Today I took an excursion to Gomboa and Gatún Lake to commune with nature and see some of the birds and wildlife of Panama. There’s really not a lot to write about. It’s all about the visual. Words can’t begin to capture it. And the photos I took with my phone, even though I have…
Deep in the Panamanian jungle along the Chagres River is the Emberá Drúa village, with about 123 residents. After an hour drive north from Panama City, my guide, Miguel, and I arrived at a landing point at the point where the river empties into Lake Alajuela. There we boarded a motorized dugout canoe for a…
I arrived in Panama City yesterday morning, and now have had the better part of two days to see the city. Yesterday I wandered around the old city, Casco Viejo, on my own. Today I had a private tour by car and got to see some other parts of the city, and also visited the…
My first adventure of 2023, a visit to Panama and Colombia, is just over a week away. I had planned to visit Colombia as part of my trip to Machu Picchu and the Galápagos last year. Overseas Adventure Travel had an optional post-trip extension to Colombia for that tour, and I signed up for it. But…
The food in the Caucasus was a joy for me. I am an adventurous eater. There are few things I won’t try. And the the Caucasus offered many opportunities to try some delicious (and not-so-delicious-but-still-interesting) foods. I was often surprised and sometimes delighted by my food adventures in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. This post doesn’t…
The history of religion in the Caucasus is long and complicated. I saw many mosques, churches, monasteries, and monuments, but it would take a lot of study to understand the complex stories about how religious beliefs have shaped the politics and cultures of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. I am not offering much detail here. Just…
The capital cities of Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan are also their countries’ largest cities, and that’s where I spent most of my time. But I visited several smaller cities and towns in the Caucasus, a few on overnights, and others on short day trips or drive-throughs. A few of these had some charm, with attractive…
Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, three small countries in the Caucasus, all gained independence from the Soviet Union at the same time. Before this trip, I expected that Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan, their three capital cities, would all be more or less similar in nature and appearance. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I normally try to blog as I go, but during the last part of my time in the Caucasus, I was on the go so much that I didn’t find time to post updates. I also try to chronicle my daily activities while traveling. But instead, now that I’ve been home a few weeks, I’m…
Two full days in Kutaisi would have been great if the rain hadn’t interfered with some of my plans. Still, this is an interesting city, and some stops on the way here were quite fascinating.
This morning I will be saying ნახვამდის (nakhvamdis, or goodbye) to Tbilisi. My experiences here and on excursions outside the city have filled me with a lot of feelings, too many to recount here.
I had my first day in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital and largest city, yesterday. To say I was charmed is an understatement. My guide, Irakli, took me on a walk that seemed to offer new delights around every corner and up every hill. I was far too engaged and delighted to notice how much we were…
