerald green valley stretches east of the village of Salento into the lower reaches of Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados where it is framed by sharp peaks. Everywhere you’ll see wax palm, the largest palm in … Continue reading
The Georgian Military Highway has existed as a route for traders and invaders since before the 1st century BC, but had only evolved into a crude horse trail by the time the Russians finally converted it, through the Herculean efforts of 800 soldiers, into a carriage road in 1783. Today, it offers tremendous scenery and … Continue reading
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