Category Archives: Travel

Don Quixote

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

In Yerevan, Armenia, in an antique shop full of musty tomes and dusty artifacts I found an old Soviet Don Quixote iron statuette. The Soviets loved Quixote. His fight against the oligarchs; his utopian sense of the possible; his tireless … Continue reading →

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Mi novela sobre Malí, Tombuctú y los tuaregs

Posted on August 10, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

El jihadismo en África Occidental no es nuevo. Es un fenómeno que viene en oleadas, cada siglo o dos, desde el siglo XIV o incluso antes. Lo que antes era una conquista, ahora es una mezcla tóxica de rabia y … Continue reading →

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The Chaos and the Color

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

I went to New Orleans the other day. It was a goodbye of sorts, after a period of long work. I went with my wife, who had never been. I wanted to show her the city, the chaos and the … Continue reading →

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Alone

Posted on July 20, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

I thought here of an old friend, retired now after a lot of loss and a life that was full of meaning but also troubled in a lot of ways. His love of nature, his desire to be alone, the … Continue reading →

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Piazza San Marco

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

In Venice — https://www.artpal.com/joeldhirst/?i=319328-7

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Tuareg Woman

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

The Tuareg are deep desert Berbers, who live in the Sahara. They have been there since pre-history, probably from days when the Sahara was green and lush. They believe that they are the original Egyptians who built the pyramids, pushed … Continue reading →

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My Last Night in Yerevan

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Joel D. Hirst

The quiet hum of Ashtarak highway reverberates in the background; the wind rustles the trees, new leaves – excited to show them off after a long cold winter. The city, away down into the valley buzzes with life: restaurants and … Continue reading →

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Armenia Saved My Life

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Joel D. Hirst

“That is why I love America,” he said to me this morning, eyes watering. “A land where immigrants are welcomed and can free themselves of the shackles of the past – of the old country which we love so much, … Continue reading →

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The Suicide of Venezuela

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

I never expected to witness the slow suicide of a country, a civilization. I suppose nobody does. Let me tell you, there’s nothing epic about it. We who have the privilege of travel often look down in satisfaction at the … Continue reading →

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