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
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 sugar cane fields of Brazil are an interesting place. They can stretch out, unbroken for tens of miles and it is extremely easy to get lost in them. Naturally, when Team Boers and Team Ames were based in Lagoa Azeda, we opted to check them out: The only real gaps in the sugar cane … Continue reading
Now, I think a lot of people would have enjoyed this one – Matthew Downing, Jimmy Ames and Ian Bowman come to mind immediately, but I know there are plenty of others. Upon arriving in Salento, Colombia, my Italian and I learned of the friendly Don Elias who welcomes visitors to his small, organic coffee … Continue reading
Caracas can be a pretty intense place. And I’m not just talking about the fashion of the women to wear skin-tight jeans and tops cut very low so that their tits spill out… Fortunately, Hugo Chavez is there to welcome you pretty much everywhere you look: Everyone gets worked up about the crime rates in … Continue reading
Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest of Venezuela’s national parks and, given the significant changes in altitude in the park, it is famous for the diversity of its ecosystems. The park, declared in 1937, did not start out as “Henri Pittier” but was re-named in recognition of the Swiss biologist who was instrumental in … Continue reading
I’m going to go light on names, places and other details in this post because I don’t want to get anyone in trouble – least of all me! This visit took place while Andy, Nigel and I were in Peshawar waiting for permission to transit the Khyber Pass. An offer to visit an old Afghan … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 