The first and last time I visited Budapest was in1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember spending time each day taking the tram to the Szechenyi mineral spa in the City Park. At that time the entrance fee was minimal, the massages were rough ups, and men and women had separate areas to […]
Almaty ; Between Two Worlds
The entrance to the apartment in Almaty was the back side of a Soviet era building that had never seen better days. But the online photos seemed promising so Louise booked it on airbnb. A lesson we all should learn, never book anything without reviews. The owner of the apartment lived in the […]
The Journey thru Tajikistan
Traveling through northern Tajikistan into the Pamirs and the Wahkan Corridor, mesmerized by the dramatic beauty of the mountain passes on roads that barely passed as roads, we met cyclists who had ridden across Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan and into Tajikistan on their bicycles. Getting to know two riders, one French, the other Indian, each traveling alone, […]
The Wakhan Valley and Afghanistan
The car kept climbing to a higher altitude as we drove around the sharp curves on a narrow dirt road up to Bibi Hot Springs. Passing the 12th century Yamchun fort hanging on the edge of a cliff, we finally reached the top of the mountain at almost 11,000 feet. The only place to stay for […]