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 …
This is how The Economist described Arthur C. Clarke: He was not religious, and was no metaphysician; but he wanted and expected men to evolve until they became like gods. Continue reading
Interesting article from The Velvet Rocket archives… This was originally published in the Observer in 2002: To people in the peaceful Wiltshire village of Brigmerston, their new neighbour seems like a perfect English gentleman: a tall, wealthy, bespectacled former Army officer. But an investigation has uncovered evidence that behind the doors of a luxury house … Continue reading
Anyone else read Rupert Bear stories when they were a kid? In January of 2009, I went up to Yorkshire with some classmates of mine. Although the Rupert Bear Museum may be part of the Museum of Canterbury, I was struck by how much the countryside around us resembled that portrayed in the Rupert stories. … Continue reading
Written: October 2010 in London, U.K. Occurred: June 1996 on the Pacific coast of Mexico Last time I was back in California, I stumbled across some prints (remember those?) from a trip I took to Mexico in 1996. I was initially going to place this post in the Travel To “Normal” Places category, but then … Continue reading
I’m often accused of only traveling to horrible places. However, that hardly seems a fair accusation. Consider my trip last fall to Italy’s Amalfi Coast… I even brought my family along on this one. The elite and the wealthy of ancient Rome visited often to find solace in the beauty of these cliffs as the … Continue reading
London’s Highgate Cemetery has a number of interesting figures buried on its grounds, including Karl Marx and various relatives of mine. One very interesting (at least to me) recent arrival is that of Alexander Litvinenko. Remember the Alexander Litvinenko story? We were advised that his body was still so radioactive that he had to be … Continue reading
My Italian and I recently visited the Handel House Museum in London. The Handel House Museum is the 18th century house where the famous composer George Frideric Handel lived for 36 years until his death in 1759. Later, however, the Handel House was home to another musical legend – the great Jimi Hendrix… In 1968 … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 