Following Samarkand, we continued our Central Asia journey with two days in Bukhara. One of the most ancient cities in Uzbekistan, this is a treasure trove of history and culture that dates back over 2,500 years. Once a key hub on the Silk Road, it flourished as a center for trade, religion, and learning, with a skyline dominated by historic madrasas, mosques, and … [Read more...]
Two Days in Samarkand: Uzbekistan’s Silk Road Treasure City
In early August 2024, we began our month-long journey through Central Asia, stepping off the plane into the hot, dazzling noon at Samarkand International Airport.One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the region, Samarkand holds immense historical and cultural significance. As a principal nexus of the Silk Road, it served as a vital crossroads for trade and cultural … [Read more...]
Visiting Alexander the Great’s Palace in Aigai, Macedonia, Greece
Following 16 years of restoration work, the Palace of Aigai has finally opened to visitors. Situated in the modern-day town of Vergina, Aigai was the capital city of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. Its magnificent palace—one of the largest and most elegant edifices of classical Greece—was built by King Philip II in the 4th century BC. That’s where his son, Alexander the … [Read more...]
Visiting the National Botanical Garden of Mauritius
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden is named after Mauritius’s long-named first prime minister. Therefore, it is often abbreviated to SSR Botanic Garden. Located in the Pamplemousses district of northwestern Mauritius, it is 14 km from both Port Louis and Grand Baie. Within an area of 33 hectares, it hosts over 650 species of exotic and indigenous tropical … [Read more...]
Old Grand Port: The Cradle of the Mauritian Nation
The Old Grand Port (Vieux Grand Port in French) is a small town on the eastern coast of Mauritius, near the city of Mahebourg. It is a renowned tourist attraction owing to its historical significance as the site of the first European landing and establishment on the island. We visited it briefly during our 2024 overwintering in Mauritius, following a hike to the top of Lion … [Read more...]
At the Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao) for the Shiva Festival in Mauritius
The great Ganges River, the lifeline of Indian civilization for millennia, understandably holds immense importance in Hinduistic tradition. So much so that devout Hindus promptly undertake onerous pilgrimages from throughout India to wash their spirits in the otherwise most polluted river in the world. That was the problem faced by hundreds of thousands of Indian workers … [Read more...]
Prespa Lakes, Greece: a Day Trip from Kastoria
The Prespa Lakes, located in Greece’s northwestern corner near the borders of Albania and North Macedonia, present a captivating blend of natural beauty and biodiversity. This region, comprising Great Prespa and Small Prespa, is notable for its pristine waters and rich wildlife, making it a significant destination for ecological tourism. The area is particularly renowned for … [Read more...]
One Day in Anjar, Lebanon
Reflecting the area’s perennial prominence at the core of civilization, another distinguished archeological site in the Beqaa Valley is the city of Anjar: one of the most notable assets of cultural heritage bequeathed to humanity by the Umayyad Caliphate. Since its foundation in the early 8th century AD, at the dawn of the Islamic Golden Age, the city gradually lost its … [Read more...]
Two Days in Baalbek, Lebanon
A week had gone by on the searing and crowded coast. Now I would return to the cooler and uncongested hinterland. Between Mount Lebanon and the Syrian Anti-Lebanon Mountains, marking the north end of the Great Rift Valley that extends all the way to southeast Africa, lies the Beqaa Valley. In contrast to my previous short transfers, today I had a long journey to the country’s … [Read more...]
Two Days in Tripoli and Mina, Lebanon
The road was empty, and the quiet reinstated when I got up at dawn and settled on the bench for my coffee. The sublime landscape of the Lebanese mountains looked different today. It bore the transcendent quality of an exhilarating experience the moment before it wanes into a memory. I regarded it with a tad of anticipatory wistfulness as I mulled that this thrilling trekking … [Read more...]
