Pyongyang Subway Mysteriousness A surprising highlight of our journey was the Pyongyang subway, which was both exciting and mysterious. Only in North Korea is the subway thrilling. At 110 metres (360 ft) it’s one of the deepest in the world, apparently designed to double as a bomb shelter. The station was bustling with people as […]
Travel Tips
Senegal & The Gambia: Traveling overland from Dakar, Senegal to Banjul, The Gambia
Senegal & The Gambia: Travelling overland from Dakar to the Gambia using public transport! After full week of work plus a few days exploring Dakar, I was ready to move on. Dakar is a truly unique place, rough around the edges, bristling with diversity & full of interesting places. I was anxious to leave the […]
Turkmenistan. 2026 Travel guide – Independently explore this mysterious country
Brando shares how he visited Turkmenistan on a semi independant itenerary, seeing the major sights, in one of the world’s most mysterious countries.
Afghanistan – Independently explore the Ancient City of Herat
I walked alone across the long bridge over the Panj River between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Military vehicles and watchtowers on both ends reminded me that I wasn’t really alone. At the end of the bridge there is a large gate controlling the entrance into Afghanistan. I had a long walk to ponder the wisdom of my decision to travel through Afghanistan, but I was eager to witness the current state of affairs, learn more about Afghani daily life, and see some of the amazingly beautiful sights we hear far too little about.
Stuck in Somalia! (and getting kicked out of Ethiopia for refusing to pay a bribe)
Stuck in Somalia! (and getting kicked out of Ethiopia for refusing to pay a bribe) The first surprise, prior to visiting Somalia in 2008, was when I collected my tourist visa from the Somaliland consulate in Addis Ababa. You know you are going a bit off the beaten tourist track when your visa number is […]
Belarus! Top 5 things to experience in this unique country in 5 days!
Getting in. For a long time, Belarus was one of the most difficult countries to visit. Even more so for curious Americans! Once requiring an arduous and expensive visa dance, with a lot of steps, and a high level of rejections. Belarus would complete my visit of every country in Europe! For years, I had […]
Lebanon
2013-4-21 Lebanon: Beirut, Tripoli, and Byblos A wave of emotions swept over me as my flight from Saudi Arabia descended into Beirut, Lebanon. Undeniably, there was a lot of excitement. For years I had dreamed of the day I would be able to walk the streets of Beirut and Byblos. I met many Lebanese in […]