The rapid-fire invasion of Iraq and then Kurdistan by ISIS, as the Islamic State was calling itself at the time, stunned the world. For several hours, it even presented an existential crisis for Kurdistan itself as the momentum of the invasion by ISIS brought them to within mere kilometers of Erbil – with little standing …
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 …
The following is straight from the notebook I had with me at the time and, I believe, helps give a feel for what it is like walking around Herat: …Wandering around Herat shafts of sunlight penetrate serpentine alleys lined by canvas-covered wooden stalls; the harsh light illuminates the faces of the merchants and their bountiful …
Perhaps not surprisingly to those that know me, I found the military dimension to Arunachal Pradesh interesting. Tensions between India and China run high in this area… Currently, India administers all of Arunachal Pradesh. However, the Chinese lay claim to the majority of Arunachal Pradesh as they believe it to be an extension of the …
An evening exploration of the streets of Damascus… “…no recorded event has occurred in the world but Damascus was in existence to receive news of it. Go back as far as you will into the vague past, there was always a Damascus… She has looked upon the dry bones of a thousand empires and will …
If you ever make it to Omdurman, Sudan (across the river from Khartoum) be sure to check out the Omdurman camel market. Or, you can just read this site… Most of the animals are brought in (on foot – like the old days of the American cowboy) from Darfur and South Sudan since these areas …
Baalbek has long enjoyed a reputation as home to some of the finest Roman ruins anywhere in the world. However, even without the Roman ruins, it would still be an interesting town… To reach Baalbek, one passes through the hot, dry Bekaa, not so much a valley as a high-altitude plain, with its Hezbollah flags …
Viewed from a distance, Port-au-Prince seems a pleasant and mellow Caribbean port city: Once one is out on the streets though, the fact that all is not well in Port-au-Prince soon becomes apparent. And the January 12, 2010 earthquake only served to push Haiti closer to the top of the Failed States Index… Destruction, dysfunction …
Zululand is an interesting place with quite a history…
Chernobyl Reactor # 4 shortly after the meltdown: Part 1: Chernobyl and Reactor # 4 Until the late 1990s it would have been impossible for me to come here. The whole area was sealed off. Now though, the United Nations is encouraging “ecotourism” to the former Chernobyl disaster zone in order to help the area …
There aren’t a lot of roads in Somalia. Those that do exist mostly pass through rough countryside, interspersed with the occasional village and frequent checkpoint. Upon arriving at a checkpoint, if you don’t have an armed guard with you, a bribe will be required and all of your passport details will be carefully taken down …
We were fortunate in that our visit to Kiev happened to coincide with a series of military parades. Unfortunately, our Ukrainian language skills are non-existent and so I am unable to share details about the event, but it was photogenic and, with the recent advances of the Ukrainian military in the eastern regions of Ukraine, … Continue reading
The below is a particularly interesting gem that comes courtesy of our friend on the ground in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Emir… It is an order signed by Igor Strelkov aka Igor Girkin authorizing looting by his forces inside the Donetsk People’s Republic. Emir has provided us with a side-by-side translation of the Russian and … Continue reading
Bottles waiting to be filled and sealed at the Kangso Mineral Water Factory: The location of this factory in North Korea is not random. Hundreds of feet beneath the factory are large aquifers of pure water that have been naturally carbonated by carbon dioxide (CO2) trapped deep underground. The carbon dioxide is freed from carbonate … Continue reading
Another gem from Emir – this sign below is now being posted up around the Donetsk area… Click on the image to bring it up to a readable size (Emir’s translation for us is on the right): With the battlefield momentum on the side of the Ukrainian military at the moment, it seems the … Continue reading
I’ve had concern expressed to me over the fact that our prior visit to Ukraine did not include the present zone of excitement nor are we there now… I’m afraid our prior visit was well before any of the recent turmoil started and we can’t be everywhere at once, but, fear not, faithful readers as … Continue reading
Picking up right where we left off in Part 1… Outside of Red Square, one can either proceed through Norton Park (more on Norton Park below) or journey across the countryside to see some of the other highlights of Molossia. One such example is the Trans-Molossia Trail. This trail, maintained by the Molossian National Park … Continue reading
The gateway to the Republic of Molossia: As promised earlier, the scene report from Molossia is finally here… ***** It’s a sad fact that Americans don’t get much international travel experience when compared to Europeans or those from other wealthy nations. Perhaps this is because the United States is a large country and there is … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 