by Matthew Allison | Nov 1, 2023 | Asia
Exploring the Cold War Legacy: A Journey to the Polygon, Kazakhstan In November 2023, I traveled to Northeast Kazakhstan for a week, drawn by my fascination with the Soviet era. Kazakhstan was once part of the USSR, and few places embody the Cold War’s tensions and...
by Matthew Allison | Jun 4, 2023 | Asia
May 2023: I first fell in love with the Buddhist regions of the Himalayas in 1998, when I visited Ladakh and Zanskar in northern India, spending several months traveling and trekking in the region. Since then, I’ve returned to trek in Bhutan (2005) and in Tibet...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 10, 2023 | Asia
March 2023: As part of a larger “babymoon” trip through the Pacific Islands, my pregnant wife, Paula, and I spent three days in Taiwan. I had only experienced Taiwan during layovers in the past, so this was my first proper visit. A major motivation for the...
by Matthew Allison | Aug 27, 2022 | Asia
August 2022: After decades of conflict that have seen the majority of Afghanistan unsafe for exploration, the country is now relatively secure for travel. The Taliban insurgents that I avoided during past visits to Afghanistan because they wanted to kill me were now...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 17, 2019 | Asia, Europe
Crossing Into North Ossetia: From the Mountains to Soccer Mayhem September 2019: After visiting the independent but Russia-aligned South Ossetia, we made our way north, crossing over the stunning, snow-covered Caucasus Mountains into Russia’s North Ossetia. Despite...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 5, 2019 | Asia
Break-Away Republics South Ossetia: A Breakaway Republic in a Geopolitical Tug-of-War September 2019: South Ossetia is an independent country in name, but in reality, it is best described as a breakaway republic—a land that has declared independence from its former...
