Imagine, it's the beginning of July and you live in the northern hemisphere. You're likely engaged in swimming, hiking, barbecue and other fun summer outdoor activities. If you're American, you are probably making plans for Independence Day which will likely include outings to a concert or public event. But what if you could spend 4th of July snowboarding in the morning and then swimming in the lakes in the afternoon? Impossible, you say? Guess … [Read more...]
About Abdul Rastagar
“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Hi, I’m Abdul, a father, husband, and all-around curious guy. I unwittingly became a frequent traveler as a baby and have chosen to never stop. Traveling the world, exploring diverse cultures, meeting different people and growing as a person with each new trip are at the core of my identity. I feel most refreshed when I’m randomly pointing at a menu written in a language I do not speak, having no clue what I just ordered.
I aim to use my travels and my writing to help bring our planet closer together. I left Twitter but you can still find me on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/rastagar).
Skiing Tahoe on the Cheap
Not everyone has the luxury of living within reasonable driving distance to Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada's many, amazing snow resorts. So if you are a weekend snow warrior and want to spend Saturday and Sunday on the Tahoe slopes, you’re looking at some pretty nasty expenses that hinder your ability to simply pick up and go: transportation, lodging, lift tickets, meals, and maybe even having to rent equipment. We’re talking, easily, $700-900 per … [Read more...]
Ghosts of Verdun
"On the battlefield of Verdun I stand. Half a million, young as I, are buried here. Where are they now?" - excerpt from Verdun and You, a poem by German battle survivor William Hermanns Marshal Ferdinand Foch, France's Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in WW1, is said to have once remarked that the training of a Major General requires about 15,000 dead soldiers. In 1916, at the infamous battle of Verdun, more than 20 times that number … [Read more...]
Trier – Rome of the North
“Ante Romam Treveris stetit annis mille trecentis” (Trier stood 1300 years before Rome) – legend of Trier’s founding. Trier is the UNESCO World Heritage city you’ve never heard of. While you were busy swooning over Berlin’s modern architecture or Munich’s copious beer gardens, you’ve missed Germany’s most remarkable city, quietly minding its own business along the banks of the Mosel river, the way it always has for two and a half … [Read more...]
Teotihuacan – Where The Gods Were Created
Chances are, you have seen images of Chichen Itza or Palenque, the stunning archeological remains of grand Mayan cities in Mexico. Perhaps you’ve even visited these sites at some point. Considerably less well-known, though, is Teotihuacan, or “the place where the gods were created.” In my mind, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Teotihuacan is western hemisphere’s ultimate pyramid city, vastly more impressive than even its more famous brethren on … [Read more...]
Citadelle LaFerrière – or how to keep the French out of Haiti
I’ve been in Haiti for a few days now, trying to get a better understanding of life in one of the poorest nations on earth (see my related articles on Port au Prince and Cap Haitien.) By any measure, it has an arduous history. Haiti bears the misfortune of being the island that Columbus decided to claim and colonize first. The native Taino indians were promptly enslaved and sent off into gold mines to enrich the coffers of Queen Isabella of … [Read more...]
Mongolia, Land of the Horse People
It’s almost impossible to tell the story of Mongolia without inevitably mentioning Chinggis (Genghis) Khan. Seven centuries ago, he exploded onto Mongol and world history with a sonorous impact that still reverberates throughout the nation today. But there is far more to Mongolia than our fanciful musings of green, pastoral steppes trampled by marauding hordes of nomadic warriors on horseback. Indeed, Mongolia is a study in contrast, a traveler’s … [Read more...]
Suzhou, China’s floating city
Suzhou is often referred to as “the Venice of the East.” In a less ethnocentric world, we would perhaps call Venice “the Suzhou of the West.” The original canal city, Suzhou was already a over a thousand years old when Venice was founded (514 B.C.E. vs. 421 C.E.) It is also significantly larger than Venice, a full order of magnitude more, in fact. Its canal system is indescribably extensive and complex, spreading through a vast network of fields, … [Read more...]
Puebla – City of Angels
Mexico City. Acapulco. Puerta Vallarta. Cancun. If you're like most people, these are the Mexican cities you are familiar with. However, Puebla, or La Puebla de los Angeles (“the city of the angels,”) is the most beautiful Mexican city that you've likely never heard of. Only a couple of hours from Mexico City, I first visited it during a backpacking trip in 2005, more by coincidence than by design, and was astounded by one of the most remarkable … [Read more...]
Saarland, Germany’s best kept secret
My fondest memories as a kid growing up in Germany typically involved hiking in green forests, visiting medieval cities, exploring roman ruins, cycling along river banks, driving through vineyards dotting the many low rolling hills, or taking daytrips to the French side of the border to gawk at life on the other side. This is Saarland, Germany’s hidden gem. If you’ve followed any of my other articles, you’ll know by now that what I enjoy most is … [Read more...]
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