Photo of the Week: The Eiffel Tower

This week's photo is a throwback to my first trip outside of the United States, to Europe. My trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower happened to coincide with not only France's Presidency of the Council of the European Union (which rotates between member states every six months), but also on Fête Nationale — or Bastille Day — the day the French celebrate their independence.

Continue reading...

Photo of the Week: Petra

Petra is a historic and archaeological city (named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985) that was established some time around the 6th century BC. The site, nicknamed "The Rose-Red City" was unknown to the Western World until 1812, when it was rediscovered by a Swiss explorer.

Continue reading...

Photo of the Week: Ir David in Jerusalem

Ir David — or the City of David — is Jerusalem's oldest settled neighborhood and a major archaeological site that runs from the South of Temple Mount.

Continue reading...

Photo of the Week: Bangkok Burning

May 19 saw the worst violence Thailand has seen in nearly two decades as the Royal Thai Government handed down orders to crackdown on the red shirt anti-government protesters that have been occupying the city since mid-March. I watched the day’s events unfold from a safe distance in a friend’s apartment-cum-expatriate refugee camp not far from mine, which offers an iconic view of the Bangkok city skyline.

Continue reading...

Photo of the Week: Mui Ne Sand Dunes

Mui Ne is a sleepy little beachside town on the southern coast of Vietnam. Quiet and relaxing, there’s not much else to do besides lounge poolside and work on your tan.

Continue reading...

Photo of the Week: DMZ Zones

While in Hué, I opted to take a day out of the city and on multiple long bus rides to various demilitarized zones throughout Vietnam. Hué and the neighboring villages were some of the most heavily bombed areas during the Vietnam War because of the proximity of the North/South border.

Continue reading...