Author Archives: kirkphillips

Building bridges

Posted on July 3, 2019

(I’m touring Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. To read about Slovenia, please see the previous post, “Breaking free.”) The region now known as Bosnia-Herzegovina is a melting pot that never melted. The country has three major ethnic groups, three self-governing territories and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bosnia-Herzegovina | 2 Comments

Breaking free

Posted on June 15, 2019

The Slovenian city of Ljubljana (yoob yee AH nah) spent most of World War II in solitary confinement. In 1942 Fascist Italy imprisoned the city, encircling it with nineteen miles of barbed wire. On the perimeter, 206 watchtowers and bunkers … Continue reading →

Posted in Slovenia | 10 Comments

High old time (Part 2)

Posted on February 6, 2019

I’m in Peru, preparing to hike the Inca Quarry Trail and visit Machu Picchu. To read “High old time (Part 1),” please see the previous post. After breakfast, our group of nine turned in our packed duffels and left Cusco in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Peru | 6 Comments

High old time (Part 1)

Posted on February 6, 2019

A few days before arriving in Peru, I began taking acetazolamide pills as a precaution against altitude sickness. Some people are not affected by high altitude, but I didn’t want to risk enjoying my trek to Machu Picchu in order … Continue reading →

Posted in Peru | 5 Comments

In the animal kingdom

Posted on November 12, 2018

I had every intention of following Galápagos National Park’s simple rule: Maintain at least six feet of distance from the wildlife. However, the animals were not as compliant. Blue-footed boobies waddled right up to my hiking shoes. Sea lions grazed … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador | 8 Comments

Rocks of ages

Posted on April 6, 2018

The history of the American Southwest is written in stone. It is written in silver ore and petrified wood. In lava flows and cinder fields. On the walls of canyons and caves. In the ruins of pueblos. It is written … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | 4 Comments

Bright lights, dark sky

Posted on March 11, 2018

The lights dart across the Texas desert, pulsing, merging and then disappearing. Some people believe they are UFOs; others, the ghosts of Spanish conquistadors. A cowboy first reported seeing them in 1883. He thought they were campfires of the Apache. … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | 6 Comments