Nighttime Glow Lava Lake Close-up I was out viewing the lava lake at the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. The lake is deep inside the crater, but part of it is clearly visible. And the lava isn’t just sitting there placidly, it’s continually swirling and bubbling and frolicking to and fro. It was very cool. Not […]
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Nicaragua: Masaya Volcano
January 23, 2020
Saudi Arabia: Madain Saleh
December 28, 2019
I’m at Al Ula in Northern Saudi Arabia. The main local attraction is the ancient city of Madain Saleh. This was the second city of the Nabateans, whose capital was at Petra, and there are many similarities to Petra. There is nothing as grand as the Treasury at Petra, but there are scores of imposing […]
Riyadh: Segregated Starbucks
December 22, 2019
I’m in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a land where much is changing. There are sparkling skyscrapers, Starbucks, Uber, all mixed up together with traditional conservative ways. Here’s a photo of a typical Riyadh Starbucks. Note the two entrances, separated by a wooden wall. The entrance on the left is for “singles” (unaccompanied men) the one on […]
Oslo: Norse Gods
August 6, 2019
On the outer wall of Oslo City Hall are a series of sixteen carved scenes from Norse Mythology. They are one of my favorite sights in the city! Odin rides out on eight-legged Sleipner, with his ravens Huggin (Thought) and Munin (Memory) flying overhead. Opposite is hammer-wielding Thor, riding on his goat-drawn chariot across the […]
Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site
May 15, 2019
I’ve been visiting the old Soviet nuclear weapons test site at Semipalatinsk, aka “the Polygon”. The site isn’t nearly as bad as its rather dire historic reputation – the last 25 years have seen a lot of clean up and containment. The worst areas have either been scraped off and buried, or are fenced off. […]
Semey: A Bronze Titan
May 14, 2019
I’m in Semey, Kazakhstan. The Lonely Planet guide mentions that a backstreet park houses relocated statues of Lenin. I found the park and saw several small Lenins lurking among the trees. But where was the promised “large statue” that once stood in the main square? Then I looked up, and there he was. At somewhat […]
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