I took the picture below at breakfast the morning we departed Mazar-i-Sharif for Herat (By the way, the breakfast you see the gentlemen below consuming is the classic Afghan meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner – naan bread, meat cooked on a skewer and green tea to drink). Now these guys look mean and hard, … Continue reading
On my return to California from Afghanistan, I had a layover in Dubai. So, I decided to extend that layover to a week and explore the U.A.E. And I can tell you exactly why. Not long after graduating from high school, I was in a used book store and came across a 1970s novel about … Continue reading
Ahhhh, Topkapi Palace. Topkapi Palace was built between 1459 and 1465 by Mehmet II shortly after his conquest of Constantinople. Rather than a single building, it was conceived as a series of pavilions contained by four enormous courtyards, a stone version of the tented encampments from which the nomadic Ottomans had emerged. It is difficult … Continue reading
Following my visit to Twain Harte last year (2008), I opted to return home via Sonora Pass rather than through the embarrassment of California that is the Central Valley. After mentioning my intention, my father had made an offhand comment along the lines of, “Yeah, it’s a drive worth doing.” In hindsight, he should have … Continue reading
Hamid Karzai and Ahmad Shah Massoud. The “official” national heroes of Afghanistan and evidence of the fact that our hotel in Mazar-i-Sharif (where this picture was taken) was owned and controlled by the government: A view from the hotel grounds: However, I’m not the type to just be content staying in a hotel. So, I … Continue reading
Gems can be uncovered everywhere – even in the most unexpected places (such as Texas). And so, on my final day of the Southern Exposure Tour we visited the Frontiers of Flight Museum which is located next to Dallas Love Field (as I was flying out of Dallas Love Field back to California it made … Continue reading
Returning from our farthest point in the southeast regions of Kurdish Turkey, we used our GPS unit to take us on a route well off the beaten path (if there even is such a thing as the “beaten path” in this part of Turkey). Agriculture is the primary economic activity in this area (although recent … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 