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      • Tamil Nadu, Fort Tirumayam & Madurai
      • Tamil Nadu, Tiruvannamalai & Thanjavur
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      • Langmusi (Part 1)
      • Langmusi (Part 2)
      • Labrang
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    • Ethiopia
      • Abreha We Atsbeha, Ethiopia’s monolithic churches in Wukro
      • Ethiopia, Women in Asso Bhole
      • Dallol, Hell is a place on earth
      • The Salt Flats in Ahmed Ela
      • Lake Assale, Ethiopia. Sun marries Salt
      • Magic in Harar, Ethiopia
      • Feeding Hyenas in Harar
      • Babile Camel Market, Ethiopia. Mind your handshake
      • Danakil nights, thrilling tales from Erta Ale Volcano
      • Africa splits in two. A new ocean is about to submerge the dark continent
      • A travel photographer took incredible shots in Danakil Depression
    • India
      • Tamil Nadu & Kerala
        • What to do in Tamil Nadu
        • Chennai, Odissi dance and Crocodile Reserve
        • Mamallapuram, Krishna’s butter ball
        • Tiruvannamalai, the fiery phallus of Shiva
        • Auroville, a hippie dream come true
        • Pondicherry, a series of unfortunate events
        • Kumbakonam, the joy of life of the Tamils
        • Thanjavur temples, bulls, whales and selfies
        • Thirumayam Fort, a fortress in the heart of Tamil Nadu
        • Madurai, Athens of the East
        • Munnar, Kerala. The world’s highest tea plantations
        • Periyar National Park, wildlife in Kerala
        • Kathakali, the magic dance of Kerala
        • Kalaripayattu, Kerala’s oldest martial art
        • Kerala Backwaters, life on a houseboat
        • Kochi, Kerala. A city with plenty of history
      • Varanasi
        • My travel guide to Varanasi, India’s holiest city
        • Varanasi Life along the Ghats
        • Varanasi Death along the Ghats
        • Varanasi Ganga Aarti Ceremony
        • Varanasi demolished to honor Shiva
        • Varanasi Fruit Market
        • Sarnath, Buddha’s first speech
        • The river Ganges between sacred and profane
        • Holy Shit. The Wonders of Indian Cow Dung
        • Clean India. A bathroom for anyone!
        • Brick factories, the dark side of the Indian economic boom
        • Tilaka, pundra, bindi: what is the mark on Indian foreheads?
    • Kazakhstan
      • What to do in Mangystau Desert
      • Mangystau, Kazakhstan’s painted desert
      • Mangystau, the Valley of Castles
      • Mangystau Tiramisu Mountains (Kyzylkup)
      • Mangystau, the magical canyons of Bozzhira
      • Mangystau, at the bottom of Tuzbair Lake
    • Myanmar
      • What to do in Myanmar
      • 10 wonderful customs of Myanmar
      • Yangon
      • Myanmar Water Festival
      • Kakku
      • Pa’o People
      • Inle lake
      • Mandalay & surroundings
      • Amarapura
      • Ava ( Inwa)
      • Bagan
      • Golden Rock (Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda)
      • Bago
    • Senegal
      • Goree, the door to Hell
      • Lake Retba, Swimming in Pink Waves
      • Kayar, Senegal’s biggest fishing harbour
      • Fulani (or Peul), the most beautiful ethnic group in the world
      • Saloum Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage
      • Joal Fadiouth, the shell island
    • Uzbekistan
      • What to do in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan History Background
      • Aral Sea, Story of a Ghost Lake
      • Nukus, Savitsky Museum. The Louvre of the Steppe
      • Khiva, a jewel on the Silk Road
      • Toprak Kala, the capital of Khorezm
      • Bukhara, the city of storks
      • Samarkand, The Phoenix on the Silk Road
      • Shakhrisabz, Timur’s dreams of glory
      • Urgut Market, learn the art of bargaining
      • Tashkent, the most beautiful subway in the world
    • Latest Posts
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CHINA
A journey of over 5000 kilometers, analysing aspects of contemporary Chinese culture - from overcrowded cities to rural provinces. Shanghai, Beijing, Chendgu, Pingyao and Xian. The banks of Yangtze river flowing to the majestic Three Gorges Dam; the autonomous Tibetan provinces and the isolated monasteries of Labrang and Langmusi. A unique experience that has changed the way I see China.
Explore China
ETHIOPIA
A journey through the Danakil Desert, Ethiopia. The ancient crater of Dallol, with its poisonous and psychedelic concretions; the incredible reflections of Lake Assale and the salt caravans of Ahmed Ela. The city of Harar, with its fascinating traditions, hyena mouth-feeding and Babile Camel Market.
Explore Ethiopia
SENEGAL
A trip to Senegal takes your breath away: learn about the tragic history of Goree, the island of slaves, and watch the fishermen in Kayar; meet the Peul people in their villages and explore the Saloum river national park. Lastly, the cemetery-village of Joal-Fadiouth will open your heart.
Explore Senegal
INDIA
A trip to India can confuse the certainties of every Western traveller. In search of a deeper sense, I visit the sacred city of Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Then I relax in southern India, discovering the magnificent temples of Tamil Nadu and enjoy Kerala's backwaters.
Explore India
KAZAKHSTAN
Discover Mangystau, the "painted desert". A journey through the colorful rocky massifs and breathtaking landscapes of Kazakhstan.
Explore Kazakhstan
MYANMAR
A total immersion in the land of a thousand golden pagodas and infinite kindness. From Yangon to Golden Rock, through Inle Lake and Bagan.
Explore Myanmar
UZBEKISTAN
On the ancient Silk Road, Uzbekistan. A journey that will bring you to the ancient caravan cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, then reaches Moynaq for a quick visit to the Aral Sea Memorial.
Explore Uzbekistan
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ANY PLACE IS HOME

A Travel Blog by Andrea Marchegiani

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He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.
Andrea MarchegianiTravel Storyteller
Andrea Marchegiani

A Chinese saying reads: “He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left”. Amazing things happen to people on the road, changing them deeply.  When people return from a journey, they are enriched by all the difficulties they have encountered, by the people who have smiled at them, by new thoughts in their heads, they are enriched with ideas they would never have thought before leaving. In my travel blog I write about the most remote places in the world. I describe customs and habits far from ours, I tell the experiences I have lived and the lessons I have drawn from them. And I also give useful tips for those wishing to embark on my own journey.

I hope, with my stories, to convince you to leave your comfort zone, to inspire you in the choice of your next trip. We can all live a greater life than we would have imagined!

All photos and stories in this Travel Blog are by Andrea Marchegiani

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Most Appreciated Posts

The most appreciated articles from my travel blog. Incredible experiences must be shared!

Bukhara, the city of storks

I continue my journey along the ancient Silk Road and arrive in Bukhara. Here is the most fascinating artistic heritage of all Central Asia: Bukhara suffered a less invasive restoration than Samarkand and today still looks like the way Turkestan looked before the Russians arrived. Every time I look up,...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
January 16, 2023
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AndreaMarchegiani

Varanasi Death along the Ghats

Hinduism is one of the oldest and most complicated religions in the world; the creation-destruction duality is overcome in a worldview that embraces both. Varanasi fully shows this melting of opposing elements especially in Manikarnika Ghat, the largest of the two crematory ghats in the city. Here you find a...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
December 23, 2022
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AndreaMarchegiani

Labrang, To Have or To Be?

Located 3000m high, in a valley between the mountains of the Tibetan plateau, Labrang is one of the 6 largest monasteries of Buddhism. Founded in 1709, it belongs to the religious school of the Gelugpa, also known as "Yellow Hat School", whose supreme head is the Dalai Lama. It occupies...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
February 16, 2023
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AndreaMarchegiani

Golden Rock (Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda), Myanmar

They say it takes just one visit to Golden Rock, in Myanmar, to become a Buddhist. I think that’s absolutely true. It is impossible to visit this archeological site without going to Myanmar and, once in Myanmar, you will certainly fall in love with Theravada Buddhism. How could you possibly...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
January 29, 2023
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AndreaMarchegiani

Mangystau, the magical canyons of Bozzhira

We wake up at dawn, have a frugal breakfast and jump on our jeeps. We are moving towards the canyons of Bozshira, perhaps the most famous place in the Mangystau desert. If it was still fashionable to send postcards, we’d all like to send one from here. And we’ll keep...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
January 11, 2023
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AndreaMarchegiani

Dallol, Hell is a place on earth

Dallol is an ancient volcanic crater in Danakil, on the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is known as the most inhospitable in the world. Hell on earth, basically, with temperatures reaching 60ºC, salty deserts, pools of toxic water and craters with boiling lava in the open air. Dallol's formations...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
December 19, 2022
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AndreaMarchegiani

Kayar, Senegal’s biggest fishing harbour

We get up early to reach Kayar’s fish market. What I’m about to see will fill my eyes with wonder. Kayar is a village about 60 km north of Dakar and is home to one of the largest fishing centers in Senegal. You would expect large boats equipped with industrial...
LEGGI TUTTO >>
January 21, 2023
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AndreaMarchegiani

Recent Posts

The most recent articles from my travel blog. Stories, news and peculiarities from all over the world. All you need to know to prepare for your next trip. 

Senegal

Things to do in Senegal

Everything you need to know before you travel to Senegal. All the unmissable places, my tips and precautions to best deal with your stay in the country of Teranga.

Read More »
5 March 2023 No Comments
Kazakhstan

What to do in Mangystau Desert in Kazakhstan

Everything you need to know before you go on a trip to the Mangystau desert in Kazakhstan. All the unmissable places, my tips and precautions to fully enjoy your stay in the so called “painted desert”.

Read More »
22 February 2023 No Comments
China

Ganja Grasslands, Kindness is a Universal Language

I travel to the silent Ganja grasslands, Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. This place is real, it’s not a dream. I enter silently in one of the temples: the monks are making votive candles with yak butter. We greet each other with our gaze. With gestures I ask if I can stay, they smile and nod. Yes and no are universal concepts. Kindness is also universal, I think. Everyone understands it and everyone appreciates it. And with kindness a boy approaches me, waving a bunch of keys…

Read More »
16 February 2023 No Comments
China

Labrang, To Have or To Be?

Located 3000m high, in a valley between the mountains of the Tibetan plateau, Labrang is one of the 6 largest monasteries of Buddhism. Founded in 1709, it belongs to the religious school of the Gelugpa, also known as “Yellow Hat School”, whose supreme head is the Dalai Lama. It occupies almost 900 hectares of land and includes 10,000 rooms, painted white, red and yellow depending on their function. It is home to a university, which has a large library, and many important rituals and ceremonies take place here. The monastery also houses the highest number of monks living outside Tibet. In the past there were 4,000 monks but today the Chinese government has limited the number to about 1,500.

Read More »
16 February 2023 No Comments
China

Langmusi, Tibet outside Tibet (Part 2)

It is dawning in Langmusi and we decide to reach the temple. Faithful of all ages walk around the walls: it is the “kora”, a form of meditation very common in Tibetan Buddhism. After each tour, the faithful stop to kiss the temple door. No one pays attention to me, except a bunch of old men, sitting on a bench. They observe the others doing the kora and give their contribution by praying with a small prayer wheels and akshamala (Tibetan rosaries).

Read More »
16 February 2023 No Comments
China

Langmusi, Tibet outside Tibet (Part 1)

Langmusi is the name of a Buddhist monastery founded in 1748 at the eastern end of the Tibetan plateau. Set like a gem on the border line between Gansu Province and Sichuan, at an altitude of 3000 m, it is surrounded by mountains and alpine forests. Currently it houses about 1,000 monks, while the small village built near the monastery has 3,000 inhabitants.

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16 February 2023 No Comments
China

Milarepa Palace, Hezuo

Miralepa Palace is a Buddhist temple located in the Chinese province of Gansu. What makes it unique is its unusual structure: it is a 9-storey tower, surrounded by prayer wheels. Each storey actually contains a temple of its own, dedicated to a spiritual leader of the past or present. It is a triumph of carpets, statues, Bodhisattva paintings, scrolls and yak butter candles. The eye cannot grasp the richness of the details at once.
I would like to photograph everything but… “NO PICTURES!” shouts a voice from a speaker.

Read More »
15 February 2023 No Comments
China

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a conservation center where visitors can observe giant pandas in their natural habitat. Founded in 1987, the centre is home to an astonishing 83 units. Visitors are allowed in the center all year round, but the peak of tourist season comes in August. And so do I. We arrive by taxi early in the morning and there is already a long queue. The heat is intense. We understand immediately it makes no sense to respect the order of arrival. People push and overtake each other all the time. It’s a human blob caothically rushing to the ticket office. We bring out our Mediterranean spirit and in ten minutes we get inside the park.

Read More »
15 February 2023 No Comments
China

Dazu Rock Carving, the thousand hands Goddess of Mercy

The statues of Dazu are a series of religious sculptures dating from the 7th century A.D. scattered in the hills around Dazu, near Chongqing. Realized as devotional tributes, they represent images of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Chinese lives have been shaped for over a millennium through the words of Gautama Buddha, Confucius’ behavioral principles and Taoist mysticism. The very idea there is a religious site where these three different beliefs coexist, mixing, is exciting. And its dimensions are surprising: over the course of over two centuries, prefects, monks, nobles and common people have carved into the rock over 50,000 statues with over 100,000 inscriptions and epigraphs. In 1999, the statues of Dazu were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read More »
15 February 2023 No Comments
China

Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam in the world

Think of something powerful enough to slow Earth’s orbit. Can’t you? I do. It’s the Three Gorges Dam in China. The data speak for themselves: 2,309 meters wide, it is not only the largest dam in the world but also the most powerful hydroelectric power plant. Its basin is more than 600 km long and contains an average of 22 billion cubic meters of water. It is such a mass accumulation it has produced a slowdown of Earth’s orbit. According to NASA, the Three Gorges Dam has lengthened our days by 0.06 microseconds.
Nothing too considerable, but it remains a surprising fact.

Read More »
14 February 2023 No Comments
China

Tongli, Venice of the East

What is the most romantic city in the world? Undoubtedly Venice, followed by Paris of course. Chinese people decided to copy both. In fact, Tongli does not resemble Venice at all, except for the fact that it is a floating city, but it does not intend to replicate any aspect of it. Tongli is a thousand year old town, built on the delta of the Yangtze River. It is spread over 7 islets: 15 small canals run through the city and 49 bridges, built in different eras, connect the historic center. Most of the buildings are from the Ming and Qing era, when Tongli became the residence of nobles and artists who moved there to enjoy its beauty.

Read More »
14 February 2023 No Comments
China

A day in Shanghai

I’ll be honest: China wasn’t on my list of favorite destinations. To me China was just the place where they make the cheap products we find in every market nowadays. I didn’t realize the future is there and it has almond eyes.
With its 32 million inhabitants, Shanghai is the most populous city in the world. In its metropolitan area, it hosts about half of the inhabitants of the whole of Italy. Managing flows is therefore essential and I’m surprised by the lack of traffic jams and silence in the streets.

Read More »
11 February 2023 No Comments
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