I’m still, at heart, kind of a nerd. As exciting as hiking through Tajik mountains or road-tripping through the deserts of Mongolia can be, I also cherish the chance to sit and read in quiet beautiful places. All of which I tell you just to justify having gone out of […]
Recent Posts
Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul
Dolmabahce Palace After the overpriced and under-delivered experience of Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace, I remembered that I don’t necessarily HAVE to visit all the special historical tourist sites in any given city. This came up again, immediately, at the Dolmabahce Palace. To be fair to the Turkish board of Tourism, I’m […]
Copenhagen’s Black Diamond
When I’m not trekking in the mountains of Central Asia, the somewhat nerdier side of my character really enjoys beautiful intellectual spaces as well. With that in mind, then, I had to make a stop at Copenhagen’s well-renown Black Diamond. Attached the to historical Royal Library, the Black Diamond is […]
Ruins of Merv: the 12th Century Mother of the World
Ruins of Merv: The 12th Century Mother of the World Ancient beyond ancient, the ancient of Mary was a known settlement as far back as 500 B.C. as part of a Satrapie under the Persian ruler Darius (yes, of 300 fame). Well beyond that, though, the city was also later […]
Istanbul’s Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque: Sultanahmet Camii Quick, think of one thing you know about Istanbul! Those of you who said Hagia Sophia, very good. You can put your hands down. Anybody else? Of the things I knew I HAD to check out in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque was tied […]
Hiking in Xinaliq: Up, Down, and Around Again
Hiking in Xinaliq
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.