This was my first real view of Minsk – a big burst of Soviet-style architecture in the form of a new library. For the record, I love these sort of grandiose and ambitious projects. This was the view from my hotel room. We were told the building closest to us housed some sort of secret … Continue reading
On our first full day in Belarus, we hired a driver to take us out to the remote Khatyn Memorial. This “village” is deep in the forest, down the road pictured below. However, you will not find this small Belorussian village on even the most detailed geographic map today. It was obliterated by fascists on … Continue reading
The drive from Kunduz to Mazar-i-Sharif took us far away from the Hindu Kush mountains and into the desert regions. The landscape was different, the people were ethnically different, the culture was different – I felt like I was on another continent rather than in another part of Afghanistan. We stopped at a police station … Continue reading
After departing Bamiyan, we headed up north to Pul-i-Kumri… Arriving in Pul-i-Kumri , where else could we spend the night but where “respectable guests” stay? Unfortunately, the guests were far more respectable than the hotel: The street in front of the hotel, as usual, was filled with men trying to sell all manner of goods … Continue reading
**** I visited Ireland with my mother almost twenty years ago. It was a good trip, but it didn’t include Northern Ireland. At the time, Northern Ireland was spoken of in a lowered voice and usually described as follows – “nothin’ up there ‘cept bombs and factories.” Naturally, this made me want to visit. This … Continue reading
Pakistanis are famous for decorating their vehicles. The transport trucks, used to ferry goods primarily between Pakistan and Afghanistan are particularly extravagant. As we were stuck in Peshawar due to the fighting in the Khyber Pass, a visit to industrial Peshawar to see these trucks being constructed seemed a solid idea. Below is an example … Continue reading
Back on the road again… The expressway to Peshawar. This road was absolutely lined with teams of Highway Patrolman, armed with radar guns looking to catch speeders. Perhaps not the first image that would come to the minds of many upon hearing of the road to Peshawar: Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 