Little Tokyo (part of the fringes of downtown Los Angeles) is home to the largest Japanese-American population in North America. Markets, hotels, Japanese shops and plenty of little restaurants can keep one occupied for some time. Best to ditch the car and explore by foot as geographically Little Tokyo is fairly small. During World War II when the Japanese that lived here were forcibly moved to internment camps such as Manzaznar in … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Newport Beach
Newport Beach is located about 45 minutes to 1 hour south of Los Angeles. From downtown you would take the 110 South to the 405 South, to the 73 South, to the 55 West which runs right into PCH, Highway 1 in the middle of Newport Beach. Attractions here include shopping, especially at Fashion Island (an open air shopping complex) and touring the fancy homes on Balboa (a small lengthy peninsula just off the coast). During the holidays some of … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Watts – Compton
Watts & Compton lie in the southern shadow of Los Angeles and are both separated from each other by the 105 freeway. There is a lot of history in this part of Los Angeles. The Watts Riots of 1965 started here - the command center was located at the corner of Compton and Nadeau streets (still there). What is now Bethune Park at the corner of 61st and Hooper Ave used to be a gathering point for the Black Panthers. The history and neighborhoods … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Comedy Clubs
Los Angeles is home to a number of creative comedy clubs and other "laugh" outlets. We continue to update and add new comedy clubs to this page over time - here are just a few in the Los Angeles area. Comedy & Magic Club is located at 1018 Hermosa Ave in Hermosa Beach. Parking is either on side streets or in a open-air parking lot almost across the street (3 parking meters are available and accept credit cards - you can check how … [Read more...]
The Kingdom of the Atlas Mountains
Dear Friends, I got bitten by the travel bug again, after more than eight months of staying put around my home base of Orange County, California. I gave South America some serious consideration, especially now that it is summer in the more southern and chilly parts of the continent. But for various reasons, the most important of which is the chance to meet up with my brother Abdul, I settled on Africa. He is roaming around South Africa now … [Read more...]
The Pyramids of Giza
The Egyptian Pyramids! One of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World! I had read about them in school. I had seen them on countless TV programs, and I had always wondered what it would be like to see them in person. And now, now, I was going to do just that - see the pyramids in person! The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Cairo was, thankfully, not even half full. There was lots of elbow room for everybody, and since I'd been … [Read more...]
India: Sixty million villages and still counting
How on earth do you cover one billion people and more than five thousand years of history in one short article? I am afraid I won't be able to answer that question in regard to writing something about India. I can do no more than give you my week's worth of roaming about in northern India, a country which I found as diverse as it is huge and old. Just to get primed for the speed at which life proceeds in much of this country, our train to … [Read more...]
Mt. Fuji Climb
Our trip to Mount Fuji began at 7 AM last Friday when Kathy and I left our apartment to catch our early morning bullet train to Japan's most famous mountain. After nine hours of traveling via taxi, bullet train, and bus, we arrived at Fuji-san's 5th station (7562 feet) at 4:30 PM. With our high tech graphite walking sticks and backpacks filled with rice balls, water, and winter clothes, we began our ascent up the mountain at 5:30 PM. The … [Read more...]
Morocco: Where is my crown of olives?
There is far more to Morocco, Al Maghreb, as it is known among its citizens, than I can describe in just a short little blurb. Other than the intrusions of various cultures into this part of the african continent, the geography plays a large role in shaping Morocco as well. First and foremost, the High Atlas mountain range dominates the heart of the land. Eclipsed only by Kenya's volcanic Mt. Kilimanjaro, the High Atlas rise to a maximum … [Read more...]
Afghanistan: More bakeries here than anywhere else in the world
I have always been asked about the safety situation in Afghanistan and, by now, might have a word or two to offer. During our stay there, we were limited mainly to Kabul and its immediate surroundings, such as valleys or canyons that could be reached within a couple hours of driving. Keep in mind that right now is also the height of winter and many roads become impassable for extended periods of time. While I can't personally speak for the rest … [Read more...]
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