The creative works sublime success,Furthering through perseverance. – I Ching Thus, in the middle of modern Beijing a medieval masterwork appears. It’s been renamed Beijing Ancient Observatory and lives on the southwest side of Jianguomen crossroad in Dongcheng District of Beijing. When I had asked our local guide about it, he said it wasn’t open… Continue reading Ancient Astronomy in Beijing China – A Medieval Observatory
Author: Cascoly
I've been exploring and leading trips for over 40 years. climbing & trekkng in the Alps, Andes, North American mountain ranges and the Himalaya. I'm retired from mountaineering now but world travels in Europe, Africa & Asia continue to expand my portfolio. Besides private travel, I now focus on escorting trips to India & Turkey. Other interests include wide reading in history and vegetable gardening / cooking. You can download digital images here, or find images at https://steve-estvanik.pixels.com. We have many thousands of images we haven't displayed yet; so, if you have a special need or request please contact us
Exploring the ‘Other’ Mosques of Istanbul
The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet) & Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) are well-known and are part of the traditional tour of Istanbul’s ancient sites. But there are many other mosques deserving a visit. Here’s an overview of my favorites, over 20 years of visits to this city.
The Rest of Istanbul – What You Missed on Your 1st Day Tour
While our itineraries cover the major sites in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, there are many other attractions in this fascinating city. I always spend few extra days in Istanbul. Here are some of our favorites:
Walking Through History – Georgia & Turkey 2023
We explore traditional and classical sites and seldom visited areas. Originally scheduled for spring 2020, we’re offering these tours starting in April 2023, dependent on pandemic conditions. There are 4 segments which can be combined: Georgia and Northeastern Turkey Southeastern Turkey Lycian Coast light hiking Cappadocia light hiking These can be combined for trips of… Continue reading Walking Through History – Georgia & Turkey 2023
Washington’s Crossing – The 1776 Trenton Campaign
While it could be ripped from today’s headlines, this is actually a book about the American Revolution. This is an impressive work on many levels. It’s an excellent history of George Washington’s first year as commander of the Continental army. It also provides insights into the conduct of the war and the morale of the armies that provided the ultimate success.
Bernard Cornwell’s The Fort: Revolutionary War Expedition
In July 1779, the Penobscot Expedition, a minor event in Revolutionary War history, took place. That year, the British were drawn to the Penobscot peninsula (Castine) for several reasons: because of its potential as a Loyalist refuge, because of its timber for the King’s navy, and because of its strategic naval position and coastal trade.… Continue reading Bernard Cornwell’s The Fort: Revolutionary War Expedition
On Tuesday Visit the Shaman
We’d arrive at out hotel about 5 pm, dripping sweat, but the room had a cooling fan and nominal AC. We had a typical dinner — prawn tandoori and mushroom masala, both excellent ( Wildgrass Restaurant). In an India known for spicy food, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh pride themselves on the hotness of their food. … Continue reading On Tuesday Visit the Shaman
Advice from years of bargaining in souks & bazaars
Here are my subjective general rules and advice for travelers in foreign markets and bazaars gleaned from many years of bargaining in Turkey, Nepal, India, South America, China and North Africa.
Building a Microstock Tracking System – Part 1
How do you organize your thousands of images so you can quickly find that perfect shot from a 2017 trip? The approach below was developed for submitting to microstock agencies, but works for anyone with a large collection of images. With this method it takes only a few minutes for me to find a specific… Continue reading Building a Microstock Tracking System – Part 1
Forgotten books of World War II
I discovered Pipeline to Battle a few years ago, in its original 1943 pocketbook edition, along with yellowed paperback editions of the other books described below. It’s one of a neglected / forgotten series of books written shortly after the war by mostly lower rank active participants. These give a better overall understanding of World… Continue reading Forgotten books of World War II