Tag: UNESCO
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Palace in the Sky
The muddy red clay trails leading into the park are quiet. It looks like the mid-day rain has kept people away. There are only a few obstacles to contend with here in Sigiriya this muddy afternoon. These include the slippery metal stairs, muddy trails and the small pest problem. Snake holes are everywhere, but signs […]
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Dreams of Gold
This time last year I spent my last remaining hours of 2012 at a hostel in the center of Kuala Lumpur. KL is nice, but this is my third and final visit in 2012. Sri Lanka is new and there’s so much to see. These pictures make me want to go back sooner rather than […]
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Patzcuaro: Pueblo Magico
The Mexican state of Michoacán stretches all the way from the Pacific Coast east through the colonial heartland of Mexico. Patzcuaro was once the capital of Michoacán and looks very much like it did after the Spanish rebuilt it over 500 years ago. The area, with its interesting history, diverse culture, landscape and geography, makes for […]
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Oasis of Sand
The ancient Silk Road city of Merv in the Karakum desert (Turkic for “Black Sand”) reminds me of a bit of the fate of ancient Carthage. Tracing its origins to the 3rd century BC, it was the largest city in the world in the 12th century only to be razed to the ground some 300 […]
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Friday Evening Traffic Jam, Turkmenistan Style
Don’t you just hate it when you’re on your way to visit a ancient city that’s been abandoned for 500 years and you’re held up by a herd of camels? Yeah, me too. I mean who wouldn’t want to just gawk at these magnificent ‘ships of the desert’ as they slowly made their way along […]
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The End of the Yellow Brick Road
The phrase ‘lost to the sands of time’ tends to conjure up thoughts of mighty empires that have faded away into the desert. Nisa, the first capital of the Parthians, is no different in the dusty hills a short distance outside of Ashgabat. The spectacular mountaintop setting on what is now the Turkmenistan/Iran border belies […]
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Pasargadae: How Alexander the Great and UNESCO saved it
Pasargadae looks pretty barren today and its simple remains says nothing of how great of a leader Cyprus was to Persia. The limestone tomb contained a golden coffin which rested on top of a table also made of gold. Tall trees, flower beds, pools and waterways encircled the resting place of Cyprus the Great. […]
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Hoi An..better part of the Banana Pancake Trail
It’s no wonder Hoi An is on most travelers itineraries while visiting Vietnam and South East Asia. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, a place to do some serious shopping and learn how to cook authentic Vietnamese food by a trained chef. Hoi An represents everything Vietnam is and more. French, japanese and chinese influences […]
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