the big fat world

Riga has a 800 or so year old history but what fascinates me most are the last 70 years of it. This starts with the Soviet occupation in 1940, then Germany’s in 1941, then the Soviet’s again from 1945 until 1991. As many as a quarter of the current population have not grown up with [...]

A funny thing happened on my trip to Ecuador, I saw something peculiar in the vast array of gas chugging fume ridden automobiles. I saw a old Russian Lada. I didn’t just see 1 mind you, but a fleet of these tributes to communistic pride. Most were painted taxi yellow but a few lads supped [...]

Prague has got to be one of the most talked about, over-rated cities in Eastern Europe, but I’ll tell you one thing…IT IS WORTH SEEING!!!! This gem of a city has everything those hot shots have in the West but at better prices. When I was first in Prague in 1998 on a study abroad, [...]

Where did all the communist tributes to the masters and people of the Soviet Empire go after the wall? Statue Park outside of Budapest, of course. This is a treasure trove of Communism past. You can see all the movers and shakers of a fallen era, including the ubiquitous Stalin and Lenin. Don’t forget to [...]

One of the best museums in Berlin and definitely the only one I know of to give you insight into the daily lives of former East Berliners is the DDR museum. This gem is tucked away on Museum Island among a vast array of establishments museums. The museum operators have faithfully created all aspects of [...]

Vietnam is not currently considered one of the axis of evils but this booming country is still ruled by communist powers. While not to the extent of its communist cousins like North Korea or Cuba, Vietnam’s communist evidence isn’t hard to find, if you keep an eye open for the beloved Ho Chi Minh. Take [...]