Aitape, Papua New Guinea (July 19, 2017) One day during the First World War, in light of the heavy losses German fighter aircraft were inflicting on Allied reconnaissance aircraft, the Royal Flying Corps made a decision: from now on, reconnaissance aircraft would require an escort of at least three fighter aircraft. The date of that […]
The Vanity of Leaders
Statue of Turkmenbashi in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (2004) When I visited Turkmenistan in 2004, I struggled to put into words my emotional reaction to how its leader, Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (aka Turkmenbashi), demonstrated his sense of grandiosity. There was the golden statue of himself that revolved during the day so that it always faced the sun. […]
30 Years Ago, Leaving On A Jet Plane
Me, about to board a flight from Port Moresby to Singapore (May 9, 1990) When you take a picture and then look at it the following week, it’s a straightforward action: you are looking at a recognizable person or place, an event still fresh. But tuck the picture away a while and then pull it […]
9 Photos: 2019 In Review
It’s that time of year again, when I inadequately summarize the year that was with a line of statistics based on international travel. Here it goes: In 2019, I traveled for 159 days and set foot in nine countries: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China, and South Korea. […]