May 10, 2008
Sequoia National Park's inspiring travel pictures
I have a picture of the Lone Cypress from a while ago, and today I was at an outdoor wedding thinking about doing something related to seeing nature for my blog today...
So let's talk about a place I've never been but one that is certainly on my list: Sequoia National Park. Apparently 5 of the world's 10 largest trees are in Sequoia national Park. There's the General Sherman, the Robert E. Lee, and here is the Sentinel:
September 6, 2007
Iquazu Falls & Torres del Paine National Park: 2 reasons to plan a trip to South America
Here's a great article from Newsday that really makes me want to visit South America. A travel plan should include 2 natural wonders, Chile's Torres del Paine National Park (jagged mountains and fields of ice) and Argentina/Brazil's Iguazú Falls (lush jungle paths and plummeting walls of water).
They also have a section on visiting each place: Iquazu Falls and Torres del Paine.
It won't be easy to get to, but if this picture is any indication I think it would be worth the trip:
And let's not forget Iquazu Falls:
(Image from Wikipedia)
July 1, 2007
Cape Town, South Africa with a picture of the penguins at Boulder's Beach
Cape Town, Africa's Mother City is truly a gem to behold. It is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in South Africa due to its simple yet majestic sights and its rich cultural history. Inhabitants are a cornucopia of French, British, German, Dutch and Indonesian settlers, the Bantu and Hottentot tribes and the local Bushman.
Amongst the most visited attractions in Cape Town are: The Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain, Cape Point, Robben Island, Hout Bay, V and A Waterfront, Camps Bay, Blouberg, Llandudno and the winelands, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franshhoek.
The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is renowned worldwide for its exceptional land formations and grand selection of flora and fauna. It boasts of over a thousand species of Cape Fynbos or fine bush and is recognized as one of the world's 6 most thriving floral kingdoms. There are over 1000+ plant species in the nature reserve and over 2000+ plant species in the Cape Peninsula.
Animal lovers will definitely love the sight of Chacma baboons roaming the Cape's beaches during the low tide to seek out shellfish and sand hoppers to eat. You wouldn't want to miss out on seeing the rarest antelope in the whole world - the Bontebok, and other species of the antelope family. You can also catch a sight of the Eland, the Cape Mountain Zebra, the Grey Rhebuck, the Cape Grysbok and the Red Hartebeest. Bird lovers will dance for joy upon seeing 250 species of birds among them the Spotted Prinia, Fish Eagle, Black Eagle, Steppe Buzzard and Baird's Sandpiper. You can also catch a glimpse of the Cape Grey Mongoose, Dassies, lynx and many others.
Table Mountain is also one of the main attractions in Cape Town, you can tour the mountain either by hiking up (for the more adventurous crowd) or by simply riding the Table Mountain Cableway (for the non-hikers). You can also hike up or drive up Signal Hill to take a closer and different view of Table Mountain and the City Bowl.
The Beaches of Cape Town are also very popular for its white shores that are surrounded by magnificent cliffs. Beaches in Cape Town include the False Bay beaches, beaches in Clifton, Dias beach for surfing, Boulder's beach known for its being a colony of African penguins and the beach near Olifantsbos Point is a secluded and peaceful spot with lots of birds and little whalebones everywhere.
Here is an inspiring picture of Boulder's Beach with its famous Penguins that makes me want to visit Cape Town - how cool would it be to share a beach with penguins?
The Port of Cape Town also attracts tourists with the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront where you can find plenty of shopping choices and the popular Two Oceans Aquarium. V and A is still an operating port so you have the luxury of watching ships dock and leave while eating or sipping coffee in one of the coffee bars and restaurants. You can also catch a ferry through V and A to go to Robben Island, another top tourist spot, Simon's Town, Hout Bay and Duiker Islands which are home to colonies of seals. Near V and A are tons of Bed and Breakfast inns that you will definitely find comfortable yet affordable.
If you've been to Cape Town please share your experiences here. Hopefully I'll follow in your footsteps in 2010 when South Africa hosts the World Cup.
April 30, 2007
Pictures of Plantation Bay
I still have another article on Plantation Bay coming, but I thought that I should add some pictures. This first picture shows a Plantation Bay pool. In the back, you can see the darker blue of the ocean and a cool-looking cloud.
Note how the pool is empty. I was constantly impressed by the atmosphere at Plantation Bay. You weren't all alone, but it did seem like there were almost as many employees as visitors.
This pool, the elevated pool at Mogambo Falls, was a fun one. The waterfall makes tons of bubbles. The resort says they look like milk and feel like champagne. Maybe, maybe not - all I can say is that my wife and I had the pool all to ourselves and the bubbles were a lot of fun. It was definitely one of the more memorable parts of my trip to Cebu.
There was algae or something on the bottom of this pool so I went in with my sandals on.
If you haven't seen my reviews of Plantation Bay yet, there's an overview / description of my first night, and a description of my first full day.
April 16, 2007
Trevi Fountain picture: travel to Rome & see Fontana di Trevi
Look at this Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) picture and see why I took my honeymoon and want to retire in Rome:
This Trevi fountain photo is another of those awesome pictures that makes you realize you have to travel more to see all the beautiful places in the world. If you've never been to Rome it has to be near the top of your list.
You've seen the 85-foot-high and 65-foot-wide Trevi fountain in Roman Holiday (Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Eddie Albert) and in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (the scene where Anita Ekberg gets drenched).
If you were less fortunate you might add The Lizzie McGuire Movie (Hillary Duff), Sabrina Goes to Rome (I had to sit through this one), or When in Rome (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen).
When you see it, look past the scenes from movies to really know what it's about. Started in 1732, when Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to design a fountain for Trevi square, Trevi Fountain is actually a tribute to the old Greek & Roman mythology. It was finished in 1762
Neptune, god of the sea, is the central figure. He rides a shell-shaped chariot pulled by two hippocamps (sea horses), one calm and one agitated. These horses both symbolize the sea - sometimes calm and sometimes violent. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton.
On Neptune's left is Abundance, on the right Salubrity. The bas-reliefs (carved stone pictures) show the origin of the aqueducts, one of them shows Agrippa, the girl after whom the aqueduct was named.
The backdrop for the fountain is Palazzo Poli, a palace. You must be talking about a special fountain when it's the main attraction and the beautiful palace is just background.
Like most other tourists, I turned my back to Fontana di Trevi and tossed a coin over my shoulder. Hopefully it landed in the fountain, but how do you know? Anyway, when you visit you'll want to go in the morning to beat the crowds and at night to see the lights.
Fontana di Trevi is part of this Rome walking tour. When you need a break I recommend Pizza Re.
April 7, 2007
Inspiring photo of Petra Treasury in Jordan
The photo shown here is the Petra treasury. After entering Petra through a sandstone canyon, this is what you’ll see.
Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Jordan where travelers can see buildings carved out of stone mountains. Most everyone has seen it already, even if they didn’t know that Petra is the Holy Temple where Indy finds the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
This picture shows the area unusually empty; I understand that this is where you’d find camel and donkey owners. If you like to haggle, this is your chance. Even if you do hire a camel or donkey, you should still be in pretty good shape (and hope for good weather) when you visit Petra because you’ll be outdoors in the heat and possibly doing a lot of walking.
Before even entering Petra, you’ll need a ticket. You can buy a ticket and hire a Bedouin guide in the Visitor’s Center. They say not to buy tickets from anywhere else (you can’t trust the scalpers).
There are lots of other awesome sights in Petra that I don’t have photos of. Like Madrid, Petra is someplace I’ve never been but the beauty I see in this photo inspires me to keep writing and traveling.
March 26, 2007
Travel for Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles
Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles:
I chose this photo of Plaza di Cibeles at night for the first entry in my new category of inspiring pictures – pictures that make you want to start planning your next vacation.
We actually have a couple of Madrid and Spain vacation itineraries here. There’s the Madrid to Malaga travel itinerary and the Discovering Spain travel itinerary. Both begin in Madrid.
Madrid inspires people to travel because it’s gorgeous. Madrid has preserved its historic neighborhoods even while its modern transportation system makes it easy to get around. You see the awesome Plaza de Cibeles pictured here. What else do you have to see and do in Madrid?
The Teatro Real (Royal theatre) is called the Real. This is a restored 1850 Opera House and is home to the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid. If you’re a music buff like me, someone who still regrets visiting Italy and never seeing an opera in one of the famous opera houses, this is a must. There’s a museum here, but I really want to go for the music.
The huge Royal Palace of Madrid on (Bailén Street accessible from the Ópera metro station) is open to public when not in official use. King Juan Carlos doesn’t actually live there, but the palace is somtimes used for official business. Many visitors claim that you need more than one day in Madrid’s Royal Palace to begin to appreciate it. Personally I’m most eager to see the La Real Armería (the Royal Armory) museum where they keep medieval weapons and armor.
The Buen Retiro park (Park of the Pleasant Retreat), near the Prado museum, has its own list of tourist attractions. Alfonso XII, has his Mausoleum and statue near Estanque del Retiro (a pretty artificial lake where you take a boat ride). There you can find puppet shows, various street performers, and fortune tellers.
Then (still in Buen Retiro park) there's Palacio de Cristal (inspired by The Crystal Palace in London) and Palacio de Velázquez both designed by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. You might also be interested in seeing a one-of-a-kind: 'El Angel Caído' is the only statue in the world honoring the fallen angel Lucifer. The Forest of the Departed (Bosque de los Ausentes) is a memorial to the 191 victims of the Madrid terrorist attacks on March 11, 2004.
I mentioned that the Prado Museum is near the Buen Retiro park (Park of the Pleasant Retreat). The Prado Museum is another must see tourist attraction, renowned for having one of the world’s best art collections. The Prado Museum is part of Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art. The triangle is completed with Madrid’s modern art museum, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, and an art museum in a palace, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
So while that picture of Plaza de Cibeles blew me away, there are really tons of reasons to go to Madrid. It's time to start saving my money.