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February 22 2014

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February 20 2014

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February 19 2014

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February 16 2014

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February 15 2014

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February 14 2014

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February 10 2014

February 09 2014

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"For the people who live there, the upheavals in the Middle East have been disastrous. But for travelers they have also placed many of the region’s great archaeological sites out of bounds, leaving big blanks in the atlas of cultural tours."

Georgia and Armenia: a spiritual journey
http://buff.ly/M0yWOl

January 31 2014

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Real People #29: Just a regular night at a Cotton Candy rooftop party in Beirut. And yes, one girl had dressed up in a wedding dress “just because she felt like it.”

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Real People #28: It’s hard to imagine that a small country like Lebanon has regional cuisine, but it does, and Beirut’s Tawlet (our favorite) specializes in it. Each week they have guest chef from a different region. The expert staff was proudly serving dishes from Zahle.

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Real People #27: The guy passing the sleeping woman was at the Beirut art opening for his friend’s short film premiere and was quite amused by the effects of the free beer and wine. Or perhaps this woman was just tired?

January 25 2014

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Real People #26: We met this ambitious young woman through mutual friends. She runs an excellent arts and crafts shop in Kampala, Uganda, and studies on the side.

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Real people #25: The chef here in an apron is famous in Mbarara, Uganda, for his goat meat. He served it with great pride, and after tasting the meat, it was easy to see why.

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Real people #24: With all of our plastic brooms and trinkets, we have a lot to learn from this Ugandan man’s ingenious use of natural resources.

January 10 2014

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A cool basketball court mural in a small Mayan town by Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. The symbol on the man’s headpiece means wisdom. 

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Real People #23: This woman claimed to be 94-years-old, but she was still going strong, dancing and weaving baskets. Must be the beautiful surroundings on an island on Lake Bunyonyi.

January 04 2014

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Real People #22: On a small, remote island on Lake Bunyonyi, close to the border with Rwanda, we were followed by these cheerful children and were even serenaded by them.

My Top 10 Travel Moments of 2013

As 2013 is coming to an end, I figured it’s a good idea to list my favorite moments on the road this year.  It wasn’t an easy list to make, but here’s my best effort, in no particular order.  And I have to say that the outcome makes me feel very grateful: what a fantastic year.

At the pyramids with no tourists at sight.

At the pyramids with no tourists at sight.

1. Having a long moment alone inside the great pyramid of Giza.  And I really mean alone. Even the guide went outside to give me a moment.  Such tangible, mysterious energy.  (I visited Egypt right after President Morsi was ousted.  Interesting times but worked out well for me: there were no tourists around and yet all was peaceful.)

2. Attending Roger Waters’ The Wall concert in Istanbul and seeing how he incorporated the recent demonstrations there to the show.  The audience’s reaction was as worth seeing as the concert.

The incredible timkat festival in beautiful Lalibela, Ethiopia.

The incredible timkat festival in beautiful Lalibela, Ethiopia.

3. OK this one was pure luck: I happened to arrive in Lalibela, Ethiopia, during the colorful and fascinating timkat festival, which is the Ethiopian Orthodox church’s Epiphany celebration. I even got to join in some of the dancing.

4. Being invited to share a Ramadan dinner with a Nubian family in Aswan, Egypt.  Such incredible hospitality and excellent, spicy Nubian dishes.

The hippos were taking over in the Murchison Falls park: they were everywhere!

The hippos were taking over in the Murchison Falls park: they were everywhere!

5. Sleeping in a safari tent on the banks of River Nile in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda and being woken up by a roaring hippo in the middle of the night. It seemed to be right next to our tent!  A little scary, I have to admit, but also memorable.

The mighty Mount Kazbeg: the view from the Rooms Hotel balcony in Georgia.

The mighty Mount Kazbeg: the view from the Rooms Hotel balcony in Georgia.

6. Waking up in the beautiful Rooms Hotel in Kazbegi, Georgia and seeing the majestic Caucasus Mountains the first thing in the morning from the balcony. I’m a sucker for mountains and this was a top-notch view.

7. A lovely day cycling and having a Turkish mezze picnic with a friend at Princes’ Islands just outside of Istanbul.  A perfect summer day.

The perfect picnic spot on one of the Princes' Islands just outside Istanbul.

The perfect picnic spot on one of the Princes’ Islands just outside Istanbul.

8. After two hours of hiking in a national park forest in Uganda, witnessing chimpanzees in their natural environment.  And trying to get our photographer friend to leave (it was as hard as finding the chimps)!

9. Getting to try khat for the first time with my guide and his friends at their home in Harar, Ethiopia. Fun times! (You really shouldn’t go to Harar and not do it: it’s such a part of their daily lives and khat is exported all over the world from there. Just be warned it takes at least 2 hours to chew the leaves to reach the desired effect.)

At Phesant's Tears dinner in Sighnaghi, Georgia.

At Phesant’s Tears dinner in Sighnaghi, Georgia, learning about the wines from the sommelier.

10. Visiting the vineyards of Pheasant’s Tears boutique winery in Sighnaghi, Georgia, followed by a multi course, organic dinner with wine pairing.  An incredibly tasty evening.

Happy holidays everyone and have an exciting year of 2014, filled with joyous and  unforgettable moments both at home and on the road!

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