UNESCO Iran – Must-See. Shiraz one of the must visit cities within Iran, was fabled for both its wine and poets. The city is still admired for its poetry, but no longer for its wine since Iran has banned all alcohol. An hour from Shiraz are two must see UNESCO World Heritage sites. One world famous, [...]
Visiting Behesht Zahra, Martyr’s Cemetery. War is savage. Brutal. The aftermath of this savageness is displayed in full at the Behesht Zahra cemetery outside of Tehran. These losses are the results of a nearly 8 year war between neighbors Iran and Iraq. Over 200,000 martyrs are laid to rest in this sprawling cemetery. Another one million [...]
Khor Virap – Must-See. Khor Virap sits in the shadow of Mt. Ararat, the symbol of Armenia. The Turkish border is a scant five miles away. Khor Virap plays a central role in Armenia’s rich history. Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned in a pit for 14 years in the 3rd century. Eventually, he was released and [...]
Buzludzha Monument - Flying Saucer. Exhilaration and awe. Literally, a giant saucer was suspended on top of Buzludzha Mountain. I stood at 4,700 feet and surveyed the Balkan Mountains. Ashen clouds surrounded the sterile flying saucer. I made my way up the stretched out stone-grey staircase of what appeared to be Captain America’s evil enemy’s secret [...]
Tank Cemetery of Asmara. In the near outskirts of Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, lays an odd site. Hundreds and hundreds of vehicles are stacked upon each other. Many of them are military vehicles and tanks. Many of these war machines are spoils of war with Eritrea’s current day neighbor, Ethiopia. https://youtu.be/5vwv_ErX0u4 Eritrea became part of [...]
Rila Monastery – Must-See. As the world becomes smaller, and all apparent information seems to be accessible in a nano-second over the World Wide Web, it becomes more difficult to become wowed when traveling. I recently had a great surprise when visiting Rila Monastery. I knew when perusing Lonely Planet, that Rila Monastery was a must-see. [...]
Pink Mosque - Must-See. The Pink Mosque in Shiraz, Iran epitomizes vibrant magnificence. Beautiful hues dance delicately through stained glass windows and decorate the Persian carpets and the mosaic covered walls. Nasir ol Molk Mosque, the Pink Mosque, was completed in 1888. The pictures speak for themselves, make sure you visit early in the morning for the [...]
Picture perfect Bruges. Krakow, Prague, Dubrovnik, Tallinn are some of the most beautiful and perfectly preserved cities in Europe. But arguably, Bruges should be on top of this list. Bruges, located in the northern part of Belgium, dates back to the 9th century. Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a medieval masterpiece. Canals crisscross the [...]
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