Darkness prevailed abruptly, and a relieving breeze began flowing seawards. A mellow tropical night had just befallen over the Thai coast. The streets of Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s most Western cities, would have normally been rammed. Street-food vendors would labor hectically to cater to the intoxicated tourists’ peckishness. Touts and cocottes would blare … [Read more...]

A searing tropical sun was approaching its zenith in the blue sky of Havana, but hardly any light had made it through the tiny, curtained window of my dingy room. The antiquated wall fan was whirring madly, pointed firmly over my prostrated body, but I was drenched in sweat all the same. I was just beginning to wake up and become aware of my mild hangover.Half-sleepingly, I … [Read more...]

The harsh midsummer sun had plunged a good deal and was approaching the western horizon. A soft, pleasant breeze was sliding soundlessly across the mountain col. The firs, the gently chirping birds, and even the rocks seemed to rejoice in the gradual receding of the relentless heat. The high surrounding peaks, the low valleys and plains, and the distant sea radiated all with … [Read more...]

A cool spring night had just fallen over the Albanian coastal city of Saranda. A pleasant breeze blew on the balcony. The Greek villages of Corfu glowed faintly from across the coal-black sea.They were in lockdown over there. Here was one of the few places on earth you could still walk around unmasked and at will these days. A mellow aura of freedom diffused the neighborhood. … [Read more...]

Subtle bundles of meridian sunlight penetrated the foliage and reached the forest floor. Enormous conifers and thick clusters of hazelnut trees seemed to rejoice in the warmth. Delicate smoke wisps ascended idly from the forgotten campfire towards the forest canopy, and ash danced in the air. A charred teapot lay on top of the embers. The quiet would have been absolute if the … [Read more...]

Dusk was imminent over the immense desert expanses of Arabia. Somewhere in the peninsula, a friend and I were striving to drive a 2WD sedan along a random, narrow, sand-sheeted dirt road, searching for a camping spot.An old military-style jeep did then appear in close distance within the rearview mirror, patently demonstrating its driver’s frustration over the road being … [Read more...]

There was that bloke I knew a long, long time ago. He was an excellent guitarist and had a Metal band. He was also very bright overall and could have certainly made a name for himself in music… if it wasn’t for heroin.Heroin ruined him. Like for pretty much everyone who’s ever tasted her sly sweetness, she opened for him a perpendicular path to his downfall and demise. It would … [Read more...]

I was sleeping heavily in the narrow upper berth of that 3rd-class carriage of a dated Soviet train traveling east along the Trans-Siberian Railway. My instinct, motivated by a desire to stretch my muscles and nicotine-yearning, aroused me as the train was coming to a halt. I slightly drew the curtain aside to have a peek out the window. It was early morning. We were at the … [Read more...]

Being, to a certain extent, the traditional and romantically nostalgic kind of person, I was never much into dating sites and apps. Apart from some brief sessions on various platforms for the sake of research and experimentation, I’ve never made any serious use of them. However, as with pretty much every other aspect of modern life, the way the internet has revolutionized … [Read more...]

Quite many hours had passed since I woke up, concurrently with the sunrise, at that random field somewhere in southern ex-Yugoslavia. After enjoying a cup of coffee in the company of the world’s awakening, I set off pedaling right away. Many kilometers I’d covered and many hills I’d surmounted while defying the extreme summer heat throughout that day. And now, late afternoon, … [Read more...]