Eastern Turkey June 2013 It started with my arrival in Sanliurfa, a city in south-eastern Anatolia, I had wandered into a shop in search of a travelling alarm clock and the owner of the shop was keen to speak in English. He bemoaned the fact that he rarely got to practice his English. Not only … More Kurdish Kindness
TEA IN A CARAVANSERAI Diyarbakir, Turkey (Kurdistan) June 15, 2013 A long time ago in a far-away place in China, caravans from the empire’s interior would carry silk to the western edges of the region. Often small Central Asian tribes would attack these caravans hoping to capture the valuable goods. So from 135 to 90 … More Tea in a Caravan Serai
Axum, Ethiopia January 9, 2013 A couple of kilometers to the north of Axum lies another ancient site. The lane leading up to the site is predictably lined with small stalls selling the usual tourist kitsch. Small boys tag along next to me clutching small replicas of the stelae hoping for a sale. Long before … More Stairway to Heaven
Axum, Ethiopia January 8, 2013 King Solomon has heard of the Queen of Sheba and her great kingdom and she in turn has heard of him. So she travels to his court along with a large retinue carrying gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold. The Queen tests Solomon’s wisdom, asking him many questions and giving … More The Queen of Sheba
Manali to Leh June 16, 2012 Once more I am taking the road from Manali to Leh. As before, Ravi has come to the rescue but this time around it seems more difficult to get others to share. More visitors fly in to Leh nowadays it seems. Little do they know what they miss. As … More The High Road Again
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua January 2, 2012 We sat squashed inside the truck on the two long benches along its sides. There were too many of us and some stood, holding onto the metal bars against the cab. Torn canvas covered the sides and top of the truck, flapping against the sides as we … More Run Little Ninja, Run!
Rantepao, Sulawesi, Indonesia July 10, 2011 Having arrived at Rantepao, I searched for an internet café and found one. To my delight there was a spa and massage place upstairs in the same building. There was also a small library of books in English. Needless to say I spent a good chunk of the day … More Do You Want To Go To A Funeral ?
La Candelaria, Bogota Dec 30, 2010 Bogota may be a large sprawling modern city but the district of La Candelaria, especially the old town retains a quaint flavor of days of old. Narrow cobble-stoned streets weave their way through the area. Some are just wide enough for one car while some others have been widened … More All Quiet In La Candelaria
December 26, 2010 Terminal 2/3 JFK Airport, NY There had been repeated warnings of a big winter storm headed our way but I took this with a veritable mountain of salt, given that the online as well as TV weather forecasters have a penchant for dire forebodings. Forecasts that are delivered with a generous splash … More Stranded!
Among the Tsaatan I had been to Mongolia twice before, but this time my focus was the extreme north, past the Khovsgol Nur. This is the summer pasture of the reindeer herders of Mongolia – the Tsaatan. I traveled from Ulan Bator to the town of Moron and then began the search for the Tsaatan. … More Among the Tsaatan
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 