April 3, 2012
Wolves and bears in Finland
I accidentally found some pretty cool videos on Youtube that seem to indicate Finland is good for wolf watching and bear watching.
I realized when I was in Finland that it would be wonderful for kayaking - lots of nice water and not much traffic. Now I realize it's good for wolf and bear watching. Makes me wonder - what else don't I know about Finland?
August 29, 2011
Fun, short travel videos
I put them in my personal order of preference:
2.
LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
3.
EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
1.
MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
July 11, 2011
Sardine run off the wild coast of South Africa
First, this is not me (and honestly I'm not sure I wish it was - the sardine run sounds amazing but scary enough that I might not want to do it). Anyway, great travel story:
I just just returned from South Africa last week. I went mainly for the sardine run off the wild coast of SA - fantastic diving but damn scary.
There are huge schools of "sardines" (actually pilchards) - up to 10 miles long. Hundreds of dolphins go down and bring a large group of them to the surface and then "herd" them into a Bait ball" that is maybe 20 feet across and up to 30 feet deep. Then the dolphins start going through the concentrated bait ball feeding on the fish. There are also Gannets and comorants that dive into the water and grab a couple of fish.
The scary part is that there also many sharks - all of which have been documented to attack humans. Primarily the sharks are "bronze whalers" as well as dusky sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks which scare the hell out of me. The sharks can go into a feeding frenzy and fight with each other.
Last week when I was there one diver was attacked by a shark and was hospitalized. A dusky shark was biting on the tank of a member from my group. The whales that come through can also be hazardous because of their size. Although scary - it was an amazing sight.
Since I was in South Africa I then did a safari. i spent a couple of days at Hulhulwe / Umfolozzi about a 3 hour drive from Durban. Saw all of the big 5 (Big 5 = Lion, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Elephant) and this particular park is known for its white rhino conservation. The animals are more active at dusk and dawn so it certainly helps to stay overnight. This particular park is huge and there are all levels of accommodation from basic up to luxury such as the Pinda compound.
If you want a photo safari focused on the big 5 then certainly Kruger or Pinda would not disappoint. Kruger is so large that there are multiple areas so that you could spend a couple of days and multiple locations if you were prepared to rent a car and drive yourself...
Other notes on South Africa:
If you are thinking about South Africa and departing from Johannesburg then Kruger may be a better option.
It seemed to me that most parks have some very high end resorts ($500-$3,000 per night!!) and it was hard to find the more reasonably priced accommodation
South Africa is very bad for crime - the cities such as Johannesburg and Durban are kinda scary. The unemployment rate is around 50-60%. Do not put anything in checked bags (locked or not) that you don't mind being stolen - because if it has value - it WILL be. As for the luggage comment - I had 2 cameras (underwater and a regular camera) stolen from my locked checked bags by the airlines, which I think it is standard practice.
Although it is there winter it was quite mild.
If you are going to Kenya or Tanzania you have even more options - such as the Serengeti. If you want to try and see the big primates then you need to go to Rwanda or Uganda - I have no experience with those.
May 24, 2011
Maeklong Market in Thailand: vdeos of a train moving through the center of a market
Here's a fun one, Mae Klong Market in Thailand:
It looks like the vegetables are under the train for a bit; I have to imagine that means there's some diesel or something on them. Then again, it's probably no worse than the pesticides and stuff we're eating anyway.
Would you rather see it from the train or from the market?
April 21, 2011
National Park Week, Earth Day & photos
"Islesford, a small offshore fishing community, as seen from the air with Mount Desert Island in the background."
April 16-24 is National Park Week and James Kaiser was kind enough to help us celebrate with a few photos. It's a reminder to visit a national park near you because during National Park Week admission to all parks is free. Also, national parks are home to dozens of Earth Day (April 22) activities, from Ansel Adams photo programs in Yosemite (below) to volunteer cleanups in Acadia National Park (above).
"Yosemite Falls, located in Yosemite Valley, is the tallest waterfall in North America."
"A rafting trip heads down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon."
"Thousands of Joshua trees spread out below dramatic rock outcrops in Joshua Tree National Park"
James' books include Acadia: The Complete Guide, Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide, Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide (winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Full-Color Travel Guide and the Independent Publisher Award for Best Travel Guide), and Yosemite: The Complete Guide. In 2010, the Acadia, Joshua Tree and Yosemite guides were all ranked as the number one best-selling guidebooks for their respective national parks by Nielsen Bookscan. Please check out his website at http://jameskaiser.com/.
February 5, 2011
Pictures from Istanbul (part 2)
Here are a few pictures we took on our second day in Istanbul.
We got to the Blue Mosque at prayer time but our consolation prize for having to wait an hour and a half to get in was seeing these guys wash their feet.
So while the Blue Mosque was inaccessible we headed over to Hagia Sophia.
Here's another look at Hagia Sophia
January 30, 2011
Pictures from Istanbul
This picture of the Blue Mosque is one of the first pics we took in Istanbul. One of the advantages of staying in Sultanhamet is that you're constantly walking by these awesome sights. The problem is that it's a touristy area so you have guys on the street trying to sell you guide books, restaurants aimed at tourists, shop keepers who are a little too pushy, and so on.
Just a street in Sultanhamet I thought looked cool.
This is the first stray cat we met in istanbul. This little kitty was so cute and friendly that we thought for a day or two about finding a way to bring him home to Korea, thinking that a cat would be a much better souvenir than anything we could buy in a store.
November 29, 2010
Pictures from Kauai: a turtle on the beach and tranquil places to sit
I'd like to show you a few more pictures from my wife's trip to Hawaii in March, 2010. They are all thumbnails so click to see the bigger version.
On a beach in Kauai, my wife was lucky enough to see a big turtle taking a nap:
Back at Hanalei Bay Resort (which my wife recommends), notice the chairs to the right - looks like a great place to read, write, and relax:
Also at the resort, some benches near a nice garden make another nice place to relax:
Click here for some pictures of birds that came to visit my wife's lanai at the resort.
October 27, 2010
Jogyesa on Buddha's Birthday
Jogyesa is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and one of the most popular temples in Seoul. I think there are many better ones but on Buddha's last birthday (May 21, 2010) I went to Jogyesa to see the festivities. It was crowded and they had a pops orchestra and it was colorful:
This is a thumbnail so click to see the big picture:
This is another thumbnail:
As you can see, one of the main traditions is to go to the temple and pay to have your family members' names attached to one of these good luck Buddhist lanterns. The outdoor ones come down after a while but the inside lanterns stay up for the entire year - getting your name inside is pretty expensive in Seoul, usually over $100.
Personally, I think I preferred the previous year when I went to some far less touristy temples in and around Jinju, South Korea on Buddha's Birthday. Still, 99% of the people on Jogyesa were Korean so I can't say it was too touristy.
September 24, 2010
Which countries allow you to mail weird stuff?
A couple of weeks ago I was at the Daelim Museum of Contemporary Art for an exhibition "Inside Paul Smith."
They had Paul Smith's art collection, some photos he's taken, a scene from his office, and a bunch of things mailed to him by fans. That last one was by far the coolest part for my wife and I and we both want to mail weird stuff to ourselves and use the items with their canceled stamps as decoration.
I was very surprised to see many weird things mailed from America. There was a Radio Flyer wagon (a big one and a small model actually), a body board, a mailbox, various toys, a mannequin, a watering can, all kinds of stuff. I am amazed that the US postal service lets you mail these weird shaped things without putting them in any kind of box.
A lot of these things look very cool covered in stamps so when I go to New York this winter I might try my luck. And I'll try again in Turkey in January. It occurs to me that this could be way better than sending out postcards as well. I mean wouldn't some random Korean toy with a few stamps on it be cooler than a postcard with a picture of a temple?
September 16, 2010
Tokyo people watching part 1: harujuku girls
I like costumes and one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Tokyo was to see some of the wild fashion. That's why Harujuku was one of my first stops in Tokyo and one of my last. Even in Harujuku, the majority of people are pretty normal looking but some people really stand out. It's a nice change from Seoul where you just don't see really wild fashion that often. I didn't get many pictures of anime costumes - I didn't feel like chasing after people and getting them to pose and it's just too crowded to get a clear shot usually - but here are a couple of pics:
July 16, 2010
Link to some pics of a motorcycle trip in the Himalayas
I don't have much to write today but I do have some pictures to share so I'll let them do the talking. I wish I had taken them, but I've never been to the Himalayas and when I do go it won't be on a motorcycle trip... Anyway, enjoy these pics of a motorcycle trip in the Himalayas.
June 21, 2010
Tikal in Guatemala
This is in Tikal, a national park in Guatemala. I believe this view is from the top of Temple 3 and shows the main plaza. I already showed you one pic of these Mayan ruins when we talked about the crazy stairs.
May 18, 2010
Temple 5 at Tikal in Guatemala
Would you climb up here? As my sister explains:
This is Temple 5 at Tikal. We climbed 3 and 4 but not 5. The stairs are extremely steep and narrow and much more like a ladder than stairs. We were very tired from climbing Temples 3 and 4 and didn't feel much like dying. Coming down looked even more scary than going up.
April 28, 2010
Luxembourg pics part 2
In case you missed my first batch of pictures from Luxembourg here is the link.
This is Luxembourg.
This is Luxembourg at night.
This is a colorful barber shop in City Concorde, a shopping mall in Luxembourg. I admit I don't go looking for kids' haircutters but I had never seen anything like this. If I had a kid I'd have stopped here for a haircut.
March 22, 2010
Pictures from Luxembourg
From January, 2010
A castle not too far from Luxembourg City. I couldn't remember the name but a very helpful reader reminded me: Castle Hollenfels.
I needed help with this one too... It's the Museum of Natural Science @ Grund. I believe it was closed when we went there because I don't remember entering any museums other than a modern art museum that was still under construction.
The colorful lounge in the Parc Belair Hotel. This hotel is owned by Raymond Goeres and his brother. The idea is pretty neat: to encourage people to leave their rooms and socialize they offer some free stuff in the lounge. Testing my memory (and I realize I'm not doing that well so far) I think fruit, coffee, and even drinks and dessert were free. Hard to believe but that's how I remember it.
January 20, 2010
Pictures from Amsterdam
Our first night in Amsterdam we got out of the subway and saw De Waag. The restaurant In De Waag was recommended in the guide books so we ate there.
Then we went for a walk and pretty soon we were surrounded by coffee shops and prostitutes. And other people walking around, of course.
I guess after getting the munchies, buying fast food from a vending machine might appeal to some people. We never were tempted.
June 14, 2009
Visiting temples on Buddha's Birthday in Jinju, South Korea
These pictures were taken May 2nd, 2009 in Jinju, South Korea on Buddha's Birthday. I felt like a real traveler that day because I didn't see any other white people the entire day.
There were some pretty interesting things going on. They had a Baby Buddha that people would pour water on three times:
There were bright colored lanterns - people donate to the temple in order to put their names on little tags hanging from these lanterns. At this temple, the ones outside were about $5-10 while inside they were about $100. The outdoor ones only stay up a short while but I believe the indoor ones stay up all year:
I also had the opportunity to try some green tea that was brewed in a dish with a lotus flower. It was excellent:
I'm putting this one in my travel inspiring pictures category because, as I said, I felt like a real traveler that day. I saw some interesting stuff (in addition to the colorful lanterns, volunteers were giving out cotton candy, they had a free vegetarian lunch, there was a bracelet making station with strings and beads, and a lotus flower making station with colorful paper and glue), tried a new drink, and was the only white person around.
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 ArmerÃa (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 CaÃdo' 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 SofÃa, 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.