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 …
My comments and analysis appear at the bottom of this post: There’s this: The £50m mansion: Britain’s most expensive new-build property It’s too small, and the decor’s passe, Toprak’s new owners say, but at that price what do you expect? To spend £50m on a new house seems excessive; to splurge another £30m on doing … Continue reading
The “Dark Ages” in Europe were not the only game on the globe… For those of you distressed about the apparent decline of the West these days, consider moving… There is no reason to go down with the sinking ship. As the example below illustrates, even if things are bad in one area, they will … Continue reading
This was originally intended as a PowerPoint presentation, but after that didn’t happen, I thought I had put too much research into it to just delete it. So, what better forum than here? Bolivia Overview – (Constructed by Justin Ames) Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much … Continue reading
Taken by Justin Ames in Kurdistan Continue reading
My fascination with Peter Thiel continues to build – in this case based upon his seeming involvement in every successful or interesting project to come out of Silicon Valley these days… PayPal, Facebook, Clarium Capital, Palantir, etc. The article is below… By SIOBHAN GORMAN for The Velvet Rocket PALO ALTO, Calif. — From a Silicon … Continue reading
Taken by Justin Ames in Bratislava, Slovakia Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 