by Kasia on December 7, 2011
Today marks five years since my adventures around the world took flight. Still, it feels like yesterday. Sitting aboard a plane, tipsy from sake and high from anticipation, having just bid farewell to dear friends and family after several days of revelry at Miami’s Art Basel. I was about to embark on a journey of 13 months and countless experiences. First stop Buenos Aires. I often reflect upon those days, particularly when I’m not feeling inspired (even amidst the beauty of Paris), and find myself reliving these scenes… eternally grateful to call them my experiences.
Exploring Machu Picchu beneath a misty sky.
Bathing on the remote island of Fernando de Naronha in Brazil.
Sky-diving over the majestic landscape of Queenstown, New Zealand.
Driving along Great Ocean Road in Australia.
Admiring Jodhpur, the magnificent 'Blue City' of Rajasthan, India.
Catching a glimpse of the Taj Mahal.
A spiritual moment at the temple of Ta Prohm in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
Becoming fashionable in the city of tailors, Hoi An, Vietnam.
Two days floating on a junk boat in Halong Bay.
Meditating upon the Mekong in Luang Prabang, Laos.
Exlporing the rice fields of Ubud, Indonesia by motor bike.
Inhaling the grand view of Hong Kong.
Driving through the landscape near Lhasa, Tibet.
Climbing the Great Wall of China.
Finding tranquility amidst The Golden Pavilion of the Rokuon-Ji Temple in Kyoto.
A sunrise hot-air ballon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey.
What are your most cherished experiences? (Have you lived them yet?)
by Kasia on August 14, 2007
Every morning I wake up in Asia and take the ferry across the Bosphorus strait to Europe. Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents. Once called Constantinople, this city is deeply steeped in history, having served as the capital city of the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). This city is filled with colors, cats and sights that are simply breath-taking.
A mosque in the lovely neighborhood of Ortakoy.
The Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman sultans for nearly four centuries.
The Underground Cistern was known as the Basilica Cistern during the Roman period. After the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks, it was forgotten of and nobody knew that it existed. Re-discovered in 1545, it was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. Today it has an eery and mystical ambiance with fish dancing in its waters.
The grandest of Grand Bazaars, where many a treasure can be found…
The Hagia Sophia, built by Justinian between 532 and 537, is widely regarded as the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built for more than a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1575, during the Renaissance.
The Blue Mosque, one of the most impressive structures in the world! According to legend, Sultan Ahmet I wanted to have a minaret made of gold which is “altin” in Turkish. The architect misunderstood him as having said “alti” which means “six” in English. The architect fearfully asked “am I going to be beheaded?”. Luckily, the Sultan Ahmed I loved the minarets. Prior to that time, no sultan had a mosque with 6 minarets.
