I arrived on the Greek Island of Lesvos on the day the number of refugees arriving in Greece from Turkey reached 1 million. Almost half of them came to this island of 90,000 residents on the way to Germany, Scandinavia, any place that will take them. Continue reading
The minarets of the mosque near Khan al Khalili
Egypt is a remarkable place, a window into human history that is unlike anyplace I have ever visited. Now is a great time to visit because you won’t be competing with a lot of other tourists and your Egyptian hosts will be more grateful than ever. Continue reading
On my first morning back in Cairo, I declined my hotel’s offer to enjoy a $31 breakfast and hopped a cab to Zooba. Zooba is in the leafy Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo and features local produce, healthy updates to traditional dishes, and a communal table. Sounds like Oakland. Continue reading
Yalla yalla is Arabic for “come on, let’s go!” and we did. Twenty miles north of Aswan, our falucca docked (maybe more like beached on a sand bar) and we boarded a van for the five hour drive north to Luxor, which provided a quick study of the communities and geography along the Nile. Continue reading
My dancing roomie, Emma, at Abu Simbel
On Saturday, I met my tour group in downtown Cairo. I am not crazy about organized tours partly because when 15 usually white English speakers get out of a van, it’s hard to blend in.
My fight from Athens to Cairo signaled a change in cultures and provided a lesson in how deeply ingrained our prejudices can be. Continue reading
The Erechteion at the Acropolis
Eleutheromania is Greek for “an intense desire for freedom.” The concept of freedom is a very big topic for a very long list of very big names. Continue reading
Oakland parking lot
Street art has become a kind of big deal in some cities. It is an early stage experiment in some places, like Bangkok, and an integral part of the architectural landscape in others, like San Francisco’s Mission District.
Camino Milagro 