Aug 25, 2010
Just back from Yosemite National Park in California I’m even more convinced that the UNESCO World Heritage Site list is a great way to guarantee you find fantastic places as you visit countries around the world. Obviously no small list can be completely fair or inclusive, especially for the huge territory of the USA, but this is a GREAT group of extraordinary natural and cultural places:
Clearly this approach to travel in the USA would probably be supplemented by at least a few days of big city sightseeing. Many coming to America may want to see places like Las Vegas and Hollywood which are unlikely to ever have “UNESCO World Heritage” status. But the UNESCO list is a superb starting points for your travel, especially to unfamiliar areas. For the trip to Vietnam I was happy that the list seems to match up well with the “word of mouth” information I’ve been collecting from my Vietnamese pals and others. There I’ll be able to take in most of the UNESCO sites such as historic Hoi An, Saigon, Hanoi, and Ha Long Bay near Hanoi. In Italy in June my favorite place was the Cinque Terre – a UNESCO site. Interestingly, the Cinque Terre and some places really seem to play up this status where I didn’t even know Yosemite was on the list until I checked this morning.
Aug 13, 2010
A logo by any other name…..
We’re changing logos at our India Travel website ”India9.com” and for me it’s kind of a tossup between the following two India9 logos:
The first was created by “GotLogos.com”, a site I love for their high quality and EXTREMELY reasonable logo pricing of only $25. Much of their work is superior to logos where places have spent thousands of dollars – I think because the logo business is pretty silly, usually involving a lot of meetings which ultimately boil down to the personal preferences of the folks paying the bill.
Got a preference? Let us know
Aug 12, 2010
Over at Flickr “MadinahVision.com” has posted an amazing set of photos from Saudi Arabia that showcase Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic Calender and a time when Muslims pray more than usual and fast from dawn until dusk every day. This is a time for Muslims to ask for forgiveness, do good deeds, pray, read the Koran, and more:
Ramadan at Wikipedia
Aug 11, 2010
Over a month home now, the place that sticks with me is the Cinque Terre on the Northern Italian Mediterranean Coast. Brimming with charm and beauty, this area is one of the most enjoyable places I’ve been and I can’t wait to return there in the future. Here, in a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Italian National Park, five cities (“Cinque Terre”) cling to the cliffs near the coastline, each offering it’s own blend of charming beauty.
We stayed in Vernazza with a beautiful tiny harbor that is still home to fisherman who I think are usually catching anchovies which are then served up both in the salty way that is not very popular in the USA but also in a light lemon oil which for me was a very tasty treat along with the rest of our meal at Il Pirata Cafe in Vernazza, one of the Cinque Terre’s best restaurants.
Aug 3, 2010
Munich. Travel and history collide here in spectacular fashion as you wander the charming central area of the Marienplatz where you will find the Rathaus Glockenspiel chiming at 11am, noon, and 5pm daily in the summer.
If you are interested in WWII history you will want to take the tour of the Third Reich buildings (printed guides or personal tours available at the tourist information center near the train station).
Glockenspiel, Rathouse at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus-Glockenspiel .
Walk across the street from the Marienplatz to the Viktualmarket for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There you will find dozens of food stalls with everything from Wurst and Fries to fresh Olives, fruits, flowers and breads.
Another short walk takes you to the Hofbrauhaus – the world’s most famous beer hall. For a taste of German food history order a dark beer, the boiled wurst and pretzels, served with sweet mustard. This combination has been enjoyed here for over 100 years.
Thanks to the Eurail Pass folks for helping to sponsor the trip!
Aug 3, 2010
There is no more prestigious designation in Travel than the UN’s “World Heritage Site” list, and the 34th meeting of the World Heritage team has added 21 places to those already honored with the designation of “World Heritage Site” (which can also be removed from a location if the cultural, scenic, or other values disappear).
New World Heritage sites for 2010 are as follows – links to UNESCO information at the official website:
The new sites on the World Heritage List of Sites in Danger are (in alphabetical order):
The new mixed site is:
The new cultural sites are:
The new natural sites are:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/647
Aug 2, 2010
As the summer temperatures soar to 90s and above, why not think about booking yourself into an Ice Hotel this winter? Frankly, the idea is not at all appealing to me given the price and environment, but Ice Hotels seem to be increasingly popular, especially in areas like Sweden where presumably they … last longer?
Quebec Ice Hotel ”Hotel de Glace”
Ice Hotels in Scandinavia – from About.com
Jul 29, 2010
Yosemite National Park in California, USA
One of the USA’s first protected natural areas and an early US National Park. The area of over 1000 square miles, almost all wilderness, is recognized around the globe as one of the world’s most beautiful and sublime mountain landscapes. Bridalveil Falls and Yosemite Falls tumble thousands of feet over sheer granite cliffs into the valley below, joining the quiet Merced River as it winds through forest and meadow. El Capitan’s 3000 foot sheer cliff and Half Dome are two of the most striking granite features in the world. Yosemite is the most famous of California’s five National Parks and arguably stands with Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as the USA’s most famous national park. Yosemite was home to Scottish born naturalist John Muir and was the source of much of Muir’s inspiration as his writings led to profound changes in the way Americans viewed the wilderness. The park is key to an understanding of the Sierra Club, one of America’s most influential voices for the preservation of wilderness. Today, Yosemite remains one of America’s finest unspoiled natural landscapes and will always rank as one of the greatest of all the world’s natural treasures.
More Yosemite Pictures: www.flickr.com/search/?q=yosemite&w=all&s=int
National Park Service Website: www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm
Jul 25, 2010
After reporting on the Venice flooding in the last post I thought this amazing city deserved a prettier photo. Venice was remarkable, a beautiful conclusion to our mini-tour of Italy where we visited the Cinque Terre, Rome, and Venice.
Personally I found the Cinque Terre to be the most charming of our many stops on the European Rail Adventure thanks to smaller crowds and more wild lands and the beautiful hike between the five cities, but my daughter felt Venice was the highlight of the trip.
The Venetian labyrinth of canals and walkways makes for some of Europe’s most intriguing and wonderful strolls, though you also will find it’s very easy to get lost here, where few paths are straight and even many of maps seem to lead you astray. I found intuition combined with the many pathway painted signs to big locations seemed to keep us on track better than our map.
Still, getting lost in what many consider to be the world’s most beautiful city is fun and has some advantages. Around almost every turn there would be new shops, restaurants, and pretty canal scenes.
Thanks to Eurail Pass for helping to sponsor the trip!
Jul 21, 2010
One of the most remarkable things in Venice was the flooding – water is seeping up into the Piazza San Marco (and other areas) on I think pretty much a daily basis depending on tides and seasons. I took this photo on June 27 when things should be pretty dry compared to the fall when winds can bring higher tides. Also interesting is that this area was fine a few hours earlier. The water on the 26th at this point was – I think – about a foot deep. We could not even get over to the church the day before. Not sure about tides but I assume they play a big role in this flooding, which is threatening Venice’s amazing buildings.
A complex underwater dam system is almost completed but I’m not clear how optimistic folks are about that.
Contact
Subscribe
No Comments 
Cinque Terre, las vegas, National Parks, UNESCO, US Travel, yosemite
