iftravels

Granada, Spain December 24, 2015 The white-washed sprawl of Albaicin staggers up along the slopes and above it all is the brooding red-stoned hulk of the Alhambra. Built by the Nasrid emirate, it is a sprawling complex of a palace and fortress. At sunrise and sunset when it appears to glow, it is easy to … More Alhambra

Garnata Al Yahud

December 22, 2015

Granada, Spain December 22, 2015 The area surrounding present day Granada is said to have been populated since 5500 BC and was certainly on the map of ancient Rome. Known as Elibyrge in ancient times, by the first century AD it had become known as a Roman municipality called Illiberri. But its rise to fame … More Garnata Al Yahud

Malaga Moments

December 18, 2015

Malaga, Spain December 18th, 2015 Arriving late in the evening in Malaga, I had been a little apprehensive about walking into the city center but I need not have worried. The streets were busy including families with small children and women pushing baby strollers. Even better was the friendly help I received when asking for directions including a couple … More Malaga Moments

The Wisdom of Airlines

December 16, 2015

Madrid Airport December 16, 2015 Despite all the planning and plotting and buying airline tickets way ahead of time, I did not foresee this involuntary change in plans. The Iberian airlines flight I had originally bought suddenly got changed to an American airlines flight on the first leg from JFK to Madrid. The aircraft as … More The Wisdom of Airlines

Kiss the Girl

August 8, 2015

Murghab, Tajikistan August 8th There has been a rumour floating up and down the Pamir highway that a horse festival is to be held in Murghab. Nobody knew for certain exactly when nor what it entailed. We arrived in Murghab yesterday and asked around in the bazaar, the usual conduit of all information. “Yes of … More Kiss the Girl

Pamiri Paradise

August 7, 2015

FROM KHOROG TO MURGHAB Travel lore says that the Pamir Highway which winds through mountains in Tajikistan utterly beautiful and by all accounts, not to be missed. There is also a southern road which hugs the banks of the Pyanj river that many travelers rave about. But this is no new road and it has … More Pamiri Paradise

Playing Postman

August 2, 2015

Unwitting Terror Alert! August 2, 2015 Starting at the ungodly hour of 6 am, we drove to Ishkashim. I had photos that I had promised to send to the villagers in Afghanistan and had added a few things to the parcel. I just had to figure out a way to do so. We stopped at … More Playing Postman

One Step Ahead of the Taliban

July 28, 2015

Leaving Afghanistan July 28, 2015 It was the news report I watched while at one house in Qala-i-Panja that first made me aware of the current situation in Afghanistan, fairly close to where we were. The television this family had was powdered by a solar panel. With no electricity, no internet, no wifi, no newspapers … More One Step Ahead of the Taliban

Same Same But Different – VERY different

July 27, 2015

Along the Pyanj in the Afghan Wakhan July 25, 2015 We were up early to get our permits but it was still noon by the time we got going on the road to the Wakhan valley. The town of Sultan Eshkashim and its outlying fields soon fell away and we entered the stark moonscape of … More Same Same But Different – VERY different