Checkpoint Hebron
The red X above our heads lighted on as another person passed the full height metal turnstile. The woman with a child in her arms pushed the revolving bars and presented her ID to the soldier. I’m next so I prepare my backpack for the …
Bethlehem essentials
A handful of photos from Bethlehem, Palestine. Some with commentary. Have a nice walk. The immortal combo of coffee and cardamom – the smell of the Middle East! Broad beans are another regional favorite. To beer or not to beer? Haram or halal? While the …
Sayram: of saints and samsas
On the surface it’s an unassuming dusty little town, but Sayram (Сайрам) is known over Kazakhstan and Central Asia for being the resting place of many holy men and called “a city of countless saints” («Сайрамда бар сансыз баб»). While researching the things worth seeing …
Donglianhua 东莲花
An old Muslim settlement in central Yunnan. Here are some photographs from Donglianhua 东莲花, an ancient village near Weishan. It is inhabited by people of the Islam-adhering Hui minority (回族). The name of the village literally translates as “East Lotus Flower”. Historians generally assume that …
