Punta Arenas is the very end of the line for driving through Patagonian Chile, though one can drive across adjacent land into Tierra del Fuego, the land of fire. It's long been a commercial port…
We were astonished and humbled during our visit to the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, the UNESCO World Heritage site in southeast Zimbabwe, as well as the Khami Ruins in the west of the country. And…
At the heart of Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, stands a bronze statue of Samora Machel, the country’s socialist revolutionary hero and first President. From the elliptical Praça de Independencia, he hails or blesses…
During our six month stay in the Baltic countries, we found charms aplenty. But the three capitals of these countries are the jewels in the northern European crown. Though beset with war and destruction for…
Saaremaa is a roughly 70 by 40 kilometer rectangular chunk of island just off the western shore of Estonia, capping the whole Gulf of Riga. Since the 19th century, people have traveled here for the…
For a traveler, there is never enough time. Sure, you can see "the highlights" of a city in a few days, of a country in a week or so. But, in most places, the longer…
You've likely seen the sacred image in bronze many times. He dances, ringed by tongues of fire, the universe held in balance. The lithe, somewhat androgynous figure stands on his slightly bent right leg, his…
"My baby does the hanky panky" - Tommy James and the Shondells Yes, it's an outrageous pun, but somehow we couldn't help but think of music by the American Shondells from the 1960s. Yet we…
When in Manila, we stayed in the Ermita district, just a kilometer or so south of the old city district Intramuros. (To read about our visit to Intramuros, click here to our post.) Between the…
If you walk around the inner suburbs of Melbourne – such as Carlton, East Melbourne, Fitzroy, Richmond and others - it doesn’t take long to notice the fancy cast ironwork and distinct style of many…