John M. Edwards is drawn into the Wild Wild East of “Europe Minor.” After the collapse of communism in the USSR, inflation in the freshly minted Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia rolled up the ruble into the cheapest toilet paper around, so I decided to go East and stock up. I needed a cheap place to wipe my ass because I was then unemployed, and an Orwellian year of freelancing in Paris had left me as restless … [Read more...]
Can food broker peace? Mamnoon Restaurant, Seattle
Celebrating Syria: “We couldn’t go back, so we started mamnoon instead.” -Richard Bangs “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.” -T.S. Elliot There are so many delicious facets to this story. I first met Wassef Haroun in Zambia, at the Kafue River Camp, owned by a mutual friend who had invited us for a week-long private safari. Towards the end of the week Wassef excused himself from the Rhodesian teak table … [Read more...]
Cesky Krumlov: The Real Bohemia
John M. Edwards checks out the new Czech Republic’s “Cesky Krumlov,” where real “Bohemians” come from. . . . On my first visit to communist Czechoslovakia in 1989 (right before the Velvet Revolution), I drove down in my rented and probably bugged Skoda car to the legendary Bohemian locus of magnetic Cesky Krumlov, the most stylish picturesque village in the country. I realized to be truly “Bohemian,” you had to actually be from the … [Read more...]
My Name is Ali
“My name is Ali. I’m from Iran.” My mind went blank. What did I know about Iran? I tried to think of something. It’s a big country in the Middle East and my country, America, isn’t too keen on Iran. Persian carpets? The moment I was thinking, I looked around at my surroundings. A dozen of red Chinese lanterns were lit brightly and lined both sides of the street. Across from me at a mamak, Indian men were pulling roti dough around and around in … [Read more...]
Beware of Camels and Mysterious Shisha
I thought to myself, “I knew this was a bad idea.” I was officially stuck on top of a camel. Even after two weeks in this scandalous country, I had managed to fall into yet another obvious scam. A young boy had approached me at the base of the Great Pyramid in Giza and sweet talked me into climbing onto his camel for a picture. It seemed harmless enough; camels are pretty docile, and I was not obligated to pay for a ride. Just a quick … [Read more...]
Jerusalem: the Lion of this Kingdom
In May of 2009, my mother and I traversed France over 10 days. On our final day, at a Paris hotel, I perused cheap flights on the Internet, chancing upon a low-cost Belgian airline, JetAirFly, with one-way flights from Liege, Belgium, to Tel Aviv, for 99 euros. In Jerusalem, my nephew, Guy, and his mother, Miri, agreed to shelter me from the incoming cultural storm. My nerves tingled as I considered the implications: Judea, Israel, Jerusalem, … [Read more...]
Balbaa Village, Alexandria Egypt – January 2013
Balbaa Village is located in Alexandria Egypt and is an authentic Egyptian meat and Barbeque Restaurant. They are located in the Sidi Bishr neighborhood at Malik Hefni St - Phone: +2.03.5400888. This is the original Balbaa Village and they can easily seat 300+ people when its busy. Upstairs and downstairs dining. The highlight of a visit here is their huge selection. As soon as you sit down a plethora of plates are immediately brought to your … [Read more...]
Seychelles, an Introduction
Warm tropical waters - aquamarine colors layer, upon layer - clear waters and white warm and inviting sandy beaches. Perhaps those are the thoughts that come to mind when one mentions the Seychelles. Rightly so! However, geographically their location may be a bit hazy and one may grasp for their exact location. In fact these small islands are a part of Africa. The Seychelles are located about 1600 km east of Zanzibar and the Eastern African … [Read more...]
Tales from the Desert Kuwait
Staring out at the blackened waters of the Persian Gulf from high atop our hotel room near old town Kuwait City. The sun has obviously set and we are free to go out on the streets and eat food. 8 more days of Ramadan await us and our daylight appetites. Upon flying in our flight attendant enthusiastically made an announcement, "If you would like to see a spectacular view of desert sand, please pull down your window shades". Based on her tone … [Read more...]
Petra, Jordan – December 2011
Petra, Jordan is one of the world's great historical regions and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra attracts visitors from around the world - especially since it was voted as one of the "New Seven Wonders" of the World in 2007. The original ruins date from over 2000 years ago and the most well preserved of the ruins on site is the amazing "treasury" or Al Khazneh (in Arabic). To reach this ruin, allow 20-30 minutes walking mostly all downhill … [Read more...]