aitung, Taiwan Aug 10, 2026 Close to the northern edge of Taitung there is an extensive area that was once home to the Peinan tribe. Although the local Puyuma indigenous population call themselves Peinan or Beinan, some anthropologists believe that it is the Paiwan who were the original inhabitants of this site, based on the … More At the Peinan Homeland
Haiduan, Taiwan Aug 9, 2026 “It is a very small place. It is deep in the countryside and there is nothing there” was the discouraging comment I heard from locals in Chisheng which itself is hardly a teeming metropolis. But there was a Bunun cultural center there and I meant to try to get some … More Whispers of the Bunun
Cipuwa, Chishang Township, Taiwan Aug 8, 2026 The Ilisin or Harvest Festival is celebrated by the Amis community, sometimes jointly but more often by each village separately. Outsiders are not always allowed in and even if they are, some of the sacred ceremonies are still off limits. Excited to have finally found a festival nearby, … More At an Ilisin Harvest Festival
Chishang, Taiwan Aug 7, 2026 Aboard a comfortable express train I head out of the urban sprawl of Taipei, taking the scenic route. The train tracks avoid the central massif of Taiwan and skirt the island. Heading east, the hilly terrain is shrouded in a mantle of green dotted here and there with towns and … More Jade Green Fields
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
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 