The Kaeru Kid

THE KAERU KID: Iran and the Persian Empire

Editor’s Note: This is the third part of a series. We spent our last full day in Isfahan at the World Heritage Site Imam Square, the second largest square after Tiananmen in Beijing. This square is vastly more attractive, with grass, fountains, adjoining palaces, several mosques and enclosed bazaar shopping lanes. Shah Abbas chose Isfahan […]

THE KAERU KID: Iran and the Persian Empire

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a series. On the second day, we visited the late shah’s palace high in the foothills of North Tehran in the high rent district where it is cool and above the smog. The complex has been made into a museum for the public. From there, we returned […]

THE KAERU KID: Iran and the Persian Empire

Editor’s Note: This is the first part in a series. When I first mentioned my upcoming Iran trip to acquaintances, most wondered why I would want to go there. I have many Iranian friends, so the country has always been high on my wish list of places to visit.  Propaganda has painted Iranians as evil […]

THE KAERU KID: ‘Easy Rider’ and ‘The Wild One’

The above two-referenced motorcycle movies left an indelible imprint when I was young and impressionable. I think most males have fantasized about hitting the open road on a “hog.” I tried it, but it never became my dream. I rented a motorcycle on the island of Turks and Caicos and was riding around on some […]

THE KAERU KID: Ich bin ein hamburger

Cheers greeted President John F. Kennedy’s famous remark, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” when he said it in Berlin. A Berliner is also a jelly-filled pastry. Some publications have contributed to the misconception that Berliners were laughing at Kennedy’s comment and felt the proper sentence structure should have been “Ich bin Berliner,” but this would have […]

THE KAERU KID: If it’s Tuesday, this must be…

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series. The hotel I booked at a frugal price turned out to be quite far from the city center. It also had a strong cigarette stench in the room, besides other deficiencies.  Too late, I learned I could have booked a room for a similar price […]

THE KAERU KID: If it’s Tuesday, this must be…

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Belgium. Older readers will be able to easily complete the above title because of a 1969 romantic comedy with that name. It was about a group on a whirlwind tour rushing through Europe.  If you haven’t seen the movie, I recommend it. Belgium is a small […]

THE KAERU KID: Dreams come true in Death Valley

Randy Johnson, Marta Becket and Albert Johnson carved their dreams out of an area that we might dismiss, on first impression, as nothing more than a desolate, barren desert. These visionaries dreamed of homes in a desert, castles and an opera house. Although most of us expect to find real castles in foreign countries, one […]

THE KAERU KID: Marching on to Troy

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a four-part series. I had visited Ephesus years ago and about the only new restoration I noticed was some terrace houses with many beautiful hand painted walls. They had hot and cold running water even in ancient times, as well as heating via hot air delivered by a […]

THE KAERU KID: The Kid’s quest for Greco-Roman knowledge continues

Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: This is the third of a four-part series. The long journey continued with rest stops every two hours as the bus traversed the Taurus Mountains until we finally reached the Mediterranean Coast. We stayed at the luxury Crowne Plaza Antalya hotel, but their WiFi is slow, the room was poorly cleaned […]