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Epupa Falls: The Gem of Namibia’s Kunene Region
If I had not known any better, I would have thought that Opuwo was the last town one reached before falling off the edge of the world. And yet, as we drove past Opuwo toward the spectacular Epupa Falls, the single road leading past town just kept going. Epupa Falls lies at the end of a road that cuts through desolate and sparsely populated countryside. Other than the ostriches crossing the road and the occasional groups of people sitting in the shade of the baobab trees, there were very few…
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Journey to Northern Namibia: Beyond the Red Line
On January 6th, I crammed into a bus with the other WorldTeach volunteers and braced myself for an eight hour journey to Omungwelume, Namibia, where we would have our week-long teaching practicum. The drive took us through various, contrasting terrains—from brush-covered mountainsides to forested flatlands and from vast expanses of open farmland to dusty, concrete towns. For the first few hours, we saw large swaths of land owned by white farmers. If it had not been for the countless police checkpoints, sporadic lodges in the middle of nowhere and the…
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Discovering Windhoek: The Capital of Namibia
Windhoek is Namibia’s international gateway, its largest city and its political and financial hub. It is the sort of place where manicured lawns and well-kept streets belie the stereotypes of Africa that the media has so successfully promoted. It is the type of place in which the rigors of life in the ‘bush’ can be washed off with a pint of ice-cold beer. In Windhoek, Neobaroque cathedral spires lie specked about the urban landscape, interspersed between glass high-rises and shopping malls . Yet, like a desert oasis, Windhoek seemingly emerges…
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Night Hike in Monti Sibillini National Park
In local legend, Italy’s Monti Sibillini National Park is a place of both mythical and historical importance. It is where the body of Pontius Pilate, the man who authorized Jesus’ execution, was allegedly disposed of after he was sentenced to death by the Roman Emperor, Tiberius. Some disregard the theory and argue that the body was actually dumped in a Swiss lake but, those who refute this alternative speculation, believe its resting place is in the Lago di Pilato–a small glacial lake nestled in Italy’s stunning national park. Due perhaps…
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Retracing my Family Roots in Campo di Giove
With each trip to Italy, I meet family members I never knew existed. Then, I meet family of those family members and family of the families of my family. In truth, I have never been good at keeping track of how each person is related to me. There are simply far too many people to keep track of and it is at times overwhelming to interact with everyone I am expected to know. After one particularly large family gathering with my mom’s side of the family, Dan turned to me…
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Visiting the Reggia di Caserta in Italy
I assume that most people have heard of Versailles. The monumental 17th century palace is among the most renowned royal residences in the world. It draws upwards of 15 million annual visitors and is a mainstay of Paris itineraries. But even if you’re a well-traveled history buff, chances are that one of Europe’s other royal gems—the Caserta Palace—isn’t on your radar. In fact, had you not stumbled upon this blog post precisely because you were looking for information on the massive estate, I might even assume you’d never heard of…