Culture – Page 2 – Traveling Epic!

Traveling the Silk Road from across the “STANS” Introducing Central Asia

June 2, 2014March 9, 2016Posted in Animals, Asia, Bucket List, Culture, Favorite, Food, History, Middle East, Nature, Photography, Religion, Tourism, Travel, Travel Tips, UNESCO, Unique, WarTagged 12th century, Afghanistan, Bukhara, desert, Kazakstan, Kyrgystan, precolumbian, Samarkand, silk road, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Unesco, Uzbekistan, Yurt4 Comments

I recently got back from traveling across Central Asia. Some things have changed and some things haven’t. The road is now mostly paved roads, but you will still find sheep herders, and wandering camels in some places. When I shared with my friends I was going to Central Asia and even mentioned some of the countries by name… Most don’t know what I’m even talking about even when I added Silk Road or Central Asia. I needed to fill in the detail between China, Russia and Turkey. In this post, I want to give you some of the highlights and background.

My friend Michael and I have been planning to travel the silk road and visit “the stans.”

Our plan involved spending time in each of the following countries:

Kyrgyzstan – Serene Kyrgyzstan Land of Mountains
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
Afghanistan – A day as a tourist in Afghanistan
Tajikistan

I plan to share some of my experiences from each of these amazing and diverse countries. Each of them is different in their own way and I saw amazing and fascinating things in each of these places. There are incredible people in every country. I continually get asked if I ever felt threatened or at risk. No, I didn’t. I did have some moments where I was feeling eyes watching me and moments where I felt like I was out of place, but I really enjoy that feeling of being the minority and feeling odd. If I’m traveling and I’m not feeling that then I’m not challenging myself enough. This trip was the most logistically challenging. It took over 3 months just to get visas and I still didn’t get all the visas I wanted. I missed out on Pakistan due to my Jamaica and trip to Quebec and Montreal earlier this year. The only country that didn’t require a visa for US Citizen was Kyrgyzstan, and the hardest to get into ended up being Turkmenistan who assigned us a monitor and required traveling company which ended up being our most expensive of the trip. In addition Pakistan was a challenge for time. The visa would have been an additional 4-6 weeks and I couldn’t surrender my passport long enough make it with my Jamaica plans.

Samarqand, Bukhara, and so many of these places stir up the magical and mystical old world of East meets west. Where Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and a variety of old faiths like Zoroastrianism met through caravans and trade routes. I had the incredible opportunity to visit some of these places and soak up the influence of this melting pot of culture, religion, food, and history. I plan to share the highlights and some favorite stories, but wanted to get this post out as a placeholder. I’ll link to the subsequent posts from this one to be as a landing page of the best of Central Asia.

Turkmeni ladies of the desert selling camel hair trinkets on the side of the road

Desert Yurt in Turkmenistan

One of the friendliest camels I’ve ever met. This friendly hairy camel enjoyed posing with us.

Old Dome in Merv

Merv, Turkmenistan

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Blue Mosque and Shrine in Mazar-e Sharif Afghanistan

Countryside in Uzbekistan

Wandering Sheep in Uzbekistan

Old Shakrazabh, Uzbekistan

Ark of Shakrazabh, Uzbekistan

Georgetown Guyana Picture Guide On the Road Less Traveled

April 21, 2014April 21, 2014Posted in Caribbean, Culture, History, Road Trip, South America, Tourism, Travel, UniqueTagged amerindian, black water, british, capital, dutch, georgetown, guyana, hindustandi, independence, queen victoria, temple3 Comments

In my travels across South America, I had the opportunity to visit some rarely visited parts of South America. The former colonies of the Dutch, France, Portuguese, Spanish and the British. Guyana was both Dutch and then most recently a British colony but became independent from the UK in 1966 and in 1970 became a republic. The official language is English, the only country in South America where that’s the case. While I’ve been to Belize a central american former british colony that speaks English, it wasn’t the best trip. It is one of my least favorite. It was a mainland drive and I had a run in with the police. On my trip across Belize I found more depressing moments than not. I do plan to give it another chance sometime in the future. Guyana had a few sad moments, but I don’t let poverty keep me from visiting a place. I feel I both gain a greater appreciation for what I have, and I find what really matters in life. Our families, relationships, faith and shared experiences. I met the family of a couple of my local friends I met first on facebook through SharePoint the technology that I work with.

This post on Guyana will be part of a series on that part of the world. When I was looking to visit I found very little written on it. I’ll add the links as the stories go live.

Road less traveled series…

Traveling Georgetown Guyana Land of Waters

Paramaribo Suriname

Saint Laurent du Maroni French Guiana

“Guyana was originally colonized by the Netherlands. Later, it became a British colony, known as British Guiana, and remained so for over 200 years until it achieved independence on 26 May 1966 from the United Kingdom. On 23 February 1970, Guyana officially became a republic. In 2008, the country joined the Union of South American Nations as a founding member.” – More on Wikipedia article on Guyana

Georgetown is pretty raw. It’s a fascinating colonial town, but much of it looks like it hasn’t had much care since 1966. This isn’t going to be a history lesson more than sharing what I saw and experienced.

Welcome to city hall… GeorgeTown

One of the most fantastic experiences was wandering the city. I’ve collected 5 things to see in Georgetown and surrounding.

Guyana Light house and Beach

Back side of Georgetown City Hall

1. StarBroek Market… Fresh Meat and Food Market, Ferry Terminal and the heartbeat of the town. The name of the market is the old name of the city during dutch times. The beautiful architecture is an important part and key attraction of the city. It is organized chaos. This country really doesn’t get much tourists and you can tell that by the reactions you’ll get at the market. They aren’t pushy, they are simply surprised to see you. The homeless people sleeping near the docs are really sad, but it gives you a temperature on the city.

The market is raw, and it’s a great way to see life in Georgetown.

Ferry system in Georgetown to cross the great river

2. Capital and Grounds

In the national library we met a guy who wanted to show us something really cool… The real signed documents for independence!

The actual signatures of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the Independence documents

Judicial Court including statue of Queen Elizabeth herself

3. Promenade Gardens – a nice walk through the city will lead you to the gardens. Everything is all pretty close and an easy walk.

Gardens… While we didn’t end up spending so much time here. I hear there are places where you can see manatees. Virtualtourist Georgetown page has some more info on that.

There are some nice walking areas of town where you can get a feel for the bustling of the city while enjoying the people watching and soaking up the atmosphere.

A common site in Georgetown and a dose of reality is the sleepers. Homelessness is a global phenomenon, and I don’t mean to be unfair, but this is the reality of Georgetown. Lots of them.

You can tell by the look of this horse that they’ve had some tough times.

You need to be ok with seeing a lot of poverty to visit this city, but believe me… there is hope. There is a generation of powerful youth with a bright hope for the future.

I had lunch with five bright young people that represent hope. They are the future of Guyana.

There is a hindu influence that is also felt. There are really 3 major groups of people that I came across while in Guyana. The Blacks (former slaves), the Indians (former british labor), and the natives or AmerIndians. All groups have been exploited and feel marginalized, but it was both my lunch with the technical group shown above that gives me hope and my visit to the Amerindians that also made me excited about the potential. The teens were dancing to native songs that were designed to carry a positive message of pride in being an Amerindian. Any travel to a country should and must involve really getting into the culture and trying to understand the people.

4. Local Small Temples and Churches

Small temples and mosques from the Hindustani locals as seen on a short drive through the city.

4. Amerindian Village – Ask Elvis…

In the city there are a few reminders about the original inhabitants of Guyana. They call the native people Amerindians. They are comfortable with that name as well.

On a drive outside of Georgetown we saw a coconut stand and fresh coconut juice sounded refreshing. In our conversation with “Elvis” we found an Amerindian village just down a small unmarked dirt road. Our local friends had no idea the village even existed. Elvis is the little guy between the two big white guys. My friend Michael Noel, Sharing the Globe is the one with the massive camera.

The kids danced and sang songs of Amerindian bride and culture. I really enjoyed seeing this. Loved it.

Pickup game of stick ball or crickett. I did try a whack at it, but all I got was laughs. You gotta love an impromptu gave of cricket with a stick.

How can anyone have racial prejudice? This cute little amerindian little girl melts my heart.

5. Black Water Creek Park – an excursion about an hour outside the city is this beautiful palm tree surrounded creek with calm waters is setup as a swimming area with nice little huts. It’s a beautiful escape, and the water is really funky. Our local friends took us out here and we had an amazing time wading through the black water.

My hopes and dreams for Guyana are in the youth. Thanks Kevon for showing us your amazing country!

Inland Jamaican Island Adventures and Excursions

April 14, 2014April 21, 2014Posted in Caribbean, Culture, Falls, Favorite, Food, Island, National Park, Nature, Photography, Road Trip, Tourism, Travel, Travel Tips, UniqueTagged cruise stop, Curry Goat, Curry Lobster, featured, food, Island living, jamaica, Jamaican, Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, kingston, Mas Camp, Montego Bay, Night life, Ocho Rios, Scotchies4 Comments

I flew into Montego Bay (a fairly cheap flight from the east coast of the US), and while I had some commitments for work, I arrived early so I could see one of the most amazing islands in the world. World Famous Jamaica!!! Known for Bob Marley, Music, the Reggae movement (read more in my other Jamaica post on Reggae Jamaica), the amazing people and rich culture of friendly people. What an incredible island with so much to see. If Jamaica is a quick stop, you have to focus on what you can fit in. I understand that. I was luck to spend time in both sides of the island and see the best of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Kingston. I hope this post gives you some great ideas of what to see and what to do!

First off let me tell you all of the bad things I heard that were so wrong!

– I heard they had horrible roads

– I heard I had to expect horrible drivers

– I heard it would take me forever to get from place to place

– I heard it would be dangerous for me and I should be really careful cause people would try to cheat me.

So wrong… Don’t believe everything you hear!

There were a few things that I learned for travel tips that I’ll cover at the end of this post. A few words of caution, but for the most part, I was so glad to embrace Jamaica and not be afraid. The people were amazing!

Driving

First stop was to pick up the car. Yes, despite everything I was told, I figured I would want a car. I’m that kind of traveller that driving on the other side of the road and even with crazy roads and drivers, I still feel great, so I took on the challenge of Jamaican driving. Reality is, the roads were great! I’ve driven in Barbados and Puerto Rico and these roads were better than what I saw on both of those islands. I kept saying, where are those bad roads? Where are those crazy drivers? I guess I fit right in. I admit I did get pulled over by the police twice. Now there is some advice and story to that. I drove across the island. In all I drove both ways across the island and logged at least 12 hours on the road and I admit I was looking for the best and worst of the island. I drove to Nine mile, and I drove into trench town and some of the shady area of Kingston and suburbs. More on driving at the end of the post

Rose Hall Great House

If you love history, you’ll love Rose Hall. If you love romance, architecture, tours… you’ll love Rose Hall. There is so much of the story of the island and it’s history that is locked up in the history of Rose Hall. As the first real attraction just 15 min outside of Montego Bay, I was happy to have made Rose Hall my main investment of time the first night I arrived. Rose Hall is one place during the day, and another during the night. In the night you can tour the great house by candle light. Constructed in 1770 the owners had over 2000 slaves and was one of the many great houses that existed. It is one of the few on the island that remain. During slave revolt most of the great homes on the island were destroyed. The history here is one of VooDoo and murder and the story of Annie the white witch as seen on World’s Scariest Places, and Ghost Hunters International. It was $20 USD to visit the hall. I found most of the attractions to land at about $20.

The bedroom of Annie Palmer. Who murdered all of her husbands and lovers.

The Tomb of Annie Palmer… Listening to a story from our adorable guide in period dress.

You can read more about the tours at Rose Hall on their website RoseHall.com.

As far as spending money, we really didn’t even need to exchange our money. Every place we went took both Jamaican dollars and US Dollars. In fact, we were getting a better rate by using US Dollars as the money I exchanged at the airport was a worse rate than I was getting on the street. Paying with US dollars worked great.

That first night we drove to Ocho Rios… A stop at the night market

Market in Ocho Rios (Great during the Day or Night!)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken cooked right on the street. Some are spicier than others. None of them were as spicy as I was expecting, but you could add your own Scotch peppers to kick it up!

The fruit of the night market. For the most part the night market was one for the locals. We really didn’t see any tourists as we visited the stalls and walked around Ocho Rios. I think many were surprised to see us as so many of the travelers simply stay on their resorts, especially at night. We had plenty of folks who wanted to show us around. While I was fine doing my own tour, we stayed out pretty late… 1am and didn’t mind spending some time really getting to know some of the locals and hearing their stories.

Dunn’s River Falls

One of the most beautiful on the island, but one of many amazing waterfalls on the island. Dunn’s River falls is famous across the island. You can either bring your own water shoes or rent some for fairly cheap. I learned on another trip that climbing with socks gives you pretty good grip. So I hiked the falls in my socks and it worked just fine. I really enjoyed the hike up the falls. It was only as extreme as you made it. It costs $20 for adult foreigners enter the falls park. There were easy paths to climb. I would have been fine with my boys climbing it and may just have to bring them back soon.

The falls lands right into the beach. Beautiful beach. Since we weren’t on an organized tour we arrived early and had the entire beach to ourselves. Amazing turquois waters including a life guard and a roped off area to help you know the area that’s safe and protected. Of course, I tested the boundaries and even stood up on an old pier and jumped out into the beautiful waters.

Beautiful sandy beaches. So much warmer water than I’m use to on the West Coast of the US.

You can see the hand holds here on the left. I climbed the falls trying to take a medium difficulty route that I made up on my own. You could hire a guide to follow. I found that to be unnecessary. It wasn’t challenging, it was fun. I did try to put myself into some challenging positions.

Having arrived early, I had the falls to myself. One of my friends took pictures from a viewing area on the side. Lot of great pools, and amazing waters. This is a wonder of the island and one that should be appreciated. I understand there are different falls in the interior of the island and this one while it does have a local price for the islanders, they end up going to different falls.

Mystic Mountain Rain Forest Adventures

While we were on our way back to Ocho Rios, we saw the signs for Mystic Mountain. I’m a fan of ziplines and canopy tours, and still had fresh memories of my time in Costa Rica. It was a beautiful day and I felt like we had a little time to go. So we decided to do the Sky Explorer which would take us through the rain forest on a chair lift (like a ski lift). We also took the bobsled ride. We were limited on time or we likely would have done the full package. Honestly it was a bit pricey, but I’m sure it took a lot to put this together and while it was my intention to avoid the touristy areas, I felt like this allowed me to see and enjoy a lot in a short period of time. The Bobsled theme was pretty cool as well. We did find a moment to relax and enjoy the beautiful humming birds. Fantastic colors. If you end up doing this, I highly recommend slowing it down and enjoying nature and soaking up the rainforest and all it has to offer. The adrenaline rush of the bobsled ride and zipline is awesome, but be sure to slow down and relax. That’s really an important thing to realize that Jamaica is about. Enjoying life and appreciating what you have.

Sky Explorer – chair lift
Rainforest Bobsled – bob sled ride through the rain forest (additional cost)
Canopy Zipline – multiple ziplines through the rain forest (additional cost)
Butterflies and Hummingbirds – little areas setup with humming bird food (included once you’re up there)
Waterslide and Infinity pool (included with your purchase)

More info from Mystic Mountain (be sure to read the reviews on Trip Advisor as well)

Beautiful views from the chairlift of the amazing waters, beaches, and Ocho Rios off in the distance. Floating slowly over the tops of the trees on the chair lift.

Food – Eat Jamaican!

Up the road from Ocho Rios is a truly mystical place. Talking of taking a moment and enjoying nature… As the water would come in and go back it would swell and shoot up like a blow hole spraying a fine mist. We stopped here for lunch at Oracabessa. Momma took care of us. Incredible seafood, fish, and more. I included a few photos.

This is what you see from the road. A fun Jamaican reggae guy was working on the roof of the place, but we went further over next to the cliffs.

Conch salad

Curry Lobster!

Dishes you have to have while on the island after you eat the Jerk Pork and Jerk Chicken is… Curry Lobster, and bonus points for Ox Tail, and Curry Goat.

My Favorite Jerk Chicken on the Island is Scotchies… I ended up eating there in Montego Bay (the original) and in Kingston (in the bar area). There’s another near Ocho Rios, maybe others!?

Thursday is ribs! But you can get the chicken and pork every day. Go for the pork! It’s the best, but the Jerk Chicken is famous. You can tell it’s real by the corrugated tin.

We also ate at M10 in Kingston, a local place with great music and great food, and especially great seafood! Great ginger beer as well.

Bonus: More Nightlife and Carnival

Now for something that most travelers and tourists would miss. Though a friend we tracked down a party that was going on in one of the neighborhoods in Kingston. It seemed like it was going to go on all night, we ended up leaving at 4AM and the DJs were just changing to start a new set.

One other night we happened to be in Kingston for Mas Camp. It’s basically practice leading up to Carnival.

Carnival dancer at Mas Camp with a couple of my friends. High energy dancing… Kingston is where the best music and entertainment is on the island. I didn’t see any tourists at this event.

While I did end up staying on the island for 4 days, the first 24 hours of just soaking up the island was so incredible. I had an amazing time. I did mention that I drove across the island and spent more time than is spent in this post. Refer to my post on Bob Marley’s Jamaica and Reggae tour to see what else I saw with my time on the island. I do want to give you some balance to what else you’ll find on the island.

Some Warning and Caution

We did find a few hustlers and people begging, but for the most part when we asked them to leave they did. It wasn’t as aggressive as other islands or even close to what I’ve seen in much of Africa. This was less than what you’d see in big cities in the US. Don’t be so afraid to venture out of your all inclusive resort. Don’t believe the stories. Experience it for yourself.

There is still some corruption. I was pulled over by the police twice. The first time, I got a warning to slow down. There are basically two speeds on the ring road. 50 KM and 80 KM. The police were usually hanging out where it would transition to the slow speed and they’d be on the side of the road with their speed guns waving people over. By the time you see them or recognize, you’re likely going too fast. The second time I got pulled over, I got a different answer. The policeman asked me if I wanted to find a way to settle this. He asked me to be subtle, but to take the papers back to the car and put some money in it. Didn’t tell me how much. I think we ultimately put in about $10 and he didn’t even look, he just put it in his pocket and told me to slow down. I also got booted once. The guy was wearing a blue shirt. Everybody knew it was the guy in the blue shirt who was the one that booted the cars that weren’t suppose to leave their cars there. We were stopping to get our tickets before taking the car back and it looked like others had left their cars parked for a few minutes, but ours was the one that got the boot. $20 later, I was on my way. No other real problems. I grew up in Idaho and so I’m use to passing cars on two lane roads. What was different was the need to slow down a bit when people didn’t allow enough time when passing. It was much better driving than I experienced in Italy or especially than Naples, so I really can’t complain about the driving practices. Seemed pretty normal to me. There are some pretty narrow roads which go across the island, where you really need to be on watch. In Kingston itself there are the early numbered streets like first street and fifth street and streets around Trench town that certain streets aren’t designed to be through streets that don’t have the road blocks on the GPS or on the maps. For the most part you don’t need to be in there. Make sure the GPS is sending you to the actual street you’re looking for, some times it would fail to find it, but default to somewhere else and that’s where we’d be driving in strange roads, but for the most part, I enjoyed the challenge and the people were great. I would not compare Jamaica to most of the African villages. It’s one of the best islands in the Caribbean (easily one of my favorite) and the industry is really up and coming. The businesses and people really deserve your support. I see Jamaica as a great place to do outsourcing and a great place to work with hard working happy people.

Fresh coconut for $2 USD… Yes, Jamaica is paradise. While this photo catches me right after I survived climbing the Dunn’s River waterfall and isn’t flattering it shows off a bit of the natural beauty of the island. What an amazing place. Can’t wait to get back so I can go to the other parts of the island…. Negril and Blue Mountains and so much more to see!

Don’t miss my post on my Reggae Jamaica

Bob Marley Adventure Guide to Reggae Jamaica

April 10, 2014April 21, 2014Posted in Caribbean, Culture, Favorite, History, Island, Nature, North America, Religion, Road Trip, Tourism, UniqueTagged bob marley, bob marley birthplace, bob marley masoleum, culture yard, ethiopia, Haile Salassie I, history, hope road, jamaica, kingston, Lion of Juddah, reggae, tour, trench town, trenchtown2 Comments

I’ve been wanting to go to Jamaica really bad. When a few of my friends were asking when we’d go, I knew I was going to be in Orlando and said why not? At first I was planning on a dive, but most of my friends that were joining weren’t divers, so instead we made this an interior trip. Why not explore the parts of the island that the tourists miss and be real travelers and go on adventures . I did see a lot of Jamaica and I write about the other parts of Jamaica in my follow up post “Get all right in Jamaica”.

I was excited to connect with one of the greatest artists Bob Marley. Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) He’s had such an impressive impact on the music industry with popularizing Reggae on the world scene and bringing light to Rastafarian way of life. More than just having a few Bob Marley songs, I’ve met some real Rastafarians that helped me understand it’s more of a lifestyle. Many wouldn’t realize the commitment of the Rasta folks including not drinking alcohol and eating veggie. Most seem to focus exclusively on the fact that marijuana is accepted and taken religiously. It was in Zanzibar where I really gained an appreciation for the Rasta music and sacraments. It was then that I really wanted to visit the island and see what it was all about. In addition, it was visiting the grave of Haile Selassie I and the castles of the empire of Ethiopia that made me feel like I both needed to learn the ancient and modern manifestation of what was going on with the line of Solomon and Bob Marley as a Prophet? There was a lot I needed to learn. There were really three main places on the island we visited. Most of the tours be prepared to pay $20 USD on the spot. For some reason most of the attractions on the island are twenty US dollars and yes you can pay in USD or Jamaican Dollars (approximately 9 or 10 to 1), while we were there it was even better to pay in USD as the dollar was stronger, wasn’t even worth exchanging the money…

1. Bob Marley Experience – House and Record Label on 56 Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica (also where the attempted assassination took place) Tour required to see the house.

2. Trench Town Culture Yard – Birthplace of Reggae and where Bob Marley learned to play and where he lived after running away a few blocks. (a bit rough) Tour available. More on Trenchtown on Wikipedia

3. Birthplace, Mausoleum, and first home of Bob Marley in Nine Mile, his real retreat on his grandparents land. Deep inside the island. (Multi hour drive from Kingston or much closer from Ocho Rios) Tour required to get to the mausoleum.

There are a few ways to see the islands of the Caribbean, and while many simply get the all inclusive resort and catch a cab or van to their particular resort with a big fence and a private beach. If they leave they are visiting a tourist attraction called an excursion where the entire path and time is laid out where very little interaction with the *real* islanders happen. This trip on the other hand was the complete opposite. While I did see a few attractions, where I drove, slept, ate, and spent my time was amongst the people.

Popular Bob Marley Statue… One Love, One Life!

I had some great opportunities to visit the homes of Bob Marley. There are really three main areas to visit.

Bob Marley House on Hope Road – Bob Marley Experience

This is the house where Bob Marley lived until his attempted assassination in 1976. The house is now known as the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica dedicated to the reggae musician Bob Marley. The museum is located at 56 Hope Road, Kingston 6, and is Bob Marley’s former place of residence at his peak. It was home to the Tuff Gong record label which was founded by The Wailers in 1970. They don’t allow any pictures to be taken inside the home, but there’s a great collection of the news, records, and history. The guide takes you from room to room giving you history about Bob Marley and his success concluding in the theatre where they show a number of music videos and you get to listen to his music as it evolved over time.

Trench Town, Kingston Culture Yard – Birthplace of Reggae and where Bob Marley learned to play guitar – Not a place some tourists will want to drive by themselves. But for the adventurous traveler you’ll find a poor part of Kingston where the cement is the walls, floors, and many live in small spaces. The place itself has a rough history.

Bob Marley’s mom moved to Trench town, a poor but cultural part of Kingston a few streets up from the Culture yard. Bob moved to Trench town when he was 12 and wanted to stay on first street.

Today Trench Town boasts the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum, a visitor friendly National Heritage Site presenting the unique history and contribution of Trench Town to Jamaica. Trench Town is the birthplace of rocksteady and reggae music, as well as the home of reggae and Rastafari ambassador and prophet Bob Marley.

“Though raised as a Catholic, Marley became interested in Rastafarian beliefs in the 1960s, when away from his mother’s influence. Marley formally converted to Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks. The Rastafarian proscription against cutting hair is based on the biblical Samson who as a Nazarite was expected to make certain religious vows including the ritual treatment of his hair as described in Chapter Six of the Book of Numbers.”

Trench Town Culture Yard… birthplace of Reggae and where Bob Marley ran away from home and learned to play guitar. There you can see his first guitar and see his room.

Left: Bob’s first guitar. Right: Statue of Bob Marley in the Culture Yard.

Out in Ocho Rios the Ganja smoking is not welcome in some areas, but you can find people who can get you whatever your heart desires. There are many plants all over the island.

This weed seems to spring up everywhere. I can’t say I tried any, but I did see a few plants and was offered much of the Reggae sacrament.

Bob Marley Mausoleum, Resting Place, Birth Place and first home in Nine Mile.

Bob Marley’s home where he grew started his life on his grandparents property. The mausoleum in Nine Mile (deep in the island) contains family members on his mothers side of the family.

While I couldn’t sit on the bed, I was offered the rock which was where many songs of inspiration came to the Bob.

I had an incredible time on the island. I’ll follow up this post with the non Bob Marley things I saw, but felt like the Reggae experience was worth a post alone. I hope this post can stand as a reference that there’s a lot to see to better understand the great legend of Bob Marley, one of the most influential singers of the decade a man taken before his prime.

The landscape in 9 mile is beautiful. In my opinion it’s worth the drive. You get to see a very different part of the island and if you can find a way to relax with the people… I recommend slowing it down and listening to the music. Don’t be so afraid to leave your resort. Jamaica is amazing!

In my search for the origins of Reggae I found Marcus Garvey and read all about Haile Salasie I, then looked up more quotes on his rein. You can also get a lot more history of Bob Marley with tons more detail on Wikipedia.

Colosseum Ampitheatre of the Roman Empire – 7 New Wonders

October 29, 2013April 10, 2014Posted in Bucket List, Culture, Europe, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, WonderTagged coliseum, colloseum, coloseo, italy, roman, rome, sisteen chapel, things to do, toursm, travel tips, Wonders of the World1 Comment

The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Definitely growing up you hear all about the colleseum. You hear about the stories of the gladiators the Ben Hur, the Christians and lions. Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas. It is a UNESCO heritage site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

Great Wall of China – Sacrifice of a Nation
Christ the Redeemer Statue – Religious Icon of Rio Brazil
Taj Mahal – Sacred Mausoleum of Agra India
Petra Jordan – Nabataean Cave City of the Desert
Machu Picchu – Lost Sacred City of the Incas
Chichen Itza – Ancient Mayan Temple Pyramid
Colosseum Amphitheatre of the Ancient Roman Empire
Emperor Vespasian had it built in around 70–72 AD, funded by the spoils taken from the Jewish Temple after the Siege of Jerusalem, but since then it has been robbed itself of blocks to build other things.
You do have to pay to go into the colloseum. Despite the fact that huge parts of it are now decrepid and missing, it’s handled time quite well. It really is huge and impressive… Definitely worth seeing. People dress up in Roman costumes. There’s a lot to see nearby as well with the arch, great restaurants, and museums… it really does feel like the center of town and hey, there are more things close to this tube station than most others. Getting around this was one of the easiest ancient things to find.

Great Italian food nearby!!

As they say… When in Rome!

I’ve been to Rome a few times and it’s a city that’s a great city filled with tons of things to see and do. Very easy to spend a week in. In fact we did that a few years ago as a family. While driving was a challenge, after a couple of days I was getting around pretty well. Driving in Rome has gotten a lot easier than it was a few years ago with tons more scooters. I do have to warn you that if you have your own rental car make sure you understand there are areas you can’t park without a permit. As well, certain lanes you can’t drive in (bus/taxi lanes). I’ve gotten towed in Rome once, and a ticket in the mail once. So let’s just say, I’ve had some experience in this area.

Rome is filled with tons to do. There have to be more nuns and priests in Rome/ Vatican city than anywhere else in the world!

Here are a few ideas…

5 Additional Places to go when visiting Rome (or Italy) when visiting the Coliseum

1) St Peters Basilica, PLUS Vatican Musuem, and the MUST SEE! Sisteen Chapel… Shhhh! No Photos!

2. The Spanish Steps…

Great social place to meet the locals and throngs of tourists as well

2. Trevi Fountain

4. Day trip to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David

Track down the Catacombs. There are a few different ones. We absolutely loved them as well. Depends on your interests…

5. Day trip to Pompeii and YOU MUST GO TO POMPEII! It’s one of the most amazing places on the planet. There is another amphitheatre there, but you’ll see ruins like no other on the planet… KM or miles of them.

There really area ton of things to see in Rome, pace yourself so you don’t get “ruin”-ed out or museum’ed out. The Blocks and Columns start looking the same and religious paintings as well start blending together.

Travel in Tunisia: Tunis, Carthage, and Sidi Bou Said

October 26, 2013February 5, 2015Posted in Africa, Culture, Food, Photography, Tourism, Travel, UNESCOTagged acropolium, Carthage, cathedral, christian, featured, market, medina, muslim, phoenician, Sidi Bou Said, theatre, tunis, Tunisia5 Comments

Sidi Bou Said, Blue and White houses in Tunisia

I recently had the opportunity to explore a fascinating in the country of Tunisia. Despite the news from the outside looking in, the other way around from those who are local have a very different perspective on the events these past few years. Tunisia is being reborn with new found freedoms, but also is trying to find moderation that serves both the religious and the secular.

Panorama of Lunch with my Tunisian friends. I pray for the religious freedoms and the rights and freedoms of those who wish to be secular. Tunisia represents the hopes of a new democracy built from a nation willing to rise up and demand for change.

This photo above captures the essence of modern and traditional. The head scarves have been a fascinating debate throughout the middle east. Great heated debates continue in many arab countries about whether the hijab should be worn to cover the head. Should it be legislated. Most now in Tunisia no longer wear it, but it also should be a choice for those that would choose to wear it. It’s not for me to say, but I’ve found a lot of people in Tunisia are willing to share their opinions about freedom.

In my time in the country with local friends I met through my technical connections in the SharePoint community. Tunisia is a very modern country with very strong ties to France. A lot of my technical contacts have frequent visits from technical folks in France and visa versa with Tunisia.

Tunisia is a beautiful place. While there I spent time across three main areas. Tunis the capital, the ruins of ancient Carthage, and Sidi Bou Said.

Here are 7 MUST SEE Places in Northern Tunisia: Tunis, Carthage, and Sidi Bou Said

1. Tunis Bardo Museum

Old Door in the Bardo Museum

Beautiful Ancient Doorway Nailwork

Stones found with religious art…

L: Adam and Eve R: Daniel and the Lions

2. Sidi Bou Said – Amazing city of blue and white… very beautifully preserved

Lots of things for tourists in the beautiful sea side city of Sid Bou Said. Incredible place to walk around and many shops will show you inside to see the interior of their homes and shops.

3. Carthage Cathedral

St Louis Cathedral in Carthage

The days of Christianity are remembered by the large cathedral, but there aren’t many Christians left in Tunis.

4. The Ruins of Carthage including many columns, statues and museum(s)

Acropolium

I have a lot to learn about Carthage, the Punic Wars, Hannibal… I think it was 5th grade and this part of history didn’t stick very well. Here’s a quote from Wikipedia on Carthage.

“A city of the Pheonician and Punic periods from the 6th BC it was the base of a powerful trading empire spanning the entire south Mediterranean and home to a population of the order of half a million people. Its most famous general was Hannibal who crossed the Alps to battle with the Romans. Hannibal suffered his first significant defeat at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, which ended the 2nd Punic War. After over 50 years of being watched closely by Rome, they were eventually attacked in the 3rd Punic War. The citizens defended the city against the Republic of Rome in 146BC yet lost, and Punic Carthage was completely destroyed by the order of the Senate. The site was redeveloped by the Romans a century later and Carthage became the capital of the Roman province of Africa. A UNESCO World Heritage List site.”

Carthage Museum Statues

5. Medina in Tunis

Narrow walkways of the old Medina in Tunis

Old doorways that tell the story of time…

While I can’t compare the medina of Tunis with the medina of Rabat or Marrakech, there are major differences in the fact that as you exit the Medina and walk a few blocks you run into this large cathedral. Tunis has had a fascinating history that is captured in the museums and architecture of the old city. Looking at the doors on the right you can see how the archways have been filled in, many times over.

6. National Cathedral in Tunis

Tunisian National Catherdal across the street from French Embassy – I took this photo with a juxtaposition of the razor wire around the embassy. This was to keep the people from protesting too closely outside the walls of the embassy. Within a couple of blocks as well, you’ll find the fresh market.

7. Tunis Fresh Food Market

Open Air Fresh Foods Market in downtown Tunis

Tunis Theatre

Tunis Theatre – Very Ornate Theatre

Christ the Redeemer Statue – 7 New Wonders of the World (2 of 7)

July 26, 2013October 29, 2013Posted in Culture, Religion, South America, Tourism, Travel, WonderTagged Christ, photos, Rio, Rio de Janero, the redeemer statue, Wonders of the World3 Comments

This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

Rio is one of the coolest cities in the world. The environment that the city is build in, has the best of the water world with amazing beaches. Some of the best in the world, but also some of the best viewpoints in the world with the huge rocks that soar into the sky that have gondolas on them. Corcovado topped by Christ the Redeemer is amazing. First with such strong devotion in the culture of the people and then the iconic and larger than life Jesus with his outstretched arms becomes a very strong symbol of the people and their need to feel guided and comforted.

Corcovado, meaning “hunchback” in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 710-metre (2,329 ft) granite peak is located in the Tijuca Forest, a national park. It is sometimes confused with nearby Sugarloaf Mountain. Sugar loaf is a tourist attraction in its own right and deserves to be visited. This rock mountain is quite central and shaped in such a way as to escape the city while being in the city. In an effort to help people gain better access you’ll see there’s quality care. This escalator can really reduce to the last bit of stairs.

Corcovado hill lies west of the city center and is within the city limits and visible across great distance. It is known worldwide for the 38-metre (125 ft) statue of Jesus atop its peak, entitled Cristo Redentor or “Christ the Redeemer”.

Christian Cave Churches and Monasteries in Cappadocia Turkey

July 19, 2013July 21, 2013Posted in Asia, Culture, Favorite, History, Middle East, Photography, Religion, Travel, UNESCO, Unique, WonderTagged art, cappadocia, christian, Goreme, Painting, turkey3 Comments

As a traveler one of the thing that really stands out in digging in to understand a people is how much of culture is influenced by faith and religion. In Europe you must visit the cathedrals because it was the center of the universe for the people. In Istanbul you must visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia or you haven’t seen Istanbul. I have found Israel, Jerusalem, Bethehem, and Jordan to be quite amazing. Even Cairo had places that reminded me of Moses and the red sea. I have found the cathedrals across Europe to be quite amazing, even Ireland had some amazing history as it relates to early Christianity. Rome and the catacombs. Early Christians in Ireland, or Monserrat in Spain… incredible. These early Christians driven into caves and into the mountains the hermits of Bulgaria and Macedonia are fascinating and must see. The monasteries in the cliffs of Meteora where they survived from decimation for more than 500 years. I love thinking about Thessaloniki or the Thessalonians. My visit to Armenia and connecting with locals and making friends the thoughts and attitudes of the people cannot be separated from their faith as a people. Mount Arrarat and Noah’s Ark and God’s dealing with the Armenian people is so deeply ingrained in their art, their life and spirit.

A One trying to understand the mind of the pre-Nicean church can do much study the rich art and paintings captured on the walls of the hundreds if not thousands of painted caves now abandoned art work of Cappadocia. The cave paintings while much has been destroyed have preserved a lot of history and messages through the images. I find it quite inspiring and very peaceful. In some of the churches that you pay to see one with no cameras allowed. I could easily spend an hour staring at the ceiling and unweaving the thoughts in the heads of these early christians. Their faith, their perspectivies, their stories. Much of the tradition has been preserved, but a lot has been lost as well. Lots of contemplation are required to understand not just the story, but the perceptions of the artist.

This photo is not a direct photo, but actually a photo of what I saw, but photographed from a book at the gift shop, or a post card. You can see how much color is still in the images. The color alone is quite the story as the paint was made from pigeon poo.

My travels took me to Goreme, in central Turkey. These natural occuring ferry chimneys are amazing. I’ve only been in a few places in the world where they have these, Utah’s Goblin Valley, and Bryce Canyon, but what those places don’t have are the primitive Christian churches and the underground cities. The Tuff left from the volcanic ash turned rock helped provide a substance that was very easy to carve, but also very strong, like a more dense pumice.

There are multiple locations in Cappadocia where you can find these cave churches. First the largest collection in a small area is the Goreme Open Air Museum. There are lots of great cave hotels in Goreme. I recommend staying in a cave at least one night. It’s a unique experience and it’s quite affordable.

Unfortunately nearly all of the churches would not allow photography or video cameras at the Open air musuem. You could take pictures outside, but definitely not as compelling.

There were a few select churches that they allowed photography in. The names of the churches come from the art work inside. Apple church, snake church, etc…

While these may look impressive, the reality is these were pretty bare.

On a walk through the various churches you’d mostly get directed at the various figures and stories from the bible, but it was stories like the animal below that represents paganism that really caught my interest. I was interested in the explanations of what was different and how they lived and what they believed. Like can you believe that most of the well preserved cave paintings have the eyes of the people carved out.

I was told the local muslim people felt threatened and the eyes alone could convert. So you have these scary pictures where the eyes are carved out.

Not only were the churches carved into the stone, the people as well lived in caves in stone where archways could be fancied up. On the left you have the homes of displaced Greeks in Turkey. Most of them moved back to Greece.

Next we travel to the Ihlara Valley were over a dozen caves were turned into churches. One of the most amazing hikes… Combines peaceful walk along a stream with basalt canyon walls like the snake river valley in Idaho or, and pillars of the Giants Causeway in Ireland.

As you can see by the little yellow dots along the slides of the river in the Ihlara valley, for miles along the river, caves were turned into places of worship. If you were simply walking along the river, you would have really No idea this was happening. It’s Fantastic!!

Do these caves above look like they might contain this… image to the right.

Beautiful art still remains on the walls. Much has been destroyed or defaced. Eyes of the saints in the pictures are scratched out. One guide told us that the people were worried about how the beautiful icononic art might convert them. The watching eyes were just too powerful. So much so that for much of what you see there are few eyes you’ll find.

Below the three magi or wisemen and their gifts for the birth of the savior minus their eyes. If you look near the hat you can see names in Greek. It looks like the names of the magi were added afterward. The shape of their hats is interesting. It brings a historical understanding. Studying this brings much more understanding of the early 6th century church.

Mary on the Donkey… Did you know the reference to Mary riding a donkey is actually not found in the bible, but in apocryphal writings in the text the Infancy Gospel of James? This may be one of the earliest paintings that exists showing Mary on a Donkey.

It is very incredible to think of the condition that these paintings were made. These were painted many many years prior to the crusades, and the spread of the ottoman empire. These were made at time when the Christians were hiding in caves. The paint was made from pigeon droppings. To think about that part of it it’s really very remarkable much remains at all.

When in Goreme and surrounding you’ll find that you need at least 2 to 3 days to simply race through everything. 4 days to a week will allow you to take a slower pace to really enjoy the valleys and take more in. The tours are very inexpensive, and they are organized into the blue tour, the red tour and so on, and they really are packed with places to see and visit. One morning you need to do the balloon ride for the adventuresome. If you are thinking about the balloon, don’t wait till the last day because they are frequently cancelled due to weather conditions.

View of Goreme from the top of the hills.

The Fairy chimneys… turned home and now abandoned. A honeycomb of mystery and intrigue.

The Messiah, with a scratched out face…

For more adventure… On one end of the Ihlara valley is the Selime Cathedral. Walking to simply get to this Cathedral makes you feel like you’re rock climbing. It isn’t for little old ladies or old men. This requires a little bit of skill to navigate across the rocks, through tunnels and a bit of scrambling…

But the payoff is big. Huge rooms with archways and columns still remain while much of the artwork is destroyed and soot covers the ceilings.

If you look closely you can still see remains, of what was once majestic.

If there was any doubt that this valley wasn’t backed with mystery, intrigue and wonder… I hope a few of these picture have opened your mind. Goreme and Cappadocia still remains one of my favorite destinations and the my appreciation for the early church and their cave dwelling days has shaped what we think of even as a catheral or church. We have much to share in appreciation for these devoted follower of central Turkey.

Traveling Ireland’s Ancient and Natural Wonders

July 15, 2013July 15, 2013Posted in Culture, Europe, Family, History, Nature, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCOTagged ancient, Brú na Bóinne, giants causeway, Irish christianity, megalithic, natural wonder, neolithic, newgrange, solstice2 Comments

Ireland has been inhabited for thousands and thousands of years. For Eons and Ages, Ireland has constantly been inhabited and has a rich culture of folklore, myths, and a myriad of megalithic structures scattered across the country marking structures from these older ages. Early man left evidence from the mesolithic, neolithic, stone, bronze, and iron ages. I love traveling to Medieval and Neolithic sites. The ancient world history is fascinating to me. From the pyramids and temples of Egypt to Avebury & Stone Henge and on to the Nazca lines and the underground cities of Goreme and Cappadocia. I’m absolutely fascinated with it. So much of what we know is so little. We talk about these places like we know all about them, but honestly it’s pre-historic and we know very little and are still learning.

History in Ireland started in 400 AD with the spread of Christianity. It’s amazing to think of it spreading so far and wide. There are some amazing structures to see in Ireland. Within a short drive from the beautiful city of Dublin, you can be at amazing places. I recommend Wicklow for an afternoon at Glendalough. Glendalough is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is known for its early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest. It’s a beautiful drive and history itself unfolds as you walk amongst the graves, churches, and stone archways.

Like these ancient sites. Very easy to connect with nature and get a feel for what it was like in a village. This tower entry reminds me of Rapunzel. The entry to get in the tower is twenty feet off the ground. Apparently the monks would climb up a latter and then pull it up. They could drop rocks or oil and fire on the invaders.

These ancient rock churches are beautiful, but not an uncommon site in Ireland. They have lasted well through the ages. You can see how important faith was through the ages.

Glendalough is home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the “Monastic City”. Most of the buildings on the site today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 A.D.

Amazing structures, history from an ancient time… you can feel it in your bones.

Walking through the graves and the amazing Celtic crosses makes you feel an appreciation for the deep faith of the people.

Older than the Pyramids or Stone henge, Newgrange was an amazing find. I was amazed to find such an ancient megalithic structure that I hadn’t heard of with such importance. Driving north from Dublin straight north in the small town County Meath, Ireland on our way to Belfast and Northern Ireland, we saw a sign for this ancient site. I was intrigued. What is this Neolithic site I’ve never heard of? Newgrange is a large mound in a circular shape with a stone passageway and decent sized chamber inside (no pictures inside). On the tour they told us that during the 70’s some hippies were inside when it lit up during the winter solstice. Apparently they really didn’t know what it was used for prior. There’s still some confusion, but essentially this mount is not isolated. There are a lot of them in a small area.

This stone mound is surrounded by large stones with Neolithic carvings that still show up reasonably well. I absolutely love the swirls. It reminds me of the tail of the monkey in the Nazca lines. What you don’t realize is just how old they estimate this place.

These megalithic structures are called portal tombs (a chamber consisting of upright stones with one or more large flat capstones forming a roof) or passage graves or dolmen often there is often no human remains. There are 40 of these passage graves near Newgrange. The carvings on the rock are one of the largest collection of megalithic art.

Incredible examples of one of the largest natural collection of Megalithic art… Newgrange is part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the tour, they simulate the light, but there is actually a lottery to be able to be one of the lucky handful who can be in the chamber when the light enters.

In Northern Ireland is one of the great natural wonders of Ireland. The Giants Causeway. This basalt has dried in amazing formations on the sea side. It’s like Black Chrystal formations.

In the Giants Causeway with my sons. I’m lucky to be able to travel with my family on occasion. Ireland is a good family destination. Very family friendly destinations, and accommodations. They really enjoyed Ireland as well, and to think I was afraid there wasn’t that much to see. Incredible structures, incredible history, and very fun people. I’d be happy to go back to Ireland… anytime. So much more to see.

Meet the Fijian Hindustanis – The Other Side of Fiji

July 13, 2013July 13, 2013Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Extreme, Family, History, Oceania, Photography, Religion, Tourism, TravelTagged culture, fiji, fun, fusion, hindu, hindustandi, Holi, Indian, paint, party1 Comment

Fiji is a multi racial and multi ethnic place. In my previous post on Fiji I wrote about the native Fijians and my experience connecting with the locals. The majority of Fijians are native Melanesians. 43% of the population are Indo-Fijians or Hindustanis. Indian indentured laborers were initially brought to Fiji, Indo-Fijian. In the late 1800’s Indians came as indentured laborers to work on the sugar plantations. Most have been here in Fiji for multiple generations. They even have a fusion language. After the indentured system ended, many stayed on as farmers and became businessmen.

Now you have the most amazing fusion. Hindu temples on an island jungle with culture, language, and society that is culture and tradition rich cultural island nation mixed with the incredible history of India. A little bit of curry goes a long way to spice up a dish. The colors really light up the place.

My friend Michael of sharingtheglobe.com is *really* good at travel. When we put our minds together, we put together incredible adventures. Michael knew that the hindu holiday of Holi was happening. So while the first day of our trip, we knew we wanted to venture deep into the island and spend our time in a village.

The adventure began when we woke up on Holi morning. We knew we wanted to find out where the holi celebration was happening. We asked around and some mentioned that the Hari Krishna temple was where it was happening. We tracked it down, and visited it, but while a beautiful building, they weren’t having it there. They told us to go to a different hindi temple. It was there we saw a small gathering. It was the super soaker of purple dyes that really made a mess. We knew as we approached that we were going to get really painted up.

Within a couple of minutes, we were soaking with colors of the rainbow. It was fun, exciting, and we joined in music and food. The kids were loving it just as much as the adults.

It was after we left the temple that we we driving a long all painted up when we saw a big truck full of Holi day people. The truck was like a large military truck with room for tons of people. We waved and they waved back. They were excited to see follow holi friends and gestured for us to follow them. We followed them as they drove to a house. An older lady answered the door, and the music and dancing began and paint started flying. In western terms it felt like a mix between trick or treating for Halloween, and Christmas caroling, but the colors feel like a mix of easter and a spring water fight. Amazing. I hope you can just imagine the joy we were spreading as we were going from house to house, singing and dancing, and letting go of norms. It was very energizing to let go and connect with these people. In the end we stopped for a round of Kava.

The purple dyes would take over a week to get out, but the feelings lasted even longer. I gained a huge appreciation for the hindi people in this experience. The love, the friendship, it was amazing to see the outreach and ability to connect a community. These traditions should be respected. When I found out that not 50 miles from where I’m currently living, the hindu temple has an annual gathering and the community gathers to celebrate with the Hindu people. If you ever get the chance to celebrate holi. You must. It will help you gain a huge appreciation for India, Hindus, and the global culture that has brought spice to the world. Happy Holi, and I pray for continued peace on the island of Fiji. What an amazing place!!!

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this:

This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

Great Italian food nearby!!

As they say… When in Rome!

5 Additional Places to go when visiting Rome (or Italy) when visiting the Coliseum

1) St Peters Basilica, PLUS Vatican Musuem, and the MUST SEE! Sisteen Chapel… Shhhh! No Photos!

2. The Spanish Steps…

2. Trevi Fountain

4. Day trip to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David

5. Day trip to Pompeii and YOU MUST GO TO POMPEII! It’s one of the most amazing places on the planet. There is another amphitheatre there, but you’ll see ruins like no other on the planet… KM or miles of them.

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this:

This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this:

Share this!

Like this: