Editor’s note: this is the second article of TRT writer Sam Spector’s journey to Uzbekistan. Click here to read the first, about Tashkent. If these two pieces don’t make you want to make this trip, nothing will! For more of Sam’s amazing adventures, click here to visit his index page. Outside of Uzbekistan, if people…
Several years ago, after my first trip to Japan, I wrote an article about how I thought Kyoto was overrated. (Click here to read it.) But fresh off my return trip to my previously least favorite city on the planet, Naples, which led to a redemption of sort, I was excited to go back to…
I’ve done this trip twice, once on each of my journeys to Japan. And both times, it has been among the highlights of my entire time in the country. After all, combining one of the coolest temples in a country full of cool temples with a chance to feed the sacred deer is a day…
Sometimes in travel, plans don’t quite manifest the way we would like. An attraction is unexpectedly closed. Weather doesn’t hold. A place is much different - in a worse way - than its photo. For anyone who has spent any significant time traveling, these things will be part of their experiences; there’s no way to…
In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun, political leader of Japan, by conquering the other factions that made up the home islands. After doing so, he moved the Imperial capital to his home city of Edo, now called Tokyo. This launched the period of Japanese history known as the Edo Period. (Japanese eras are named for…
Sometimes, things just work out. Timing is fortuitous and what might have been a fun activity becomes something incredibly meaningful. This is one of those stories. As regular readers of this website know, I’ve been endeavoring to explore each of Los Angeles’ official historic ethnic neighborhoods. It is one of my favorite parts of my…
Editor’s note: I visited Barcelona in March 2019. However, just a week in - with two weeks remaining in the city - COVID 19 captured the world, and I fled back to California. Sadly, Montserrat was one of the things left unfinished for me. So it is both wonderful and a little sad to read…
Editor’s note: when visiting a major city, I like to plan at least one day trip. It’s a pleasant change of scenery and pace, as well as a chance to see something new while not changing my lodging. This day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is exactly the sort of thing I’d love, and I’m…
In 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and his army conquered Constantinople, putting an end to the Byzantine Empire. (Read more about Constantinople and Byzantine Istanbul here.) The victorious Turks renamed the city Istanbul, moving their capital here, where it remained until the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War One. While…
Editor’s note: Sam Spector captures his take on a place I’ve written about a lot: Cincinnati. My father has lived outside Cincinnati for years, so I am in the area frequently. For a full guide on the city, click here for the Ultimate Guide to Cincinnati. And for more of Sam’s writing, click here to…