Tag: Travel

Turkey/Armenia: Ani – capital on the wrong side of a border

I’ve seen two cities that look like they were comprehensively destroyed. I don’t mean just ruins,  but places where someone seems to have made a comprehensive, and successful attempt to wipe the place out. Warsaw may come to mind – it was practically obliterated in the Second World War, but then it was rebuilt. In Ani,… Continue reading Turkey/Armenia: Ani – capital on the wrong side of a border

Mongolia – Nights under the nine stars of the Pleiades

Erik von Daniken’s ‘Chariots of the Gods’ came to my town when I was a kid. Alexandra, New Zealand was perhaps a bit information-starved. There was one-channel TV, radio of course, and a couple of newspapers. And then there were the ‘Pictures’ (one a week movie screenings at the cinema). So a well-marketed movie about space-travellers once… Continue reading Mongolia – Nights under the nine stars of the Pleiades

Lebanon – Last Gasp of the Cedar Forests

Cedars of Lebanon

Europe to Australasia is long-haul, and if you are not into heroics, it’s nice to break the journey somewhere. I wonder how many travellers consider Lebanon? The big draw-card for me were the famous ‘Cedars of Lebanon’.  This is a highly relictual patch of trees that is all that remains of a once much more… Continue reading Lebanon – Last Gasp of the Cedar Forests

Cheap Eats Nanjing 12 – Sticky Rice Cake and other nibblies

I spotted this little take-away cake shop one evening after getting a cheese fix opposite. Pleasant woman in charge and bunch of nice looking things for sale. I settled on two muffins and a sort of cake. It was very dense, but I had no idea what it was til I cut into it next day.… Continue reading Cheap Eats Nanjing 12 – Sticky Rice Cake and other nibblies

Estonia – the Swamp and the language tree

Estonia was my first-ever experience of driving, by myself, on the right hand side of the road. I tried to keep it simple. All I needed to do was pull-out  from the car hire place (small town, Viljandi linn), negotiate a round-about at the edge of town, then I would be onto a rural road where I could take… Continue reading Estonia – the Swamp and the language tree

Cheap Eats Nanjing 11 – Fried Dumplings

I’ve been making eyes at this place for ages – the dumplings get cooked in an guaranteed eye-catching arrangement on a hot plate on the street by the front door (see Featured image) and inside it’s usually chocka-block with customers.  Eventually I gave them a go for a quick lunch in the weekend. No sitting… Continue reading Cheap Eats Nanjing 11 – Fried Dumplings

Turkistan, Kazakhstan, not Tukmenistan

I’m not at all sure I remembered when all those ‘stans’ appeared on my radar. Did I know about them before the Soviet Union fell apart, or did they just appear in the news so gradually it seemed like they were always there? There’s Uzbekistan, Kirghistan, Afghanistan (yes, I did know about that one) –… Continue reading Turkistan, Kazakhstan, not Tukmenistan

Mongolia – The Ghost of Moron

It was on the flight back to UIaan Baatar that I remembered the ghost. My field partner, Nyambayar, and I had been working in an area near the Mongolian town of Moron (pronounced ‘muh-roon’). Moron lies in the far north of Mongolia and is the gateway to Lake Khovsgul.  This is the largest body of water in… Continue reading Mongolia – The Ghost of Moron

Cheap Eats Nanjing 8 – Boiled Dumplings

I’ve been going to this place since Day-One. Fortunately I had a local with me at that time to point things out. Now they know me, and what I’m after when I wave and point.  The specialty is traditional boiled dumplings. There are various fillings and the price is by 100g (GoogleTranslate is not doing well… Continue reading Cheap Eats Nanjing 8 – Boiled Dumplings