The ancient Silk Road city of Merv in the Karakum desert (Turkic for “Black Sand”) reminds me of a bit of the fate of ancient Carthage. Tracing its origins to the 3rd century BC, it was the largest city in the world in the 12th century only to be razed to the ground some 300Continue reading “Oasis of Sand”
Tag Archives: UNESCO
Friday Evening Traffic Jam, Turkmenistan Style
Don’t you just hate it when you’re on your way to visit a ancient city that’s been abandoned for 500 years and you’re held up by a herd of camels? Yeah, me too. I mean who wouldn’t want to just gawk at these magnificent ‘ships of the desert’ as they slowly made their way alongContinue reading “Friday Evening Traffic Jam, Turkmenistan Style”
The End of the Yellow Brick Road
The phrase ‘lost to the sands of time’ tends to conjure up thoughts of mighty empires that have faded away into the desert. Nisa, the first capital of the Parthians, is no different in the dusty hills a short distance outside of Ashgabat. The spectacular mountaintop setting on what is now the Turkmenistan/Iran border beliesContinue reading “The End of the Yellow Brick Road”
Pasargadae: How Alexander the Great and UNESCO saved it
Pasargadae looks pretty barren today and its simple remains says nothing of how great of a leader Cyprus was to Persia. The limestone tomb contained a golden coffin which rested on top of a table also made of gold. Tall trees, flower beds, pools and waterways encircled the resting place of Cyprus the Great.Continue reading “Pasargadae: How Alexander the Great and UNESCO saved it”
Hoi An..better part of the Banana Pancake Trail
It’s no wonder Hoi An is on most travelers itineraries while visiting Vietnam and South East Asia. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, a place to do some serious shopping and learn how to cook authentic Vietnamese food by a trained chef. Hoi An represents everything Vietnam is and more. French, japanese and chinese influencesContinue reading “Hoi An..better part of the Banana Pancake Trail”
Farflungistan 