14 September 2023
I spend my day looking at stones. If there is one thing the Turks have a lot of it is stones. These stones reflect their many great architectural and archaeological accomplishments over the centuries. Stones are also one of the main reasons I visit Turkey for the fourth time. Archaeologists are always digging and uncovering more ancient history told by its stones. I love it!
(more…)13 September 2023
We ferry from Aceabat across the narrow Dardanelles Strait to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of ancient Troy. In Hollywood, the Trojan War starred Brad Pitt as Achilles, Greece’s great warrior and leader of the Myrmidons. Based upon Homer’s epic poem Iliad, the movie was more action than accurate. Alternatively, the Iliad is terrific Greek theater. Think of it as an American soap opera based upon the theme of “boys will be boys.”
(more…)13 September 2023
The reading of Homer’s great epics is a huge genealogical challenge. Characters are Greek gods and demi-gods, immortals and mortals. Often, they are called “son of” rather than by their given names, which often can be multiples. Also, Romans used their own set of names, adopting but a few from the Greeks.
The best remembered tales are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. However, Virgil’s Aeneid actually describes the sacking of Troy. Myths and tales about the battle for Troy passed down through oral traditions. And everyone knows how all whispering campaigns usually end.
(more…)13 September 2023
For this traveler, two important sites are on my itinerary. One is forever linked with Winston Churchill and the other to Brad Pitt. Both are sites of great historic significance.
(more…)I visited Istanbul in 1981, the population was 2.7 million, about half of whom were carpet salesmen. Tanks and armed military, machine guns with bayonets fixed, occupied the streets. Being ignorant of their politics, I thought perhaps the military was there to keep the street urchins at bay. They were failing – the military not the urchins.
In 2010, I celebrated my birthday in Constantinople. A lot had changed. The military was absent. The street urchins became Gen Xers. I was a bit older and a more knowledgeable and experienced traveler. Istanbul, historically known as Constantinople was the world’s 5th largest city with 12.8 million people in 2010. It now ranks 7th with over 15 million. There still are thousands of carpet salesmen, but distributed among them is a vibrant collection of perhaps the nicest, most helpful people I have ever met. Also, here are the nicest bunch of cats in the world.
(more…)18 July 2023
Mongolia is known for its large, untouched landscapes, including the expansive Gobi Desert, Altai Mountains, and stunning grassy steppes. Jokes about getting lost in its vastness or trying to find a needle in a haystack (or a wild ass in the desert) can be relatable as one treks around this immense country. These treks also produce some interesting experiences both wild and wacky, welcoming and weird, wondrous and wonderful and a few that are godawful.
(more…)Part Two
11-18 July 2023
They are a mix of modern and out-dated. Entrance is reasonable but taking photos requires substantial fees sometimes as high as 30-50,000 Tugrik. Choices for a few hours include:
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