Nemrut and Conversation, April 15, 2026, Mount Nemrut, Turkiye
Nemrut and Conversation The peak of Mount Nemrut is probably the only archaeological site I’ve tried to visit three times. The first time, I was sent back by the entrance guards with only 2 km to go due to the uncleared snow on the road. That evening, I chose to camp in the lower area of the mountain to make a second attempt the next morning—but the following day turned out to be drizzling with a thick fog already in the lower area, an obvious sign...
Sketches of Urfa, April 12, 2026, Sanliurfa, Turkiye
Sketches of Urfa Urfa, officially called Şanlıurfa, is a major city in Southeastern Turkiye. It is widely known as a cultural melting pot where Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic traditions and cuisines have blended over centuries into a unique regional identity. For visitors, it is also known as the base for visiting Göbekli Tepe, the oldest known temple site in human history. Besides the usual list of “things to do” in Urfa, which already seemed impressive, I began noticing something in the earlier part of the day...
Sketches of Göbekli Tepe, 14 April 2026 Göbekli Tepe, Turkiye
Sketches of Göbekli Tepe Göbekli Tepe has been a ‘want to go’ site on my Google Maps for many years. Having been properly discovered only about 30 years ago, it is still believed to be the oldest complex of human history, dating back as far as 10,000 B.C, seriously challenging the pre-established idea about the stages of human development. Due to travel advisories the past weeks in Southeastern Turkiye, I did not originally plan to go there, but the inclement weather around Mt. Nemrut...
Self-consciousness feels different here, 8 April, 2026 Kayseri, Türkiye
Self-consciousness feels different here As much as I like traveling, I am conscious that one aspect of my character does not align well with it: I prefer to go with the flow of the environment and do not want to “raise a hand” or be the center of attention. It can be called a common aspect of human nature (we are at peace when surrounded by similar people), but staying low profile is either not an option or not ideal as a traveler, as you...
Sketches of Kosovo, 26 March 2026, Prizren, Kosovo
Sketches of Kosovo Personally, Kosovo felt like the first ‘real’ destination of this trip. It is a place I had not visited previously and a place I do not know much about, other than how the media has portrayed it for years. After having spent four nights in the area, not surprisingly, I still feel largely ignorant about this place despite some textbook knowledge I absorbed each evening. Yet, it did not feel too unfamiliar, and I will remember the warmth of the people, many...
Beginning, 14 March, 2026
I hit the road again after years. This new lifestyle began weeks ago, but I was waiting for the traveler’s energy to gradually settle in, so that I feel more authentic about what I might want to say. It is going to be a multi-month overland journey toward somewhere in Central Asia. My friend, who kept me company years ago in the Americas and Caucasus, will do so again— now covered in a new paint. Happy to give an old pal a ride (says the van!)....
Another experiment of Homo Sapiens @ Malta 2024 April 29
Another experiment of Homo Sapiens During my five days in Malta, I managed to visit three sites of big stones in two days – they are officially known as Megalithic Temples of Malta and there are a total of 7 of them. They say they were built in the Neolithic era, sometime between 3600 and 2500 BC, making them as old or older than the pyramids of Giza, Egypt. The oldest one, Ggantija temple, was built about 5,500 years ago, and it is the second oldest...
A (de)tour to Viseu @Viseu, Portugal, 17 April 2025
A (de)tour to Viseu When I decided to spend 9 days in Portugal for my vacation- perhaps a generous amount of time for a vacation traveler within the EU – I was conscious that I wanted to glimpse the “deeper” Portugal, where tourists do not frequent. That motivation became even stronger during my three-day stay in Lisbon, where I found myself almost exclusively surrounded by tourists in the old town. It was a strange experience, rarely spotting any locals. It felt like a real-life theme park....
This website chronicles Leebong’s journey around the world for 2+ years, for the time being. To find out more, see The Travel & The Why.
To catch me, see Itinerary.
Impressions Series
