"My best pages" Personal Page by johnsakura

I live in Evora, Portugal.
I switched Lisbon the big capital for this small town in the desertic region of the Alentejo.
Evora belongs to UNESCO World Heritage since 1986 and I considered it to be one of the most important cities in Portugal regarding historical matters.

A bit of Evora's history:

The city has more than 2000 years of history, and pretty much before that, in the region, pre-historic men came and made important constructions that can still be seen in more than 30 Menhirs and other pre-historic monuments.
Evora, the city, and its narrow streets will remind you of the strong Arab presence and Moorish influence. Conquered by the Romans in 59 BC it gain the name of Liberalitas Julia.
Under the occupation of the Romans, Evora earned great importance as a city, visible by a large number of important monuments made in that period. There are very few remains left from the Visigothic period (between the 5th and the 8th century). After this came the period of Moorish domination, it all started with the conquest and domination of the city by Tarik, which lasted until the Christian reconquest in the 12th century. Yeborah, as the city became known by the Moors, perfected its early defensive system and got strong traces of the Moorish influence in its form, urbanization very visible in the Moorish quarter.
The city was chosen by several kings of Portugal in the first and second dynasties to serve as the headquarters for their court, and it was very enriched with palaces and monuments, especially in the reigns of D. Joao II and D. Manuel I (15th and 16th centuries).
With all this history, You have buildings from Pre-historic times until the romans, aran, romanic/medieval, gothic, renaissance, neo-gothic,etc... all in one little city within castle wall.

To visit my Evora page please click on the following link:

Evora Ancient Museum City

To visit my Portuguese page please click on the following link:

Portugal, Europe's pleasant travellers surprise

Senegal was a country I tried to enter once and couldnt due to document car problems, so my first failed attempt got stuck in my throat for a while until I went there to try again.
I went back to Senegal in April 2004 with my car all the way from Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, and could give a wide trip on the country, exploring almost every single region of Senegal. As I entered The Gambia, I had to come back again to Senegal. I was actually expecting more about this country but I liked it and maybe I wiill come back one day, but I think only to pass to Mali and other West African countries.

My traject in the country was:

Mauritania/Senegal border
Rosso, St. Louis, Richard Toll, Ndioum, Ouro Sogui, Bakel, Kidira, Mali Border, Tambacounda, Dar Salam, Tambacounda, Velingara
Senegal/The Gambia/Senegal border
Kaolack, Diourbel, Thies, Dakar, St. Louis, Rosso
Senegal/Mauritania border

To visit my Senegalese page please click on the following link:

Republic of Senegal

Mauritania is one of the hardest countries I've ever been to. This country is practically covered by Sahara Desert and vulgarly called as "Le Grand Vide" or The Grand Emptiness".

First time I got to Mauritania I thumbed from Western Sahara well known kilometre 40, a place everyone as to stop and give identification elements to police before entering the last 500 forbidden kilometres between both borders. By then, with a great feeling of respect for a country everyone told me to be harsh, extremely hot, plus than half million slaves and with lots of active mafia, I felt no wrong impression for the first things I saw or for the first people I spoke with, due to the very difficult experience of helping 1 4WD Nissan and a Peugeot 505 passing the first 70km of land mines, smugglers and sand until the city of Nouadhibou. No time to think or take conclusions of the first hours inside The Land of the Moors. No one would think this to be the usual place for a backpacker to be.
I came back 3 times more to this country and every time I go back I somehow feel I need to go away; away from the garbage, from the poverty, lack of food, heat, lack of transportation and basic needs for human beings to live in conditions, but every time I remember Africa or West Africa I always think on Mauritania as the one with deepest adventures and stronger experiences. Now I’ve seen a big part of Mauritania and only a few places are left to be seen as you have extensive areas of the country side with nothing but sand and rocky mountains not giving the opportunity to any little village to settle and develop.

Great places to visit in Mauritania are:

Chinguetti UNESCO city
Fishermen beach in Nouakchott
Cab Blanc near Nouadhibou
Cansado Bay near Nouadhibou
Region of Tiris-Zemmour Mountains
Terjit Oasisand hot springs near Atar

To visit my Mauritanian page please click on the following link:

Islamic Republic of Mauritania-The Land of The Moors

Iran was the thrill of my last summer vacations and all places I visited and people I met will stay in my mind for a long time. This country rich in cultural history lacks of tourism as it is wonderful to explore and get astonished by its wonderful landscapes and sites.

I flew to Tehran from Tashkent capital of Uzbekistan on the same day some suicide attacks were held in the city so quite a big sense of fear and expecting the unexpected was always present. Somehow I couldn’t really take off my mind the fact dozens of westerns were kidnapped and keep hostages in the last few years and especially back in the 80’s in here.
I was surprised by all and I love getting surprised by places while traveling. Although the country’s changed since the extremist government policies of Ayatollah Khomeini which keeps people living in fear and being obliged to follow “some harsh rules”, Iranians can somehow be, although all the pain in their heart, extremely gentle and nice to foreigners where in every time is present the interest for foreign things and to know how other countries in the world live.
Iran is a country which suffered changes held by Arabs, Mongols, Turkish Ottoman, Portuguese, Dutch, etc, but which never lost the presence of the fact they are the country of The Amazing Persian Empire and Persian Culture, unique in the whole world. The highlight of this Empire can yet be experience visiting its Capital City Persepolis or Fars.
I visited quite a few numbers of places while in Iran and would only want that my 12 days of visit would pass slowly to take advantage of everything. Iran is a place I’ll indeed visit again and again as soon I can. A great place I liked was the Persian Gulf and the fact I could felt the Portuguese presence still remaining in street names, local settlements and forgotten defence castle in Qeshme Island.

Great places to visit in Iran are:

Tehran’s 10km Bazaar
Esfahan UNESCO city
Shiraz
Persepolis Ancient City of the Persian Empire
Qeshme Island and the region of The Persian Gulf

To visit my Iranian page please click on the following link:

Islamic Republic of Iran

Uzbekistan is a wonderful place to visit in Central Asia. In terms of historical sites, this is by fact the richest country in the entire region. I loved to visit this country and discover one of the higlights of the whole Silk Road Experience.
This country holds very important places in the emblematic Silk Road and both Samarkand and Bukhara are a must while visiting it.

Uzbekistan sees itself as the most important country in the former Soviet Central Asian republics and along with its Big Boss, President Islam Karimov makes a very strong hand over the country politics and civilian laws.
Uzbekistan suffered several incursions by several different empires starting to make part of some old Persian regions, On the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great came and actually married in Samarkand with a girl named Roxana. After came a small contact with Buddhim in the Kushan dynasty and again a small and brief return of Persian power under the Sassanians. Ater the Western Turks that came down from the northern steps, came Islam with the Arabs on the 8th century but who didn’t stay for long. Persian power came back again for the 3rd time now with the Samanid dynasty in the 9th and 10th century which turned Bukhara the capital of the empire. The Great Genghis Khan came to destroy late in the 13th century. Was only after all this that Uzbekistan came to be central in the region and due to the Timur empire became a very important outpost for the huge route of the Silk Road. In the late 18th century the country started its first contacts with Russia and since then became more and more in the hands of the Lords from the North.

To visit my Uzbekistan page please click on the following link:

Republic of Uzbekistan