Washington, DC: Memorial Day Images

Memorial Day Parade

Memorial Day Parade

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Smithsonian Museum of American History

Smithsonian Museum of American History

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Ethiopia: Gondar - The Origin of Empire

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Chapter 3 - Gondar: The Origin of Empire Our journey through Ethiopia brought us next to Gondar, a city often called the “Camelot of Africa.” Sitting high in the northern highlands, Gondar once served as the imperial capital — the beating heart of politics, faith, and culture from the 17th to 19th centuries. I hadn’t read much about Gondar before arriving; all I knew from our itinerary was that we would visit a castle — a UNESCO World Heritage site. That meant I had to lean in and pay close attention to our guide’s narration about the history of each structure. As he spoke, a steady stream of chanting drifted from a nearby church, filling the background like a living soundtrack of faith. The Royal Enclosure: Six Castles, Six Stories We began in the Royal Enclosure, a vast compound surrounded by high stone walls. Walking through its arched gates felt like entering a lost world. Inside, six castles rose one after another, each whispering the story of the ruler who built it. Fasiledes’ C...
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Ethiopia: Axum, the Cradle of Ancient Civilization

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Chapter 6: Axum, Cradle of Ancient Civilization  After days of winding mountain roads, rugged landscapes, and stone castles that felt pulled straight out of legend, we finally reached Axum. This wasn’t just another stop on our Ethiopian journey—it felt like stepping directly into the heartbeat of history. Ethiopia calls itself the Land of Origins, and in Axum, I understood why. With more than 2,500 years of history, Axum was once the capital of an empire that traded with Rome, India, and Arabia. Its name alone carries the weight of myth, faith, and mystery. Most famously, Axum is believed to guard one of the greatest treasures in religious history: the Ark of the Covenant. The Church of St. Mary of Zion The Stelae of Axum Our first stop was the Stelae Fields, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These towering granite obelisks are unlike anything I’ve seen before. Some stretch nearly 20 meters high, carved from a single piece of stone, their faces etched with windows and doors as tho...
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Poland: The Wieliczka Salt Mine

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One of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites I visited this year was the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow, Poland. It was founded in the 13th century to mine the rich deposit of salt. Salt mining stopped in 1996 when the low price of salt on the world market made it too expensive to mine and the mine was slowly flooding. But miners did more than just extract salt. They left behind them a breathtaking record of their time underground in the shape of statues of mythical, historical and religious figures.  Part of the salt mine became an art gallery, chapels, cathedral, and underground lakes. Today, Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most visited National Monuments in Poland. For safety reason, less than one percent of the mine is open to visitors, but even that is almost four kilometers in length. There are 20 chambers to visit and 800 steps to climb of which 350 at the beginning take you down into the mine. You can’t just visit and wander around on your own. All of t...
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