Ric

About Ric Gazarian

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So far Ric Gazarian has created 508 blog entries.

Photos From Belan, Iquitos

By |2021-04-16T11:03:35-05:00September 4th, 2015|Categories: Off The Beaten Path, Photos, South America|Tags: , , , , , , |

Photos From Belan, Iquitos.  It is gritty. At 9 am, the locals are gathered in the neighborhood bar swilling moonshine. On the street dozens meander around giant stacks of plantains, searching for the best buy. The sky is a gloomy grey and the humidity hovers over the dense neighborhood.  Mototaxis prowl the dirty, chewed up streets. [...]

Three Days In El Salvador

By |2019-05-28T12:41:22-05:00August 19th, 2015|Categories: Central America, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days in El Salvador.  El Salvador does not have a positive reputation for tourism. If you asked me my impressions of this Central American country, I might mention right wing death squads or rival drug gangs. But negative stereotypes often surprise you on the upside. El Salvador charmed me with its captivating nature and inviting [...]

Great Photos From Kiev

By |2021-04-16T11:32:14-05:00August 18th, 2015|Categories: Europe, Photos|

Great photos from Kiev.  Founded in 482 AD, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine straddles the Dnieper River. This cosmopolitan city numbers 3 million souls. The country was previously part of the Soviet Union until its independence in 1991. Ukraine has been the site of several revolutions in the recent past including the Orange and EuroMaidan Revolution. [...]

Excellent Photos of Ljubljana

By |2021-04-16T11:59:19-05:00August 8th, 2015|Categories: Europe, Photos|

Enjoy these excellent photos from Ljubljana. Ljubljana is an exceedingly pleasant city that sits on the banks of the Ljubljanica river.  This 300,000 person capital of Slovenia was once part of Yugoslavia.  The city is highly walkable and well-preserved but lacking any must-see landmarks. This is the view of Ljubljana from the castle that overlooks the [...]

Volunteering in the Slums of Bangkok, Klong Toey

By |2020-12-05T03:17:36-06:00July 19th, 2015|Categories: Asia, Unique Experiences|

Volunteering in the slums of Bangkok, Klong Toey.  This book motivated me to move to Bangkok. That and the winter in Chicago is bone-chilling cold. The  The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions and Revelations in the Slums of Bangkok  is a true account of a Catholic priest who moves to Bangkok in the 1970s. He is a [...]

Saying Goodbye In Klong Toey

By |2021-04-14T18:30:17-05:00July 19th, 2015|Categories: Asia, Unique Experiences|

Saying goodbye in Klong Toey.  The times I have volunteered I have felt that I have received more than I have given. It is a hackneyed expression, but my four months in the slums of Klong Toey proved it to be true. The teachers at the kindergarten always treated me with great respect and support. More [...]

Graduation Day at Mercy Center

By |2021-04-14T18:05:35-05:00July 19th, 2015|Categories: Asia, Unique Experiences|

Father Joe and the Mercy Center have an outsized commitment to education for the youth of Klong Toey. There is a strong belief that education is the springboard to a better opportunity. With that in mind, graduation from kindergarten is treated with all due pomp and circumstance. Over 800 children (from all of the Mercy kindergartens) [...]

Maidan Square – A Must-See

By |2021-04-16T11:50:48-05:00July 14th, 2015|Categories: Europe, Must-See|

Maidan Square in the heart of Kiev has been home to four major political movements/protests in less than 25 years. Maidan Square (formally known as Maidan Nezalezhnosti translates to Independence Square) dates back to the 1830s when some simple wooden structures appeared. Development accelerated in the mid-19th century when it became the commercial center of Kiev [...]

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