“You are late. Hurry up,” an unknown man intoned. My face scrunched up. I was an hour and forty-five minute early for my short domestic flight in Ethiopia: Lalibela to Addis Ababa. How was I late? And who was this guy? The Airline He grabbed my bag and dragged it over to the singular counter. The [...]
What do I have in common with Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Edward Fowle? No, we are all not serial killers. But we have all gone on vacation to North Korea. The difference ends there. Miller and Fowle are in jail in North Korea, and I am back home, writing this story. North Korea aka the [...]
Why should you visit Belarus? President Alexander Lukashenko is known as the “last dictator of Europe”. He has been in power since 1994, winning four elections. He rules the country with a totalitarian-Stalinist fist. Minsk, the capital, at first appearance is a pleasant and relaxed city. This initial impression belies a darker reality. Dissent is not [...]
Someone please wake up Belarus. I mean really shake them up, maybe a sharp slap in the face. Let them know the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. You are free! Take down your statues of Lenin. Remove the Soviet red stars. Disband your police state. Until then, realize that Belarus does not want you to visit. [...]
Somaliland, An Overview Somaliland has its own currency, military, government, and requires a Somaliland visa to enter the country. Yet, there are 193 countries in the United Nations and not one of those countries recognize Somaliland as an independent, sovereign nation. In fact, type in Somaliland into Google Map and the country does not exist. Somaliland [...]
Walking The Streets Of Hargeisa, Somaliland I will be honest; there are not a lot of traditional tourist haunts in Somaliland. A lot of it, is simply soaking in the atmosphere. There is no better place to start then strolling the dusty and cluttered streets of the capital Hargeisa. If you are staying at the Oriental [...]
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