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...]
Tazumal & Chalchuapa: Day Trip from Santa Ana
The archeological complex of Tazumal is considered one of the most distinguished Mayan sites in El Salvador. It is situated in the heart of the modern city of Chalchuapa in the western part of the country. We'd recently crossed into El Salvador from Guatemala and settled for a while in the city of Santa Ana. It'd been three months we were traveling around Central America … [Read more...]
Ancient Babylon & Ezekiel’s Tomb Day Trip
The quiet was absolute before it got interrupted by my ringing phone. Its screen was the sole radiant object within our otherwise pitch-dark room. I pressed the answer button to silence it and hear Ibraheem’s voice. “We are downstairs,” it said. “We’ll be there in a minute,” I responded. He was meant to come at 6 am, but it wasn’t even a quarter-to yet. I wiped the sleep off my … [Read more...]
Borsh Castle, Albania: Day Trip From Saranda
Borsh Castle, also called Sopot Castle, is a ruined fortress situated on a rugged hilltop above the village of Borsh in the Albanian Riviera. The structure's origins date back to antiquity, and its current standing remnants were put together during several reconstruction phases throughout the Middle Ages. Borsh Castle remained in use and maintained its strategic importance well … [Read more...]
Kaisariani Monastery & Aesthetic Forest Hike Day Trip
Out of the many medieval monasteries found in the periphery of Athens, the Monastery of Kaisariani is probably the most renowned. The monastery is situated on the northwestern foot of Mount Hymettus, within a charming grove known as Kaisariani Aesthetic Forest. The forest in particular, and the entire mountain, feature a plethora of beautiful hiking trails to be explored. Its … [Read more...]
Tham Krasae Bridge Railway Station: Day Trip from Kanchanaburi
After a motorbike trip to Erawan Waterfalls, as a second destination for a day trip from Kanchanaburi, we chose Tham Krasae Bridge Railway Station. That is part of the Siam-Burma historic railway built by the Japanese army during the WW2 occupation of Indochina. Owing to the 100,000's of forced laborers who died during its construction, the line is commonly known as the Death … [Read more...]
First time entering Belarus: the last European Dictatorship
Belarus was one of those very few European countries I’ve never been to... that until a few hours ago. Now I’m sitting and having a beer in this vacant hostel in downtown Minsk, writing my first impressions of this new country. This mysterious little country, hidden in the heart of Eastern Europe, whose name will sound to most Americans like a … [Read more...]
A trip to Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg in winter
On a chilly March afternoon, we set off from the southern outskirts of Saint Petersburg bound for a short trip to Peterhof Palace. This palatial complex is located on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, some 30 km west of Saint Petersburg. Nothing but empty land was to be found there until, in the year 1705, Peter the Great of Russia decided to build there a summer palace … [Read more...]
