The moon rises over the old city in Prague.
For more loony pictures of Prague, click here.
Growing up, veal paprikash was one of my favorite foods. My grandparents used to make it once every visit. My grandfather traces his roots back to Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic and Slovakia thanks to the velvet [...] Read more »
For more graphic pictures of the East Side Gallery, click here.
There were lots of things I saw in Berlin that were worth seeing. Still, the one thing that stuck with me was the East Side Gallery. This post won’t have any commentary or interesting notes. Instead, the artwork of the East Side Gallery stands beautifully [...] Read more »
A German eagle, symbol of the fatherland, sits defaced in backlash against the Third Reich in Berlin.
For more uberpolitical photos of Germany, click here.
“I’m being straight with you and-this is important so pay attention-if you had any other parents, they’d be telling you little lies that would eventually add up to your [...] Read more »
It is pure happenstance that I’m sleeping across the way from an old man. Across the aisle, he slips his suitcase beneath the bed and pulls out a bottle of Pilsner.
“Smart man,” I say, smiling and nodding at him. I’m still a little bit buzzed from Oktoberfest.
“Just a few sips before bed,” he says. [...] Read more »
Oktoberfest glows far below the grand church steeple, its carnival secondary only to beer.
For more blotto pictures of Germany, click here.
“Oh man, I love Germany,” Matt tells me. The trains are flowing like beer at Oktoberfest: quickly, freely, and with a regularity that’s both beautiful for its efficiency and scary for its monumental size. [...] Read more »
The gate of Dachau reads, “ARBEIT MACHT FREI.” It means, “work will set you free.”
For more pictures of Dachau and Germany, click here.
“Not yet. Not yet, Ben,” I tell myself. I can feel the tears welling up. “You’ve still got more to see.”
Only 20 minutes ago did I walk through the gate marked Arbeit [...] Read more »
Matt says the 1st Athens hip hop festival is number 1. Or it will be when it happens.
For more A-number 1 photo enforcing in Greece, click here.
“If we’re lucky,” I say, “the lines at the Agora will be small in comparison to the Acropolis and save us some time.” It’s the first [...] Read more »
The sleepy town of Sitia glows in the dusk light from our hotel window.
For more wispy photos of Greece, click here.
My bag rattles on the cobbled streets of Sitia, a sleepy town on Eastern Crete. Matt’s told me he finds the sound annoying and, to be honest, I do too. One of my favorite [...] Read more »
The Palace of the Grand Masters towers over Rhodes Town as the sun goes down.
For more medieval pictures of Greece, click here.
I feel a rap on my shoulder. I’m suddenly aware that it must be the second or third that Matt’s applied.
“Come on. We’re here.”
I can’t tell the difference between being moving [...] Read more »
Fairy Chimneys, the quintessential Cappadocian feature, stand starkly against the clear sky.
The entire region was volcanic basalt, and, over centuries, wind and rain eroded these structures.
For more geolocial pictures of Turkey, click here.
During our journey through Cappadocia, we stumbled upon this odd manuscript that, in many ways, paralleled our own travels. I was really hoping [...] Read more »
A desert Rose blooms outside of Derinkuyu, the largest underground city in Cappadocia.
For more delicate pictures of Turkey, click here.
“So you’re fasting?”
“Yes,” she replies.
“For Ramadan?”
“Yes.”
“Do you do anything special to break the fast?” I ask. Sure, it’s a little bit of a set up, but I’m also curious. All my Muslim friends over the years [...] Read more »
A cat perches in a ruined wall in Ankara, staring as some stray dogs further down the hill.
For more feline photos of Turkey, click here.
“This reminds me a lot of Eastern Europe,” I comment to Matt as another vintage car spills down the busy streets of Ankara. The capital of Turkey wasn’t really supposed to [...] Read more »
The Blue Mosque is silhouetted along the Istanbul skyline at sunset.
For more golden photos of Turkey, click here.
“I think I’m falling in love,” I whisper to Matt, the breeze from the Bosphorus blowing cool droplets of water across our faces.
“I haven’t even seen you attempt to talk to a girl this trip,” Matt says, one [...] Read more »
An old sign adorns a shop’s window in Connaught Place, Delhi.
For more electrifying pictures of India, click here.
The explosion echoes from Connaught Place. We all turn, our heads craned at awkward angles due to the way we’re crammed into our auto rickshaw.
“Whoa,” says Gina.
“It’s probably just fireworks,” responds Emilie. “They set off fireworks all [...] Read more »
The sun crests over the Jaisalmer Fort as the city begins to wake up.
For more stunning pictures of India, click here.
It’s 5 AM in Jaisalmer and I’m up too early. A half hour ago, my alarm went off as I dozed on the cool rooftop. Despite being in the middle of desert, the nights [...] Read more »
Tibetan prayer flags flutter on barbed wire, indicative of the mix of peace and reality in McLeod Ganj.
For more poignant photos of India, click here.
The beggars come at us from all angles. They’re waiting outside our hotels and stalking our destinations. They come up to us at tables while we drink and catch us [...] Read more »
Gina, wrapped in a scarf to ward off the cold, sips tea at a cafe literally inside a cloud.
For more chilly pictures of India, click here.
It’s cold in the Himalayas. I guess that’s an obvious statement. I expected it to be cool, but not cold. Dharmasala and McLeod Ganj don’t even reach [...] Read more »
Welcome to India! It’s just what you expected, right?
For more perturbed photos of India, click here.
Have you ever read a book in which everything goes right? The hero or heroine wakes up, has a wonderful breakfast with his or her perfect family, has an excellent day, comes home for a lovely dinner, and goes [...] Read more »
Amritsar is the largest city in the Punjab region of India, a mere 30 KM from the Pakistan border.
For more Punjabi pictures of India, click here.
There’s a chorus of relief as we flop onto our bed in our spacious room in Amritsar. It’s expected that the overnight train from Delhi would wipe us out, [...] Read more »
The busy streets of old Delhi bustle all kinds of traffic at all times of day.
For more hotheaded photos of India, click here.
The streets of Delhi are paved, if you can call it that, with shoddy asphalt and broken cement. Stretches of dirt, deep potholes, and trenches filled with liquid I can only hope [...] Read more »