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Mussa Bin Bique And Lourenço Marques
Traces of the history of Mozambique. The name derived from the Arab trader Mussa Bin Bique who first visited the Island of Mozambique and later lived there. The voyage of Vasco da Gama in 1498 marked the arrival of the Portuguese. After four centuries of Portuguese rule the colony gained…
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O Cheiro Da Moçambique
Arrival in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Its airport gives the unusual scene of leaving a brand new Airbus A350 of Qatar Airways by stairs and going on foot to the small terminal building which seems not to be expecting such a big airplane. The Costa do Sol is probably…
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The Expo 2020 Dubai
The Expo 2020 Dubai was impressive due to its design, its focus on topics like sustainability and equality, the weather and the fact that most of it would remain later as Expo City. The Expo 2020 was originally scheduled for 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 but it was postponed due to…
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Quantum Of History
As if searching for L’Américain, but that is in another city. The old Medina of Fes is also called Fes el Bali. In 789 CE a town was founded on the right bank of the Fes River (واد فاس) by Idris ibn Abdallah as capital for his newly acquired empire.…
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The Barrel Roll in Morocco
While an Aston Martin DBS actually needs a ramp for being able to roll over, the small Chevrolet Matiz can do it on its own. I drove the car over half of the way from Fes to Casablanca through semi arid yet fascinating landscapes. I noticed the car was not…
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Frozen Before The Virus Came
As if the world was frozen. The amount of snow is much larger near Astana in the north of Kazakhstan, which can be counted to Siberia under certain definitions. In fact the snow cover is over one metre high between the taxiways of Astana Airport. At temperatures below zero degrees…
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Almaty Before The Unrest
The Akimat Residence is one of the government buildings of Almaty which had been the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997 when it was relocated to Astana, at the time known as Akmola. The building was damaged during the unrest that happened from 2 till 11 January 2022 and is currently…
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Land Of The Kyrgyz People
The Erkindik Boulevard is a long park in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, that connects the train station with the city centre. Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Its history goes back to 1825 when a fortress named Pishpek was established to control local caravan routes and to collect tribute…
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The Last Frankfurt Motor Show
For many years the International Automobile Exhibition IAA has taken place all two years in Frankfurt. The Fair Tower, Messeturm in German, is not only a symbol for the fair area of Frankfurt but for the city itself. The Volkswagen Group hall at the IAA 2019 which was the last…
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Construction And Reconstruction
Notre Dame in its current condition two months after the fire that had happened during renovation works on 15 April 2019 and destroyed the roof and spire. The metal scaffolding was still in place two months later. It was difficult to remove as there were fears that it could collapse…
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The Discovery Of Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu as it was probably called by the Inca, better known to the world as Machu Picchu. It was built around 1450 and the plaza in the centre suggests that it was a temporary settlement used for gatherings or special events. In use for one hundred years it was…
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Through The Jungle
The way from Cusco via Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu, is somewhat complex. From Cusco to Santa Teresa you can take a Mercedes Sprinter, but the road ends at the stop at the hydroelectric power plant. From there it is only possible to take a…
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