By all historical accounts, Istanbul was the place to be during the height of the Ottoman Empire. It was the central nervous system of a vastly expanded territory. Wonderous riches poured in from all directions. Caravans traveling down the Silk Road, the Spice Road, all made their way to Istanbul to sell [...]

Recently, I have had a reality check of the most serious variety. It has occurred to me that the gravy train that I have been on for the last four years is about to come to a screeching halt.
I’ve had a good haul on this train, that’s for sure. Hard life [...]

Kebap is not just a food in Turkey; it’s a way of life. I had no real concept of what kebap was before moving here. First off, we say, “kabob” in States and that usually comes after “shish”. This thing that we call shish kabob is actually what is known here as [...]

Years ago, my brother Nick accompanied me on a dream vacation to the Peruvian Amazon. The following is an excerpt of a short story about a trip that changed both our lives.
On the third day, we came to breakfast and met our new lodge mates. We’ll call them the Calvers. They were [...]