Hops Trains and Backpacks

Tag: Russia

  • Shortwave spy stations, still transmitting years after the Cold War

    Shortwave spy stations, still transmitting years after the Cold War

    I’ve been reading a number of John Le Carré books lately, which are mostly fictional thrillers about Cold War spies. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a particularly good one. So in that vein, I’ve been reading about ’60s spycraft, including how they used to communicate. In the pre-internet days, these spies…

  • The Way to the Top of the World

    I’ve enjoyed staring at maps since I was a little kid, pulling the inserts from National Geographic. I’ve always been curious what was out there at the fringes, at the distended top and bottom of the map, rotating close to the poles of the globe, out there at the edges of the country, the continent,…

  • January’s 10 Best Stories in Travel

    Photo: January at Labrador Mountain, Truxton, NY I’m here to share with you my favorite stories of the month from around the web. All have an international flavor, many explore the unseen side of the places we hear about in the news. If you’re wary of traveling there, at least you’ll be able to visit…