I set off to visit the Dome of the Rock, Islam’s third holiest site, on a sunny winter day. At the time I was staying in a hostel in the Armenian quarter of the old city so the walk was long enough to mentally prepare, yet before I knew what was happening I found myself … Continued
We’d reached the town of Wadi Halfa in the northern Sudan when a humid wind hit the overland truck. While traveling through the desert avoiding the impassable banks of the Nile, we were astonished when the breeze suddenly felt moist. I understood that Lake Nasser must be close. This body of water, created by the … Continued
In the early 90s I was assigned by the Costa Rican Tourist Board to photograph a large swath of the country for their glossy tourist brochures. The area of the country that interested me greatly was the Osa Peninsula. Here, I had heard, were to be found amazing artifacts dotted throughout the jungle; stone spheres, … Continued
One of the world’s most beautiful and intelligent birds lives in a few select areas of Brazil, but only three populations of the Hyacinth Macaw remain in the wild. One of these habitats occurs in remote Piaui State of northeastern Brazil, only a few hundred kilometers from the beaches, bars, and whorehouses of Bahia, but … Continued
Off to a Siberian Village on the Shores of Lake Baikal Kay and I enjoyed Irkutsk and its pleasant atmosphere of a university city. But after a couple of days, we were off to Bolshoe Goludnoe, a Siberian village on the shores of Lake Baikal, not far from Irkutsk. Once again, we had pre-arranged this … Continued
I have never been a fan of the Big Island or its ancient culture but when I was offered a free trip there with my wife Diana to attend a medical conference, well, who was I to say no. In fact, I think “just say no” is a pretty dumb idea in any context, but … Continued
The natural form of Cape Cod has changed continually over many eras as sand and ocean currents currents wash up and down its shores, altering the coastline endlessly. When the first Europeans arrived, they were so astounded at the numbers of Codfish that swam its waters that the name Cape Cod was given to the … Continued
I used to hang out at an open-air bar in downtown Athens. In 1976 the place was a travelers’ gathering point, a spot where people would gather in the warm summer evenings to swap tales tall and short about life on the road. One fine ouzo-soaked night I had the great good fortune to meet … Continued
Russia is a country that offers as much diversity and cultural richness as any nation on Earth. Getting around has never been easier or more convenient, and the sights in a nation that spans over ten time zones cannot possibly be described in in a few paragraphs. When the old Soviet Union divested itself of … Continued
Being in Moldova was an adventure. I was working as a Journalist at the newspaper Аргументы и факты (Arguments and Facts) located in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova. During the preparation of my trip I couldn’t find relevant information about the country. There was almost no Western media coverage of Moldova. So I arrived … Continued