Faraway Places — 2023

Chad was never high on my Must See list. It’s one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the

Until now, I’d never been to Nigeria. Although I’ve tried to get a Nigerian tourist visa five times, I’ve been

Good news! Algeria has relaxed its conditions of entry for foreign travelers. For years, I’ve wanted to visit Algeria, so

In August, I spent a night in Ukraine en route from Romania to Moldova. One night hardly does justice to

Syria is now open to American tourists! For several years, Syria has been closed to Americans. This past summer, Syria’s

The most famous landmark in Turkmenistan and my main reason for going there was to see the Darvaza Gas Crater,

There are two autonomous territories within Moldova where the inhabitants aren’t Moldovans. The first of these territories is Gagauzia, a

Until I met Natalia — a native Moldovan — I’d never thought about visiting this country. I had to google

My Romanian road-trip led to the hallowed Putna Monastery where Saint Stephen is buried. From Putna, it’s only 14 kilometers

After a week traveling through the northern half of Romania, I’m impressed by what a wonderful country this is. I’ve