tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88669994977310091122024-03-18T08:01:01.364-07:00Traveling Tour GuideAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.comBlogger1202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-9821046450218492612013-04-18T21:12:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:20:56.483-07:00Top 10 Adventure Activities To Do In India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If you truly want to experience adventure in the truest sense, break away from the ordinary experiences. A regular travel, some shopping, some visits to historically prominent locations are great but taking the unchartered routes are even better. These experiences provide memories that last a lifetime.<br /><br />There are lots of activities that you can do while in India and here are some wonderful adventurous moments that you can include while you seek your breaks from the regular and stereotypical lifestyles.<br />Paragliding<br />Want to know what it feels like to be in heaven?<br />Want to fly like a bird?<br />Want to know how earth looks like below when birds are flying in the sky?<br />Your answer to all the above is paragliding. First you will have to fly with a professional and if more keen you can take up courses. Paragliding will take you up in the skies and show you views which you might never have witnessed. It is available mainly in Mumbai, Pune, and Himachal Pradesh in India.<br />White Water Rafting<br />If you want to experience speed and if you love water then white water rafting is something you will love and keep trying again and again. It’s a very challenging activity where you navigate a river on a small raft. Besides being an adventure sport, it also provides an amazing experiences and a healthy sport too! You will have to steer the raft using the speed of riverand steer clear of the incoming impediments on the river along the way. The most famous river rafting spots in India are in Uttaranchal, Ladakh and Assam. The rivers where you can chart your experience are Ganga, Brahmaputra, Teesta and Zanskar. <br />Camel and Yak Safaris<br />If you want to experience the desert life, then a camel safari is an experience you must try out. It’s one of the softer adventures compared to the others. The adventures are best experienced in the late evenings and early mornings when the desert breeze is calm and cool. Camel safari in India is very popular in Jaisalmar, Nikaner, Jodhpur, khimsar, Osian. You can also try Yak Safari for a truly unique experience. Yak is a rather shaggy and heavy animal. When in Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, try this safari and enjoy the unique ride!<br /><br />Hot Air Ballooning<br />Another alternative to paragliding is hot air ballooning. This is a more laid back and leisure activity in comparison to paragliding. Hot air ballooning is relatively new to India and is fast gaining prominence. To experience breathtaking landscapes at higher altitudes you must try out this awesome experience. These hot air balloon flights operate from the Pink City of Jaipur, the holy town of Pushkar, and Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, New Delhi and around Manali, in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh.<br /><br />Mountain Biking<br />If you want to experience the lifestyle of a certain place or a region cycling or motorbiking can be quite an experience. Imagine a ride across the valleys with breathtaking views of the mountains, the green patches, bright sunlight all smiling and welcoming you. At the same time you will have the opportunity of stopping by and taking a break and enjoying the lifestyle of the locals. The fact is that motor biking through a place is a unique way of experiencing the local tradition and culture of a place and there are no two ways about it! Add to it the astonishing scenic grandeur of the breath-taking Himalayan milieu will make your adventure holiday worth remembering all through your life.<br />If you are one of the Harley Davidson type adventurers then this is something you can’t give a miss! <br /><br />Scuba diving and Snorkelling:<br />Life as we know it is very different when viewed under water and that too in oceans and sea beds. This is something everyone must try. Once you try scuba diving or snorkelling you will go back again and again to enjoy the experience the thrill and beauty of India's stunning underwater natural world. <br />You can scuba dive or snorkel in the Bay of Bengal at Andaman and Nicobar islands or Arabian Sea at Lakshadweep group of islands. The crystal clear waters of the Indian coasts and shores promise charming scuba diving and snorkelling destinations that will leave you completely mesmerized. <br /><br />Skiing:<br />The obvious choice for skiing in India is the northern belt with primary choices like Jammu and Kashmir, the hills of Kumaon, Himachal Pradesh, and the Northeastern states of India. For beginners, Gulmarg is the ultimate choice for skiing. There’s a lot of skill that is involved while skiing. The sheer speed of going down a slope the wind that pushes you further, the freedom and legwork all add to its magic. Any amateur to a professional would love this sport.<br /><br />Angling Combined With Trekking:<br />There are so many fresh water lakes providing excellent spots for the fishing and angling activities. Dodital Lake surrounded by the Himalayan peaks is one such fine place for a catch. The Cauvery Fishing Lodge near Mysore is noted for Mahseer. The hill stations of Munnar make for perfect places for fishing in the gurgling streams of Kerala. Kashmir remains the undisputed paradise for an avid angler. Early mornings and late evenings are best times when you can indulge yourself. Combine trekking to it and you get the most amazing experience you can ever imagine.<br /><br />Mountaineering:<br />An ideal activity during the summers that lets you escape from the heat of the plains is mountaineering. However, one should avoid the summers as landslides are experienced in several parts of India due to the heavy rains. The best mountaineering spots are in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Northeast. Some other renowned summits include the Num and Kun, and the Zanskar range in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides the amateur mountaineering, the technical climbing skills are put to test at Kishtawar at peaks that are as high as 6,500 m above ground level. Lahaul and Spiti in Leh, and the Kullu valley have several challenging peaks. You can make several choices in mountaineering and they are namely categorized into open, virgin, border, trekking etc.<br /><br /> Trekking:<br />The major states that cover trekking experiences are the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttaranchal in India, followed by the Eastern Himalayas covering Darjeeling in West Bengal and the northeastern states of Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. The <a href="http://www.thrillophilia.com/ladakh.php" target="_blank">trekking trails of Ladakh</a> are some of the most difficult ones. The areas around Gangotri and Yamunotri and those below the Kumaon region are also famous for trekking. Avoid trekking during monsoons. Low altitude trekking can be undertaken during the months of February/March and April/May is best suited for high-altitude trekking in the Himalayas. If you want to enjoy trekking in South India, then proceed towards the Western Ghats from December to April. The weather is clear and scenic beauty is at its best.<br /><br />With so many choices you are bound to make your travel more fun and adventurous and wholesome too!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com107tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-69072345653424975302013-04-18T21:09:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:20:56.491-07:00Phuket vacation Packages to go to Phuket the Gorgeous Island Of Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liKyd-4ePi4/UXDC86AGGFI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/Blsg3vOfP3s/s1600/Phuket-vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liKyd-4ePi4/UXDC86AGGFI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/Blsg3vOfP3s/s320/Phuket-vacation.jpg" width="320" /></a>Phuket vacation packages are value giving an endeavor because it is one among the gorgeous places wherever you'll get pleasure from and you may not forget the expertise in your life time. this is often place with stunning landscape, breathless fantastic thing about sunrise and sunset that is sort of stunning serene and peace filling. The place is filled with stunning spots wherever you'll go and acquire concerned within the beauty and peacefulness. it's simply refreshing and regenerating<span lang="en-US"></span>expertise for people who wish to relax within the lap of Mother Nature can get pleasure from their best here. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Water ways, road ways, and air ways <span lang="en-US">a</span>re there to succeed in Phuket and you'll get pleasure from your manner of traveling to Phuket. As several as twenty five beaches are there <span lang="en-US">about </span>Phuket round the Phuket town. South Phuket can give a peaceable<span lang="en-US"> </span>being<span lang="en-US"></span>whereas north Phuket can permit to feel the tranquilly of nature and that they will refresh <span lang="en-US">done </span>the expertise here.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.29in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0Tj-wq2OR8/UXDDE3RZXNI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/mL4iRHu2VCE/s1600/Phuket-vacation-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0Tj-wq2OR8/UXDDE3RZXNI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/mL4iRHu2VCE/s320/Phuket-vacation-1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Even though, it'll become low-cost for people who visit Phuket with Phuket vacation package tours. it's not judicious for the places like Phuket wherever you may forget yourself in the nature's beauty, landscape, sunrise and sunset, water flowing between 2 mountain reefs, at one place deep blue water, in another place is it's lightweight blue waters, nevertheless in another place <span lang="en-US">green Coloured</span> water, each <span lang="en-US">and every </span>beach can give you mesmeric expertise, indeed you never wish to travel back unless you're oblivious<span lang="en-US"> </span>of natures beauty.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of the guests square measure <span lang="en-US">mesmerized</span> with the beautiful<span lang="en-US"></span>fantastic thing about Phuket and that they relish to the core. Pre booking are offered within the hotels of the Phuket. There are virtually 600 hotels settled in and around Phuket for the sake of holiday makers. they'll select anybody per their budget and range of days they're reaching to keep within the Phuket.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-YU7JnN9Kw/UXDDHo8jDrI/AAAAAAAAARE/HfeJAKMHfCI/s1600/Phuket-vacation-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-YU7JnN9Kw/UXDDHo8jDrI/AAAAAAAAARE/HfeJAKMHfCI/s320/Phuket-vacation-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">All types' hotels <span lang="en-US">a</span>re there in Phuket budget vary, medium vary, luxury vary each sort is found in and around Phuket. The rates are varied per the gap it's found from the beach. this is often sometimes costlier hotels W<span lang="en-US">ho</span>wish to own the breeze of ocean forever on their faces. you'll find Phuket map with the majority the beaches with clear and alluring waters<span lang="en-US">. These following hotels provide a cheap hotels deals for your vacation. These are </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.thailand-hotel.com/hotels/phuket/the-lantern-resort-patong-phuket"><span lang="en-US"><b>The Lantern Resort Patong Phuket</b></span></a></span><span lang="en-US">, Rayaburi Resort Phuket and </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.thailand-hotel.com/hotels/phuket/blue-ocean-resort-spa-phuket"><span lang="en-US"><b>Blue Ocean Resort Spa Phuket</b></span></a></span><span lang="en-US">.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com274tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-20975640465399800032013-04-12T20:57:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.799-07:00#845 Port Lockroy, Antarctica<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BXI5TTSRyKxRud8qYRZlR0xSumLBJKseAKJdCz2593KlPWCkqI8LlrBot8RWhmUdGf-RgbEx6mtDy7CDk0vWHBNhdYcP5yfu63GA3o0MnIJCRSTVphyphenhypheneP_ZhOjBkWouDZq8-1SNP6Vo/s1600/IMG_6713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BXI5TTSRyKxRud8qYRZlR0xSumLBJKseAKJdCz2593KlPWCkqI8LlrBot8RWhmUdGf-RgbEx6mtDy7CDk0vWHBNhdYcP5yfu63GA3o0MnIJCRSTVphyphenhypheneP_ZhOjBkWouDZq8-1SNP6Vo/s640/IMG_6713.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcyzrH3SV04Z58Vpy4qA0Q2qaTzeMX20KELyJhyphenhyphen4XaBO7xGYG9hYzmRy4riDmEjqr3hIf-1ANj5HTQDxDqmCAq5SYgwcPViFHSxQS1IB2fkPCPpO8sdHrp2q4I4NoES1RIRGH_pmObk0/s1600/IMG_6717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcyzrH3SV04Z58Vpy4qA0Q2qaTzeMX20KELyJhyphenhyphen4XaBO7xGYG9hYzmRy4riDmEjqr3hIf-1ANj5HTQDxDqmCAq5SYgwcPViFHSxQS1IB2fkPCPpO8sdHrp2q4I4NoES1RIRGH_pmObk0/s320/IMG_6717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seal Brains recipe for those living in Antarctica.</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the coolest museums I've ever been to was extraordinary not because of what was in it, but where it was -- it was in Antarctica! With the cans of food, girly posters on the walls, the old wooden stove, and the recipe book open to 'Seal Brains on Toast' it was intended to be a glimpse of the past when the station was manned permanently (now it has 4 volunteers living there for the summer season only). It has a copy of the sleds used to cross to the South Pole out in front and even a gift shop and post office. The volunteers do not leave the island and have no boats (I want that job!) and the house was painstakingly restored to represent life as it was. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Using for whaling in the early part of the 20th century, a whale skeleton's ribs dot the landscape of a nearby island. It was a British base through World War II and remained as a research station until 1962, even enjoying visits from the royal family. It lies on tiny Goudier Island, near Wiencke Island in the Palmer Archipeligo north of the Antarctic circle near the Antarctic Peninsula. One of the most amazing things in the museum that I remember seeing was the story of a tsunami that hit, when the residents went onto the roof after the bay was sucked dry! Can you imagine being in a place like that when there's an event like that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The best thing of all, though, was the penguins that have made the island their territory and their little pathways and constant noise and smell meant it was truly a home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bI5Dwhr9WewHpmLebO9DlnrsY-qEOkQednE-VL0UwEODxIF08tXNIvk5Ywu1TTBB7-Bz5g9jrLIO7GTcBy0pIl3NMQyJ4sIk_9QGAIC244U82L8jJexSt2QVv_RLDiK5zVJv-PWxqj8/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bI5Dwhr9WewHpmLebO9DlnrsY-qEOkQednE-VL0UwEODxIF08tXNIvk5Ywu1TTBB7-Bz5g9jrLIO7GTcBy0pIl3NMQyJ4sIk_9QGAIC244U82L8jJexSt2QVv_RLDiK5zVJv-PWxqj8/s320/IMG_6703.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqYGNYtVh0tSuXt1QfGH4hcfDyWQEZPS-2zV0a2khIO6E-xE5GQs7uf03ljotwNOkD_bELiH_tRH-ZMgL_0K6x7r9vo0GXrfbCzz86KRn_sy8a7iZRs7-1OGHOMKIdAv-wRvFFHjI8iQ/s1600/IMG_6704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqYGNYtVh0tSuXt1QfGH4hcfDyWQEZPS-2zV0a2khIO6E-xE5GQs7uf03ljotwNOkD_bELiH_tRH-ZMgL_0K6x7r9vo0GXrfbCzz86KRn_sy8a7iZRs7-1OGHOMKIdAv-wRvFFHjI8iQ/s320/IMG_6704.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1rv_yoQ3OGDsHnpLXDopV4tABBNgmJVy46T23M4KhpYugQmpUhhvB_FB80NZlBEitauRfn7p4SWtA-qJij1-JTptq7V7OdjTnAUPmudwvwZYp4Dvo0AYPt_fSHHd9L_dTIyetcpdSIk/s1600/IMG_6706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1rv_yoQ3OGDsHnpLXDopV4tABBNgmJVy46T23M4KhpYugQmpUhhvB_FB80NZlBEitauRfn7p4SWtA-qJij1-JTptq7V7OdjTnAUPmudwvwZYp4Dvo0AYPt_fSHHd9L_dTIyetcpdSIk/s320/IMG_6706.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8SDOIMOJdRTALzO23M_gSuichr-8HkWu3DZ9ntjI3RSVGMmiFNJou3XGNa1pIf5MSVv49pLO-KMmARrrSx8SduWYB28UfC1Wc6foTPPppvqIyzrfm7EVMCWErEqk7cecJq6cL2lJPsw/s1600/IMG_6716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8SDOIMOJdRTALzO23M_gSuichr-8HkWu3DZ9ntjI3RSVGMmiFNJou3XGNa1pIf5MSVv49pLO-KMmARrrSx8SduWYB28UfC1Wc6foTPPppvqIyzrfm7EVMCWErEqk7cecJq6cL2lJPsw/s320/IMG_6716.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhae8MZ9MQI8UGhp2coinPPdD30Kx3j-uEceJa80rr0KiwEX51WF-Jg7kUiTpnvnzvj-IjdVjCtmtY8UXg3eVWTd5MMedz7M259nXEwPzntrEQeypAuE2IlGxHs700suaslp45uMSROdFo/s1600/IMG_6718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhae8MZ9MQI8UGhp2coinPPdD30Kx3j-uEceJa80rr0KiwEX51WF-Jg7kUiTpnvnzvj-IjdVjCtmtY8UXg3eVWTd5MMedz7M259nXEwPzntrEQeypAuE2IlGxHs700suaslp45uMSROdFo/s320/IMG_6718.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC18jLp4950oI6t_quUHL1EJoOpi7mOM5GvHBNDM7CuhZSHZSyOEbLbS_c2EeHmlJoCpy4KSypzqXVn2z0DLW9bc0wOcBuanKgraszWnpyhW1ieUgYqt4A41QHXcxjWXNEp8XO4NU28Y/s1600/IMG_6728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC18jLp4950oI6t_quUHL1EJoOpi7mOM5GvHBNDM7CuhZSHZSyOEbLbS_c2EeHmlJoCpy4KSypzqXVn2z0DLW9bc0wOcBuanKgraszWnpyhW1ieUgYqt4A41QHXcxjWXNEp8XO4NU28Y/s320/IMG_6728.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Because they are a charity supported by the British Antarctic Trust perhaps you would like to donate </span><a href="http://www.ukaht.org/where-we-work/port-lockroy" style="text-align: left;">here</a>.</div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Lockroy">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Lockroy</a></span><br /><a href="http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/virtual/travel/lockroy.php"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/virtual/travel/lockroy.php</span></a><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-64414846606731992762013-04-09T20:53:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.808-07:00#846 Isla Gorgona, Colombia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCsGGGPL4wX0MAyihr60FZOnS7PoILa6G7-ID5yOF-Yn_rLcPq8mWvbZfdacBHG3ALeezVSM8ro8uCVUCPJ9e8k2yoeAiCdxZMMHHjtVjBvq6Q76ouUMvdXqNgY55htFVr5e0g9EnO5I/s1600/IMG_3135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCsGGGPL4wX0MAyihr60FZOnS7PoILa6G7-ID5yOF-Yn_rLcPq8mWvbZfdacBHG3ALeezVSM8ro8uCVUCPJ9e8k2yoeAiCdxZMMHHjtVjBvq6Q76ouUMvdXqNgY55htFVr5e0g9EnO5I/s320/IMG_3135.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkyopnadmbuU90eO6rTnml3EnJY5EkWLCRcOkb6hx5T_b4RkWwRk8ynvynv-dOncWHmnkL3oa4H4-UTcZXrGoPXuTrCltoQ4EvA3pvXVZ6DmmZ0tvzLr3d8cq6Ax-5xAKK5h6O_xWT28/s1600/IMG_3160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkyopnadmbuU90eO6rTnml3EnJY5EkWLCRcOkb6hx5T_b4RkWwRk8ynvynv-dOncWHmnkL3oa4H4-UTcZXrGoPXuTrCltoQ4EvA3pvXVZ6DmmZ0tvzLr3d8cq6Ax-5xAKK5h6O_xWT28/s320/IMG_3160.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">34km off Colombia's wild and mangroved Pacific coast lies the mysterious island of Gorgona, so named for the hundreds of snakes present when Pizarro's ship stopped there in 1524. For a long time a prison and forbidden to outsiders, it is now a majestic holiday resort of wild jungle trails, pristine beaches, spectacular diving, and peace and quiet (one small resort and the boats only cross from Guapi, the nearest village and airport, two times a week).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8_VUWc31j8Fqlmxv4TEDp5Ny2QgZykcbro_lfgxbGhOKgr903pktMgstspBKyNwhzdHgHbX6jzELNQ10OGVDSHX86i2xiUsZ3J0sOKamcgdH0hH43DvrqBdfdstMfHm4kAkbj1lStTM/s1600/IMG_3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8_VUWc31j8Fqlmxv4TEDp5Ny2QgZykcbro_lfgxbGhOKgr903pktMgstspBKyNwhzdHgHbX6jzELNQ10OGVDSHX86i2xiUsZ3J0sOKamcgdH0hH43DvrqBdfdstMfHm4kAkbj1lStTM/s320/IMG_3242.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdpuu7netUYBEwSYxIkbvTZtnDVoH2MzDyJUBAYCdQuY7xaYiqkxK9d5AQgFgTTqfV0Q_AV7HCHrBBmQNtqnexdvHiH9QtBeJQQ7L5xT_Q9zO-ENvRv0SgTuFEFdLM4WhT3P0jJleVyA/s1600/IMG_3260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdpuu7netUYBEwSYxIkbvTZtnDVoH2MzDyJUBAYCdQuY7xaYiqkxK9d5AQgFgTTqfV0Q_AV7HCHrBBmQNtqnexdvHiH9QtBeJQQ7L5xT_Q9zO-ENvRv0SgTuFEFdLM4WhT3P0jJleVyA/s320/IMG_3260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZowB-Npd59vKi6xFCIPbeZhtn9ly5dBneFVaP5PcqASvE5ZFFTOZqd2KLjWWozE7Ogul6IkENxKkwKrtW6KAJ3NMVQIUFaVNHYCGGsFwOHCwzkK33NnF08oZlFIqwdfjDaOT0R5hd7w/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZowB-Npd59vKi6xFCIPbeZhtn9ly5dBneFVaP5PcqASvE5ZFFTOZqd2KLjWWozE7Ogul6IkENxKkwKrtW6KAJ3NMVQIUFaVNHYCGGsFwOHCwzkK33NnF08oZlFIqwdfjDaOT0R5hd7w/s320/IMG_3263.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjuLtD7PHH2TbpmGYboMwfoCV2f-PIZpx0p4wnXzdisv54dIbOIDXlt9kP5w7pmcEATqGte5WBKfTW-aPBnp6A0n7pSRbcvj6-ihk5i3CtY89Y0Pqs3AkILYEdNsTIZhO86eykRozmyI/s1600/IMG_3272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjuLtD7PHH2TbpmGYboMwfoCV2f-PIZpx0p4wnXzdisv54dIbOIDXlt9kP5w7pmcEATqGte5WBKfTW-aPBnp6A0n7pSRbcvj6-ihk5i3CtY89Y0Pqs3AkILYEdNsTIZhO86eykRozmyI/s320/IMG_3272.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nature rules here, as is evidenced by the jungle completely reclaiming the prison over the past 30 years, but also by the hundreds of small monkeys, lizards, snakes, birds, and other creatures. My favorite, by far, were the sperm whales that traverse this coast several months of the year with their babies on their way to and from the tropics and Antarctica. Breaking just off the island, breaching and playing or just breathing, they astonish and excite all visitors when they are seen several times a day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHR-CxCazjs29pEaIN_tiEMPDp9f1d5jtBvS-20onJ8DA0lnz9mHlorp4oD4Qp-rL_Uobj2w83t2grXzogVPvEbX2XWsdYl5K6aDrj-VMkLnOj4DPfltPkSWeXE6infWH2lxn8Jh6-tu8/s1600/IMG_3309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHR-CxCazjs29pEaIN_tiEMPDp9f1d5jtBvS-20onJ8DA0lnz9mHlorp4oD4Qp-rL_Uobj2w83t2grXzogVPvEbX2XWsdYl5K6aDrj-VMkLnOj4DPfltPkSWeXE6infWH2lxn8Jh6-tu8/s320/IMG_3309.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ujc1satuBgAwkZKUPsEME7rAZ91yg6o_FKclNmUYm1jI6VG5HWzUsu-F7vVo3rqrub6mKrTWCUNeB_FVn6L6cku3objlXWQiP93aoYicfvzkE2rSRNBq_EX_uF6c4QqtUUAgzJxXcgg/s1600/IMG_3321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOM3bwt2M7I1TXRbckcxk9rV3UyZ3QbYeVsmx_kJqyGqzgAXbvIpsmpR0lYpMu-I5nENiJL0l-jEsoPIituQCK6BLsS_wYZpfm5d5l33B1vuy-Z4jF5kTofpR0OrM5I3WZ8oEIBYoaAo/s320/P1020983.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhdgfS4txpyHvPbmbRBb6MzHMzKomWNQRQnZBGBvXSSFzWaqfn8SaQHwj2YWLCh6eCmqiCvn0C2LASr5fwwBRiqtWUjORS_ksGlMA7Cgxgkj9MYkz5bt-fYbIuIDSv0xyy0qfsv3FZ7k/s1600/P1020976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhdgfS4txpyHvPbmbRBb6MzHMzKomWNQRQnZBGBvXSSFzWaqfn8SaQHwj2YWLCh6eCmqiCvn0C2LASr5fwwBRiqtWUjORS_ksGlMA7Cgxgkj9MYkz5bt-fYbIuIDSv0xyy0qfsv3FZ7k/s320/P1020976.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CdsLe67N61TV6g9BLmGJVIa8HyIGjVbseWloZpQwQFcXGVKeKOTr2Pr4Wz-ygHmIBCLQ7k84JlZOXrUOnwH_HnvnPH_g62EyrVOTh5LG1Mwfow7CxxIMGATViW7d4GEXop9y1YuYFrI/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CdsLe67N61TV6g9BLmGJVIa8HyIGjVbseWloZpQwQFcXGVKeKOTr2Pr4Wz-ygHmIBCLQ7k84JlZOXrUOnwH_HnvnPH_g62EyrVOTh5LG1Mwfow7CxxIMGATViW7d4GEXop9y1YuYFrI/s320/IMG_3410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Gorgona">http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Gorgona</a></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-85981423442000409742013-04-07T20:30:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.861-07:00#847 Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yJDDqSlOACyOKYSzqsKNCMgLMCkkqePhxakTUxiZYK4T-Mh_k9Vd6WRzP07cHHaoPIE9clM14nq48WgGlx17zHpvM0uhPg_NxlrH__YEEYcAAtQJiLob9qt2LWobcMPTT5bwiyBvSZc/s1600/Hassan+II+mosque+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yJDDqSlOACyOKYSzqsKNCMgLMCkkqePhxakTUxiZYK4T-Mh_k9Vd6WRzP07cHHaoPIE9clM14nq48WgGlx17zHpvM0uhPg_NxlrH__YEEYcAAtQJiLob9qt2LWobcMPTT5bwiyBvSZc/s320/Hassan+II+mosque+2.jpg" width="216" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3k0kpb-Tppb5-U4TNs2tBLqZ6d74RFQj6w5EjKsJT6qoaeGNZlYDA1Py5QjeGdNkny8uGHbKjJzix5bUjqmE5Qm3hGqIIb3bHe2WoZ5EZUAcb5t-saDCn4FW7COmLG29yJe2KoCPLXo/s1600/Hassan+II+mosque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3k0kpb-Tppb5-U4TNs2tBLqZ6d74RFQj6w5EjKsJT6qoaeGNZlYDA1Py5QjeGdNkny8uGHbKjJzix5bUjqmE5Qm3hGqIIb3bHe2WoZ5EZUAcb5t-saDCn4FW7COmLG29yJe2KoCPLXo/s320/Hassan+II+mosque.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first modern mosque I ever visited in the world was this impressive one, with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean lapping underneath, in Casablanca, Morocco. It was my first real exposure to the modern interpretations of Islamic Architecture, which would become a passion, and a wonderful experience of the tranquility and peace inside mosques.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs8fSfdBKWugJZyx6vUAjNPr2YJ9an_YylwjyyoD1a_C29uAYjY5Oz1gDk1AkqnlRWABjsb9pZsb0nB0ZlrTPqdsMvZ8nK2uOZKi9x2Yd6_Vg5crYR08gD9I4h5nDE81ifx55M-l1Qf0/s1600/Hassan+II+mosque+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs8fSfdBKWugJZyx6vUAjNPr2YJ9an_YylwjyyoD1a_C29uAYjY5Oz1gDk1AkqnlRWABjsb9pZsb0nB0ZlrTPqdsMvZ8nK2uOZKi9x2Yd6_Vg5crYR08gD9I4h5nDE81ifx55M-l1Qf0/s320/Hassan+II+mosque+3.jpg" width="320" /></a>With doors large enough for the king to ride his horse through, the mosque is not intended to replicate older mosques that Morocco is also famous for, such as Le Tour Hassan in Rabat (<a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2013/02/864-le-tour-hassan-and-mausoleum-of.html">#864</a>), or the Kotoubia Mosque in Marrakech (<a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2012/05/988-marrakech-morocco.html">#988</a>), but to show Morocco's modern strength and piety, although many Moroccans do not consider the Hassan II mosque as sacred because infidels are allowed inside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next to the old medina in a spectacular location, it was at one time the world's 3rd largest religious monument with the world's highest minaret (210m). Finished in 1993 for the late king's 60th birthday, it required 10,000 craftsmen 5 years to finish. It was designed by a French architect, Michel Pinseau, and had the latest technology such as headed floors, electric doors and a sliding roof, although its traditional zellij mosaic tiles were painstakingly put in place one by one, an exemplar of Morocco's strong traditional artistry. Its cedar interior comes from the Middle Atlas mountains, its marble from Agadir, and its granite from Tafraoute, showcasing a strong Moroccan pride.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCYW6hQKjxfkchyphenhyphenyHrBiIvZSTbiuvc1EcFSF31wxjnOFbWEkc0Z8yoOa2N8NXL75VUiYEhxXEXR_JSvnHrItLTSHsn9_FCWuQNsd8wGEoBm1VTrOxYOJcBP9N-XaTPNi_OUK1c51A5I0/s1600/a1p10+A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCYW6hQKjxfkchyphenhyphenyHrBiIvZSTbiuvc1EcFSF31wxjnOFbWEkc0Z8yoOa2N8NXL75VUiYEhxXEXR_JSvnHrItLTSHsn9_FCWuQNsd8wGEoBm1VTrOxYOJcBP9N-XaTPNi_OUK1c51A5I0/s320/a1p10+A.JPG" width="216" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Edqcc0-tVJ_6zLo7tOHhNMlywzPsHpmTWpUKuEtIqTOsz7jH5oLZkTivCKi505HdTxm4kXo2YXUV1RakJ-bo6qBWCteNB2OBspg-05ZkUH_hfY5I6LO7x2F0JHB_vkH3hVQ9Bn02Ufs/s1600/a1p13+A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Edqcc0-tVJ_6zLo7tOHhNMlywzPsHpmTWpUKuEtIqTOsz7jH5oLZkTivCKi505HdTxm4kXo2YXUV1RakJ-bo6qBWCteNB2OBspg-05ZkUH_hfY5I6LO7x2F0JHB_vkH3hVQ9Bn02Ufs/s320/a1p13+A.JPG" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5c1klkFPE78RsKKXNmg9jdcvjw621s7eZYsfS-k_ivgVJvM2gFMEa-Eb6zgaV1e_m-2EssgTc2gHtpA8HIqJAf1PJ6rElzPWfHgu8lpTmerIG8HNB7ZEM-PDflXzy0wiAZGPLIQ-PEBU/s1600/a1p13+B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5c1klkFPE78RsKKXNmg9jdcvjw621s7eZYsfS-k_ivgVJvM2gFMEa-Eb6zgaV1e_m-2EssgTc2gHtpA8HIqJAf1PJ6rElzPWfHgu8lpTmerIG8HNB7ZEM-PDflXzy0wiAZGPLIQ-PEBU/s320/a1p13+B.JPG" width="218" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-U5bhkRleQ9Frx9M1FPqOk-aMyeW5wiCHX8Ivo6eMl6-0tD-JzFvNZ_VGSwB3JLt7c4flwfojpQml_qM9K0C2naij3DsEDF67N1miXNCjrSl7_p_T9Q88iNcALw22rX3ijSOozklktM/s1600/a1p13+C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-U5bhkRleQ9Frx9M1FPqOk-aMyeW5wiCHX8Ivo6eMl6-0tD-JzFvNZ_VGSwB3JLt7c4flwfojpQml_qM9K0C2naij3DsEDF67N1miXNCjrSl7_p_T9Q88iNcALw22rX3ijSOozklktM/s320/a1p13+C.JPG" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYKE4_Z2ZxNFlss0umiHXVVt8gqg7aNPGrWO6YYhRmJ9JK6FigTETvdmasjKYnvBND4a1nTnmN_Xl81QUBndfJ44pCoSzqU19B956ZVwAPVzk3u-0Ysz1mjEJM_nywBUsP1ryPeR76n4/s1600/a1p13+D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYKE4_Z2ZxNFlss0umiHXVVt8gqg7aNPGrWO6YYhRmJ9JK6FigTETvdmasjKYnvBND4a1nTnmN_Xl81QUBndfJ44pCoSzqU19B956ZVwAPVzk3u-0Ysz1mjEJM_nywBUsP1ryPeR76n4/s320/a1p13+D.JPG" width="216" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPTo3K4A5iLgeCuvSRJjGXslZbjBXP9YKT000GkaYbcjnbMXi93SrPk81QySdoC-aG77fmXJ7F56wbDY7Htmeb0Mxan7z35oxRXjXWRQDfxbjQG_FiJJ4JztQgr583MsDCRjniPwguM0/s1600/hassan+II+msqe+inside+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPTo3K4A5iLgeCuvSRJjGXslZbjBXP9YKT000GkaYbcjnbMXi93SrPk81QySdoC-aG77fmXJ7F56wbDY7Htmeb0Mxan7z35oxRXjXWRQDfxbjQG_FiJJ4JztQgr583MsDCRjniPwguM0/s320/hassan+II+msqe+inside+2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAULPZ2Ig_EHlQp23UXPl6icK0ALCId7o9uRMzFHHlu9L4EIgByFLQqUOXS7x6m_4pFxiF0ISYr4Mr-1sCogvSvhqKqrdjim26SG12fuY9zD8zR5D2y_nJwut4Ct3ICs6eTNEvBwiuhuQ/s1600/hassan+II+msqe+inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAULPZ2Ig_EHlQp23UXPl6icK0ALCId7o9uRMzFHHlu9L4EIgByFLQqUOXS7x6m_4pFxiF0ISYr4Mr-1sCogvSvhqKqrdjim26SG12fuY9zD8zR5D2y_nJwut4Ct3ICs6eTNEvBwiuhuQ/s320/hassan+II+msqe+inside.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Source: Lonely Planet <u>Morocco</u> 6th Edition</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-71826013882016915402013-04-05T20:03:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.870-07:00#848 Krasnaya Ploshchad, Red Square, Moscow, Russia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhek-mzc2dznJ2ycPNeXrKZZIngf2pjAIQbXwyb_LYFITE3bQ2DboxLZiLXQx2RNOiu2C8CZ5crooNyqG4MSrwgvwLPZnOCo79AQFbX3MR18DPgV34TpO2ONvwFmKIx2nxES2cmtAwXuhM/s1600/moscow+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhek-mzc2dznJ2ycPNeXrKZZIngf2pjAIQbXwyb_LYFITE3bQ2DboxLZiLXQx2RNOiu2C8CZ5crooNyqG4MSrwgvwLPZnOCo79AQFbX3MR18DPgV34TpO2ONvwFmKIx2nxES2cmtAwXuhM/s320/moscow+036.jpg" width="203" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SfjTuz4QCRr7dziGPiIDPrhdx7d7HYbEv8xlb7bV419WBFNxzFbAWIc_UQUkIxHULwMPI8caQrFZfGueiQCXP3WZZX2NnqfbWU7tcI3GKfsR49wWDOhKc5uJyPDN8wurTG6CjO5UYp4/s1600/moscow+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SfjTuz4QCRr7dziGPiIDPrhdx7d7HYbEv8xlb7bV419WBFNxzFbAWIc_UQUkIxHULwMPI8caQrFZfGueiQCXP3WZZX2NnqfbWU7tcI3GKfsR49wWDOhKc5uJyPDN8wurTG6CjO5UYp4/s320/moscow+037.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The most iconic place in Russia symbolizing all that was hated about the Tsars, all that was controlling about the Communists and all that is powerful about Putin and modern Russia: Red Square. With St. Basil's fairy-tale church at the bottom end by the Moskva River, the Kremlin palace and government halls to the right side, the Gum department store on the left side and the imposing gates leading in, it would be an impressive place, but all of that does not encompass its enormous size. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBposFLEcqZTRDK03ypJTUWBpTcv_ZYuNfxMSz3hNIFZIplcz9D2SvoZ7Mj7LVY-ULQwjMKVpzyKkNYOR0_AA1KSXXjvbXo9_WD-XJwcbWg_IoiYsqyYX7SdgkFb4D8x9A4CpZAI_3oJc/s1600/kazakh+to+moscow+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBposFLEcqZTRDK03ypJTUWBpTcv_ZYuNfxMSz3hNIFZIplcz9D2SvoZ7Mj7LVY-ULQwjMKVpzyKkNYOR0_AA1KSXXjvbXo9_WD-XJwcbWg_IoiYsqyYX7SdgkFb4D8x9A4CpZAI_3oJc/s320/kazakh+to+moscow+028.jpg" width="199" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs2nwAb0Z9hQmHg2Sj03VqdmIwxT34Br923oLoZG9o1CGne7MbNCk_SdI_8m-3oF7bsScd5Gdk5HqPXvjYfw9e8qfUmYtLXFH4Ybanm5H1zBCfloloQmfqQTMYqOgf0nSQ6mPRi8J4UY/s1600/kazakh+to+moscow+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs2nwAb0Z9hQmHg2Sj03VqdmIwxT34Br923oLoZG9o1CGne7MbNCk_SdI_8m-3oF7bsScd5Gdk5HqPXvjYfw9e8qfUmYtLXFH4Ybanm5H1zBCfloloQmfqQTMYqOgf0nSQ6mPRi8J4UY/s320/kazakh+to+moscow+025.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQxjwCrPs0r1QDepgvBgLFdTVzp-EFyl9taPnbli4lkHgtb5TewGmAAgmYszQ8d4HTkniZqGjO7Xpe8pdJV2WvfenQdjlb_sa-Drwya3_7WlK_fqBWipntTPvE61tGNMd5Ds2aA2zb4Y/s1600/kazakh+to+moscow+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQxjwCrPs0r1QDepgvBgLFdTVzp-EFyl9taPnbli4lkHgtb5TewGmAAgmYszQ8d4HTkniZqGjO7Xpe8pdJV2WvfenQdjlb_sa-Drwya3_7WlK_fqBWipntTPvE61tGNMd5Ds2aA2zb4Y/s320/kazakh+to+moscow+027.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpa64RbAVR-zm7COC_8Yim4iiqyRiQj3M8rlH5VAB2UB1tao9Lb_JpemNCgVQU5Ysc4svaTQbMPo6c3mWWvKohbyjZ6oLMMuuby2CIRD4LSBT0IR_GErBYnb5Qf8cIHMBsA4I9T9uYjnA/s1600/moscow+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpa64RbAVR-zm7COC_8Yim4iiqyRiQj3M8rlH5VAB2UB1tao9Lb_JpemNCgVQU5Ysc4svaTQbMPo6c3mWWvKohbyjZ6oLMMuuby2CIRD4LSBT0IR_GErBYnb5Qf8cIHMBsA4I9T9uYjnA/s320/moscow+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVUjCDetpnGe2DnyzrSijFEI_hhhO9n7P17RvvLxaBL3Rqd2efNUSDCi8sBQxktsjrbSuw52wSUeU4drmspgmA2WP20bCV0fzoTaglb9EBqh4o27zFk1Rci3HcRAhUZane2-UKtFs-AE/s1600/moscow+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVUjCDetpnGe2DnyzrSijFEI_hhhO9n7P17RvvLxaBL3Rqd2efNUSDCi8sBQxktsjrbSuw52wSUeU4drmspgmA2WP20bCV0fzoTaglb9EBqh4o27zFk1Rci3HcRAhUZane2-UKtFs-AE/s320/moscow+025.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8VvJE7u6HrJRMsGguYUPxZ1bBLMp8kAQuhEbNS5bWdikpPYHyfUPC-wIW2eSCdd2Lq3xqzbWMI3esd2XM4UcR_Rl0mDx30-Efjqu9L3toJaYBhMowAqDmoKhiP5USi8zwsp7tDXR3yI/s1600/moscow+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8VvJE7u6HrJRMsGguYUPxZ1bBLMp8kAQuhEbNS5bWdikpPYHyfUPC-wIW2eSCdd2Lq3xqzbWMI3esd2XM4UcR_Rl0mDx30-Efjqu9L3toJaYBhMowAqDmoKhiP5USi8zwsp7tDXR3yI/s320/moscow+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y3qNSNKHdwznaub9ejW4_DsKTyllrwxnmgDcTtNukD8qV55Xus9mrMl8VSv9QZfTMwLs5_UXta_DAgoylfKW3IvEhLI9oQXPguByoRIhg-xghBootfHiWRpl3F3sLZjlfKsFAAKaVXs/s1600/moscow+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y3qNSNKHdwznaub9ejW4_DsKTyllrwxnmgDcTtNukD8qV55Xus9mrMl8VSv9QZfTMwLs5_UXta_DAgoylfKW3IvEhLI9oQXPguByoRIhg-xghBootfHiWRpl3F3sLZjlfKsFAAKaVXs/s320/moscow+029.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wv0ZMcsEDd7oAnAFeeW5DUUrGko-w24bQBpcuK_OQzsb6TGyR6jyDb6awWSF89V2nGlKQZi04b0eS4xb3_Iju9EO-aWWo0wrazsI-xA6z9teXk0_Pn6D9w7E1O80fAMmR8F4g1aT33s/s1600/moscow+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wv0ZMcsEDd7oAnAFeeW5DUUrGko-w24bQBpcuK_OQzsb6TGyR6jyDb6awWSF89V2nGlKQZi04b0eS4xb3_Iju9EO-aWWo0wrazsI-xA6z9teXk0_Pn6D9w7E1O80fAMmR8F4g1aT33s/s320/moscow+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicerB1Br9jSTIuEo48p2LYnYPuaEbi37QcALq37GnrMc2sZTF_ICstbJuPI90nQu8lSapWmrYDD29I6mzMaHYoxJOrQl9XpBkln4kIHRNtw6awRpf1pdEn34dtaaGfuTIflpRa7ZSPOzQ/s1600/moscow+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicerB1Br9jSTIuEo48p2LYnYPuaEbi37QcALq37GnrMc2sZTF_ICstbJuPI90nQu8lSapWmrYDD29I6mzMaHYoxJOrQl9XpBkln4kIHRNtw6awRpf1pdEn34dtaaGfuTIflpRa7ZSPOzQ/s320/moscow+031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As you can probably tell from these photos, Red Square is large and imposing -- used in films about the USSR and Russia, paintings and art, and it is symbolic, iconic and memorable. I especially remember the line to see Lenin's embalmed body snakes down one whole side, although we didn't join it! The name Red comes neither from the red bricks nor from red communism, but from krasnaya, which can mean red or beautiful, an improvement from Pozhar 'burnt-out place' which is what it was until the 17th century.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP052_2Q-9W2YE8rUug2vvzx84-O-rWBfslhu4IWnabcZ9x7RICxk5fJAC4jHmWldscHGictfJjXaoRnVMMjYBraq6JmOhMuS-lh07hu8sS7xCCBBtPlHWb5yL2Ca5mxCUHfjQ05-8rc/s1600/moscow+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP052_2Q-9W2YE8rUug2vvzx84-O-rWBfslhu4IWnabcZ9x7RICxk5fJAC4jHmWldscHGictfJjXaoRnVMMjYBraq6JmOhMuS-lh07hu8sS7xCCBBtPlHWb5yL2Ca5mxCUHfjQ05-8rc/s320/moscow+058.jpg" width="198" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiag19OD3z45Esl_ybsv0ML_htK4nKC6azWxADACxM4j5f_fGVt2M84pbfCQ0Hr1gtKKQLl3lOjo9HajaU7IF5K5wDy0o5Qp-8SsMjhB-PTB9SdDZAZpSm7NTPAr6M9ELCMgzf0t2jZNes/s1600/moscow+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiag19OD3z45Esl_ybsv0ML_htK4nKC6azWxADACxM4j5f_fGVt2M84pbfCQ0Hr1gtKKQLl3lOjo9HajaU7IF5K5wDy0o5Qp-8SsMjhB-PTB9SdDZAZpSm7NTPAr6M9ELCMgzf0t2jZNes/s320/moscow+059.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO19nG6pxS2Wsx8UU83H1QD91cWe_ySMzrCwqWgvoTiTU5liHH7qgiHNg6nPc1q5-ToB19uQUYMOFci_GW_nnmyOL2pvHUsvGWRi4CxBTByBChpH9SWuSCbWQ0FLV43WshOfeCSn8uyQ/s1600/red+square+st+basils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO19nG6pxS2Wsx8UU83H1QD91cWe_ySMzrCwqWgvoTiTU5liHH7qgiHNg6nPc1q5-ToB19uQUYMOFci_GW_nnmyOL2pvHUsvGWRi4CxBTByBChpH9SWuSCbWQ0FLV43WshOfeCSn8uyQ/s320/red+square+st+basils.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zHAXDRjNQxvwiurMyniYdlN0bEofTCNCGEPUFtSx1hROsnU7UzbTqCrvUdsOOlYkcHXAL0QSBKHc2zPPZMq6nYgpYX3_S-F6GTr7LJ61End_sUS0_mRie2_1kcuZF5-QjPChvy_p3m4/s1600/red+square+kremlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zHAXDRjNQxvwiurMyniYdlN0bEofTCNCGEPUFtSx1hROsnU7UzbTqCrvUdsOOlYkcHXAL0QSBKHc2zPPZMq6nYgpYX3_S-F6GTr7LJ61End_sUS0_mRie2_1kcuZF5-QjPChvy_p3m4/s320/red+square+kremlin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Photos from 1997.</div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-44109013325885850462013-04-03T19:16:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.878-07:00#849 Nazca Lines, Peru<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hUN2MgZrxJNvWYomXmaBloJ49cXECyzAHQHFKNj9o5bzngPU3U-PUh3TUGinPCKG3J-45umhGsld5tN5roIhyphenhyphenowiULqKOrLwtp40sVVFZ208LsuZb0Ivv9NKFhNeevwMC0F-dqO_aKQ/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hUN2MgZrxJNvWYomXmaBloJ49cXECyzAHQHFKNj9o5bzngPU3U-PUh3TUGinPCKG3J-45umhGsld5tN5roIhyphenhyphenowiULqKOrLwtp40sVVFZ208LsuZb0Ivv9NKFhNeevwMC0F-dqO_aKQ/s320/IMG_0334.JPG" width="320" /></a>It's very common to say that photos don't do a place justice, but in this case, they really don't. The Nazca lines are one of the most incredible things I've seen, and they can only been seen from the air, but the photos just don't capture the magic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNiq_Il6wVBtQPK9e0WHPZ9SUQKZHMqjYh9Pg-xrANvYikN4tntbbnBTL1qB7zc0rVkCiXE5VIwxqkWJpA63HaBNnPkLl9M3ufO7SN84sIzUKW2CHejxR_nRNRVX_lCw5HmXkxZTnamw/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNiq_Il6wVBtQPK9e0WHPZ9SUQKZHMqjYh9Pg-xrANvYikN4tntbbnBTL1qB7zc0rVkCiXE5VIwxqkWJpA63HaBNnPkLl9M3ufO7SN84sIzUKW2CHejxR_nRNRVX_lCw5HmXkxZTnamw/s320/IMG_0362.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Human or alien?</td></tr></tbody></table>The circa 400AD geogyphs cannot be seen well from the ground, though there is a spot off the Pan-American highway where there is a viewing platform and they can be seen from the surrounding hills. This means that tourist flights zip around the 80km plateau area -- that's the only way to really see them. There is an alien-like man, several birds and insects, a monkey, a spider, a dog, hands, along with zoomorphic geometric designs and other images. They must be several hundred meters in size, and are made by clearing the rock-strewn area so that a clear patch is formed -- the sheer size is impressive, but also the mysteries about how and why they were made. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFI4urTPkV713VTdijPPtMo_p5w-j1CZZOF8qJc4hgMCy0Ljefi3K0nS9Z3uwNZjsgyI7qk0qy2Kf2j-cTyfBeOaHK72H8iiA5-b4L19G5vDC81y-zEXvxK5dtYeCUA1E3abIUVOgFBbk/s1600/IMG_0352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFI4urTPkV713VTdijPPtMo_p5w-j1CZZOF8qJc4hgMCy0Ljefi3K0nS9Z3uwNZjsgyI7qk0qy2Kf2j-cTyfBeOaHK72H8iiA5-b4L19G5vDC81y-zEXvxK5dtYeCUA1E3abIUVOgFBbk/s320/IMG_0352.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>The Nazca people were responsible for the ceremonial city of Cahuachi, and also created an impressive aqueduct system in addition to these lines. Despite a severe 1996 earthquake that flattened the modern town of Nazca, and floods in 2007 the dry, windless desert helps to preserve these creations. The difficulty of seeing them also helped preserve them for us to see. They were only "rediscovered" relatively recently, when Peruvian archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe saw them from the surrounding hills in 1927, and new figures are still being discerned from the multitude of lines even now. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, whether they were to form pictures for gods in the sky, an observatory, a collection of constellations or negative space in the milky way, or a pathway to places of religious observance, they are truly remarkable!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KQanuBWrL7cWdsX2LivHjhysIT5dbervAzRpmtEgkncht8x2IUojr2kgDwBrUpFQHH6hAkUCSGFLTaACQxu3XkjV5x-YPtFgCOu198DpUKXRHE0T5xPkzcPfp1sbiwDmQaEC6sZt9z0/s1600/IMG_0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KQanuBWrL7cWdsX2LivHjhysIT5dbervAzRpmtEgkncht8x2IUojr2kgDwBrUpFQHH6hAkUCSGFLTaACQxu3XkjV5x-YPtFgCOu198DpUKXRHE0T5xPkzcPfp1sbiwDmQaEC6sZt9z0/s320/IMG_0379.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWWuU13k59T1FGbe_brHH_A8Maw3TsT9DvpPqB-2ZqT-70eU9TAT5qNb3aI4EUwgzoUEO_zJ0jHIlEgJMFgAmVi6bHVaJiP5BF5fwxztmh0NwcSuOJMbkgNHp-yDN1UEwQQ5yv2XogPg/s1600/IMG_0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWWuU13k59T1FGbe_brHH_A8Maw3TsT9DvpPqB-2ZqT-70eU9TAT5qNb3aI4EUwgzoUEO_zJ0jHIlEgJMFgAmVi6bHVaJiP5BF5fwxztmh0NwcSuOJMbkgNHp-yDN1UEwQQ5yv2XogPg/s320/IMG_0385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRJMNJXvE2vf6e0OZX0SfJf05VReHlPwg-T9i_bshyphenhyphenpB0gpAxkyrDidKDoFjdd0WZtQ-O92Dr-DpH8x96cy286c2bR-0z1_tKslby2sGpOlwKm0xxjd_KPgngkETTwPsAkbTRcItMVBM/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRJMNJXvE2vf6e0OZX0SfJf05VReHlPwg-T9i_bshyphenhyphenpB0gpAxkyrDidKDoFjdd0WZtQ-O92Dr-DpH8x96cy286c2bR-0z1_tKslby2sGpOlwKm0xxjd_KPgngkETTwPsAkbTRcItMVBM/s320/IMG_0393.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spider</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68_DMMQVbh6JwmQn8Lz0PJO2ZlXQa6Vx7OjNDmwOY6dMlMWe7lIBefdTIRwo0LVd7avr2t0TR_6WA1yPJyiLDqb4eCIEMlgNKur4lzYOtOxLaUE4vaglLgf6rOECuxyg0QmHwPXV5Qgs/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68_DMMQVbh6JwmQn8Lz0PJO2ZlXQa6Vx7OjNDmwOY6dMlMWe7lIBefdTIRwo0LVd7avr2t0TR_6WA1yPJyiLDqb4eCIEMlgNKur4lzYOtOxLaUE4vaglLgf6rOECuxyg0QmHwPXV5Qgs/s640/IMG_0421.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Nazca sites</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9lyJHtSW6eJORShDlb7tZBXfzHMW6Rl6ILLy1mV-lUK0ra9JJke4MWl7GW5YYu2N99qRHc8dEvtn4egp1xI5Lh8m65-F36is42taXxlu6-vjkcsjhUulsPebMOjEKfBG8qNmFbmciVM/s1600/IMG_0425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9lyJHtSW6eJORShDlb7tZBXfzHMW6Rl6ILLy1mV-lUK0ra9JJke4MWl7GW5YYu2N99qRHc8dEvtn4egp1xI5Lh8m65-F36is42taXxlu6-vjkcsjhUulsPebMOjEKfBG8qNmFbmciVM/s320/IMG_0425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewing platform on the ground -- very hard to see anything at all!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca</a></span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_lines"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_lines</span></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-47621474791284817572013-04-01T23:54:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:20:56.498-07:00Beautiful Bangkok Attractions with affordable Bangkok Hotels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--3v9p12AJmQ/UVqAd-xdChI/AAAAAAAAAQY/OneNJxvixME/s1600/bangkok-attractions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--3v9p12AJmQ/UVqAd-xdChI/AAAAAAAAAQY/OneNJxvixME/s320/bangkok-attractions.jpg" width="320" /></a>Bangkok is a one of the top tourist destination in the world. Bangkok is also called world best city for vacation. This city has a variety of attractions like temples, park, museum, nightlife, historical and cultural places. All range hotels you can find in this city. A large number of luxury, deluxe, boutique and budget hotels offering well services to their customers.</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bangkok Attractions:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bangkok is well known for historical, cultural and Buddhist temples vacation.</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Grand Place:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The grand place is a historical attraction in Bangkok. It is a complex of buildings. This is a residence of the kings of Siam since 1782. It is divided into one part of the Emerald Buddha temple. Very good architectural work handle to develop this buildings. This place is one of the top attraction in Bangkok, Thailand.</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Floating Markets:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The floating markets is famous to get tropical fruits such as Malacca grape, Chinese grapefruit, mangoes, bananas, fresh vegetables, local foods cooked in from floating boats. The vacationer mostly enjoy the atmosphere of floating markets.</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Siam Ocean World:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who traveling with family and kids looking for fun and enjoy, they can go ahead to Siam Ocean World. It is placed underground of the Siam Paragon Shopping Mall. It is aims to provide education, entertainment, and synergistic experience to visitors. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyczDAmw-Z0/UVqAlle9XEI/AAAAAAAAAQk/DmVJQaQn0Es/s1600/bangkok-hotels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyczDAmw-Z0/UVqAlle9XEI/AAAAAAAAAQk/DmVJQaQn0Es/s320/bangkok-hotels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wat Arun Temple:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The major one historical attraction in Bangkok is Wat Arun Temple. It is a Buddhist temple placed in Chao Phraya River, Bangkok Yai. This place is famous for colorful festivals, the Royal Kathin. And more temples are very famous in Bangkok. Such as Temple of Emerald Buddha, Temple of Dawn and Wat Mahathat.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nightlife in Bangkok:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bangkok nightlife has a reputation for wild and tough places. Nightlife is famous at the following places Patpong, Nana or Soi Cowboy. At the same time it's fun and safe to enjoy your golden times. Other than above there are many attraction Safari World, Lumphini Park, Dusit Zoo, Golden Buddha, Wat Saket and Vimanmek Palace.You can find all range of accommodation, its depend on your budget. More peoples said Bangkok is not the place for budget travelers?. The answer is no, not the case, Surely there are so many budget hotels in Bangkok.<span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">Find out your budget hotels and booking through online. There are many agents and hotels offering accommodation in a cheap rate. For your view some of budget hotels list for your accommodation in Bangkok. Arnoma Hotel Bangkok, </span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.hotelsreservation.com/hotels/bangkok/landmark-hotel-bangkok"><span lang="en-US"><b>Landmark Hotel Bangkok</b></span></a></span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">, Continent Hotel Bangkok, Baiyoke Suite Hotel and Jasmine Resort. Book and enjoy your vacation<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Myself i am Shalee David, professional author of Hotelsreservation.com. And i am publishing a quality content related to travel, hotels, destination tips and sightseeing to the vacationers. View More About our </span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/hotelsreservation"><span lang="en-US"><b>Hotels Videos</b></span></a></span></i></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-40652340615391827282013-03-31T22:25:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.896-07:00#850 Yanar Dag (Fire Mountain), Abseron Peninsula, Azerbaijan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitsT1HX8sCiObj2rWAPoKmo1aiyzEepu199CmAB7Fxz85RcavY5hk6dG7AslPq8fSg9d11oDL5TvUZ7eOTBsZDJAsWrRFuxOEP47vsxUJNzXDP-cg0E66qXhCvEAjmz55l1k7GFf7WDA/s1600/P1010182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitsT1HX8sCiObj2rWAPoKmo1aiyzEepu199CmAB7Fxz85RcavY5hk6dG7AslPq8fSg9d11oDL5TvUZ7eOTBsZDJAsWrRFuxOEP47vsxUJNzXDP-cg0E66qXhCvEAjmz55l1k7GFf7WDA/s320/P1010182.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">This mountain is on fire! </span></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">On the edge of a desolate moorland on a small rural road just past the pink salt lake beyond the ugly oil-field turnoff, Yanar Dag (literally Fire Mountain) burns day and night due to the underground gas that was accidentally ignited in 1958. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">A decrepit tea house is at the top of a hill, and in the gully is this amazing piece of nature. It's quite nice to sit beside the flames on a cool winter evening.</span></div></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Is it natural? Well, it once was, but rumor has it that the Azeri government now pipes the gas in. However, there are other places in the area where natural gas seeps out and can be lit, including some springs and water flows. Zoroastrians worshipped fire and built a temple nearby which can still be visited. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtvamXi47GN7Yyji1sH9kXI56th5PsncZQ0Y2EmQwMblDRyelvwVcxsySzqmw2RTaE2f9EvxHuFIrLuDkBF1qrYqs1VMnR_nd7CQ5IUu1m4gAbHs0dwCxc0TRsvSusE-O5c9Uk959KxM/s1600/IMG_5217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtvamXi47GN7Yyji1sH9kXI56th5PsncZQ0Y2EmQwMblDRyelvwVcxsySzqmw2RTaE2f9EvxHuFIrLuDkBF1qrYqs1VMnR_nd7CQ5IUu1m4gAbHs0dwCxc0TRsvSusE-O5c9Uk959KxM/s320/IMG_5217.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcqGEMidSkT3RXFToZktv4xmT_gGqiq7gGtjZb_WqGxlp9LMHNGdL_Q1YtVo-a0zAGFhn-jXFL9LE_EKRm-VwjmPKUYzXJAxG4pBUCcsuFpwJVG3mGhL692iKSHhaqVOwLBGcD_2dEB8/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcqGEMidSkT3RXFToZktv4xmT_gGqiq7gGtjZb_WqGxlp9LMHNGdL_Q1YtVo-a0zAGFhn-jXFL9LE_EKRm-VwjmPKUYzXJAxG4pBUCcsuFpwJVG3mGhL692iKSHhaqVOwLBGcD_2dEB8/s320/IMG_5216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TIhKzG4om72yZBP_Yu_6kVkYlUECmgN4MSaNfvZiK2VaVXGS81AU-sLNr_aEN2Y6bY4F7sUtDuYXCvQUFMFvIlCY1xzjvQPbqOv_RAOo_wzROEEm-ycjamQtcjWCcPSWKZJlXSuEUrA/s1600/IMG_5215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TIhKzG4om72yZBP_Yu_6kVkYlUECmgN4MSaNfvZiK2VaVXGS81AU-sLNr_aEN2Y6bY4F7sUtDuYXCvQUFMFvIlCY1xzjvQPbqOv_RAOo_wzROEEm-ycjamQtcjWCcPSWKZJlXSuEUrA/s320/IMG_5215.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFXZOd9m024Iwg0tUXVwNWejjAAolv_l-ZXLIXKElhCbO67dk4w7TyktGbeqKxUteyVLHKG6x2PWoIA09zx413uhoFZettzuCVUDO-N-vquTKLmfYG4LER4M039R0PqJJLHAORCNbQ5s/s1600/IMG_5220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFXZOd9m024Iwg0tUXVwNWejjAAolv_l-ZXLIXKElhCbO67dk4w7TyktGbeqKxUteyVLHKG6x2PWoIA09zx413uhoFZettzuCVUDO-N-vquTKLmfYG4LER4M039R0PqJJLHAORCNbQ5s/s320/IMG_5220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ywQXNK6GWOkjaHpvH5iZL9bL8bn4GxgMGDyYMkRNHIVRSYe0khYY6ScraOc5G1qK9j2wJ2PN59Or8NiCp6PhCPm2DINwmFvnu49Iogu-6JDV2hU6uaym5O1njlm1zJNsY0_CmJjTNZo/s1600/IMG_5225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ywQXNK6GWOkjaHpvH5iZL9bL8bn4GxgMGDyYMkRNHIVRSYe0khYY6ScraOc5G1qK9j2wJ2PN59Or8NiCp6PhCPm2DINwmFvnu49Iogu-6JDV2hU6uaym5O1njlm1zJNsY0_CmJjTNZo/s320/IMG_5225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanar_Dag">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanar_Dag</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mark Elliot's <u>Azerbaijan</u></span></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-89115600115802535402013-03-29T18:30:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.905-07:00#851 Marianas Trench<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://deepseachallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mariana-trench-graphic-30812.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a class="irc_itl" data-ved="0CAQQjB0" href="http://deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/mariana-trench/" id="irc_hol" style="background-color: #222222; color: #1122cc; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span id="irc_ho" style="color: white; margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; text-decoration: underline;">deepseachallenge.com</span></a><span id="irc_dim" style="background-color: #222222; color: #7d7d7d; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Ever since I was young I've been fascinated with the Marianas trench. The diagram above helps to show why I always found it so amazing -- we always thing about the highest point, Everest, but we rarely think about how deep the earth goes inwards, and the fact that the earth goes further inwards than it does outwards is really quite incredible. At almost 11km deep (5960 fathoms) at 'Challenger Deep' at its southern end, it is further into the earth than we can go outward although both extremes suffer from too much pressure -- altitude sickness, oxygen deprivation, atmospheric pressure, etc. I just wish it wasn't so inaccessible! <div><div><br /></div><div>And even though there are areas of the Arctic ocean floor that go closer to the earth's core (because Earth is not a perfect sphere and the Marianas is at its widest point in the tropics), it is a phenomenal place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cool facts:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It is 1 to 4 degrees C at the bottom.</li><li>Xenophyophores are a microbial bacteria life form found deep in the trench.</li><li>The Marianas Islands were claimed by Spain in 1668.</li><li>The trench was first 'sounded' in the 1870s.</li><li>In 1995, an unmanned remote controlled Japanese vehicle completed the deepest dive on record.</li><li>Four manned descents have been made, the first in 1960, and the most recent by director James Cameron in 2012.</li><li>Sole, flounder and shrimp have been observed at the bottom.</li><li>It has been proposed as a place for nuclear waste disposal, in hopes that the tectonic movements will eventually push the waste under the earth and into the earth's mantle. Thank goodness it's prohibited by international law!</li></ul></div><div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Trench">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Trench</a></span></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-90895767315432181482013-03-27T21:25:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.913-07:00#852 Cu Chi tunnels, Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Wqf0w-SZbe90e5vxxEYV-fjT2Im8APU7j1O9HwzlMb81kW6HhaGkJjlLkn25jxKR3GUUmZCfvKSno9EoIcvsVrPAM4J-mCJ6IizjDS3WVR-Sihmnw-Vn8iZR6hJfslgmOoCbwxKJJHA/s1600/man+in+hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Wqf0w-SZbe90e5vxxEYV-fjT2Im8APU7j1O9HwzlMb81kW6HhaGkJjlLkn25jxKR3GUUmZCfvKSno9EoIcvsVrPAM4J-mCJ6IizjDS3WVR-Sihmnw-Vn8iZR6hJfslgmOoCbwxKJJHA/s320/man+in+hole.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Vietnam War was one of the most brutal and violent in recent memory, with many atrocities occuring and such as strong clash of ideological beliefs in a culmination of Cold War hostilities. In Vietnam, I saw many remarkable things that represented this war, from bombed out valleys, the infamous China Beach near Da Nang, the former DMZ, and the headquarter cities of Saigon and Hanoi. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEn1cw5kCYcPEVEPO8MJnaa10cYj4mjcfL-iadQ9oaBHRp-g9tWlK2fj326xZvyB3be-BusDoOWws4toG9kEzb_p4rgtKwny4DFIF5WvqGTPCRJf3ac8KpTi08uEJlRRZmqkcuIN39WI/s1600/me+entering+tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEn1cw5kCYcPEVEPO8MJnaa10cYj4mjcfL-iadQ9oaBHRp-g9tWlK2fj326xZvyB3be-BusDoOWws4toG9kEzb_p4rgtKwny4DFIF5WvqGTPCRJf3ac8KpTi08uEJlRRZmqkcuIN39WI/s320/me+entering+tunnel.jpg" width="320" /></a>However one of the most interesting features was the Cu Chi tunnels, a collection of the tunnels for tourists to see and get an idea of what covered vast amounts of territory and contributed enormously to the guerilla warfare -- in particular it was the base of the Viet cong during the Tet Offensive. Used for communication, supply, hospitals, storage, homes and means of movement, they were a very developed system. Despite being important to their resistance against the Americans, life in the tunnels was not particularly pleasant, as life underground with a plethora of tropical pests in abundance, and the other major killer: malaria.</div><br />The tunnels have been considerably widened and enlarged to allow for tourists, and the original trap door entrances camouflaged in the jungle floor were designed for the small Vietnamese bodies. Booby traps and other dangers were incorporated into the system including bambo spikes, cages, holes, etc. They really were an amazing piece of engineering and certainly an aid in overwhelming the Americas t<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs_eRT-9PI20h0RH4LD2edk1fWETxzIG4qSEvBOfo_Rnn4aDIk-5l-_-228ecbJs4yZP6r0WVytvvPMlNyvgeKrWcsavPfrjmnpqF4Af7bEATnGYCIRZQYQQyEX3REdKiYI5v1kuwksw/s1600/me+on+tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs_eRT-9PI20h0RH4LD2edk1fWETxzIG4qSEvBOfo_Rnn4aDIk-5l-_-228ecbJs4yZP6r0WVytvvPMlNyvgeKrWcsavPfrjmnpqF4Af7bEATnGYCIRZQYQQyEX3REdKiYI5v1kuwksw/s320/me+on+tank.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC_nzUJsztU5QzRNlDyzPeZ0uTXjKVuWJGsVnem-OL9iNNupvwRdtvsVuEDXprP_LXk8GfXCCxBSPQig9z8BDPw9PC9LUh6EHgmPLYYN4RJC_Lt-te2HsMiAJITmdDtvMuJL3PHAr8RE/s1600/me+tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC_nzUJsztU5QzRNlDyzPeZ0uTXjKVuWJGsVnem-OL9iNNupvwRdtvsVuEDXprP_LXk8GfXCCxBSPQig9z8BDPw9PC9LUh6EHgmPLYYN4RJC_Lt-te2HsMiAJITmdDtvMuJL3PHAr8RE/s320/me+tunnel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hLM8PUWhHJBkoyDGkkRfrajChjfAKZfQTNLCBDVquPbXirj9B88uhJNTAsP4jz79i7Mz04tBmBLhlPDvhuWVztoYQXK7yOIXke3PZt8RjwauJgR2JrNU2G_b6-XMDxSShwZfypctfX4/s1600/types+of+hole+traps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hLM8PUWhHJBkoyDGkkRfrajChjfAKZfQTNLCBDVquPbXirj9B88uhJNTAsP4jz79i7Mz04tBmBLhlPDvhuWVztoYQXK7yOIXke3PZt8RjwauJgR2JrNU2G_b6-XMDxSShwZfypctfX4/s320/types+of+hole+traps.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels" style="text-align: left;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels</a></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">P.S. This is also one of the only posts on my blog where I am actually in the photos, which gives you a very accurate indication of how old the photos are!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-33325341208569179912013-03-25T21:09:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.919-07:00#853 Ararat, Turkey (Armenia)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMoIPq4X29-80OvJ3lGF-xkR07F7vUNIY5wM0OipgRb0r-Cjux4eSbiVNFhM87w8o9zvhiWwfMgtglLbOywLGwtv47XEpsCOA78Y3RNJt5eX87-GkeqLJa-ZcA96jlCLYZdavqgQ3RVU/s1600/60+Khor+Virap+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMoIPq4X29-80OvJ3lGF-xkR07F7vUNIY5wM0OipgRb0r-Cjux4eSbiVNFhM87w8o9zvhiWwfMgtglLbOywLGwtv47XEpsCOA78Y3RNJt5eX87-GkeqLJa-ZcA96jlCLYZdavqgQ3RVU/s320/60+Khor+Virap+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The cultural heart for the Armenian people lies just across the border in the home of their enemy: Turkey. Mount Ararat, known as Agri in Turkish, is a beautiful conical volcano, and can be seen from much of Armenia including the capital Yerevan, but not visited by Armenians, although it remains the spiritual, religious and nationalistic centerpiece.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyb-tzjYmbfJYTlSOzoZ_dUBL5mQNnaj_U3g8E7BNVe60UIgzaB92LOuyeSv91okbOgckiFhdAjSURvgehNM0KGCu0y5dnWqHVnj69qrepI-cHAolis5DKyoKGrPzKeBpqGaoSd6R-as/s1600/56+Noravank+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyb-tzjYmbfJYTlSOzoZ_dUBL5mQNnaj_U3g8E7BNVe60UIgzaB92LOuyeSv91okbOgckiFhdAjSURvgehNM0KGCu0y5dnWqHVnj69qrepI-cHAolis5DKyoKGrPzKeBpqGaoSd6R-as/s320/56+Noravank+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Permanently snowcapped at 5137m, with two peaks, Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat, it is Turkey's tallest, and has a 40 sq. km girth. No one knows when it last erupted, but remains suggest the Bronze Age 3 millenium BCE, although a severe earthquake shook the mountain and opened a large chasm in 1840.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSM4au1oIvEwwWIbtOdsyfLiVFo344RbKeTDuO37FY6MPC-t7IBWUkJ5_5d2gNEwOUvadwRhzXYa3xup0yGP1S3Wj3xUqiACRxKZhXJB_pQgZG0bo7nivnSGln4pJwudV-7D_awfnFJM/s1600/60+Khor+Virap+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSM4au1oIvEwwWIbtOdsyfLiVFo344RbKeTDuO37FY6MPC-t7IBWUkJ5_5d2gNEwOUvadwRhzXYa3xup0yGP1S3Wj3xUqiACRxKZhXJB_pQgZG0bo7nivnSGln4pJwudV-7D_awfnFJM/s320/60+Khor+Virap+015.jpg" width="320" /></a>According to Genesis, this is where Noah's Ark was supposed to have landed and many scientists say they have found remains of such a thing! Supposedly named after King Ara the Handsome, who didn't actually exist, but who has been associated with the real king Arame, the legends go back a long time. For Armenians it is the home of the gods, similar to Mt. Olympus in Greece.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilttUDfZYp2f7NBZTLFxmOd-EMlgNVor46coIJxtNaY62LpD5pe5664y31veNG0Q6vsfxhXuqYEu0DOgrJ90A2iDBfOiA7TSfjCy_sJ3NxV8N5HxK06ZoZpSbS56YQv-uv3jZTQ7XAqzk/s1600/60+Khor+Virap+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilttUDfZYp2f7NBZTLFxmOd-EMlgNVor46coIJxtNaY62LpD5pe5664y31veNG0Q6vsfxhXuqYEu0DOgrJ90A2iDBfOiA7TSfjCy_sJ3NxV8N5HxK06ZoZpSbS56YQv-uv3jZTQ7XAqzk/s320/60+Khor+Virap+024.jpg" width="320" /></a>One of the best (Armenian) places to see Ararat is from Khor Virap just outside of Yerevan, where a picturesque monastery is on a small knoll very close to the border with Mount Ararat towering behind. Beautiful! The mountain lies just 32km south of the border and is in the middle of sensitive territory where the four nations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey meet, with Armenia having poor relations with both Azerbaijan (due to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh) and Turkey (due to their position on the Armenian Genocide).<br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ararat">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ararat</a></span><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_the_Beautiful"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_the_Beautiful</span></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-23830735689200685342013-03-23T21:30:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.926-07:00#854 Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="193" src="http://www.bluemts.com.au/imagesDB/headerimages/head_photo11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bluemts.com.au/" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.bluemts.com.au/</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table>This is the view I remember, but when I saw it, I don't think there was a gondola sitting above the depths. It was my first experience of a hail stone storm -- I didn't understand how it could be so hot, yet with massive pieces of ice falling from the sky.<br /><br />A short drive up from Sydney, the mountains encompass a large area of inland New South Wales. I remember how the mountains seemed to drop off, as opposed to rising up, and this would make sense considering they are a sandstone plateau with gorges being carved out of it.<br /><br />The aboriginal legend is a Gundungurra creation story where the Dreamtime half-fish half-reptile creatures Mirigan and Garangatch fought a large battle, scarring the landscape. Many areas of archaeological importance are in the area (22,000 years old), with the rock shelter Red Hands Cave having ancient hand stencils and other areas having grinding stones and carved animal track images.<br /><br />They were called the blue mountains because of the appearance from a distance, believed to be caused by mie scattering combined with ultraviolet radiation, and the terpenoids emitted by the many eucalyptus trees (though I admit I don't really know what that means!).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="181" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/BlueMountains123.jpg/700px-BlueMountains123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BlueMountains123.jpg">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BlueMountains123.jpg</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.bluemts.com.au/">http://www.bluemts.com.au/</a></span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)</span></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-55462387310619950092013-03-22T19:00:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:51.933-07:00#855 Pink and White Terraces (Otukapuarangi), New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="painting of Pink & White Terraces" height="408" src="http://www.whoi.edu/cms/images/oceanus/PT_73-24_RT_223993.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Clarke Hoyte painting. Pink and White Terraces, Lake Rotomahana and Mount Tarawera. Watercolor and gouache on paper. ca 1870s. Hocken Collections. Uare Taoka o Hakena, University of Otago.<br /><a href="http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewImage.do?id=223993&aid=135809">http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewImage.do?id=223993&aid=135809</a></td></tr></tbody></table>This is an unusual one: The pink and white terraces are an amazing place -- however they no longer exist. Actually, they no longer exist in the form that made them famous.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.buriedvillage.co.nz/images/179-pink_terraces_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.buriedvillage.co.nz/images/179-pink_terraces_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.buriedvillage.co.nz/pink_and_white_terraces/p/49">http://www.buriedvillage.co.nz/pink_and_white_terraces/p/49</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The pink and white terraces were two sets of beautiful geyser formations of silica terraces in Lake Rotomahana near the dormant volcano Mt. Tarawera, around 25 km south of the New Zealand town of Rotorua, but they disappeared during an 1886 eruption of Mt. Tarawera. 800m apart, it is thought they had different appearances because of the amount of sunlight they each received, with the white ones being the larger set, around 50 layers and cascading over 40m in height, and the pink ones being the preferred area for swimming.<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8029928495068968963" name="top"></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;">"The journey from Auckland was typically by steamer to </span>Tauranga<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;">, the bridle track to Ohinemutu on </span>Lake Rotorua<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;">, by coach to </span>Te Wairoa<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"> by canoe across lake Tarawera, and then on foot over the hill to the swampy shores of Lake Rotomahana and the terraces.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 13.32386302947998px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">" (Wikipedia)</span></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="photo" src="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/08pt2wt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/whiteterraces.shtml">http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/whiteterraces.shtml</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The eruption at 3am on 10 June 1886 caused the lake floor to explode, showering the area with liquid mud, ash, stones and other debris, not only reclaiming the terraces, but burying two Maori villages, Moura and Te Ariki. After the eruption, there was a crater where the terraces had been, which was eventually filled with the water of the lake<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Water Basins photo" src="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/07WTWaterBasins.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/waterbasins.shtml">http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/waterbasins.shtml</a></td></tr></tbody></table>In Maori they were known as Otukapuarangi, "fountain of the clouded sky" and they were a popular tourist attraction from the 1840s, especially after Prince Albert, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited in 1870, but were a source of racist resentment from the white (pakeha) New Zealanders because the Te Arawa tribe that owned them became wealthy from their control and ownership of the area (they even had their marae (meeting house) in Hinemihi made with gold florins instead of paua (abalone shell) eyes. After the eruption killed and displaced members of the tribe, the New Zealand government unfairly converted the area into crown land in a payment-for-relief-assistance system, although much of this (including 13 lakes in 2006) has been returned to the tribe in the past decades as part of the Treaty of Waitangi tribunal.<br /><br /><img alt="Lake Tarawera photo" height="235" src="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/01startpoint.jpg" width="320" /><img alt="Lake Tarawera photo" height="213" src="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/lakes/rotorua/nz0277.jpg" width="320" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lake Tarawera before the eruption and today -- the eruption enlarged the lake. A narrow isthmus separates lakes Tarawera and Rotomahana.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/laketarawera.shtml#"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/laketarawera.shtml#</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/lakes/rotorua/nz0277.shtml"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/lakes/rotorua/nz0277.shtml</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been fascinated with the pink and white terraces since I was a girl and saw a beautiful painting of them. It was only after a while that I learned that they had been destroyed -- I had dreamed of visiting them!</div><div><br /></div><div>In a marvel of modern science, the lowest two tiers of the pink terraces were rediscovered 60 metres underwater while mapping the lake floor in 2011, and it is thought that the rest may be buried under sediment, and the increased-level lake.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources: <a href="http://themeetingplacenz.blogspot.com/2012/07/pink-and-white-terraces-backstory-to.html">http://themeetingplacenz.blogspot.com/2012/07/pink-and-white-terraces-backstory-to.html</a> </span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_and_White_Terraces"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_and_White_Terraces</span></a><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/">http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/terraces/</a></span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Rotomahana"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Rotomahana</span></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-68473106665215495132013-03-17T22:40:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:52.030-07:00#856 Jesuit ranches, Cordoba, Argentina<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcAKbNYM8WtIOC_Q_hWr-jHpvjBCfhhiYyjXpl_nNvX0KGyf8rGOBe5KXVG0LPooJbyZja2FxQfvkintwoUGCukyB6lZgZbost_EhXhM3Q4RDZS2fdXIclG0wC6n0FaevXp_DFk2VQi0/s1600/P1010805+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcAKbNYM8WtIOC_Q_hWr-jHpvjBCfhhiYyjXpl_nNvX0KGyf8rGOBe5KXVG0LPooJbyZja2FxQfvkintwoUGCukyB6lZgZbost_EhXhM3Q4RDZS2fdXIclG0wC6n0FaevXp_DFk2VQi0/s320/P1010805+-+Copy.JPG" width="306" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">In honor of the new Argentinian Jesuit pope just elected last week, here is a post about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of central Argentina -- the Jesuit heritage surrounding the city of Cordoba.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtI9Tro1m6gB65JNzJDZcRclgPrdDyM9ArN80lwoFnv1OPLza1Pg3GLEBiajrNwo_aDI_IwewzMcR7EysCr_jV5S9NH3h2sePsyRMVTUeXuPjVG98xy2IXrXwhxaoUxyOkuy2mb258Ro/s1600/P1010842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtI9Tro1m6gB65JNzJDZcRclgPrdDyM9ArN80lwoFnv1OPLza1Pg3GLEBiajrNwo_aDI_IwewzMcR7EysCr_jV5S9NH3h2sePsyRMVTUeXuPjVG98xy2IXrXwhxaoUxyOkuy2mb258Ro/s640/P1010842.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I do apologize if showing photos of this tourist brochure offend -- I am not intending to copyright anything but merely to share information! It was so difficult to get information when we were in Argentina, and this was the best collection of information out there.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqCO6ZFECwEyyAZOdufEa2r2-QWqcpo8PWCWVqkdO_dDTmfmRzC650U19D0lgj0VKcKdtOwdYtm7gDTKTSF4Cnq50auSbvUboRFVU0qbUBaAt-IDxrnhapGTEtPW-4XbJBKb10qBmxIw/s1600/P1010843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqCO6ZFECwEyyAZOdufEa2r2-QWqcpo8PWCWVqkdO_dDTmfmRzC650U19D0lgj0VKcKdtOwdYtm7gDTKTSF4Cnq50auSbvUboRFVU0qbUBaAt-IDxrnhapGTEtPW-4XbJBKb10qBmxIw/s640/P1010843.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNqdWvbdMp_ORVT-yEjVS897ouTDW9DEfbvI-8qQPMZ9VCMczc0w8cmIQku-03fu1KYSghD36GFL2_4nkNYw23LsqcKu3KWlODCpuRQrmpJj4zCVeov5j0aTulCimWwoFhSFzbKacHTc/s1600/P1010659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNqdWvbdMp_ORVT-yEjVS897ouTDW9DEfbvI-8qQPMZ9VCMczc0w8cmIQku-03fu1KYSghD36GFL2_4nkNYw23LsqcKu3KWlODCpuRQrmpJj4zCVeov5j0aTulCimWwoFhSFzbKacHTc/s320/P1010659.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33Z_aMac9BpmmA_OdJy95jII2AAy8_rd2s8YQwj_CFXnq-uMOaS7cIF6VkfTNt44uoerG649wBa7rennpVN26MGs7RgSguYlV66mxEXfarFTitaA848uAsyOVlH3z_9IOcDHitRmtewE/s1600/P1010667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33Z_aMac9BpmmA_OdJy95jII2AAy8_rd2s8YQwj_CFXnq-uMOaS7cIF6VkfTNt44uoerG649wBa7rennpVN26MGs7RgSguYlV66mxEXfarFTitaA848uAsyOVlH3z_9IOcDHitRmtewE/s320/P1010667.JPG" width="240" /></a>The first site to visit is Cordoba itself with it's Jesuit heart. Unfortunately for us, we arrived on a Sunday, so nothing was open, but we managed to get into a few of the churches and of course wander the streets.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc70ZLbkq0oMGhnU2jTYfMuZrWBLsEyD3ODagZTupZC1JvfJOd1v4cnotuUSjMZdM1P_JZI6YOqBbE33nBD0xYE9EvfMpFW-x7jHQABIHaLy0NEwqs4kKE7wXFSnWpY-lwxaZZnf48ots/s1600/P1010670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc70ZLbkq0oMGhnU2jTYfMuZrWBLsEyD3ODagZTupZC1JvfJOd1v4cnotuUSjMZdM1P_JZI6YOqBbE33nBD0xYE9EvfMpFW-x7jHQABIHaLy0NEwqs4kKE7wXFSnWpY-lwxaZZnf48ots/s320/P1010670.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The architect of this church was a ship builder before, which is why the roof is so reminiscent of a ship's hull, but of course, beautifully decorated. It is one of the oldest buildings in Argentina.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYuSXMv6kkD9jSCgZKLreCWFe5Gmu4B_XI0k4jslpmBYon7K_S0yP0782koLDNoZlH3aYrKjPdn6i0V-LXfgs_5CdykfJhUYfjvBmMSb32kt2pj-aQsYkhDDhMefy5pVIxKFSU5fxMxU/s1600/P1010673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYuSXMv6kkD9jSCgZKLreCWFe5Gmu4B_XI0k4jslpmBYon7K_S0yP0782koLDNoZlH3aYrKjPdn6i0V-LXfgs_5CdykfJhUYfjvBmMSb32kt2pj-aQsYkhDDhMefy5pVIxKFSU5fxMxU/s320/P1010673.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The streets had tiled 'shadows' which were very cool.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbmQh9ajAqH7Gon6_aMYl7Fy3TL8SEJSlFefRFvlAXC42-qQWiUN__SP2ydplEkw4hBTTwSALLVR-bcQD54b3jyoCSYgaIwf5yiR5ca4AmqnYo9s9A5148qQRI8_sKvz6j2LNIIsEaAI/s1600/P1010682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbmQh9ajAqH7Gon6_aMYl7Fy3TL8SEJSlFefRFvlAXC42-qQWiUN__SP2ydplEkw4hBTTwSALLVR-bcQD54b3jyoCSYgaIwf5yiR5ca4AmqnYo9s9A5148qQRI8_sKvz6j2LNIIsEaAI/s320/P1010682.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cordoba Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK0HDb4ddAios3s3-kfI1HoDiUhsgbzPfZTCfohHPZ9u7rBlKSmTghGAeogxHICsJx3HklAkQLrOZF3QIqAIDIrSi3vxQuweam4K40TiFhu10tMfS5AE4SrC-Mo_wPGxVtZYr7QGRnHQ/s1600/P1010679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK0HDb4ddAios3s3-kfI1HoDiUhsgbzPfZTCfohHPZ9u7rBlKSmTghGAeogxHICsJx3HklAkQLrOZF3QIqAIDIrSi3vxQuweam4K40TiFhu10tMfS5AE4SrC-Mo_wPGxVtZYr7QGRnHQ/s320/P1010679.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGry_kxMGY6gOy6ldGXWsqDrP3tMqnrMjIB2OdCnR9HUAFVwa6oIAJbYjQx43vkLkpukSeROlvauockp5iyKjj8TH9nly_o4zUHRUQcuRkpyZo9wxu5sIPnWkxF0g-mkf9r5fRYniYPTo/s1600/P1010844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGry_kxMGY6gOy6ldGXWsqDrP3tMqnrMjIB2OdCnR9HUAFVwa6oIAJbYjQx43vkLkpukSeROlvauockp5iyKjj8TH9nly_o4zUHRUQcuRkpyZo9wxu5sIPnWkxF0g-mkf9r5fRYniYPTo/s640/P1010844.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7srKu57XIcYVOlMRKregJlNR-pZSN6zno71mdkDN4-uaDmgWuBDwF6wdekjblmL5xf3oKj00PONVU5kkn5Giy2t54c9vne_N9USHTpgLvwrwGBd_OuWgnVS-DH3W94f6CxmovpWbu12o/s1600/P1010847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7srKu57XIcYVOlMRKregJlNR-pZSN6zno71mdkDN4-uaDmgWuBDwF6wdekjblmL5xf3oKj00PONVU5kkn5Giy2t54c9vne_N9USHTpgLvwrwGBd_OuWgnVS-DH3W94f6CxmovpWbu12o/s640/P1010847.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKgSl3tFtogIub02MHlCp1TztfJ0N8DwAOawjbt8H8yW4IlZrZVSm0GzFBjfFUIbmwC2ea0XLvxLLoH7DUp3M-YJhoO06X73hnMMhCyf7RfPnZzZBHKTzbS0VlzPKQsnGDCCUWHQ5mcY/s1600/P1010846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKgSl3tFtogIub02MHlCp1TztfJ0N8DwAOawjbt8H8yW4IlZrZVSm0GzFBjfFUIbmwC2ea0XLvxLLoH7DUp3M-YJhoO06X73hnMMhCyf7RfPnZzZBHKTzbS0VlzPKQsnGDCCUWHQ5mcY/s320/P1010846.JPG" width="314" /></a></div>Driving north out of Cordoba, there is a straight highway, and it's easy to wonder why it was that the monasteries were built here in the middle of the plains, but the reality is, they were closer to the mountains and their rich yeilds provided the cities with food and other provisions. Warning to drivers: finding these ranches is a mission as they are poorly signposted and often in a totally different place than many brochures give the impression of.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvyB6VtUosv-mC20u4l4r6kG6AaejCh9HzEqM0jDf98eU4Mi0OE9FL5K_ro4TDg0UWBXsfVMAt0_bk_RhGqLR8wbPMS0KKiZIuU9Wjw1lR4ebebtZZlHZsMFfDd-OlIf3aIzya-cGit8/s1600/P1010849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvyB6VtUosv-mC20u4l4r6kG6AaejCh9HzEqM0jDf98eU4Mi0OE9FL5K_ro4TDg0UWBXsfVMAt0_bk_RhGqLR8wbPMS0KKiZIuU9Wjw1lR4ebebtZZlHZsMFfDd-OlIf3aIzya-cGit8/s640/P1010849.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeglLE6tTR7Gpt2F2liCTWoU_qnuiecJHudhivoIGZJ90SVJ8PqBFbV4TnDUPXwaFf9_e5pFZJ-4Ph0XcquEgAUHPwVvm2oDgTeYW92VtUX-drM_T3u1JksF8FUF-e33ewybxGvSPFLQQ/s1600/IMG_7635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeglLE6tTR7Gpt2F2liCTWoU_qnuiecJHudhivoIGZJ90SVJ8PqBFbV4TnDUPXwaFf9_e5pFZJ-4Ph0XcquEgAUHPwVvm2oDgTeYW92VtUX-drM_T3u1JksF8FUF-e33ewybxGvSPFLQQ/s320/IMG_7635.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhKyjAz2KVxYyu4PSZLMhx5y65hrsYDSG3jsifOJJHmyrdschYVXVff1I53hsrV6zSERv-tpU_Hhe4lx0mQJiPiVgEpkIaVL6eGmpaSTO4aoaYaKvfMgr2JjjxqfJ61mJfEH9Fy3Jd4o/s1600/P1010811+-+Copy+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhKyjAz2KVxYyu4PSZLMhx5y65hrsYDSG3jsifOJJHmyrdschYVXVff1I53hsrV6zSERv-tpU_Hhe4lx0mQJiPiVgEpkIaVL6eGmpaSTO4aoaYaKvfMgr2JjjxqfJ61mJfEH9Fy3Jd4o/s200/P1010811+-+Copy+(2).JPG" width="200" /></a>The first mission we went to was the Jesus Maria -- a beautiful farm on the edge of the town of the same name, it is set in grounds with a large reservoir, a nearby campsite, and separate servants buildings. The church is closed, but you can enter a small upper balcony to look over it. It has a museum of art and religious relics. The toilets are interesting, especially the complicated plumbing system using water to clear out the smells and mess from what was an indoor system well before that was normal. The site was strictly non-photography and we didn't see another soul despite the folk festival that was on in the town.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNyhh82rFV_G3UEloNLc2tUOdoXpM_zlLjxy8GoNxodH5f6nybYkwh528sAJl6LQX4dmWS_uztMkBagOlvO7DvS9o6yudp5xObQmjlfbeOvVkJyvfAfW5BsLNYjqCkIndQLYGQea3dfk/s1600/IMG_7636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNyhh82rFV_G3UEloNLc2tUOdoXpM_zlLjxy8GoNxodH5f6nybYkwh528sAJl6LQX4dmWS_uztMkBagOlvO7DvS9o6yudp5xObQmjlfbeOvVkJyvfAfW5BsLNYjqCkIndQLYGQea3dfk/s320/IMG_7636.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohH2P0_2GpLfX5XZZAZ6APGmBnP1ms94heXwkEbilcCwgpY1TW11MRk76Gb0vRMehGfkKAXcdXkURn4wNpO29QVlvxvty6SsHWDoXHpI8iXfz5-8NwgJSr_1OIwWWS7jW6lMqDrnYghY/s1600/IMG_7639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohH2P0_2GpLfX5XZZAZ6APGmBnP1ms94heXwkEbilcCwgpY1TW11MRk76Gb0vRMehGfkKAXcdXkURn4wNpO29QVlvxvty6SsHWDoXHpI8iXfz5-8NwgJSr_1OIwWWS7jW6lMqDrnYghY/s320/IMG_7639.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7TsTDGOYHmeIi9GjyhQ33cXkN-LgG1jKaZ4KRXqy1aRjr3QZaTKVwaryTDQnkpbEMz_Ibjp1qmvY32wvhNhoMBsOOEhv6tOxslltVeuvkIkBdGfn3bJ-iMohlXJZsAScWs5mPJTGEyE/s1600/IMG_7640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7TsTDGOYHmeIi9GjyhQ33cXkN-LgG1jKaZ4KRXqy1aRjr3QZaTKVwaryTDQnkpbEMz_Ibjp1qmvY32wvhNhoMBsOOEhv6tOxslltVeuvkIkBdGfn3bJ-iMohlXJZsAScWs5mPJTGEyE/s320/IMG_7640.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QmYQjAGSs860PSLroaS0CwURxAxVM2qzleHiczbEozPLw_d6BY_9h37sGZbjuwAXDIyxsnQuN-JP-iuHGJXf7FcDf1Mp7prP6qS1pGXWfwvLJgzJe_9njfXHLeu9IrtxAZlDo43_hLM/s1600/P1010811+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QmYQjAGSs860PSLroaS0CwURxAxVM2qzleHiczbEozPLw_d6BY_9h37sGZbjuwAXDIyxsnQuN-JP-iuHGJXf7FcDf1Mp7prP6qS1pGXWfwvLJgzJe_9njfXHLeu9IrtxAZlDo43_hLM/s200/P1010811+-+Copy.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbHHTT1mmD8eR9c-gn8CLJLe2x4Tf1j-trIJ_601TLyTo09FnOgGSVsahAE2W0qoUyGkTWqNLhtkm4WecyWqYUmpua7O-5OAphwABLklDmksEaQYJU4v4Nbir78zLiN4X9g_qc1YB9M8/s1600/IMG_7657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbHHTT1mmD8eR9c-gn8CLJLe2x4Tf1j-trIJ_601TLyTo09FnOgGSVsahAE2W0qoUyGkTWqNLhtkm4WecyWqYUmpua7O-5OAphwABLklDmksEaQYJU4v4Nbir78zLiN4X9g_qc1YB9M8/s320/IMG_7657.JPG" width="213" /></a>Just down the road was the Estancia Caroya, in the middle of a tree-less field with many outbuildings showing the farm system -- a slaughterhouse, a mill, an energy generator, etc. It had a much more friendly vibe with the caretaker welcoming us in, encouraging photographs and generally wanting to make us interested in the place. It had a charming courtyard and many farm relics and furniture left from the ranch. It also had an interesting exhibition on the immigration to Argentina.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg466CVpCnWolO19_CWqiONy43PoNJx1er_pKS2NNL2N7s_9MG7mBy9NwkfBKZ1JG5RsB6qHOTCsC3bR9rGo1tl2Eixgjoe5MoIbymJo5YWPnpodc-penlY6Ddy7u2ugwbHz2nuQCrLSfg/s1600/IMG_7644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg466CVpCnWolO19_CWqiONy43PoNJx1er_pKS2NNL2N7s_9MG7mBy9NwkfBKZ1JG5RsB6qHOTCsC3bR9rGo1tl2Eixgjoe5MoIbymJo5YWPnpodc-penlY6Ddy7u2ugwbHz2nuQCrLSfg/s320/IMG_7644.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyH-KtyacMU2wPL3d-JEJQzu5i5pjhGSEcwjJZAuW-CxhgHLZzEpDar-ZI8CRy0UX_EG67aTSvpAvf3qyyhm7zz6Q-j5O2-scL_L2s5D3qORMSz3-ajDhlxGXjBxyDvAiMJcy0Uw3LHdw/s1600/IMG_7647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyH-KtyacMU2wPL3d-JEJQzu5i5pjhGSEcwjJZAuW-CxhgHLZzEpDar-ZI8CRy0UX_EG67aTSvpAvf3qyyhm7zz6Q-j5O2-scL_L2s5D3qORMSz3-ajDhlxGXjBxyDvAiMJcy0Uw3LHdw/s320/IMG_7647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNWPgYCbBVnjSKg0YTdpt9mRKMQALVRskcq8eapj1QHLfk_QrvIOXUgqRSQhDKxvPmwJudS89fChLwoq4noNPC-uTSVqcTXI5tzOZPCCcWKB5p_H0UXRctooPL0t7D3-dERt89y4UyUU/s1600/IMG_7651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNWPgYCbBVnjSKg0YTdpt9mRKMQALVRskcq8eapj1QHLfk_QrvIOXUgqRSQhDKxvPmwJudS89fChLwoq4noNPC-uTSVqcTXI5tzOZPCCcWKB5p_H0UXRctooPL0t7D3-dERt89y4UyUU/s320/IMG_7651.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5wjZp_vhkRDTRsaiCHJfDqxG3D4LDfApL3LpoXnRU3JUY4JGAaAYQktUsQTrhzb8ogGs039_VCt7-6RwTqiX91jhyphenhyphenx8dnl1kocEafnPX-aEm_LNhWyo1itnIqI4KmISQ24faMXnHl5s/s1600/IMG_7654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5wjZp_vhkRDTRsaiCHJfDqxG3D4LDfApL3LpoXnRU3JUY4JGAaAYQktUsQTrhzb8ogGs039_VCt7-6RwTqiX91jhyphenhyphenx8dnl1kocEafnPX-aEm_LNhWyo1itnIqI4KmISQ24faMXnHl5s/s320/IMG_7654.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGDLZGShhdeLYYpGd3urRofFPF7-SZZ1Uue4j395ONGUdc-q-5kWtDqo31lsBiGMZHyCcHgAibNWRDw7MyZVNDlvhX7AhFXlXNvgMVg5jcMuD8YAf4Gb3jkiSiJudWlt4dkHlZIV1GPE/s1600/IMG_7652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGDLZGShhdeLYYpGd3urRofFPF7-SZZ1Uue4j395ONGUdc-q-5kWtDqo31lsBiGMZHyCcHgAibNWRDw7MyZVNDlvhX7AhFXlXNvgMVg5jcMuD8YAf4Gb3jkiSiJudWlt4dkHlZIV1GPE/s320/IMG_7652.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7_oC2bT20oo7XsKOrli5s-Kj2lsVpyKSZ_pfoTX7FD-rwr6O-MWGx3L3NBzQdyjk8wD_PsAGooaSkS5u0NexjiIzEnYzMW55A4Zz2pUgnCJTPiKNkzMP_dctuh2WY8bd4lFnYTYYGDE/s1600/IMG_7658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7_oC2bT20oo7XsKOrli5s-Kj2lsVpyKSZ_pfoTX7FD-rwr6O-MWGx3L3NBzQdyjk8wD_PsAGooaSkS5u0NexjiIzEnYzMW55A4Zz2pUgnCJTPiKNkzMP_dctuh2WY8bd4lFnYTYYGDE/s320/IMG_7658.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQam-YZTaKeJhmek99nAy_-n58VikF2ksZmwUxHQmjeY9If3zHIDuIL_6NvCRXHqyrrOkWlP5GtGp7s_QWaWNvaaMuSYlDOWWdn1M2QYnrGzIfQyURpZZOfu300xW_0XbwPsr5t3Wyls/s1600/P1010850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQam-YZTaKeJhmek99nAy_-n58VikF2ksZmwUxHQmjeY9If3zHIDuIL_6NvCRXHqyrrOkWlP5GtGp7s_QWaWNvaaMuSYlDOWWdn1M2QYnrGzIfQyURpZZOfu300xW_0XbwPsr5t3Wyls/s640/P1010850.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwtNiPWkKDJ_mP1KTOX51yneLsDV9OKYxIWHZfijXmIxh4Qdpd1IRZK5W8BK6YrGSPH-LqQSydi09mYKt65318IzYFzWKKWu07evqYv-gLd-mVOWgr7j7HrB0odeqyiQLTazWdc0Rb8U/s1600/IMG_7665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwtNiPWkKDJ_mP1KTOX51yneLsDV9OKYxIWHZfijXmIxh4Qdpd1IRZK5W8BK6YrGSPH-LqQSydi09mYKt65318IzYFzWKKWu07evqYv-gLd-mVOWgr7j7HrB0odeqyiQLTazWdc0Rb8U/s320/IMG_7665.JPG" width="320" /></a>After driving truly into the rural areas away from any main roads or towns, we reached the Estancia Santa Catalina, really off in the middle of nowhere! Alas, it is closed on Mondays, but we had a lovely lunch in the gardens of the former servant quarters which is now a small bed and breakfast lodge with a lovely hostess.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspG3ST3447tR8p9qwK_11vIQS84Czbyjv8d5dH2Y0amsT9XrRd7PXAZPvkxDrMKuHSmV2TaUP07wcK4Iu5D_AfIk8qX7Jk8eOtThIJA-hKaZw8sQ_dxuCBJs5SLI-tU5O3tOTFWq8KB8/s1600/IMG_7662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspG3ST3447tR8p9qwK_11vIQS84Czbyjv8d5dH2Y0amsT9XrRd7PXAZPvkxDrMKuHSmV2TaUP07wcK4Iu5D_AfIk8qX7Jk8eOtThIJA-hKaZw8sQ_dxuCBJs5SLI-tU5O3tOTFWq8KB8/s320/IMG_7662.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqDRccZJQqkZ-qlqfx7pKQZ6IMSgzPBYo-7WgrZIrEvwFlvMfymb2cosA-eGSjfKsX6-pZvqh1m0OIKsVSYzBdhHtLovYMNjSClhkD3vIce56JjjUCzwqDm9lMKOLGDP_vSDvKpeJ3QY/s1600/IMG_7670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqDRccZJQqkZ-qlqfx7pKQZ6IMSgzPBYo-7WgrZIrEvwFlvMfymb2cosA-eGSjfKsX6-pZvqh1m0OIKsVSYzBdhHtLovYMNjSClhkD3vIce56JjjUCzwqDm9lMKOLGDP_vSDvKpeJ3QY/s320/IMG_7670.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRORHx7HFTmrJ52FHo42zz4N6tYdj2yTIEKZ10vo1IOrETJZeq6kNW39Y6WijpmtXqx63_XBQdNL6xyBBnHESXl7UZp7-Ba_UeHXNigOnRWPl_A3nI-kki_CGx2hyotGgLxgg1DRT-6w/s1600/P1010848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRORHx7HFTmrJ52FHo42zz4N6tYdj2yTIEKZ10vo1IOrETJZeq6kNW39Y6WijpmtXqx63_XBQdNL6xyBBnHESXl7UZp7-Ba_UeHXNigOnRWPl_A3nI-kki_CGx2hyotGgLxgg1DRT-6w/s640/P1010848.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VItGo8Flx_obUGIt0YMRytYKcMR5JL0PlncMGAWaEvvWvjtXI6wq89A0L1TJLPTbHMGNpzJfk5ain07xmTxN05pcLuhzaHHHml-RYQrqc-pfqpf4BBTu1Y1AcUM5mHuqTHpqG6LS-OQ/s1600/P1010811+-+Copy+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VItGo8Flx_obUGIt0YMRytYKcMR5JL0PlncMGAWaEvvWvjtXI6wq89A0L1TJLPTbHMGNpzJfk5ain07xmTxN05pcLuhzaHHHml-RYQrqc-pfqpf4BBTu1Y1AcUM5mHuqTHpqG6LS-OQ/s200/P1010811+-+Copy+(3).JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Y5veSJ_B4VlPuDy_YQ1PtdB1BXDmjk0-FqKtPwN2ov7VM4JePI0QwAToUNVtDOyD2TWJcAttJCUfzHW28GYGuBNRNaIvz4dU840UmElHco9fU-Yvaq4mUoqSA6_NkydjwBnXu1MGGUk/s1600/P1010852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Y5veSJ_B4VlPuDy_YQ1PtdB1BXDmjk0-FqKtPwN2ov7VM4JePI0QwAToUNVtDOyD2TWJcAttJCUfzHW28GYGuBNRNaIvz4dU840UmElHco9fU-Yvaq4mUoqSA6_NkydjwBnXu1MGGUk/s320/P1010852.JPG" width="320" /></a>The next day, after driving all over the adjacent valley, we went to Alta Gracia, which is almost back in Cordoba but on the other side of the city. On account of its closeness, this was the busiest of all the monasteries with many visitors and a crowded, overrun feeling. The hosts were no longer charming and welcoming but tired of visitors and constantly shooing people onward or telling them to leave where they weren't supposed to be! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3GpZtPfv-eS4L8rBchCk4oGfKz3m0hNr-ic_uaJh4MgP-d77re9pjlAG4Tzja_cEn-S9XOT8VltghCcJb5w5UPFLBnI114a8cpum7qOWdwbUJQeHELs0hDdrZ63KwuNPo_jil-XX3e0/s1600/P1010767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3GpZtPfv-eS4L8rBchCk4oGfKz3m0hNr-ic_uaJh4MgP-d77re9pjlAG4Tzja_cEn-S9XOT8VltghCcJb5w5UPFLBnI114a8cpum7qOWdwbUJQeHELs0hDdrZ63KwuNPo_jil-XX3e0/s320/P1010767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2iqPP9h9ZO1y-3dqyoLcfPXWxlmcFiSXKd1CZEG4GPWfdxkKeoUb_2kp9xXsS32WOuOr8huN9cKKWkKowpdpRGMJKYmsBN9kk9fwOgrYJZ3UJU2e5fhM_ua8yq59qhyphenhyphenQ7qvilwIw54Y/s1600/P1010770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2iqPP9h9ZO1y-3dqyoLcfPXWxlmcFiSXKd1CZEG4GPWfdxkKeoUb_2kp9xXsS32WOuOr8huN9cKKWkKowpdpRGMJKYmsBN9kk9fwOgrYJZ3UJU2e5fhM_ua8yq59qhyphenhyphenQ7qvilwIw54Y/s320/P1010770.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWqSaqPYYGHqPisI32NZb45SZwkM3oX7E_mYvYXpDbPShs4d2afQGzMgl2bn2OeBDG0_ZSrK0vysDAg31w81PHWbrZljpiGCG6AOLXLiaIivbKZVrMK-PPlMwLocAoIlMLo7D9erdsts/s1600/P1010773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWqSaqPYYGHqPisI32NZb45SZwkM3oX7E_mYvYXpDbPShs4d2afQGzMgl2bn2OeBDG0_ZSrK0vysDAg31w81PHWbrZljpiGCG6AOLXLiaIivbKZVrMK-PPlMwLocAoIlMLo7D9erdsts/s320/P1010773.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDeIOTxjFAVart574lr9Qr09HyjS6g30PMxt0IjwJd5gAEaXzluhjhGPsIFTNJVO7x-fv5y_hQ1bJlImtlz3pNTDsl8jEjLU9A2hrbPziAHEddJaJMm1z7mNByaAHzavAppMcN-RxrOk/s1600/P1010769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDeIOTxjFAVart574lr9Qr09HyjS6g30PMxt0IjwJd5gAEaXzluhjhGPsIFTNJVO7x-fv5y_hQ1bJlImtlz3pNTDsl8jEjLU9A2hrbPziAHEddJaJMm1z7mNByaAHzavAppMcN-RxrOk/s320/P1010769.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0fK09bcwfXLIlFm5vNOI2szdj-VC-iaJ1OzRfTa9dAfQtKIr31lkPAEcmMgNLkA1dfWB3qUl3KmGpzysNtt6mx3mhU7NNktzEb0oJfGaLTvMdV7cogDlvvrx-icdDIx9-LSBccvCAHU/s1600/P1010777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0fK09bcwfXLIlFm5vNOI2szdj-VC-iaJ1OzRfTa9dAfQtKIr31lkPAEcmMgNLkA1dfWB3qUl3KmGpzysNtt6mx3mhU7NNktzEb0oJfGaLTvMdV7cogDlvvrx-icdDIx9-LSBccvCAHU/s320/P1010777.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja46SAbUZ7PcWLuoOWkIu2X8rfdiLXj2TkYFbsl7l4XOceGhfih_oh_6DJkoHGGCOtecHXyxOmFqStGX2b0r-Se2SM3eVJECB7OqKedbBkCPi7V4zLjWKK59TqOIvRIIBVnoohqVvX8to/s1600/P1010782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja46SAbUZ7PcWLuoOWkIu2X8rfdiLXj2TkYFbsl7l4XOceGhfih_oh_6DJkoHGGCOtecHXyxOmFqStGX2b0r-Se2SM3eVJECB7OqKedbBkCPi7V4zLjWKK59TqOIvRIIBVnoohqVvX8to/s320/P1010782.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2txFs_NkVe8m0j8Qjuojt4-t1usiD0Ik5aHvtj73ZU-AdHw5fzM4GmK7KXjRwBUdHiEcY8iaflVu6UXNPwwiPvec9lFlVANboMj3FRVp7QSsPXBqXCl2OvzH8BxeUhkgej2v2eep8N4/s1600/P1010786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2txFs_NkVe8m0j8Qjuojt4-t1usiD0Ik5aHvtj73ZU-AdHw5fzM4GmK7KXjRwBUdHiEcY8iaflVu6UXNPwwiPvec9lFlVANboMj3FRVp7QSsPXBqXCl2OvzH8BxeUhkgej2v2eep8N4/s320/P1010786.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKs4Ch4MEIYZT0a_43ysYDLqCfLphMw3dbE-dTlYd7i-EuMNqvYm5jN1TghrvHjAvR53Oyfa13xJeFv4Jeo4TUZxcCGJmUyD2ef1Cp-b6GMR3aOWivv2X6WGOxcggAsV91aHOHcASH2U/s1600/P1010784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKs4Ch4MEIYZT0a_43ysYDLqCfLphMw3dbE-dTlYd7i-EuMNqvYm5jN1TghrvHjAvR53Oyfa13xJeFv4Jeo4TUZxcCGJmUyD2ef1Cp-b6GMR3aOWivv2X6WGOxcggAsV91aHOHcASH2U/s320/P1010784.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvnK65hiOL_sXwTK92JuSxLuLf5ZyR3YIa5iUHapX4RV5iI2xoy560-a4NA8hMa2Dzu3J8wI2exud3yoP2NjjvRHI77qehiTxYhG8h4h0iYWia7vcbGki9aeFhLP6M-LnQ-CWWIFHV6E/s1600/P1010851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvnK65hiOL_sXwTK92JuSxLuLf5ZyR3YIa5iUHapX4RV5iI2xoy560-a4NA8hMa2Dzu3J8wI2exud3yoP2NjjvRHI77qehiTxYhG8h4h0iYWia7vcbGki9aeFhLP6M-LnQ-CWWIFHV6E/s640/P1010851.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The only one we didn't make it to was this one: La Candelaria. It was several hours drive into the mountains, far from any other towns and very far from Cordoba. Alas, time was limited, but I bet that it is probably the prettiest and the least touristy, and the least visited. One day I will get back there, I hope! They really were peaceful places that I'm sure were absolutely amazing in their time. They would sponsor whole schools and universities in the cities and they were innovative in their time, and important community centers. All were taken over and lost to private owners in various ways when the Jesuits were banned from all the Spanish realms. And just think -- now we have a Jesuit pope!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCcy1kOvKq8jsSX2gYAGU91VhVqlkipc6Xfoo7q-1NBfq83XM7JMsMA6WTJZuubq2yZw2cy855SOuDvgl8q4Ps5KWhmd5kFeHoVJ9Ic7O1-Rgon9dItmbuFqs9x2U9I3fiWWSJ5-cA_Y/s1600/P1010798+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCcy1kOvKq8jsSX2gYAGU91VhVqlkipc6Xfoo7q-1NBfq83XM7JMsMA6WTJZuubq2yZw2cy855SOuDvgl8q4Ps5KWhmd5kFeHoVJ9Ic7O1-Rgon9dItmbuFqs9x2U9I3fiWWSJ5-cA_Y/s320/P1010798+-+Copy.JPG" width="317" /></a></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-57087338705013938892013-03-15T20:02:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:52.128-07:00#857 The Merlion, Singapore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://www.cultureledger.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Merlion-Singapore1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.cultureledger.com</td></tr></tbody></table>Inaugurated in 1972, moved in 2002, struck by lightning in 2009, the Merlion in Singapore is an icon -- and what a strange one to have chosen: the mix of a lion and a fish. Where does such a symbol come from? Well, the answer is Indian murals, Etruscan coins, western heraldry, at one time claimed by Portsmouth, Manila and the East India Company, so not really uniquely Singaporean at all. And did you know there are actually 5 official merlions recognized by the Singapore Government? The 8.6 meter original, a 2 meter cub behind it, a 37 meter on Sentosa Island designed by an Australian, and two 3 meter ones in Tourism Court and Faber Point. There's also an official merlion in a restaurant of that name in California. I wonder what it means to be an official merlion! Interestingly, while it's body is concrete, the skin is porcelain plates and the eyes are red teacups!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion</a></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-8598162453918796462013-03-14T19:42:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:52.225-07:00#858 Glaciarium, El Calafate, Argentina<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSzsSchpSj8O7Jfni4OT6LVNYF0YBVqeKsRTHEwsjYal0qG1_lXWIpnArWFZeA6b3Jd31EEM2oRA_ets7sHEPqEWBWnZcXCNXkOAo4gTmn6oU069DNXOu0v_kMuHgSd9e9IrKXMwXLpw/s1600/P1040437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSzsSchpSj8O7Jfni4OT6LVNYF0YBVqeKsRTHEwsjYal0qG1_lXWIpnArWFZeA6b3Jd31EEM2oRA_ets7sHEPqEWBWnZcXCNXkOAo4gTmn6oU069DNXOu0v_kMuHgSd9e9IrKXMwXLpw/s640/P1040437.JPG" width="640" /></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbg-TtBS_oi06y4on9VP9V7t7x3KOB8XbRjLDNQJnGkqfusBM4Tffkl56jmJrZ-0RUPpsjjfWEaBydC_JblACkfXBuxmKVWxeyOnvPPLnSRWhUsdo6Iuo-L3V0X-rgzzA34lyraaIJLw/s1600/P1040433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbg-TtBS_oi06y4on9VP9V7t7x3KOB8XbRjLDNQJnGkqfusBM4Tffkl56jmJrZ-0RUPpsjjfWEaBydC_JblACkfXBuxmKVWxeyOnvPPLnSRWhUsdo6Iuo-L3V0X-rgzzA34lyraaIJLw/s320/P1040433.JPG" width="172" /></a>I'm not sure if there is anything like it in the world, but the <a href="http://glaciarium.com/es/">Glaciarium</a> in El Calafate is an incredible museum of ice movements across the world. It is a popular tourist attraction, vastly overpriced, but but gets many visitors because it is so near to the amazing <a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2013/02/872-perito-moreno-glacier-argentina.html">Perito Moreno Glacier</a> (#872). Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take photos inside the museum, but I think if you had told me I could spend hours learning about ice and glaciers, I wouldn't have believed you. We even ran out of time!<div><br /></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd3vPustccLEY-YVDzLobgWx5d3jXqSRLPIPZXQyUUXxg7UMw_tljjX-1t7nbKDyBu8rl3orUNnNvJVZ9lifQ4dgNXz_sTWFAbKUlMBrQMVcA6bO4lHei-WrYcPIl0JE4PueaeCaTerg/s1600/P1040438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLd3vPustccLEY-YVDzLobgWx5d3jXqSRLPIPZXQyUUXxg7UMw_tljjX-1t7nbKDyBu8rl3orUNnNvJVZ9lifQ4dgNXz_sTWFAbKUlMBrQMVcA6bO4lHei-WrYcPIl0JE4PueaeCaTerg/s400/P1040438.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OkmyACZ5cKnFhsTs9oythYxKlD2asOo1nzbTmtm0hcpTl3P8DkxE0ohCpP32AZy5LanSwOp8vykASilKpABHH32W0XMbHmoCHjH5swUPRuVgwlffGbqTObH1RgoLiPbwDzbawTXnUaA/s1600/P1040435+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OkmyACZ5cKnFhsTs9oythYxKlD2asOo1nzbTmtm0hcpTl3P8DkxE0ohCpP32AZy5LanSwOp8vykASilKpABHH32W0XMbHmoCHjH5swUPRuVgwlffGbqTObH1RgoLiPbwDzbawTXnUaA/s200/P1040435+-+Copy.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D2_NSld7ylBbwfY7i7q0_o-D32dik8p_nncSQbB0XjA-LxfgZuJdO3rvNCCRIkaOBqs83REuMqOw3uYJuNtIKV8yJX1bcz6F6NHmGKi2HquGt8wjOODgr0ziaY8rMQdeSadkXxjYUmA/s1600/P1040333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D2_NSld7ylBbwfY7i7q0_o-D32dik8p_nncSQbB0XjA-LxfgZuJdO3rvNCCRIkaOBqs83REuMqOw3uYJuNtIKV8yJX1bcz6F6NHmGKi2HquGt8wjOODgr0ziaY8rMQdeSadkXxjYUmA/s320/P1040333.JPG" width="320" /></a>The other cool thing they have is an ice bar --<br />the "GlacioBar", which is really just a giant freezer in the basement of the museum with strictly controlled times and an exorbitant entry fee -- however, your 20 minute time slot includes unlimited free drinks from ice cups -- we imbibed the traditional Fernet Branca -- mint flavor was our favorite!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXLtwsXLyzWvjufKMvFHMINJ77JFEmKcsei-y6aAgWVD1GpdTaKigfiwZmvK_9BUrMBu6j2Prx-3vUV5OwkTFIHho5BfRHNQgr4d2ht9P1tlDL-Za-lCcYvOJ_qSGifGDa2vyd0lEbvU/s1600/P1040319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXLtwsXLyzWvjufKMvFHMINJ77JFEmKcsei-y6aAgWVD1GpdTaKigfiwZmvK_9BUrMBu6j2Prx-3vUV5OwkTFIHho5BfRHNQgr4d2ht9P1tlDL-Za-lCcYvOJ_qSGifGDa2vyd0lEbvU/s320/P1040319.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSVP0Oe4yWzCzu4uEcUSRVirC33jxNlh_p9xxCKvV9QUHZhZoW1ZepUgAj8Ypr807HVbCuVr4_jvq8AUwoadvz54M9c8oAXJWix9OeFT-vIFkJm396XvepmvO1B1An-8p7wygZAs_Upc/s1600/P1040321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSVP0Oe4yWzCzu4uEcUSRVirC33jxNlh_p9xxCKvV9QUHZhZoW1ZepUgAj8Ypr807HVbCuVr4_jvq8AUwoadvz54M9c8oAXJWix9OeFT-vIFkJm396XvepmvO1B1An-8p7wygZAs_Upc/s320/P1040321.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMGbBt_HJTwjaAQ7NW2LkPG890tRbndxRUKKFKXCm01u7vm6Ddw95O8g0aMl2LwejSxaUcU2q45J8nZEvVWqIHJ71le1W7l9RVcIMTXaCT0LKP-vgh1I_G_ITTYnzlrCgYOMfv189ebs/s1600/P1040334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMGbBt_HJTwjaAQ7NW2LkPG890tRbndxRUKKFKXCm01u7vm6Ddw95O8g0aMl2LwejSxaUcU2q45J8nZEvVWqIHJ71le1W7l9RVcIMTXaCT0LKP-vgh1I_G_ITTYnzlrCgYOMfv189ebs/s320/P1040334.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGtp5BOKQv42Q1SNSWcMnfUf56MHL5hY1bP1tV_-L-CaYUdD2TpzWxd-D9awyOVImq-CAVrhtbFyENi3jFbKz7kUlfzaoRH552lTSBnEb0zjuwM-Lc83IfU3BIYdlsa36geX7XTSMLEg/s1600/P1040339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGtp5BOKQv42Q1SNSWcMnfUf56MHL5hY1bP1tV_-L-CaYUdD2TpzWxd-D9awyOVImq-CAVrhtbFyENi3jFbKz7kUlfzaoRH552lTSBnEb0zjuwM-Lc83IfU3BIYdlsa36geX7XTSMLEg/s320/P1040339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here are some cool things I learned in the Glaciarium:<br /><br /><ul><li>Every continent has glaciers, including Africa (on Kilimanjaro), although Australia has none</li><li>There are glaciers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea!</li><li>The two Patagonian ice sheilds are two of the biggest areas of ice outside Antarctica, and others include <a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2012/05/989-glacier-bay-national-park-alaska.html">Glacier Bay National Park</a> (#989)</li><li>Crossing the glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park has only been a very recent phenomena (in living memory).</li></ul><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskv-7e4rgBXS5cbkpbWuhaRk_4FUswEcGsF6Yz4XKOJ8nvhjDBzF4PqTifyPKQDJrV1U0d0N0sL2ynLrKsHzEMYAZSXO7X2Yhl64cykz_sHd3YXcUqz6wMLxy6z-IUnJxDl3jgH9eymw/s1600/P1040296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskv-7e4rgBXS5cbkpbWuhaRk_4FUswEcGsF6Yz4XKOJ8nvhjDBzF4PqTifyPKQDJrV1U0d0N0sL2ynLrKsHzEMYAZSXO7X2Yhl64cykz_sHd3YXcUqz6wMLxy6z-IUnJxDl3jgH9eymw/s320/P1040296.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">View from outside the Ice Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXL5iX6mYK74humQlMV1dkSHudzLM7oZPfjRxWCs9VxBOvLnI7bk8k3iOleURNgh_5V2MDTWMTHuAoNFLUcjz2LqDIuy5JyOmbKetSrQ1OMjscYHTeHrWRnMxHGOs9xwtFgptiILPcRY/s1600/P1040442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXL5iX6mYK74humQlMV1dkSHudzLM7oZPfjRxWCs9VxBOvLnI7bk8k3iOleURNgh_5V2MDTWMTHuAoNFLUcjz2LqDIuy5JyOmbKetSrQ1OMjscYHTeHrWRnMxHGOs9xwtFgptiILPcRY/s640/P1040442.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-83627207345963122402013-03-10T21:26:00.000-07:002013-04-19T06:38:52.322-07:00#859 Cardrona Bra Fence, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img height="427" src="http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/601384_10151268764866199_212247693_n.jpg" width="640" /><br />Today's post is tongue-in-cheek and also a bit of a memorial. Apparently, Cardrona Valley's infamous bra fence is no more (this happened a while ago, but I only just heard about it) -- someone got up in the middle of the night and stole all the bras!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="336" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/625502_131057830407039_511228481_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Fence's own Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/brafence">https://www.facebook.com/brafence</a></td></tr></tbody></table>It's not an uncommon thing in New Zealand for strange objects to be on the side of the road, hung on fences. A few years ago, the Shoe Fence near Fairlie (see copyrighted photos linked below) caused a bit of a protest as some people complained that it was a driving hazard to have something interesting to look at on the side of the road, and the same thing has been brought up by the local Queenstown council regarding Cardrona. I think this fence deserves a record on the 1000 Amazing Places list simply because it is a symbol of human ingenuity and creativity, and it was started with an even more noble thought in mind -- it was a memorial to a dear friend that died, sharing her clothes on the fence in a ritual of mourning. What is otherwise an uneventful drive, now brings a smile to all who pass, and many stop to take photos and send letters to the farm owners. I have no doubt that there will be more bras that emerge soon!<br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/248614/canvassing-support-new-bra-fence">http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/248614/canvassing-support-new-bra-fence</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.conveyit.co.nz/yk-files/ae6c9e9e322b89d1b17adf7febd6b845/A%20Commonsense%20Fence.pdf">http://www.conveyit.co.nz/yk-files/ae6c9e9e322b89d1b17adf7febd6b845/A%20Commonsense%20Fence.pdf</a> </span></div><div><a href="http://weirdorinteresting.blogspot.co.nz/2009/11/cardrona-bra-fence-weird-or-interesting.html"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://weirdorinteresting.blogspot.co.nz/2009/11/cardrona-bra-fence-weird-or-interesting.html</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.timhaufphotography.com/Othercountries/Oceania/New-Zealand/12098219_VtQnv3/1406109268_4cW4zrP#!i=1406109268&k=4cW4zrP"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.timhaufphotography.com/Othercountries/Oceania/New-Zealand/12098219_VtQnv3/1406109268_4cW4zrP#!i=1406109268&k=4cW4zrP</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauanz/8530202372/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauanz/8530202372/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardrona_Bra_Fence"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardrona_Bra_Fence</span></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-42770587246126467162013-03-08T18:01:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:38:52.419-07:00#860 Mzora Stone Circle, Morocco<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2baD8ODZtyo8v0vW6LxFD9osj4FofEbzKY_sNyjIcUzNF80L1WJjnMwk2BvXoF4V68nKvNvpseZQZzmAklmtUF_XMKigu1rlSHq5vuJWjx3r0giqTJ9dqiLZs8ViKmjTa7bvQh-CLCQ/s1600/Map+of+Morocco.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2baD8ODZtyo8v0vW6LxFD9osj4FofEbzKY_sNyjIcUzNF80L1WJjnMwk2BvXoF4V68nKvNvpseZQZzmAklmtUF_XMKigu1rlSHq5vuJWjx3r0giqTJ9dqiLZs8ViKmjTa7bvQh-CLCQ/s640/Map+of+Morocco.gif" width="640" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7OJFnDvFnLUXJ1k6rMQjBFrSWXjBbngdh0gELMsV0q1EHoJVeLWV13QEFZaNUgHeqZ0ak3tTnryK9hZ6EJ9CWMNfrf68eQ_2FBBly43GvMdJULh3I9MI73kIsL9AYmUvjr91oQ0VLn0/s1600/Big+Stones+far+away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7OJFnDvFnLUXJ1k6rMQjBFrSWXjBbngdh0gELMsV0q1EHoJVeLWV13QEFZaNUgHeqZ0ak3tTnryK9hZ6EJ9CWMNfrf68eQ_2FBBly43GvMdJULh3I9MI73kIsL9AYmUvjr91oQ0VLn0/s320/Big+Stones+far+away.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big stellae</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGzd3IB1nx6XiOB1sxAW__NTw8DXzczNYjkR5C3NexcioXMNrpqw7O02liP3N52-hoemmyZ0Zu2RZCklXUI8rRaRw9Fz411Omi_wgIqOgNYSPEAXXHz09CONfL3xgVlO33AqoewQ20Zs/s1600/Stones+lying+in+the+grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGzd3IB1nx6XiOB1sxAW__NTw8DXzczNYjkR5C3NexcioXMNrpqw7O02liP3N52-hoemmyZ0Zu2RZCklXUI8rRaRw9Fz411Omi_wgIqOgNYSPEAXXHz09CONfL3xgVlO33AqoewQ20Zs/s320/Stones+lying+in+the+grass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Stones lying in the grass<br /><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>When I was a student in Morocco, one of the things I wanted to see the most was the "Cromlech de Mzora", an ancient stone circle that was barely mentioned in the guidebooks, and unheard of by most Moroccans, so I undertook to do a research paper about it for my class there. The only information I found was in French texts (the names of which I also no longer have), and by renting a car to search it out in its tiny village. Unfortunately, the paper has been lost to the relics of no-internet backups, but I still have the photos I took, and the story of how it was to get there. I apologize to the people that quoted it in their academic papers and thank them enormously for the honor they did to quote me at all -- I will try and locate the paper one day and re-type it!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMsZUis-U8BGI94KhVC3guX99tbsuk1jBMa2gQOYBM7qY4IHnuLXcjQF2u9FJK6BeiS7KlGYvMLUtF0rIM1Me0Zm_aCChdhosfytjCQemccBBtgcL6tC4lkFCXw0MnN674Ag-Bmc1iAw/s1600/Whole+mound+and+circle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMsZUis-U8BGI94KhVC3guX99tbsuk1jBMa2gQOYBM7qY4IHnuLXcjQF2u9FJK6BeiS7KlGYvMLUtF0rIM1Me0Zm_aCChdhosfytjCQemccBBtgcL6tC4lkFCXw0MnN674Ag-Bmc1iAw/s640/Whole+mound+and+circle.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Whole mound and circle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENW3TrrGsFrFkS-ks0FScVOpUU3ZdtGvcUbTRjCF1CYCDvnUAsrbXTNE970qo2L6LEsS5PtQTWyZbhdivSv3Vnxi6iyBW86XS_jVdgVrR5tonbShjoC8ZRBJCiQDaS1iPmycFY3pXCos/s1600/Biggest+stone+and+dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENW3TrrGsFrFkS-ks0FScVOpUU3ZdtGvcUbTRjCF1CYCDvnUAsrbXTNE970qo2L6LEsS5PtQTWyZbhdivSv3Vnxi6iyBW86XS_jVdgVrR5tonbShjoC8ZRBJCiQDaS1iPmycFY3pXCos/s320/Biggest+stone+and+dad.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggest standing stone - El Uted "The Pointer"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtrpymK6ZBh6-Q1A8R9RiI0kdimKpUPsxHBX0aRaoQCGFPgyRXTF3p5xRzluTwcNpQ4hoHOs9ZyMjtP_6WL5glWbaoOA31CPE5oOLDi44llTt4Z2GjkVDTCXOTjXNMuUaFiAL-NMYdLg/s1600/Bricks+under+mound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtrpymK6ZBh6-Q1A8R9RiI0kdimKpUPsxHBX0aRaoQCGFPgyRXTF3p5xRzluTwcNpQ4hoHOs9ZyMjtP_6WL5glWbaoOA31CPE5oOLDi44llTt4Z2GjkVDTCXOTjXNMuUaFiAL-NMYdLg/s320/Bricks+under+mound.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bricks under the mound</td></tr></tbody></table>About half way between the small towns of Larache and Asilah, north of the Roman center called Lixus, the Arab village of Souq Tnine de Sidi el-Yamani is the closest place to the ruins. There are modern buildings and homes scattered right next to the ruins, and the stones themselves are in a bad state of disrepair. A small pond has formed inside the mound that was excavated by French scholars.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdNtdvE2BMAtQGH2y80Ut0fMwTfla82b3-QLcGUACx0kJ6iPK3UQAGjUYM8GkZeqdW6Ja-QG4g9ymmg5xt84DAdnBFVqgr64z6PYnrTXVRAJ5Uq8i-XUxOC8IQZ6bN42q65WTuk6f150/s1600/Edge+of+circle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdNtdvE2BMAtQGH2y80Ut0fMwTfla82b3-QLcGUACx0kJ6iPK3UQAGjUYM8GkZeqdW6Ja-QG4g9ymmg5xt84DAdnBFVqgr64z6PYnrTXVRAJ5Uq8i-XUxOC8IQZ6bN42q65WTuk6f150/s320/Edge+of+circle.gif" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edge of circle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr69fOXtYDn6M-XB8HFK4OIia_Gy_mSnSeyrRDH1dc2WRm-KHOYAJIPlf2oPq8Wx_V7WHXLI712sW1qHQDOYGiWgQPSVyZudAejX10jtjYi12VGZKKpyin0_-MhqC_T19cz6zEjpPY-a8/s1600/Bilingual+Stela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr69fOXtYDn6M-XB8HFK4OIia_Gy_mSnSeyrRDH1dc2WRm-KHOYAJIPlf2oPq8Wx_V7WHXLI712sW1qHQDOYGiWgQPSVyZudAejX10jtjYi12VGZKKpyin0_-MhqC_T19cz6zEjpPY-a8/s320/Bilingual+Stela.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bilingual Stellae - image from a French text --<br />this is in a Museum and no longer at the site.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguz6pyQ0YTtZnCfppgcAie91dSwGUlCh-tierJ5vhgkOQsWG_fwguojH6G1xiFNQ9diXEE6slJ2F4w9J957nrxgxO6v_1npO1pH1SZmOaX_ASw3sCK-ViNo7QMDbSFGDW61eUAQlwCjY/s1600/From+the+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguz6pyQ0YTtZnCfppgcAie91dSwGUlCh-tierJ5vhgkOQsWG_fwguojH6G1xiFNQ9diXEE6slJ2F4w9J957nrxgxO6v_1npO1pH1SZmOaX_ASw3sCK-ViNo7QMDbSFGDW61eUAQlwCjY/s640/From+the+Top.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlKeiwMv2c_QbBih6zntsXVj6q0C6XOY8vXnRwGV114wmgXPD7FJ5qXae1KqI-jUogX_S6m0vQR1FeY2g_NiAldq18uNIsmXGtwyk00Ao0HmMy_N_y5GbNhxxUwX8iSqsGv6s8oa34Qw/s1600/Stones+outside+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlKeiwMv2c_QbBih6zntsXVj6q0C6XOY8vXnRwGV114wmgXPD7FJ5qXae1KqI-jUogX_S6m0vQR1FeY2g_NiAldq18uNIsmXGtwyk00Ao0HmMy_N_y5GbNhxxUwX8iSqsGv6s8oa34Qw/s640/Stones+outside+circle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Stones outside of circle</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TEjzeEb341rNkR6eAKOiyrAo2YeZm7K5UWDqU7RVFxIB5bDfWXWcoWTRpRX94hLzCYhhfSe3TqCu5maGqq89cf3lCHw0kJhAvVlH5sFeOKctSz6oPDvNuQmEjqpX0Yt5ds5AclNiOFw/s1600/Side+view+of+circle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TEjzeEb341rNkR6eAKOiyrAo2YeZm7K5UWDqU7RVFxIB5bDfWXWcoWTRpRX94hLzCYhhfSe3TqCu5maGqq89cf3lCHw0kJhAvVlH5sFeOKctSz6oPDvNuQmEjqpX0Yt5ds5AclNiOFw/s320/Side+view+of+circle.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Side view of circle</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrIGeHkeaVOhryIABrzpjzmgkgARIgLaSu-JgRXJ9FbCAbLNeKT-DQ__4jzsgsrXt2JvR1Rf62DgJzLguSwEAaGK5iwi91IkmsJLUWFjGkU3aGqIGyheYBzvTE_WwWNoIyehakggqkJg/s1600/Hunks+out+of+stone+far.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrIGeHkeaVOhryIABrzpjzmgkgARIgLaSu-JgRXJ9FbCAbLNeKT-DQ__4jzsgsrXt2JvR1Rf62DgJzLguSwEAaGK5iwi91IkmsJLUWFjGkU3aGqIGyheYBzvTE_WwWNoIyehakggqkJg/s320/Hunks+out+of+stone+far.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="241" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Hunks out of stone - from afar</td></tr></tbody></table>While scattered, fallen and moved, the presence of 167 intact stones from the circle makes this impressive, as does the fact that you are free to wander freely among them. The state that the French Archaeologists left the site in is quite appalling, but its obscurity in Moroccan history books means that most Moroccans are uninterested in visiting it, so it does not see the same number of visitors that such a site would see in Europe, especially considering its size, and thus it is more preserved than it could be.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI5QifqzXfw2HTNBrze4U07jX8uwHYEmNoir6Dqk04Ifo7e7l2I2PtBP-4qNoR-Lhvs9RwmZzZovbVIbbo_vzP5nAs7XXZ49jUGyXM-C_hR2fdnAWQ_oYKmHZEPYDMI-q49Tcif47Rk4/s1600/The+entranceway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI5QifqzXfw2HTNBrze4U07jX8uwHYEmNoir6Dqk04Ifo7e7l2I2PtBP-4qNoR-Lhvs9RwmZzZovbVIbbo_vzP5nAs7XXZ49jUGyXM-C_hR2fdnAWQ_oYKmHZEPYDMI-q49Tcif47Rk4/s320/The+entranceway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Entranceway</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCBt5MjY1PC51mG3_qIOud03Z2zNDCxLG93XEuRQm7oMhN5J1gtSFGljHnVDGUJ1mHWTa12BLICR4jhenUPE-Xnq0upKpAbEeKONJKKaLIfFhew-H-jdovpBHMefLrxiu-S24RWdfgl8/s1600/Hunks+out+of+stone+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCBt5MjY1PC51mG3_qIOud03Z2zNDCxLG93XEuRQm7oMhN5J1gtSFGljHnVDGUJ1mHWTa12BLICR4jhenUPE-Xnq0upKpAbEeKONJKKaLIfFhew-H-jdovpBHMefLrxiu-S24RWdfgl8/s320/Hunks+out+of+stone+close.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Hunks out of stone - closeup view</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj_vP07HGCPoQd66iDXz3dp8ysaYq1k5Y906s6yeGDFlSoUE_GBM1iy1vfqV8ykMT8THhSS__sL4cCnoAlPZDWknq_ur45iKzEZWa-YDbD4EEGlrZdKrggKnX1Fu16SgQMALAjbMq9Z4/s1600/Mum's+diagram+of+Mzora.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj_vP07HGCPoQd66iDXz3dp8ysaYq1k5Y906s6yeGDFlSoUE_GBM1iy1vfqV8ykMT8THhSS__sL4cCnoAlPZDWknq_ur45iKzEZWa-YDbD4EEGlrZdKrggKnX1Fu16SgQMALAjbMq9Z4/s640/Mum's+diagram+of+Mzora.gif" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Copied diagram of Mzora from French text -- cited</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw5Un5vBTxu8gj16qpUy9Pa9xYqIaleDyZvueg_RuybjUMKIf6DwrCiupL1lIejhNJBybM86nhQL9ZMOtNV3yp5DyUdUoAnN0GWKYkGp93-EUUYV5Cq1m342gRQ7LjSm7hYbgR9IlbQE/s1600/Inside+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw5Un5vBTxu8gj16qpUy9Pa9xYqIaleDyZvueg_RuybjUMKIf6DwrCiupL1lIejhNJBybM86nhQL9ZMOtNV3yp5DyUdUoAnN0GWKYkGp93-EUUYV5Cq1m342gRQ7LjSm7hYbgR9IlbQE/s320/Inside+tomb.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French text - inside tomb</td></tr></tbody></table><img alt="mzoura01.jpg" height="240" src="http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2011/01/18/mzoura01.jpg" width="320" /><img alt="mzora-ge.jpg" height="254" src="http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2011/01/18/mzora-ge.jpg" width="320" />These two aerial photos were matched on the following google earth blog: <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2011/01/hunting_for_the_megalithic_stone_ci.html">http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2011/01/hunting_for_the_megalithic_stone_ci.html</a> </span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87txtvNAXsioKxrMzS0GPuwVrT3TG0QwIyv3EVXFYLs1jZZktWmmZH-dArKbq3jbbty_FlYSm9GSkJj0ronk_KTBnpAoHLqz3RzOCNw6hxgJMtFc2EbsgnKpKYShY62ViW2EnJDg8-48/s1600/Arial+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87txtvNAXsioKxrMzS0GPuwVrT3TG0QwIyv3EVXFYLs1jZZktWmmZH-dArKbq3jbbty_FlYSm9GSkJj0ronk_KTBnpAoHLqz3RzOCNw6hxgJMtFc2EbsgnKpKYShY62ViW2EnJDg8-48/s320/Arial+view.jpg" width="320" /></a>One French text I looked at shared this photo, but the surrounding area does not fit reality. The other photo below is more likely, however.<br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOk7veS0ZmpN4OPsQBf2ZncAPBfEmXSxnwpROprxhi1ZEeoZRU4WfcPmYnZ5sL75CqxumXtrVX7-u30x3WFwcupH7Ioxb18_F3JFbGLpv5kj4nlI16MxZCmLU1SQhrnQL_3toILtkM6Y/s1600/Mzora+aerial+photo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOk7veS0ZmpN4OPsQBf2ZncAPBfEmXSxnwpROprxhi1ZEeoZRU4WfcPmYnZ5sL75CqxumXtrVX7-u30x3WFwcupH7Ioxb18_F3JFbGLpv5kj4nlI16MxZCmLU1SQhrnQL_3toILtkM6Y/s320/Mzora+aerial+photo.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">French textbook aerial photo</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwNjZdEiVDYC-atA1RpeHcqMl2AEfqW6vuFAMEXCnLjejJdaOMLU9jMD8f5v4nRr8qKngWvugniM3o1OsEROXTuedU2S-moZs0Z4wPxUNlOB9jyVAIp3xVonH9FbsIkY7TB-_x6XxH0g/s1600/tombs+south+of+Morocco.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwNjZdEiVDYC-atA1RpeHcqMl2AEfqW6vuFAMEXCnLjejJdaOMLU9jMD8f5v4nRr8qKngWvugniM3o1OsEROXTuedU2S-moZs0Z4wPxUNlOB9jyVAIp3xVonH9FbsIkY7TB-_x6XxH0g/s640/tombs+south+of+Morocco.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tombs south of Morocco</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cxsv_as6wyBXWCpuqKdga0qYJQw4bmxWqiq7A9Ubepcf9E90ngPM7YG021rl8ZNkwad-jD7DT0NxOtw937NkyoIWc0UT4SKJP4uAu9Tpqq82nO8737aUZAvprijnsvvkB8oLDyrLltE/s1600/ntharfsites.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cxsv_as6wyBXWCpuqKdga0qYJQw4bmxWqiq7A9Ubepcf9E90ngPM7YG021rl8ZNkwad-jD7DT0NxOtw937NkyoIWc0UT4SKJP4uAu9Tpqq82nO8737aUZAvprijnsvvkB8oLDyrLltE/s640/ntharfsites.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North African monolithic sites</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Lonely Planet <u>Morocco</u>, 6th Edition</span><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Here's what the Lonely Planet says, and this was basically all I had to go on when I started my search:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> "The ancient and little-understood <b>Monoliths de M'Soura </b>stand on a desolate patch of ground some 25km (by road) southeast of Asilah. The stones, arranged in a circle, range from 50cm to 6m in height and some historians believe the surround the tomb of a noble, perhaps dating back to Punic times. To get to the site you must first reach the village of Souq Tnine de Sidi el-Yamani, off highway P37, which branches east off the main Tangier to Rabat road. From here, 6km of bad piste (unsealed track) leads north to the site. You need a good vehicle, and a local guide would help."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/news/morocco-travel/monoliths-of-msoura-morocco-travel.html">http://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/news/morocco-travel/monoliths-of-msoura-morocco-travel.html</a></span></div><div><a href="http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2011/01/hunting_for_the_megalithic_stone_ci.html"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2011/01/hunting_for_the_megalithic_stone_ci.html</span></a></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-59613535488441875692013-03-06T17:49:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:38:52.516-07:00#861 San Francisco, CA, USA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_loHJRLg49jE3UHvWBE-0i-BayYoPyMyN9tlbfTLi2I5fmuzZt4v9bjaDfMX-_wne0fFOO7AfksPM2Xt-IrPiJ2LCpPrbxoEHIe54gouvwTUU97adsYn9YYK-Q6vurhdvao8jIULEqrM/s1600/usa+2009+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_loHJRLg49jE3UHvWBE-0i-BayYoPyMyN9tlbfTLi2I5fmuzZt4v9bjaDfMX-_wne0fFOO7AfksPM2Xt-IrPiJ2LCpPrbxoEHIe54gouvwTUU97adsYn9YYK-Q6vurhdvao8jIULEqrM/s640/usa+2009+025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">San Francisco is a really interesting and unique city -- it's mysterious fogs that hide the famous Golden Gate Bridge frequently, the California Gold Rush that helped build it, the incredible 1906 earthquake that destroyed it, its infamous prison island Alcatraz, the strength of the liberal toleration for gay-rights, Chinatown, cable cars, steep streets, a West Coast entrance for many immigrants, the historic center and Market Street, nearby Silicone Valley and many other things. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="150" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/San_francisco_fire_1906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:San_francisco_fire_1906.jpg</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNGSwx0d1Jm9QCNaCgSPakK1tER6O98TokSmRRZ2fbSKnX5oYhHg28lrZUs1YNMvr5jXrnxYNr-FZB5tjnbL8XCtK_oMIIMP4tWTyue_OITOuNXZbXMb6-F0nPHzXc3PqYYG9NaSeFmU/s1600/lauren+kethan+wedding+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNGSwx0d1Jm9QCNaCgSPakK1tER6O98TokSmRRZ2fbSKnX5oYhHg28lrZUs1YNMvr5jXrnxYNr-FZB5tjnbL8XCtK_oMIIMP4tWTyue_OITOuNXZbXMb6-F0nPHzXc3PqYYG9NaSeFmU/s320/lauren+kethan+wedding+111.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPZCAHhRbmJRxQlNyGO6D_pxcTTGdrBj6zmIfOJzrzN5_HN8DzmgvUgnKMR1qSvDmwg6OUNCjp-15fdd5o9ZqqTVzCma6CkXUqrcO0AaJhIncM7NuNHs8kP6nDWBjMzKg95xQkUPbykc/s1600/lauren+kethan+wedding+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPZCAHhRbmJRxQlNyGO6D_pxcTTGdrBj6zmIfOJzrzN5_HN8DzmgvUgnKMR1qSvDmwg6OUNCjp-15fdd5o9ZqqTVzCma6CkXUqrcO0AaJhIncM7NuNHs8kP6nDWBjMzKg95xQkUPbykc/s320/lauren+kethan+wedding+109.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="http://prsb.co/3/files/2007/07/worlds-crookedest-street-_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="185" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://prsb.co/3/files/2007/07/worlds-crookedest-street-_1.jpg</td></tr></tbody></table>The downtown, like most American cities is a grid of numbered avenues and streets, but historical relics remain such as the tram system that the conductors still turn manually, and the majestic buildings of old. The suburbs, with their steep hills and brightly colored rows of houses, are also full of character -- Lombard Street and Filbert Street are famous for being the steepest in the world as they ascend Russian Hill. What a great place -- I want to visit again so I can see all the places I missed.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXCKSoo3dhtfKmJfllzD8Us-ipp45c1GZEAR6AdvGJ4YQypcGIn7SZoZpfVFLj2wcA4_-BJ_CxoXCupaCWY_ky7Wa0URKWHfH2i3xiLcFyt8OGJHBce7uMNN5YzzEP_tWz88EX-w9eew/s1600/usa+2009+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXCKSoo3dhtfKmJfllzD8Us-ipp45c1GZEAR6AdvGJ4YQypcGIn7SZoZpfVFLj2wcA4_-BJ_CxoXCupaCWY_ky7Wa0URKWHfH2i3xiLcFyt8OGJHBce7uMNN5YzzEP_tWz88EX-w9eew/s320/usa+2009+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1_NDyRIUoqCNsHvFw4shasO6XjIbIPflIXMjhkNQgEzMKHD8YNMMzuzxslFsw77VDFHkaf165SRFrIALliU5V_EoUl55ZeqE6_AfAVE7YeuTqkWhnk-VF9en06hyCWalC7XFxtTZ_AU/s1600/usa+2009+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1_NDyRIUoqCNsHvFw4shasO6XjIbIPflIXMjhkNQgEzMKHD8YNMMzuzxslFsw77VDFHkaf165SRFrIALliU5V_EoUl55ZeqE6_AfAVE7YeuTqkWhnk-VF9en06hyCWalC7XFxtTZ_AU/s320/usa+2009+026.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYgqc72UWCnan48sizyyiXZT8ZMCmsEalVGyq3-mDuQP2PkONniYxPuP04mqwxDIgWbWa7o1xQvWHlevKAu-vQXFThs929O2ELrBfwvLdQleFieFNJKqB6JcFsH2-0n88Y7zGm5K_wy0/s1600/usa+2009+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYgqc72UWCnan48sizyyiXZT8ZMCmsEalVGyq3-mDuQP2PkONniYxPuP04mqwxDIgWbWa7o1xQvWHlevKAu-vQXFThs929O2ELrBfwvLdQleFieFNJKqB6JcFsH2-0n88Y7zGm5K_wy0/s320/usa+2009+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsN5M00hKTnUL1Wf2fIV2eI1ngpS2F2mQTcaKZSGaR3xgB3ZPeCulBHoKD6iVXhZkajrCSAv_DUQ7pw3EcKGG5JQI-cBw0QIbCNIkdbdyQshYKrC_t5B-NyXlbLrOyTsibpdFdetgpds/s1600/usa+2009+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsN5M00hKTnUL1Wf2fIV2eI1ngpS2F2mQTcaKZSGaR3xgB3ZPeCulBHoKD6iVXhZkajrCSAv_DUQ7pw3EcKGG5JQI-cBw0QIbCNIkdbdyQshYKrC_t5B-NyXlbLrOyTsibpdFdetgpds/s320/usa+2009+033.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_6Va-_9WhqjYGzNphd3E13sm0pBnAoU7r5Tsl7VYXbhqO_PEfGcjDEma_oytAq6sqS_WT-l-MJ_Q63j8huf_BoJlDzae-SfPpQWI_j9PkWOEubdyKGvyQoy_B38yWZpbWve-XtXx3Jo/s1600/usa+2009+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_6Va-_9WhqjYGzNphd3E13sm0pBnAoU7r5Tsl7VYXbhqO_PEfGcjDEma_oytAq6sqS_WT-l-MJ_Q63j8huf_BoJlDzae-SfPpQWI_j9PkWOEubdyKGvyQoy_B38yWZpbWve-XtXx3Jo/s320/usa+2009+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco</a></span></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-427908804815719472013-03-04T17:31:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:38:52.613-07:00#862 Corregidor Island, Philippines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="File:Map of Corregidor 1941.jpg" height="192" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Map_of_Corregidor_1941.jpg/800px-Map_of_Corregidor_1941.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Corregidor_1941.jpg</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMAcuWRBugl7isXD1XhMoBC0r5273Fq2KrdMIqKpf8ZVJDdBhxIDcjhas7j0Iqg152DyU86wSXJcaVW_qBT36m5_to4A_D9yUo8CUVL3k7JkJQVOWis2rhwsbwmzOIw_6tPOWLIwVai8/s1600/corrigedor+doorway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMAcuWRBugl7isXD1XhMoBC0r5273Fq2KrdMIqKpf8ZVJDdBhxIDcjhas7j0Iqg152DyU86wSXJcaVW_qBT36m5_to4A_D9yUo8CUVL3k7JkJQVOWis2rhwsbwmzOIw_6tPOWLIwVai8/s320/corrigedor+doorway.JPG" width="211" /></a>At the entrance to Manila Bay is a strategic island shaped like a tadpole, that has been fortified by everyone who has controlled the Philippines: first the Spanish, intermittently Chinese pirates, Dutch sailors (1647), and British soldiers (1762), then the Americans, ending with the Japanese during World War II, before they lost the war. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="File:MalintaSurrender.jpeg" height="265" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/MalintaSurrender.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Surrender of US troops at Malinta tunnel in May 1942<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MalintaSurrender.jpeg</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Approximately 6km long, it was named because it translates as "to correct" because Spanish used it as a customs port for "correcting" documents. Later, it was known as Fort Mills by the Americans, and had several facilities for officers, a 1 mile long barrack for soldiers, a small airfield, as well as the all important lighthouse from 1853 onwards. It was incredibly important for both losing and gaining the Philippines to the Japanese invaders during World War II with brutal battles May 1942 and January 1945 respectively, being the losing battle when the Japanese blocked Bataan from supplying them with food and fresh water and one of the first to be liberated. It was very heavily bombarded and its ruins remain a memorial to the many that died during the war, with several memorials to Filipino and American solders and a Japanese Garden of Peace.<br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="File:Malinta tunnel diagram.jpg" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Malinta_tunnel_diagram.jpg/452px-Malinta_tunnel_diagram.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malinta_tunnel_diagram.jpg</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="File:Malinta Tunnel.JPG" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c8/Malinta_Tunnel.JPG/450px-Malinta_Tunnel.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malinta_Tunnel.JPG</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the most fascinating military constructions was the Malinta tunnel, under the almost 600m high volcanic peak (Filipino scientists believe that despite erupting last around a million years ago, it could still be an active volcano). This was, impressively, the temporary location for the government of the Philippines (Dec 1941-Feb 1942), and it was outside this tunnet that Manuel L. Quezon and his Vice President Sergio Osmena were inaugurated for their second term as leaders of the Philippines Commonwealth. General Douglas MacArthur also made it his headquarters after much of the Philippines was controlled by the Japanese.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6BonFdKV1V2obONxmf0c3H1eDk3AK8WYd0SBNUnw0iLww0Jz01LblwFrI27hcGesXLqBgtRChFF4r7AE4lTllO0x7m6KUGeAQplbGw-znmtJGjH1Q5oe0qRgRElbVwjIpPyUxkyPnsk/s1600/philippines+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6BonFdKV1V2obONxmf0c3H1eDk3AK8WYd0SBNUnw0iLww0Jz01LblwFrI27hcGesXLqBgtRChFF4r7AE4lTllO0x7m6KUGeAQplbGw-znmtJGjH1Q5oe0qRgRElbVwjIpPyUxkyPnsk/s640/philippines+052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ruins of the mile-long military barracks.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvZqwLeP0mDT2FCZMJYbpfLYKjbzxwZxv8YgayuvBB0ZPD4tmd03ca884Mbv3IIw4MnWoEfF9MBiPux-LRbGyu4ZPZ1Ri5SZeQF0Uz7tHnsL4dCa8-VQhM9dkVpTzLAGcyH8VQN7j54Y/s1600/inside+corrigedor+theatre.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvZqwLeP0mDT2FCZMJYbpfLYKjbzxwZxv8YgayuvBB0ZPD4tmd03ca884Mbv3IIw4MnWoEfF9MBiPux-LRbGyu4ZPZ1Ri5SZeQF0Uz7tHnsL4dCa8-VQhM9dkVpTzLAGcyH8VQN7j54Y/s320/inside+corrigedor+theatre.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>If ever a military base has been respectfully converted -- this is it. It is a peaceful, historical museum of an island now, with beautiful greenery and few visitors, the circular guns no longer used and the roads only for tourists.<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corregidor_Island">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corregidor_Island</a></span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinta_Tunnel"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinta_Tunnel</span></a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Mills"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Mills</span></a><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-55748475918385284192013-03-02T14:17:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:38:52.709-07:00#863 Verona Arena, Italy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Because I went to Verona when I was only 12, the only thing that I remember is the Roman ampitheatre, one of the best preserved that exists in the world and one that is still used for concerts today. What I remember is that it was spectacular!<br /><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Verona_Italy_arena_DSC08035.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">commons.wikipedia.org</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Built in 30 C.E. outside of what was then the city in pink and white Valpolicella marble, it was almost destroyed in a 1117 earthquake. The Renaissance saw a revival of its use as a theater due to its excellent acoustics, and it has had a continuous summer season of concerts since 1813, except during the world wars. No electronic sound system was used until 2011, although the rock concerts of many famous bands probably used their own speakers -- Pink Floyd, Simple Minds, Duran Duran, Deep Purple, The Who, Dire Straits, Mike Oldfield, Rod Steward, Sting, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, and Muse.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Travel/Pix/pictures/2008/07/03/VeronaAP4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.guardian.co.uk</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02407/verona2_2407617b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.telegraph.co.uk</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="253" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Verona_Italy_arena_DSC08017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">en.wikipedia.org</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona_Arena">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona_Arena</a></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-58149651371804104042013-02-28T23:49:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:20:56.504-07:00Holidaying Opportunities in and in-between Melbourne and Adelaide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Though Melbourne and Adelaide are far from each other, they hold a firm place close to the southern sea of the planet! Touched by the cleanest waves allowing one to smoothly slide with a paddle or surfboard, or to swim along the shores to enjoy the language of the waves. Go deep into the ocean by taking part in scuba diving to explore the marine life or drive to the mid-ocean with the help of a jet boat. Blessed by the shine of the sun, perfect for getting a healthy suntan and the bleached sand beach beds absolute for resting and relaxing.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Melbourne</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Places to see: Melbourne Zoo shelters many a species of animals and birds. Melbourne Aquarium is where there are a number of tanks with small to huge ocean living creatures. The Queen Victoria Market is one of the busiest places in the city and is the largest open-air market in the continent.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Accommodation: There are a number of </span><a href="http://www.stayaustralia.com/city-hotels/australia/melbourne" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">cheap hotels in Melbourne</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">, where budget travelers can stay safe and comfortable. There are also many Melbourne hotels that have all amenities within its complex, and is a bit expensive - suitable for luxury stays.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Adelaide</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Places to see: Cleland Conservation Park is a nature surrounded place where one can stay close to the nature. The Adelaide Zoo has its animals in a natural habitat, and there are many rare species of animals and birds. The Adelaide Festival Centre becomes busy during the festival times of the year and is one of the famous attractions to see. There are even many Adelaide hotels near the spot.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Accommodation: Adelaide is a place where anyone can stay within their budget, as there are numerous </span><a href="http://www.stayaustralia.com/city-hotels/australia/adelaide" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">cheap hotels in Adelaide</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">.</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-39990046638606449232013-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:38:52.806-07:00#864 Le Tour Hassan and Mausoleum of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDVuvQMBnF6QUQcEhrsr_X2Vz6UI8iiWTk85AzLpCdILVlTBeDei9tNnoUi5LcqMoRMtMlEav3EgpSSuPNDkPMnglx6gv1LHtrEt_gzLlpBBvBXBHHuRTcbe64_1Q3S1mjN8PBWHxfvk/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDVuvQMBnF6QUQcEhrsr_X2Vz6UI8iiWTk85AzLpCdILVlTBeDei9tNnoUi5LcqMoRMtMlEav3EgpSSuPNDkPMnglx6gv1LHtrEt_gzLlpBBvBXBHHuRTcbe64_1Q3S1mjN8PBWHxfvk/s640/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+053.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxKYSvrk7foFugS2SZ0VF_qwVXxV6qtnD8q7maTqoc8FPidXyyUCm1VvPPyIQpbDYdzJkYN-GA-nTeJlPljuJ1P6XUgWCRXG9FComotK8lU7xAwFmXWP3clheb1cRA6hD8Firairgyk0/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxKYSvrk7foFugS2SZ0VF_qwVXxV6qtnD8q7maTqoc8FPidXyyUCm1VvPPyIQpbDYdzJkYN-GA-nTeJlPljuJ1P6XUgWCRXG9FComotK8lU7xAwFmXWP3clheb1cRA6hD8Firairgyk0/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+002.jpg" width="240" /></a>Before I ever saw it, the posters of Yacub Al Mansour's 1195 C.E. mosque in Morocco's capital Rabat intrigued me: 200 pillars of dusty sandstone cast shadows of precision (a testament to early Islamic mathematicians and architects) in the ruined mosque which is overshadowed by Le Tour Hassan (Hassan Tower). Hassan Tower (44m) was intended to be the largest minaret in the world when it was built -- 80m, but it was never finished, and the adjacent mosque, also never completely finished, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755. Similar to the Giralda in Seville, which was designed by the same architect Jabir, the inside of the minaret is ascended by ramps instead of stairs, allowing the king to ride his horse up. Al Mansour also built (and Jabir also designed) the Koutobia mosque in <a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2012/05/988-marrakech-morocco.html">Marrakech</a> (#988), which is a similar style, but Rabat's mosque's construction stalled after the king's death. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overlooking the Oud Bou Regreg (river/inlet) and the twin city of Salé, the Al Mansour esplanade is a prime location very close to the center of the city. It is also the site of the Mausoleum to the current king Mohamed VI's grandfather (Mohamed V) and father (Hassan II). They are laid to rest in richly decorated green-roofed below-ground tomb, and visitors can enter the open chamber from above. A Koran reader is often present, and the complex is guarded by smartly-dressed soldiers both on horseback and standing at attention.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZPHhbNOg6wi21Y7KQ_K2_Sucs_SvmPcKAbMhjfnV9vgJgCEuz2Zx9yf2F7WpPH5rrpEwt0QWynzZSx3I8EdAMdar_LYG4Ux4obs3c32K9gcsoQyjS4EghX9YkJig8qTbairCWFSckJc/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZPHhbNOg6wi21Y7KQ_K2_Sucs_SvmPcKAbMhjfnV9vgJgCEuz2Zx9yf2F7WpPH5rrpEwt0QWynzZSx3I8EdAMdar_LYG4Ux4obs3c32K9gcsoQyjS4EghX9YkJig8qTbairCWFSckJc/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+048.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw11nZuRgwkHeydnw1QKkci-S0zpRbqhPzE6FV3Uc0AltZxOOxxsWaPhE9D5Bi_JQpOOZUuYPmOKjRvTQ5w6wZ9MoUp6DTXlVPLPqXzPEs74BZDmmn9-xMRTxgvJ3L51D-Plsx_98Vkws/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw11nZuRgwkHeydnw1QKkci-S0zpRbqhPzE6FV3Uc0AltZxOOxxsWaPhE9D5Bi_JQpOOZUuYPmOKjRvTQ5w6wZ9MoUp6DTXlVPLPqXzPEs74BZDmmn9-xMRTxgvJ3L51D-Plsx_98Vkws/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+027.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfPOCC2t5ZBxhq_xqT2q9Fmy_AZ3ecdIWfAwohHipizBZLRLoTKZmrLZ8kAeDxXoljBZvZu1FTec7Q4NmudIBQgMgnOOu8bJqa6jHvplkwiHcKPMDd-6BOeBVq9-hzCrOhZO-XpZAPF4/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfPOCC2t5ZBxhq_xqT2q9Fmy_AZ3ecdIWfAwohHipizBZLRLoTKZmrLZ8kAeDxXoljBZvZu1FTec7Q4NmudIBQgMgnOOu8bJqa6jHvplkwiHcKPMDd-6BOeBVq9-hzCrOhZO-XpZAPF4/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGU27ymG9vjMHu7HIgUiH_40z6m3Rhlt6yHdCZtZpds0ys0Yj2T9OpeK_rxi6nVi6uQG3Z2sc50NCTijP5Px12y5-dra7Mo2XtrvPuoRrIw0_62oKRcOBhoQuLpH7hOz0-i6iMR34eYs/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGU27ymG9vjMHu7HIgUiH_40z6m3Rhlt6yHdCZtZpds0ys0Yj2T9OpeK_rxi6nVi6uQG3Z2sc50NCTijP5Px12y5-dra7Mo2XtrvPuoRrIw0_62oKRcOBhoQuLpH7hOz0-i6iMR34eYs/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+023.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2ut_-KD3ReJmDkMySR783J-F3IgQ5XE8D3U-lF0lmcDOl5ULu4Wvla01uAgXEAoEdPxSzUExN43OXUUIBWAqUicMnkRrBpW19ljs4XXJsVmT_d6vukRuDIEF0PWmSWURBaA5NUCVGwU/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2ut_-KD3ReJmDkMySR783J-F3IgQ5XE8D3U-lF0lmcDOl5ULu4Wvla01uAgXEAoEdPxSzUExN43OXUUIBWAqUicMnkRrBpW19ljs4XXJsVmT_d6vukRuDIEF0PWmSWURBaA5NUCVGwU/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPChbB8RSMFYdt7Y_howk7U560-6jicsVGQC8oKWHRP7mMLeLZ3reIAw9F8GyhU11bdTiahC6o7xL5b5IpUwmu1N5L_C881yy-XgeJ9Zxs9yUUpeh6iGFIO97kdqt3tNnjOMgCtwi1N8/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPChbB8RSMFYdt7Y_howk7U560-6jicsVGQC8oKWHRP7mMLeLZ3reIAw9F8GyhU11bdTiahC6o7xL5b5IpUwmu1N5L_C881yy-XgeJ9Zxs9yUUpeh6iGFIO97kdqt3tNnjOMgCtwi1N8/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+010.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzapipp2IGCo7huUrWav-YLm5WtVVwQV8aUyIw0VNwPbWnJ8GsrvOdtCxuuLqOZgE8AH1edEIQVOpKH9gCFEUfRDHT-2FrSKybiA9YKa61vgf8f6FklNG8THLU7ZnnV0uPzAxrju0iMw/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzapipp2IGCo7huUrWav-YLm5WtVVwQV8aUyIw0VNwPbWnJ8GsrvOdtCxuuLqOZgE8AH1edEIQVOpKH9gCFEUfRDHT-2FrSKybiA9YKa61vgf8f6FklNG8THLU7ZnnV0uPzAxrju0iMw/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+054.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvnDhcVXntQDhuV7uLaZeMrCdSdXFXLIr507koAeB1F5t1J5S8aI30ydW9vBdra-vMcKl4VdSJE5CfOeAGiWsfi2BW5UQdPT7Yqasg18lGyzFMRZJhnIWyL7YpjdgF8AfDfJIoPs7poo/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvnDhcVXntQDhuV7uLaZeMrCdSdXFXLIr507koAeB1F5t1J5S8aI30ydW9vBdra-vMcKl4VdSJE5CfOeAGiWsfi2BW5UQdPT7Yqasg18lGyzFMRZJhnIWyL7YpjdgF8AfDfJIoPs7poo/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJEap8Qw5P1wwf67tEOi9Ln4hoE_k_t-BmOJLHWrsGFYwGCou5JsHxuOIRE8C7jvwG2KsRMsXenCEIZVu7L6Zr9NvNz50QBL-GZDygm3_BhrxV4oZcMtRObqRrdo6MHj2rwamaEZ52Pk/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJEap8Qw5P1wwf67tEOi9Ln4hoE_k_t-BmOJLHWrsGFYwGCou5JsHxuOIRE8C7jvwG2KsRMsXenCEIZVu7L6Zr9NvNz50QBL-GZDygm3_BhrxV4oZcMtRObqRrdo6MHj2rwamaEZ52Pk/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+006.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHyBZRn6HI2NT8Wvo9v1hYARrOEWPrSWpQLNiN6U-A9j5rgnVXY1tFCPMN2axIv_CBHHQsQdbdGkRk8adQN2edzhTsCmBGvgVa89vYsKSimkyFZNkH6qkU_GRxvuPMg3RRpoYnuT6F4I/s1600/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHyBZRn6HI2NT8Wvo9v1hYARrOEWPrSWpQLNiN6U-A9j5rgnVXY1tFCPMN2axIv_CBHHQsQdbdGkRk8adQN2edzhTsCmBGvgVa89vYsKSimkyFZNkH6qkU_GRxvuPMg3RRpoYnuT6F4I/s320/03+Rabat+Tour+Hassan+ETC+030.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Lonely Planet <u>Morocco</u>, 6th Edition</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Tower">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Tower</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaqub,_Almohad_Caliph"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaqub,_Almohad_Caliph</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Mohammed_V"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Mohammed_V</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866999497731009112.post-56240057369024876572013-02-26T20:42:00.000-08:002013-04-19T06:38:52.903-07:00#865 Cancun, Mexico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It may be famous for American spring break visitors, and have more flights to the states and Canada than some places on the main continent should have, but these visitors do not come without reason. The beach is absolutely spectacular. It goes on and on, is wide and flat, with beautiful white sand and rolling waves with a delicious turquoise ocean with just the right sized waves -- the perfect temperature in Spring. Mega hotels may have sprung up in their hundreds, the nightclubs offering free drinks all night long may lead to offensive behavior, and there may be just a few too many tourist stalls, but where there are tourists there are jobs, money, better standards of living and other benefits to share. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The 15 km strip likes on a the outer banks of a lagoon that separates the main city (where the majority of Mexicans live and the backpackers stay) from the high flying golf courses and five star palaces. The Yucatan peninsula where it sits is porous limestone offering fabulous day trips to <a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2012/08/953-grand-cenote-tulum-mexico.html">cenotes</a> (sinkholes), and of course the magic Mayan ruins such as <a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2013/02/875-chichen-itza-mexico.html">Chichen Itza</a> (#875). Off the coast lies the more laid-back Isla Mujeres and even <a href="http://1000amazingplaces.blogspot.com/2012/10/915-whale-sharks-off-cancun-mexico.html">whale sharks</a> (#915).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBQjRIT2eeKnhuXR4byVKtDCfduCzpYVbn36pG239lk3pco_-cIWHl2ok2-eYw0CxHP6NTqoKB3Gv4WU-MPcCUxZAZJrzaWbDCdP0DBtBQrbSdptWkciVs2v-un6WVMNeAR4YIFqJzpE/s1600/P1000016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBQjRIT2eeKnhuXR4byVKtDCfduCzpYVbn36pG239lk3pco_-cIWHl2ok2-eYw0CxHP6NTqoKB3Gv4WU-MPcCUxZAZJrzaWbDCdP0DBtBQrbSdptWkciVs2v-un6WVMNeAR4YIFqJzpE/s320/P1000016.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMtoTkqm7kt5nkY6jWCaFy8Su8j9pP-MIVkvDZGNxV3hsa2iq0BRBy0QR-q84YJPRg0xCxHjG3RtSDGpa_TUJMerjmeapgOZG75HNgx8d1SPde9bG0XJ2PkcmhVenACWsM-GGyBKcRqc/s1600/P1000020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMtoTkqm7kt5nkY6jWCaFy8Su8j9pP-MIVkvDZGNxV3hsa2iq0BRBy0QR-q84YJPRg0xCxHjG3RtSDGpa_TUJMerjmeapgOZG75HNgx8d1SPde9bG0XJ2PkcmhVenACWsM-GGyBKcRqc/s320/P1000020.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zAf9wdART910WWQNQFOT7kZFQAbB2D8A0a55ph5FFD-YPIZjBejKrDggwRhFc4h2Ne2GTfYzpnf6bgcZziSoo97RW-YemNn4mun62A9Ztw-USLGOfa_3F975FBAH6EVYvAJwWZu0IzA/s1600/P1000208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zAf9wdART910WWQNQFOT7kZFQAbB2D8A0a55ph5FFD-YPIZjBejKrDggwRhFc4h2Ne2GTfYzpnf6bgcZziSoo97RW-YemNn4mun62A9Ztw-USLGOfa_3F975FBAH6EVYvAJwWZu0IzA/s320/P1000208.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9m2p9tpNyr-wMyPR23HHecdDRx3yyWjLWpkVnkwSZ8YwomhqlxYEZxhbIp3O3ixxo5tSRsq-OvVLtzIt6Maxtn-bTQ35J7QM8kKrwmlwXYBtC3Tkz8ucK_uYYDFhDek3quu8A5pTtfIU/s1600/P1000219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9m2p9tpNyr-wMyPR23HHecdDRx3yyWjLWpkVnkwSZ8YwomhqlxYEZxhbIp3O3ixxo5tSRsq-OvVLtzIt6Maxtn-bTQ35J7QM8kKrwmlwXYBtC3Tkz8ucK_uYYDFhDek3quu8A5pTtfIU/s320/P1000219.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482679790270217063noreply@blogger.com1