http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills Alan's Travels, Near and Far Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:27:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en a979787fd535bc532fc27ba4195190e9 http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/blogsticker.html Most of the time, mass public transit is kind of a drag - long lines, delays, noise, etc.  But sometimes it provides a unique glimpse of what life is like somewhere else:  Moscow subway - Part of the city experience involves riding the system's endless escalators, visiting the exquisite older stations and, ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/most-memorable-mass-transit.html 1. Never use taxis unless absolutely necessary. This applies tenfold at airports, where locals always avoid the taxi ranks in favor of a convenient bus. At Moscow Domodedovo, I purchased a bus ticket, only to have to wade through taxi drivers trying to hit me up for thirty ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/travel-tips.html Here's the first of my initial attempts at travel writing.  I'm organizing my travels into categories, of which this is the first one.  Outposts are small towns located next to big things - mountains, ranges, etc.  Their charm comes from being the last bastions of humanity before the great wilderness.  ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/best-outposts.html Using a nifty Google Maps-enabled site, I found that the 2008 total solar eclipse will pass directly over Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city. Rather than organizing an expedition to site where the eclipse will be at its maximum, it's most convenient to view it from the city (it will only ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/2008.html I've received funding to photograph the total solar eclipse on March 29, the last total solar eclipse for over two years (the next one passing through such tourist hotspots as a former nuclear test site (path), the Republic of Tuva, the Kazakh-majority Bayan-Olgii province of Mongolia (path), and the Gobi ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/eclipse-travel-planning.html Places I've visited, from World66: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/travel-record.html Welcome to your new website. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging! http://blogs.bootsnall.com/theshadowofthehills/hello-world-traveller.html