Experiences
A loop around Poland
A loop around Poland Enchanting trails of Bieszczady mountains First, we pick the most interesting places of Poland and then decide to spend around one month to follow the loop inside our country. We do our best to keep a safe distance of a hundred kilometers from the capital, as in order to stay a…
Read MoreBialowieza National Park
Białowieża National Park King of the Białowieża Forest Poland’s journey from west to east takes thirteen hours and is getting longer every year. More cars imply increased traffic, while road surface of inferior quality needs constant repairs. The repairs are carried out in an absurd manner. This involves simultaneously digging up a dozen sections of…
Read MoreSegovia (Spain)
Segovia Roman aqueduct in Segovia Segovia is a small town located north of Madrid. Like Toledo, fits perfectly for a one day excursion off the capital. The first impression is formed shortly upon the arrival. It is a deserted city. No, that is not. It’s just a siesta time, giving an opportunity to see the…
Read MoreGibraltar, a sunny rock filled with monkeys
Intrusive monkeys have no limits Gibraltar is a place of numerous disputes over the centuries. The territory once conquered and ruled by the Berbers in 711 A.D. had been waiting more than seven centuries to get back into the hands of the Spaniards. Not for long because in 1704 during the Spanish Succession War territory…
Read MoreCadiz, the Europe’s oldest city
Cadiz, the Europe’s oldest city Low tide at the fortress in Cádiz A bit after six, still cold, however we decide to rest on a beach. Every fifteen minutes more sunlight timidly emerge from behind coastal high-rises. The next comes breakfast. We order churros in a nearby bar. These are disgustingly fat and excessively sweetened…
Read MoreA family in el Escorial
A family in el Escorial A dinner with Patricia’s family in el Escorial Patricia invites me for a couple of days to visit her family in el Escorial near Madrid. That is an interesting possibility to get to know her hometown and see how a typical Spanish family lives. Our walk from a bus stop…
Read MoreToledo (Spain)
Toledo Alcázar de Toledo Toledo is a small town located about an hour south of Madrid. While in the capital, it is also worth to spend some time out on a fresh provincial air around. Toledo is definitely one of the most interesting one-day excursions. Getting off at the bus station I see a rising…
Read MoreSan Fermin Festival in Pamplona
San Fermin Festival in Pamplona Bull chasing people in the streets of Pamplona San Fermín is an annual week-long festival taking place 6-14 July in Pamplona. The history of bull chasing goes back to the fourteenth century and since 1592 has been in the same form every year. I travel half of Spain for a…
Read MoreSpanish Corrida
Capeador waiting for the enraged bull to charge Corrida at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid brings the essence of Spanish tradition. A massive 65 meter diameter arena makes it one of the largest sites of that kind in the world. It has a simple design. Sandy area with a well-marked range,…
Read MoreThe heart of Spain
In the middle of Spain Rabbit pate topped with walnuts and garlic butter with shrimp Spain is a voluptuous country. Not only because of the local Iberian cuisine. It is also a lack of haste and a slow pace of life. Its culture and casual people with their easy-going outlook on life which does not…
Read MoreBarcelona, the European theme park
Barcelona, the European theme park A view of Barcelona from Park Guell “A European theme park“, a guy from bike rental shop told me in Madrid. I asked him to describe Barcelona in one sentence. Some say that the capital of Catalonia has nothing to do with the real Spain. One thing is certain. Barcelona…
Read MoreThe unfair world
The unfair world A hole of a place in New Delhi The question "What is India like?" is the hardest one you can ask a person visiting this country. India is beautiful but the beauty has to be discovered. How would you describe a country so incredibly diverse in terms of climate and landscape. Also…
Read MoreInside New Delhi
Paharganj, a globetrotter district in New Delhi Delhi is a big behemoth. The poverty and the wealth is visible every step you take. Actually, there is more of that poverty. Sites such as Howri Bazaar can be regarded as the ultimate representation of disorder. Merchants engage in sale of everything I can think of. The…
Read MoreThrough India to Diu island
Through India to Diu island A boy playing cricket, an Indian national sport It’s Wednesday and the deadline is tight as we have an appointment in a few days on Diu island in southern Gujarat. To get there we have to cross nearly half of India! There are no highways. We transfer in Jaipur, known…
Read MoreUpstream Ganges river
Upstream Ganges river Loading the boat on the Ganges, Rishikesh An early morning wake-up to check-out the Star Palace Hotel. We leave our luggage to take advantage of an entire day in New Delhi. As for now we have no concept how to handle lack of connections to Varanassi. Problems should not be solved before…
Read MoreKashmir
Kashmir Valley Shikara on Dal Lake, Srinagar Kashmir and the Pakistani-Indian border is a region of long lasting dispute. All the time the area remains restricted for visitors. Once in New Delhi we have to take obtain permission to enter Kashmir. We hire a jeep and our driver is supposed to take care of any…
Read MoreBritish Columbia, the outdoor paradise
British Columbia Downhill in Whistler A journey to the south-western Canada. Province of British Columbia is considered to be one of the most beautiful places of the globe. Its wild nature, rainforests, mild climate, ocean coastline, plethora of mountain hiking trails and ideal spots for winter sports do the job. A low impact of destructive…
Read MoreCanadian cuisine made in Asia
Canadian cuisine made in Asia Spices and herbs in Chinatown Vancouver has lots of shops, restaurants and bars, as in every big city. Both small groceries and giant shopping malls. A few decades ago wealthy Asians from Hong Kong started to buy Vancouver apartments in excessive amounts. Their investment contributed to a real estate boom.…
Read MoreVancouver, probably the best city in the world
Vancouver Canada Place, Vancouver Vancouver, a city said to be the best place to live in the world. To which extend it may be true? I made a decision to find it out on my own. The first steps in Canada are not the easiest. The very first welcoming gesture is a detailed security check…
Read MoreNicaragua and chicken buses
Reliable chicken bus Our bus stops roughly a kilometer before the border. From this point onward we have to walk. It is raining and it is already dark. Barely visible deep holes on the road are filled with water. Border area after dark is dangerous, but we have to leave Honduras in some way. Perhaps…
Read MoreEl Salvador and pupusas
El Salvador Pupusas at stall in San Salvador El Salvador (Spanish: El Salvador) is a country often bypassed by tourists, definitely not lying on beaten itineraries going through Central America. So is the decision to deviate from the typical route and visit the mysterious el Salvador. The road leading from Honduras has numerous passes and…
Read MoreHonduras and coffee plantations
Dorcia with two Honduran girls Copán is neat and peaceful town. Large variations in elevation, steep streets and plentiful palm trees make an orientation easier. Urban transport is carried out by red rickshaws ubiquitous on cobbled streets. After a long search we finally find a place resembling a bus stop. An additional difficulty to leave…
Read MoreGuatemala, lagoons and volcanoes on fire
Early morning at Laguna Lachua Our minibus is runs into a deep pool of lime dirt. The vehicle gets dark inside and driving visibility is reduced to zero. We stop to wash the windshield. A few more hours on a bumpy road towards Flores, the town located in northern Guatemala. Passing the colorful buildings and…
Read MoreHidden beauty of Belize
Beach bar on the island of Caye Caulker The flight from Miami approaches the Yucatan peninsula. We land at the airport located half an hour from Belize City. Terminal looks quite unusual, more like a bus station back in the 80’s rather than a modern establishment. People queue up waiting to be handed in their…
Read MoreInspired by Central America
Honduras girls selling dolls Let’s take a look at the map of the world. The Central America is almost negligible piece of it. Despite the modest size it is a very interesting region. No one would suppose that such a small area would bring so such diversity. Belize, a country with beautiful beaches of the…
Read MoreThe taste of adventure
Caye Caulker, Belize Traveling to Central America resulted in new inspirations. Fabulous Caye Caulker island in Belize is a place where time is irrelevant and the only problem is to open a coconut. A hitch-hike ride on a truck full of pineapples and limes is by far better than riding limo. Every experience has its…
Read MoreArizona, Nevada and endless desert
Vegetation on the Mojave Desert Weather anomalies. Beautiful, wild and uninhibited nature. Scorching hot deserts. Strictly monochromatic scenery. People and surroundings born in the wild west. Arizona and Nevada. The two states, which despite the common border, currency and language are so much unlike California that it’s easier to talk about differences than similarities. We’ll…
Read MoreFeel California Summer
Surfers in Huntington Beach Sometimes all you need is a good place to rest and spend some time with not much of wandering around. California sounds perfect. Now that I found a cheap flights the opportunity at fingertips. There remains only the task to find a good company for such a trip. In fact it…
Read MoreX-Games 13th edition
Stylish Lazy Boy On Saturday, August 8 2007 is the X-Games 13 competition. This is the most prestigious extreme sports event in the world. Being able to see the X-Games means for me the same as it would be to watch live the final of the World Cup for football fans. X-Games has an unique…
Read MoreAfter a long period of silence…
Riding beach cruiser … Events of recent months have gained staggering momentum. All the time things keep happening. A new situations are positively shocking and unforgettable, yet some not very desirable also inevitably happen. Both things I have been expecting for a long time and those which I would never expect to happen. Almost every…
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