Posts/Entries
All posts/entries, for now, from 15+ years of global travel. Oh, and a few tags, too.
Dandong, China
“The bridge, what’s left of it a well preserved and a popular tourist attraction, ends abruptly in a mass of twisted metal about half way across the river, a abundance of Chinese flags, piped revolutionary music and a huge screen looping Korea War footage there to accompany you as you peer the rest of the way into the curiosity that is North Korea, the world’s very last Stalinist dictatorship.”
Beijing, China (2017)
“It’s people getting in my way, always in my fuckin’ way, as is their want; it’s their country, after all, and I’m the impostor. It’s barriers and mass crowd control. It’s a very visible police presence and people in officialdom… seemingly standing around doing absolutely nothing while actually policing subjugation and overseeing mass societal conformity…It’s basically the same as it always was, the ever-present push to modernise aside, on this my 7th visit to the capital of the world’s superpower wannabe…”
Seoul, South Korea (2017)
”Conscious that any visit these days could be my last, I’ve made a point on this sweaty saunter down memory lane of revisiting & photographing places & landmarks that I’ve photographed many times over the years. I’ve also gotten acquainted & photographed landmarks that weren’t even around when last I was. Dynamic Seoul – a city slogan – indeed.”
The DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), Korea
”A poignant bridge to nowhere; rusting Korean War remnants; a polished but deserted train station; infiltrating The Third Infiltration Tunnel; & trying to espy the illusion of activity in a North Korean propaganda village.”
The Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
“The spectacular topography of the 88 km² bay… means there isn’t a whole lot of room in which to squeeze those picturesque Medieval walled Old Towns. There’s even less room for roads. But roads there are and with a shoreline of some 110 kilometers that equates to over 100 kilometres of winding, one-lane, water-hugging driving delights while skirting the feet of steep mountains. It’s a geographical setting rivalled by very few places on earth, if any.”
Lovcen National Park, Montenegro
“And what an approach it was, the steep, narrow hairpin-happy P1 snaking up the hills behind Kotor providing epic Bay of Kotor vistas. I lost count of the amount of times I stopped to savour the views on the so-called Kotor Serpentine, and that was even before I reached the the lofty heights of the highest mausoleum in the world.”
Budva, Montenegro
“Budva, the Montenegrin Miami, may be the place to come for an all-night Adriatic Coast party come the summer months, but even through a hangover I suspect one will still appreciate the town’s gorgeous walled Old Town (yes, of course Budva has one of those), its beaches and its setting on Montenegro’s stunning 30-kilometre-long Riviera coast.”
Podgorica, Montenegro
“While I’m glad I stopped by, there’s really not a whole lot to see in the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica, the few hours it took me this afternoon to walk a loop of the city from the bus station and back again more than sufficient time to sample what is on offer. The city, Europe’s newest capital city and one of its smallest, doesn’t attract too many of my ilk, that much plainly obvious.”
Cape Town & Environs
“Cape Town’s spectacular geographical setting and all the outdoorsy adventure options that that presents might by itself be enough to lure some, but the region’s vineyards, agreeable climate, beaches, European colonial-era architecture (& history) and epic coastal drives, among other attractions, would, I’d imagine, deter very few.”
Epic US Road Trip 2016 – Introduction
Epic indeed. Thirty-six days of driving 9,510 miles through 26 States. Exploring the US, the world’s ultimate road-trippin’ destination, as it’s meant to be explored.
Epic US Road Trip 2016 – The Upper Midwest
Wisconsin & Minnesota – Days 1-3 (of 36) – 700 Miles (of 9,510)