#896 Bogota Gold Muesum, Bogota, Colombia

When you see the sheer amount of exquisite pieces of gold in the Bogota Gold Museum, you get an idea of just why the Spanish went so crazy in South America and just why the pirates love to raid them! Even more, this is just a small fraction of what's left as they melted most of it down and sent it off to Europe.

Once you have gone into the meter-wide vault, you see piece after piece, large and small, in traditional shapes and designs. The little iconic people image were my favorites, but I also loved the various jaguars! Masks were popular, but the room with all the disks (shown above) where things were all around a lit up spectacularly, and under the floor, was fabulous.

 

 

#941 Water towers, Kuwait

It's a pretty interesting phenomenon when something as functional as a water tower becomes a national symbol, but that is what has happened in Kuwait, whose traditional desert culture only leaves tents and camels in the changing sands. Anyone who has been to Kuwait has most likely driven past or seen these three iconic towers, a peculiar, yet award-winning architecture, built in 1977. Surely such uniqueness should be celebrated!?

 

Think this aerial photo is absolutely beautiful, but it isn't mine! The oil wells on fire in the desert after the Gulf war helped to create the sureal image.

Inside the towers during the war. Photo courtesy of http://www.joanna3.magix.net/public/The%20Gulf.html

These water towers are also memorable for those who have lived in Kuwait:
Source: http://ftrctlb.com/node/806

#970 Seoul, South Korea

The walk up Pukansan, one of the many climbable mountains to the north of Seoul.

I spent a year working in Korea when I was fresh out of university, and I have to say that I have very fond memories of a vibrant place. Because I worked evenings I think I was probably more nocturnal so am sure I missed lots about Seoul, but what I did see impressed me. I loved Dongdaemun and other old city gates, sitting in the middle of large roundabouts. I enjoyed all the different products and food for sale in Namdaemun market with its golden ginseng stalls. Seoul Tower had great views over the city -- and what a landscape. Lots of sharp tree-lined hills with excellent walking trails (Koreans are fit!).

Very close to the border with North Korea, the DMZ is a very interesting place to visit, a sober memory of what is still an officially unresolved conflict.

Memories on a fence in the DMZ.

The Korean architecture in places like the Deoksaegung and Gyeongbokgung Palaces was incredibly picturesque: I particularly liked the green decorations underneath the eaves. Other places like Bongeunsa Temple often had beautiful decorations to celebrate festivals.


Seoul has a lot of things going for it: a harmonious social mix of Christians and Buddhists, lots of Noriban (Karaoke), exciting vibrant street festivals, great shopping, a general orderliness and a fantastic subway system.

Perhaps not on everyone's itinerary, I enjoyed Itaewan (the foreigner's district!), the nearby ski fields such as Yongpyong, the handy port of Incheon, the War Memorials
gawking at the many US GIs (loved their TV channel!), and seeing movies at COEX Mall. 

And something I particularly remember as an English teacher: children, all with high-tech phones watching tv well before smart phones even existed. A very cool place! 

 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul

#996 Washington, DC, USA

Downtown Georgetown - older than Washington, DC, itself.

Washington, DC, may not have been the first capital of the United States, but its carefully planned layout and design have created a beautiful legacy. Composed of 4 cardinal areas (NE, NW, SE, SW) spanning out from the Capitol building itself, it is a leafy, pretty, orderly city filled with a strong cultural life and a center for internationalism (which is what drew me!) including embassies, the World Bank, the IMF, the OAS, and several top universities.

The Washington Monument

I think that DC is amazing for its parks and public spaces. I love the big greens, the solemn monuments and memorials, the picturesque Arlington Cemetary, the waterfalls above Georgetown, the riverside parks, and the oasis of peace in the middle of the city: the Theodore Roosevelt Island. DC impressed me by how great and different the various suburbs are -- each unique and famous in its own right: Georgetown, Adams-Morgan,  Eastern Market, Chinatown, Union Station, and further out in Virginia and Maryland: Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring, etc, etc.

The various museums that make up the Smithsonian Institution make up one some of the most impressive collections of culture and history in the world, and while you may disagree, I think they have pretty nice weather too!

The Smithsonian Institution Information Center

Georgetown University

Looking at Roslyn from the Potomac River

#998 Queenstown, New Zealand

View of Queenstown from Skyline. Downtown Queenstown bottom left, with Kelvin Heights and  Frankton Arm behind. Fernhill is on the right below the gondola cables.

I think it's important to get this one in early on: this is my beautiful home. When I close my eyes I can picture the Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu, and it is always a comforting thought because it is just so spectacular.

Where else in the world can a town of around 10,000 (2006) offer 4 different ski fields, rafting, the home of bungy jumping, jet boating, tramping, fjords, bird-watching, sailing, hiking, camping, historical train rides, gold-panning, picking fruit, tiger-moth flights, heliskiing, movie sets, kayaking, wineries, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, lake-side sitting, eel viewing, 4 golf courses, ballooning, a canyon swing, waterfalls, mountains, horse riding, paragliding, parapenting, ziptreks, skydiving, hanggliding, river boarding, river surfing, cruises, sheep stations, gondolas, beaches, not to mention shopping and scenery!

It is the ultimate town for the adrenaline junky and yet just as fun for kids wanting a fun activity or older visitors who want a peaceful, classy visit.

Unfortunately it was quite a cloudy day when I took these photos!

View from beach at Sunshine Bay looking down Lake Wakatipu towards Kingston (left) and Walter Peak (right) with Cecil Peak in the center.

View of Frankton Arm with the Remarkables in the center behind Kelvin Heights. Frankton on the left in the distance.

View from Fernhill.