by Matthew Allison | Dec 16, 2013 | Asia
A Winter Ascent of Mount Nemrut December 2013: I traveled to central Turkey with one goal in mind—climbing Mount Nemrut in winter. Known for its towering ancient statues and massive stone heads, Nemrut is one of Turkey’s most famous archaeological sites, typically...
by Matthew Allison | Dec 15, 2013 | Asia
December 2013: I visited Georgia twice. Once on a 4-day trip to see Kazbegi and Gori in 2013 via a private car and driver I hired and again in 2018 to travel across thee far west of the country for a few days from Armenia to eastern Turkey. I knew that when I first...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 24, 2013 | Africa
Journey into Dogon Country, Mali November 2013: A Solo Adventure in One of West Africa’s Most Enigmatic Regions Why Mali? Why Then? In November 2013, I traveled to Mali for a week to trek through Dogon Country, a remote and otherworldly region in central Mali known...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 10, 2013 | Africa
Day Trip to Marrakesh: Navigating Morocco’s Ancient Medina First Impressions of Marrakesh November 2013: Over the years, I’d found myself repeatedly passing through Casablanca on brief, overnight stopovers, but never venturing far beyond the airport or...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 9, 2013 | Africa
November 2013: An Unplanned Country Dakar Nights and West African Characters The day began like any other in Dakar—recovering from a night out that involved beach bars and conversations with an intriguing new American acquaintance. He was one of those characters you...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 7, 2013 | Middle East
Road Tripping Across Oman: A Gulf Adventure In November 2013, as part of a two-week trip through Djibouti, Somaliland, and Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, I made a stop in Dubai to visit my friend Evan, who was living there at the time. From there, we drove his car...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 5, 2013 | Middle East
Exploring Kuwait: A Gulf War Memory and a Unique Stopover November 2013: Kuwait wasn’t originally at the top of my Middle Eastern travel list, but when planning a long 20-something-day journey through the Middle East and West Africa, I saw an opportunity. The main...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 4, 2013 | Africa
November 2013: Sierra Leone A Journey Shaped by History, War, and Wildlife A Nation Founded on Freedom Sierra Leone shares a striking historical parallel with neighboring Liberia. Both countries were established as destinations for the resettlement of freed African...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 4, 2013 | Africa
Liberia: Surf, Civil War Shadows, and America’s Only Colony in Africa November 2013 Journey As part of a 20-day trip across Asia and Africa that included Kuwait, the UAE, Socotra (Yemen), Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, I carved out three days in Liberia. My goals...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 2, 2013 | Middle East
Return to Yemen: My Obsession with Socotra The Missed Opportunity (2007) In 2007, I made my first journey to Yemen—but for some strange reason, I didn’t go to Socotra Island. At the time, it just didn’t call to me the way it later would. It wasn’t until around 2010...
