John M. Edwards, a Mayflower descendant, becomes a pilgrim in Turkey Originally I was going to write about haggling with friendly, but aggressive, Turkish merchants over carpets and kilims, amidst endless rounds of little glasses of thé du menthe–until I realized everyone else had already exhausted this topic. The gist: you end up getting ripped off, but you like the carpet anyway. Then I thought I’d write about the wonders of Instanbul, … [Read more...]
A Trace of Thrace: Balkan Adventure
In Plovdiv, Bulgaria, John M. Edwards snitches on the mystery-shrouded Balkans’ best-kept secret: an ancient (and enduring) heresy I was on the way slow train from Budapest through the Balkans, on my way to Bulgaria, chainsmoking and guzzling Egri Bikavier (Bull’s Blood) wine, when the train came to a juddering halt and was boarded by heavily armed Serbian soldiers. A Serb with an impressive handlebar moustache and an assault rifle demanded … [Read more...]
Greek Isles and Turkey
The Greek Isles and Turkey is a voyage that is best experienced on a sailing ship. I had visited the Greek Islands and Turkey before, but never on a yacht with sails. This was also my first experience on Wind Star, a 148 passenger, four deck vessel with six self-furling, bridge-operated sails. It seemed as if the sea and the ports were custom made for this smaller ship allowing passengers to fully experience the areas just as they were centuries … [Read more...]
Capital of Ghosts
What was Parisian-Style Boulevards, Empty Eight-Lane Highways, and Chistendom's Highest Chuch-All Dead Ending in Jungle? I was working for a magazine in Abidjan, the principal city of Cote d’Ivoire (better known as the Ivory Coast), when some co-workers and I set off on a pilgrimage to one of the strangest ghost towns in Africa: Yamoussoukro. The official capital of the country since 1983, this modern “lost city” is the architectural … [Read more...]
Picnicking in Istanbul
Picnicking in Istanbul. As the city heats up during the summer months, folks in Istanbul like going to green spaces for picnicking with family and friends. Turks, in fact, are quite the experts when it comes to laying out a really good picnic spread. It's something of a national obsession, and you'll find thousands of piknik yeri, or picnic grounds scattered across the country. Public spaces tend to cater to picnickers, with some riverside spots … [Read more...]
Seville with Children
The temperatures are getting colder and the skies are grey. However, the south of Spain, Andalusia to be exact is probably still significantly warmer than other regions. It is a good bet to rent apartments in Seville if you would like to spend a few days in a warmer climate. When you are travelling with the whole family it can be challenging to please everyone at all times. The main motives for city travelling are often culture related and … [Read more...]
Lost in the City of Dreams
I had long been promising myself a visit to Istanbul, European Capital of Culture for 2010. So with the Bayram festival now approaching and the summer sun warming the earth, I couldn't resist a visit to this most ostentatious city of spires, a fabulously inspiring metropolis of imperial dreams; and it was only a magic carpet ride away. I arrived exhausted but excited, my heart in my hands here at the epicentre of three empires. Straddling two … [Read more...]
Visit Kuwait – July 2011
While Kuwait is certainly not as well known in tourism circles as some of its other middle eastern neighbors (Jordan, Israel, Syria etc), it is a friendly, small and easy to navigate country. Kuwait City is the heart of the country and is spread out along the edge of the Persian Gulf. The major highways are modern and efficient and gas is very cheap. During our stay we rented a car and drove through much of the country. This is a flat desert … [Read more...]
Tongue-Tied
The one I want to wrap in my arms and bring home is Nebras. I didn't even know her name when I return to Iraq, shortly after the assault on Baghdad. I am armed only with a photo of a beggar touching her nose with her tongue. I had met her a few months before, when I'd traveled to Iraq with a women's delegation, just five weeks before the U.S. bombings and invasion. Unfazed by impending disaster, the little girl, old enough to be in … [Read more...]
Dancing with Elephants and Gods: Kandi, Sri Lanka
It's not everyday that you get to frolic with elephants and gods. Let me remind you that God supposedly sent Adam to Sri Lanka after his expulsion from heaven, as it was close to what he had left behind. After this visit, I have no reason to doubt this, as Sri Lanka truly is a paradise on earth and I was happy to get a taste of it. A pineapple and coconut shack we found while going to Kandy "Guess what! Change of plans! We are going to … [Read more...]
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