Taipei, Taiwan Aug 4, 2026 Figuring that the Taiwan National History Museum would be a good place to start, that’s where I headed. A small museum, it had a tiny section for indigenous cultures of Taiwan. A display of a recreated interior had as its central piece, a carved wooden totem pole. It was startlingly … More In Search of the Indigenous Tribes
Taipei, Taiwan Aug 2, 2026 Temperatures soaring in the mid 90s Fahrenheit with humidity in mid 80 percent range are not exactly a recipe for blissful wanderings and I have to take little breaks. Darting into air-conditioned comfort of cafes are interspersed with breathers in the green spots dotted around the city. The largest is … More Night Markets Galore
Taipei, Taiwan Aug 1, 2026 Broad streets are lined by tall buildings of steel and glass but there are pockets of older neighborhoods hidden among them. Mostly from 18th and 19th centuries CE though, they are not that old in the grand scheme of things. Some buildings from the colonial era, today ear-marked for official … More Snapshot of Old Taipei
New York July 28, 2026 Of the many facets of ancient history that fascinate me, the most intriguing perhaps is the story of early humans spreading out from Africa some 70,000 years ago. Today we populate every single part of the globe. How thrilling would it be to retrace their paths? Although given the vast … More In the Footsteps of the Ancients
Sarajevo, Bosnia Sept 9, 2025 There are still plenty of buildings that are pock-marked with bullet holes but Sarajevo wears a smile these days. There are churches and mosques and a new City Hall resplendent in its myriad architectural styles. I have a lovely view of the city as it creeps up the hill beyond … More A Brave New Face
Sarajevo, Bosnia Sept 8, 2025 Three times longer than the Battle of Stanlingrad. More than a year longer than the Siege of Leningrad. From April 5, 1992 to February 29,1996, for 1425 days Sarajevo was under siege. It is the longest siege of a capital city in modern times. The Bosnian Serb forces with support … More Years Under Siege
Mostar, Bosnia Sept 6, 2025 With the collapse of Yugoslavia, this part of the world was engulfed in war and Bosnia and Herzegovina was no exception. It was soon after the nation declared independence in 1992 that it saw ethnic violence of a level unseen on the world stage since WWII. In a country with … More Haunted Still
Mostar, Bosnia Sept 5, 2025 The name of the bridge is Stari Most and it is from this bridge that the town itself got its name Mostar, meaning Bridge Keeper. You might say the very identity of the town is wrapped up in this bridge. Built by the Ottomans in the 16th century CE, both … More Bridge Keeper of the Balkans
Ulcinj (Montenegro) to Mostar (Bosnia) Sept 3, 2025 Having reached Ulcinj in Montenegro, I hadn’t the zip to continue further and opted to stay just out of town in the home of a family. There seems to be a building frenzy in this town too, with every second shop selling building materials and every second … More Where Mountains meet the Sea
From Prizren (Kosovo) to Muriqan (Albania) Sept 2, 2025 In the northwestern corner of Albania are the jagged peaks of the Albanian Alps, known more colorfully as the Accursed Mountains. There are plenty of tales of how they got their name. One story says the devil escaped one day and created them fueled by mischief. … More Through the Albanian Mountains
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 