Not quite the same ring to it, huh? Truer advice has never been told in these pages, though.

Cave trail on the way down to the Pedernales River.

Take, for example, Reimers’ Ranch County Park. The Aunt and I had set out for the day only really intending to visit Hamilton Pool (and then, undoubtedly, head back to Whole Foods for coffee on the balcony and good beer from the walk-in). On the way out of the Pool, though, the gate attendant happened to mentioned another Travis County Park just down the road that would be free admission with the ticket we’d already bought.

For the record this is not tilt-shift, its a very wide aperture. A man has standards, after all.

Being cheap (and knowing how much coffee is at Whole Foods), we of course went. Reimers’ Ranch, another property in the Travis County Parks system, was actually more of a draw to me than Hamilton Pool itself.

Rock climbing on the cliffs overlooking the Pedernales at Reimers’ Ranch.

Not only was there swimming in the Pedernales River, but paths to hike, rocks to climb, and even what appeared to be quite a few miles of promising bike trails. Given the whole ‘wrist surgery’ thing I was dealing with in the US, I never made it back to those mountain bike trails. Next time I’m back in the area, though, its high on my list of priorities.

This seems like a good place to distinguish between carrion and carry-on. Most airlines have strict rules about these things.

And hey, if all that stuff just bores you to death? They’ve got that covered, too!

The Other Hamilton Pool is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

All smiles at the Nargile cafe.

The nargile cafes of Istanbul, then, satisfy a very smoky and dark part of my personality.

Tea service.

After all they have tea, board games, and hookah pipes. What else does a man need on a rainy evening in Istanbul?

Re-learning the rules of backgammon.

As Mahsum (the guide from my dinner tour in Istanbul) instructed us on the finer parts of backgammon, the smells of apple shisha and taste of rose-hip tea circulated through the place like the very air of life itself.

The college-hookah story definitely came up. It makes for quick ends to a lull in the conversation!

Of course, we did what we could to contribute this this aromatic atmosphere.

I’m pretty sure these beautiful little cafes are quickly becoming my collectively-favorite part of Istanbul.

In Hong Kong this would be an opium den. is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

Taverna “To Akrogiala” in Likos, Crete.

Terribly conveniently for me, I found To Akrogiala in the little village of Likos. I’d actually discovered this place a week or more before I stayed here, invited along to play backgammon and in the end staying all night chatting and drinking house wine with a fairly diverse international crowd who happened to be staying there.

Its the sort of place, though, where there’s simultaneously nothing better to do at night but also nowhere else you’d rather be.

Ferry-front view of Likos.

To even describe Likos as a village is to be a bit generous. In all reality its a pair of guesthouses on a sheltered bay only accessible by foot/boat or by a long winding road that crosses up and down several other roads in the back of beyond.

Left: Kyle, my buddy from high school and soccer and Boy Scouts, who now lives in Crete. Right: Pavlos, the manager/owner of the taverna.

In all reality, though, this is part of the charm of the place! Especially considering its about a 45 walk away (and that at a slow pace) from Loutro, one of the tourist highlights of Southern Crete. While that place gets shoulder-to-shoulder tourists in the busy season, Likos still feels a bit undiscovered. According to Pavlos, the amazingly hospitable and inveterately entertaining proprietor of the place, many of the same guests tend to return here every year or two. If I were going back to Greece, especially with a significant other of some sort, I would definitely make heading back that way a priority.

Of course, time spent at Likos need not all be about R&R. If you ever grow tired of sun chairs and hammocks, there are plenty of beautiful walks along the coast or up tremendous gorges. This is still Crete, after all! And when you get back, Pavlos sells (and harvests from his own bees) some of the tastiest honey I’ve ever tried. No lie.

Thyme honey… try it now. Kyle bought a half liter jug to take home, and I envied him the ability to store it and enjoy it.

That’s all on Crete for now; more to come on those coastal walks and mountain gorges!
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Despite what you might expect, Pavlos and his family provided no sort of sponsorship or consideration of any kind in exchange for this post. I just liked this place that much and think you probably would too!

The Coziest Little Village in Crete is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

Intro to the Loop Trail at Doeskin Ranch.

My mother and aunt now live maybe 45 minutes from each other, one in Austin’s suburbia and one on the approach to the Texas Hill Country. Nearly halfway between them, unexpectedly, is one of quick-and-prettiest little city getaways I’ve found yet near Austin, Tx.

Stereotypical Texas plant life.

In some ways its super Texas. Cacti and rolling hills and whatnot. But there are also unbeatable vistas and ancient-looking-windvanes and fields of wildflowers that explode with color.

Hidden wildflowers in an otherwise dry valley.

How this place remains an unknown commodity is beyond me. It apparently comes to life once a year for a birdwatching festival (two endangered bird species, the Golden-Cheeked Warbler and Black-Capped Vireo, call the Reserve home for parts of the year). Apart from that, I’ve never seen more than one other car in any of Balcones Canyonlands’ parking lots.

Get out and hit that trail!

Live in Austin? Get out here and hike for a day. It may be the most serene and unspoiled couple miles of trail you can find around this city of 800,000.

Doeskin Ranch, Near and Dear is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

View from the front yard of a family in the Fan Mountains.

Though there are some really well-run and welcoming homestays in Tajikistan’s Fan Mountains, they don’t quite cover the whole region.

6th Lake impromptu homestay family.

How fortunate, then, that one can roll into seemingly any village in the region and be reasonably sure of finding a dry warm place to spend a night!

Marguzor village resident, and pretty funny dude.

The idea extends to far more than just a place to crash, though. Everywhere I spent any length of time I inevitably met someone interested in trying to chat, talk about life here or there, and share a pot of tea.

Awesome family, and parents to the cutest child in all of Central Asia (not pictured).

It was, in fact, these experiences that convinced me to move to Bishkek for a while to study Russian. It finally became downright painful to meet so many people who wanted to communicate, and be unable to break past a certain point of vocabulary.

A stop for tea on the roof of the world.

Thanks, again, to all the people who went out of their way to give me a place to sleep or chat over some tea and bread. This is part of what makes Tajikistan (and all of Central Asia) such an amazing place.

The Warm Embrace of Tajikistan is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

If I could go back with no more visa cost/hassle than even the rest of Central Asia? I’d be there for sure. As things stand now, though? Kyrgyzstan sure is nice!

Photo Slideshow: Turkmenistan is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

Taking the very top spot, though, may be one very important thing: FOOD.

I was fortunate enough to be hired to photography a walking food tour of Athens, and it was every bit of delicious.

We sampled the stock at specialty grocers, tasted the sweetness honey kick of loukoumades, and stopped by the freshest of markets for a look at what people were buying to prepare for thee weekend.

The highest of highlights, though?

Kilmataria Taverna. The tour dropped by around lunchtime, and not only did we get a sample of several of the places’ specialties but also an enticing whiff of what was to come for dinner later that night.

Luckily, a couple of my dormmates at my Athens hostel were down to go back later that night and try it out for real.

The only words I really have are ‘amazing’ and ‘authentic’ to describe the experience. The four of us walked in and took a table, and ordered one of (quite possibly THE) best meals I had in Greece. Around 11p, now with a packed house, a live band started playing traditional Greek music.

You know those experiences where you’re surrounded by language and customs entirely foreign, yet the atmosphere is so special and enveloping that you feel like you belong just in that very moment? This was that.

Any friend of mine who ever goes to Athens will get a recommendation for this tour and especially this restaurant. If you ever find yourself in town, make it a priority.

Greek Food For the Win is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

Austin, Tx certainly feels like an abnormal place. Liberal political views surrounded by a sea of red, for one thing. Thrift Shop hipsters, for another. And, of course, the fact that biking is a huge deal in the city.

Austin’s ghost bikes are a reminder, albeit a grim one, of this love of biking. Though their origin is unclear, these ghost bikes pop up around town at the site of fatal accidents between bikes and cars.

I love this progress towards more sustainable transport in major US cities, but this is one of the many things on which we have a long way yet to go.

Keep It Weird is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

Inexplicably, the Pierre Loti Cafe way out in the Eyup district is meant to be a pretty common tourist attraction.

While the view from the hilltop cafe and attached tram are nice, I found the cemetery and mosque down the hill far more interesting to explore.

Perhaps better than either, though, is the ferry ride up the Golden Horn from Karakoy.

Whether spent laughing with local kids or lost in thought, riding these ferries through the waters of Istanbul is always one of my highlights of being in the city.

So, get out there and explore! Maybe skip the cafe, though, in favor of a pensive walk through the neighborhoods instead?

All Eyup is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch

Out on the Rocks at Pedernales Falls.

Among the many parks and natural areas near Austin, Tx one of the ones I’m most anxious to re-visit is Pedernales Falls State Park. Not only is the main Falls area (pictured above) quite beautiful, but there are also less-walked trails in the park that lead down to quiet little rivers that bubble along underneath a cliff-top campsite just begging for a night or two of my time.

Hiking in the backcountry camping at Pedernales Falls.

A quiet spot in the forest.

The hiking isn’t grand and the landscape not epic and vertiginous like many of the amazing regions I’ve had the privilege to trek, but it sings to me as a perfect spot for a quiet weekend’s campout to cool off a river in the heat of a Texas summer.

Little River, just near the cliffs. 

A moment to rest beside the river. Come summer, this place deserves to be a playground for campers.

Props for the discovery to my aunt, by the way, who found the place and dragged me along for a visit. Pedernales Falls is in Johnson City, Tx (just down the highway from her house in Marble Falls) so I’m sure we’ll make it back for another visit next time I’m around there.

Relaxing under the cliffs at Pedernales’ camping area.

Beyond the Falls is a post from Stephen at MonkBoughtLunch