cookies & a competition
Lurgy has struck our house like putrid lightning. Sorry for the delay in my otherwise thrilling travelogues. Today I give you a brief peek at Russian novelty biscuits. Mass produced snack foods in any country are by turns intriguing and perplexing. What counts as junk food and how it is marketed in various locales is … Continue reading
like Marbles, but better
Night falls quickly in the mountains. There is a brief lull between after dinner tea and the blinding darkness. A darkness that comes so thick and fast it makes brushing teeth in the far-away, bug-ridden, and pitch-black outhouse seem highly optional. But in this in-between moment where the day ends and night hasn’t yet started … Continue reading
Yurts 201: Reeds & Rats
So remember those Yurts I showed you? Super awesome, right? Well, like any good vacation story, they come with some (I’m going to say hilarious because that’s how I hope I will look back on them in 20 years) downsides. You’ll remember that the reed mats yurts are lined with are hella hard work. I … Continue reading
The Darker Truths
Upon reflection, I make this trip sound like it was a fairy tale. It was. But a real, proper Grimm’s fairy tale where people are drawn and quartered and there is as much misery as there is joy. Don’t get me wrong. There was joy. Tons of it. In no particular order this included: singing … Continue reading
The Kyrgyz Landscape
Legend has it that God created the world in six days and then took a rest, relaxing in all he had made. Afterward, all the peoples of the earth came to his resting place to pay him homage. He gifted each tribe with a corner of the world in which to grow and prosper. But … Continue reading
Yurt 101
Yurts are the traditional round houses of nomadic Asian tribes (should you want details on its origins (hint: it’s not Mongolian) – see here). A yurt is vaguely equivalent to a teepee in that it was originally intended as a permanent home for communities on the go. You can put one up and take it … Continue reading
Our adventure has been mindblowing, awe-inspiring and (on occasion) terrifying. Imagine a country which is old world and romantic, in a landscape both rugged and wild. The best and worst of fairy tales brought to life – and alive it most certainly is. When I get over the culture shock of homecoming and finally trawl … Continue reading
Light Travels in August
I am currently in Kyrgyzstan – midway through my three-legged August. First, we went to an island in the English Channel for some Shakespeare. It’s a National Trust property, and an excellently English summer evening. Adorable. By the time you are reading this, I am probably camping with sheep some 4,000 miles above sea-level. Google … Continue reading
Bon Voyages…
This weekend my grandmother left the world as we know it. And in her brilliantly stubborn way, she did so exactly like she would have chosen to do so: In her house, with her nails done and with all of her family laughing and telling stories in the kitchen. It went very quickly, too quickly … Continue reading
All the (Olympic) Bells
The Olympics are coming! Sure. You are skeptical of my enthusiasm. I get it. There has been much criticism, confusion and downright buffoonery in the lead up the games. I mean, a rights monopoly on all potato-based sticks in the area is a very odd battle ground no matter where you live. And drivers getting … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 