The Amazing Faces Of Kurdistan, Iraq. Scanning the news on any given day, and it is natural to feel a bit apprehensive. Car bombings, kidnappings, beheadings. But once on the ground, your preconceptions are quickly washed away in a wave of hospitality and welcomes. For several days, I wandered the streets of Erbil, the regional capital [...]
Visiting the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. Corridor after passage after hallway snakes around for over 10 km in length. It is a simple process to get lost. I am floundering, but enjoying myself in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran. Tehran is the incredibly busting capital of Iran. Over 16 million people are jammed into this vast [...]
Eritrean Train. Dots of coal soot polka-dotted my shirt. Droplets of water gently graced my face and arms like a rainbow butterfly-kissing a unicorn. The whistle shrieked and I temporarily covered my ears. My body pressed against the railing on the platform, and I marveled in the presence of the steam engine of the Eritrean railway. [...]
Kurdish Hospitality – Erbil, Iraq’s Mayor. He popped out of his seat, with a wide grin. His speed defied his age. We had only met for a moment the day before, but he recognized me immediately. But to be fair, I stick out in Erbil, Iraq. As you might imagine, there are not many tourists here. [...]
“You like Donald Trump?” “No,” I embarrassedly responded in an awkward tone. “You like Clinton?” “Better than Trump,” I offered. “So Clinton is better than Trump?” “Trump is a stupid man.” I was embarrassed by Trump’s broad anti-Muslim statements. “We are all brothers. Muslim, Christian. All brothers.” He smiled. I lightly touched my right hand to [...]
Visiting the Ayatollah in Iran. I have had some surreal travel experiences during my travels. I have visited the DMZ from an observation deck in North Korea, I have slept over in Chernobyl, and spent a couple of days exploring a country that does not even exist on the edge of Europe, Transnistria. While visiting Iran, [...]
Entering Iran. Not quite business class, but almost felt like an Economy Plus seat. I stretched my feet in the bulkhead area and luxuriated over the two adjacent empty but faded seats. I twisted my head and peered behind me. Head scarves and dark, cheap suits stared back at me. I was the only westerner on [...]
“Down with USA”. I stared at the mural. What did they mean? Down with the USA, like I hope the country becomes a fiery apocalypse? Or, like, yeah, I am down with the USA, they are AOK in my book. This is a conflicting message that travelers are continually confronted with when visiting Iran. At first [...]
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