Travel Diary: Saint Lucia, January 2014
Saint Lucia is like a lucid dream. It all feels so real, but it can’t possibly be. How could something so beautiful actually exist? The lush greenery of the island’s rainforest surrounds us like a wet cloth, the heat palpable
Travel Diary: Saint Lucia, January 2014
Saint Lucia is like a lucid dream. It all feels so real, but it can’t possibly be. How could something so beautiful actually exist? The lush greenery of the island’s rainforest surrounds us like a wet cloth, the heat palpable
Kyoto: Mystery and Magic Under the Cherry Blossoms
There are two sides to Japan – one is inhabited by ultra-modern skyscrapers, futuristic electronics, highly evolved robotics and of course those Blade-Runner-esque neon signs. The other side is a more peaceful side, with calming zen gardens and silent shrines, with
Kyoto: Mystery and Magic Under the Cherry Blossoms
There are two sides to Japan – one is inhabited by ultra-modern skyscrapers, futuristic electronics, highly evolved robotics and of course those Blade-Runner-esque neon signs. The other side is a more peaceful side, with calming zen gardens and silent shrines, with
Istanbul: A City of Contrasts
Istanbul is a truly incredible city, one that seemingly hides its beauty behind two faces. On one side, the city is surprisingly lively and modern, but simultaneously the city’s ancient history and old traditions are clearly visible in the city’s
Istanbul: A City of Contrasts
Istanbul is a truly incredible city, one that seemingly hides its beauty behind two faces. On one side, the city is surprisingly lively and modern, but simultaneously the city’s ancient history and old traditions are clearly visible in the city’s
Socialist Modernism: An Architecture Tour of Former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia was formed in 1918, in the immediate aftermath of World War I, with the goal of building a socialist utopia where everyone is equal and everyone is happy. Of course, like all socialist and communist societies, regardless of the
Socialist Modernism: An Architecture Tour of Former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia was formed in 1918, in the immediate aftermath of World War I, with the goal of building a socialist utopia where everyone is equal and everyone is happy. Of course, like all socialist and communist societies, regardless of the
Lost in the Tropical Rainforests of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is like a dazzling emerald rising dramatically from the oceans around it. It is truly one of the most verdant of all the Caribbean isles. This lush island paradise is like a super-compressed version of every adventurous and exotic
Lost in the Tropical Rainforests of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is like a dazzling emerald rising dramatically from the oceans around it. It is truly one of the most verdant of all the Caribbean isles. This lush island paradise is like a super-compressed version of every adventurous and exotic
Shinsekai: Osaka’s Futuristic Past
Shinsekai, which literally translates as “New World”, was an impressive new neighborhood of Osaka built in 1912, using New York as a model for one half and Paris as a model for the other. At the center of it all
Shinsekai: Osaka’s Futuristic Past
Shinsekai, which literally translates as “New World”, was an impressive new neighborhood of Osaka built in 1912, using New York as a model for one half and Paris as a model for the other. At the center of it all
Sharjah: The Undiscovered Emirate
The opulent and over-the-top offerings of Dubai have become extremely popular in the last decade. It would be quite hard to find a person who had never heard of it, possibly even hard to find a person who had never personally
Sharjah: The Undiscovered Emirate
The opulent and over-the-top offerings of Dubai have become extremely popular in the last decade. It would be quite hard to find a person who had never heard of it, possibly even hard to find a person who had never personally
The Many Faces of Bangkok
Bangkok is a weird place. It is a sweaty maze of streets; filthy, loud, messy, complicated, corrupted, luxurious, overheated, drowning under constant floods, delicious, enticing. It is everything at once. Bangkok may not be an especially beautiful city, but once
The Many Faces of Bangkok
Bangkok is a weird place. It is a sweaty maze of streets; filthy, loud, messy, complicated, corrupted, luxurious, overheated, drowning under constant floods, delicious, enticing. It is everything at once. Bangkok may not be an especially beautiful city, but once
Flic-en-Flac: The Most Beautiful Beach on Mauritius
Flic-en-Flac is the most beautiful beach on Mauritius. This is not a matter of opinion, just a pure fact. The western coastline of the island nation, with its distinct views of the mountains in the background, is what most people
Flic-en-Flac: The Most Beautiful Beach on Mauritius
Flic-en-Flac is the most beautiful beach on Mauritius. This is not a matter of opinion, just a pure fact. The western coastline of the island nation, with its distinct views of the mountains in the background, is what most people
A Portrait of Rural Finland
Finland is sparely populated, filled with forests and fields and lakes, expansive valleys covered in fog or snow. Finland has no mountains; the topography is incredibly flat. Finland has some incredible foods, even if they haven’t really made a name for
A Portrait of Rural Finland
Finland is sparely populated, filled with forests and fields and lakes, expansive valleys covered in fog or snow. Finland has no mountains; the topography is incredibly flat. Finland has some incredible foods, even if they haven’t really made a name for
A Traditional Turkish Breakfast
There’s something so wonderful about a traditional Turkish breakfast, and I know exactly what it is – abundance. Traditional Turkish breakfasts have an insane amount of small dishes, savoury and sweet. You could easily spend hours enjoying a spread like
A Traditional Turkish Breakfast
There’s something so wonderful about a traditional Turkish breakfast, and I know exactly what it is – abundance. Traditional Turkish breakfasts have an insane amount of small dishes, savoury and sweet. You could easily spend hours enjoying a spread like
Air Travel in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
Life for most of us changed irreversibly, and in multiple ways, as the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, at the beginning of these roaring ’20s. I for one still remember being so optimistic at the end of the
Air Travel in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
Life for most of us changed irreversibly, and in multiple ways, as the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, at the beginning of these roaring ’20s. I for one still remember being so optimistic at the end of the
Stop and Smell the Alpine Roses at Helsinki’s Rhododendron Park
Helsinki’s Rhododendron Park or Alppiruusupuisto is a wonderfully Finnish alternative to the Japanese hanami. We don’t have that many cherry blossom trees, but we’ve got plenty of rhododendrons – more than 3000 of them right here in this park! The flowers are
Stop and Smell the Alpine Roses at Helsinki’s Rhododendron Park
Helsinki’s Rhododendron Park or Alppiruusupuisto is a wonderfully Finnish alternative to the Japanese hanami. We don’t have that many cherry blossom trees, but we’ve got plenty of rhododendrons – more than 3000 of them right here in this park! The flowers are
Grand Baie
Grand Baie, as the name suggests, is a grand bay at the North Western corner of Mauritius. The region is most famous for the beautiful turquoise waters of the bay and several luxury resorts lining the coastline nearby, but it
Grand Baie
Grand Baie, as the name suggests, is a grand bay at the North Western corner of Mauritius. The region is most famous for the beautiful turquoise waters of the bay and several luxury resorts lining the coastline nearby, but it
Downtown Honolulu
Mentions of Honolulu will take most people directly to visions of palm-lined coves with turquoise waters and lush green mountains, colorful cocktails by the pool and getting lei’d barefoot on the beach. All of that is very real and readily
Downtown Honolulu
Mentions of Honolulu will take most people directly to visions of palm-lined coves with turquoise waters and lush green mountains, colorful cocktails by the pool and getting lei’d barefoot on the beach. All of that is very real and readily
come and go 