I’m visiting Eritrea, a small African country which rivals North Korea for isolation and eccentricity. The capital Asmara boasts some good Futurist buildings from the Italian colonial era, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. The most famous is the Fiat Tagliero Building, a quirky Art Deco petrol station in the shape of a airplane, with […]
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Eritrea: Art Deco Gas Station
September 25, 2025
Madagascar: Pugnacious Tenrec
September 14, 2025
I’m in Andasibe, Madagascar. I’ve seen various lemurs, chameleons, geckos, etc, but my favorite animal so far was a tiny baby tenrec. It had bright yellow spines on its head and a blackish body. We had inadvertently cornered it against a stone wall, with no easy escape. So, despite being only about 3 inches long, […]
Mauritius: Dodo Quest
June 27, 2025
I’m on Mauritius, where I successfully hunted down a dodo! It was a very fine dodo. It waggled its little wings and cawed gently at me. Yes, it’s true, the Mauritius Natural History Museum has a very charming animatronic dodo. 🙂 Perhaps more to the point, they also have the only “complete” dodo skeleton, which […]
Burundi: Source du Nil
June 20, 2025
I successfully made it to the Source of the Nile! Well, OK, there are many sources of the Nile, but the people of Burundi confidently assert that their Source du Nil spring is the southernmost source that eventually flows into the Nile. And, just to remove any doubt, it comes complete with an actual pyramid. […]
Frankfurt: Paternoster
April 30, 2025
If you find yourself with some free time in Frankfurt, I recommend hunting down one of their paternosters, a kind of continuously moving step-on-step-off elevator. They are a fine cheap amusement! This time, I snuck in to the library at the University of Frankfurt to visit their two paternosters. These seem to be much beloved […]
India: Bengal Tiger
November 27, 2024
I’m visiting the Bandhavgarh National Park, in Madhya Pradesh, India. The park is famous for its tigers. There’s a good chance you’ll see one over the course of a multi-day visit, but of course there’s no guarantee. My first full-day safari was a washout. And it looked like my second morning was going to be […]
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