Muir Woods National Park - USA

Sausalito and Muir Woods – USA

Post published:20 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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In Search of the Tallest Trees on Earth

Right after landing in San Francisco coming from Las Vegas, and after checking in to our apartment, we drove towards Sausalito and then Muir Woods, in order to free the remaining last three days of our coast to coast tour around the USA for the jewel city on the Pacific coast. If you have the choice and can, definitely get a rental car. It will save you lots of time and will allow you the possibility to stop wherever you like to make incredible pictures, and also have a great circle drive as I will explain here later on.

Sausalito is just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge if leaving San Francisco. Obviously, this is your perfect chance to get off at the viewing points and visitor centre and enjoy some of the best views of the bridge. Afterwards, simply follow the signs to Sausalito and you would have arrived in matter of no time. It is a small yet beautiful village on the shores of the Golden Gate Bay and the mountains, and from the small promenade and little pier there are splendid views of San Francisco skyline and the whole bay.

There is not much more in here, apart from the beautiful wooden houses, nice nature and the famous floating houses. Therefore it should not take too much of your time. Continue driving farther north, and you will get to see the signs for Muir Woods. Follow these until the end and you will have arrived at the entrance gates of this National Monument Park, here official website.

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Las Vegas - USA

Las Vegas – USA

Post published:19 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

Finally another dream accomplished, Las Vegas. And although when we landed at the airport we drove directly to the Grand Canyon, we only started to enjoy this city in the evening when we returned and saw all the lights from far away and near, until we reached the spectacular Strip, Las Vegas Boulevard. From here, we started to live a movie. Beginning with the world famous neon sign of “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” and up to The Stratosphere, the hotel we stayed along the immense Boulevard, all the casinos, hotels and resorts passing one after another.

Lights, music, sounds, effects, the people, the cars, the wedding chapels, just everything is like a Deja-Vu. You already know these places, you’ve seen them so many times that you recognise them straight away, either by name, silhouette or look. The main difference is that this time the movie is real, and you are the actor.

This is the city that never sleeps, 24 hours crowded, whole year round. Very hot during the day, perfect temperature in the evenings and nights. Tastes, likes, flavours, desires for everyone. Anything you want, anything you wish, you have it there. You can do it. Unfortunately yes, money matters. In Vegas money can get you whatever you desire, and while to some it might bring riches and fortunes, to others it means bankruptcy, ruin and abuse of alcohol and drugs.

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Hoover Dam - USA

Hoover Dam – USA

Post published:19 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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From Boulder Dam to Hoover Dam

Not far from Las Vegas is this world renown engineering masterpiece, a National Historical Landmark, the Hoover Dam. Located in the Colorado River, it also creates an immense lake named Lake Mead. But what makes it more unique in terms of beautiness is its elegant pure 1930s art-deco style, and incredible to think this vast project was opened in 1936 and still there with its turbines producing enough electric power and water supplies for Las Vegas and many other cities across different states.

It is one of the most common tours one can do from Las Vegas and definitely worth to spend some hours to come and visit it. Many options are available on how to get here, while of course, the easiest and cheapest is to have a rental car. Otherwise check for the many daily tours organised here either by bus, limousine, and even helicopter. The site is not that big, however once on the tour when they take you well inside the machinery room and corridors, it becomes bigger than you originally thought. Half a day is the perfect calculation of time you need, perfect to spend an afternoon avoiding the scorching heat in downtown Las Vegas.

If you have a rental car, all you need to do is to follow directions to Boulder City and signs for the Hoover Dam will appear next. It will not take longer than 30 minutes until you reach the car parks so could not be any easier and straightforward that that; however for more information and history of the construction, check the Wikipedia site. The United States of America currency is the Dollar (USD, $). Please note that any price reference is true as from when this guide was created, therefore check prices in advance as with the time they change.

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Grand Canyon National Park - USA

Grand Canyon – USA

Post published:18 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Heading to the west and after having an incredible view from the plane from Chicago over Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Nevada, we land in Las Vegas. And mere few minutes right after that we picked up the rental car and drove directly to the Grand Canyon West National Park. This is the nearest spot to Las Vegas from where to enjoy this incredible mother nature sight, and although quite a pricey one, it is nevertheless, spectacular in every inch and you are guaranteed to feel the enormous majesty of the place.

Starting with the approach, you will enjoy for sure the desolated road and that you can stop along the way to make pictures, either from the empty infinite long roads, or maybe of these cactus trees, the desert, dust and the emptiness. Just a little piece of how gigantic the country is, and how much more to offer everywhere you go. After all, such landscapes are something we have all seen in the movies and somewhat, are now very familiar to be honest. The big lorries eventually coming and going let’s you remember you are in the USA for sure.

Now, for someone coming from Las Vegas, highly likely your same circumstances, remember it will take you most likely the whole day. Fair enough once you return back you will still have plenty of fun and time to watch some of the spectacles along Las Vegas Strip, nice dinner and perhaps some gambling; but the drive to the Grand Canyon, the tour, and back it takes all good time hence do not rush it. It is already quite incredible to reach this place, more even to enjoy as it deserves. Easy and straightforward too. (more…)

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Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said - Tunisia

Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said – Tunisia

Post published:7 May 2012
Post category:Africa Tunisia

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Liberty, Order, Justice

Tunis, a vibrant modern capital city growing constantly in the shadow of its rich ancient history; beautiful, elegant, organised and safe yet often bypassed by the tourists seeking the resorts along the coast such as Sousse, Monastir or Djerba; however it really deserves a special mention and visit. This is a place where you will fill at times as if you were anywhere in France while at the turn of a street, in the middle of an Arabian Night tale, all in perfect harmony coexisting each others with care and respect. No wonder why Tunisia has gained its reputation as one of the most open and respectful country among the Arab world. A mosque, a Catholic church or a Synagogue on the same street? no problem, everyone is welcomed.

Having been a French colony, the architecture and language is clearly part of its heritage. French and Arab is understood and spoken across the nation, not so much with the English for what a little bit of French would help you going further and getting better deals when bargaining the shops of the bazaar in the Medina. While this is a maze of labyrinthine narrow streets completely filled with shops along both sides of the road, traditional Arab architecture in the mosques, houses, schools and palaces all of which now listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site; in the other hand, and side by side, is the Ville Nouvelle. The new city created by the French with planned tree-lined wide avenues and squares built with the architectural styles of that era. Expect to see mostly art-nouveau and art-deco.

Visiting the city, both the Medina and Ville Nouvelle is easy and straightforward. An entire day is generally a good calculation. Certainly less than that will be pointless to be honest, 2 days would be ideal, but any longer is unnecessary. Still, you need to include in your plans Carthage and Sidi Bou Said (explained later), and this means an extra day. Now if you ask me if the city and these places can all be visited in a weekend trip, then yes, but only if knowing how to move from a place to another without losing any time. But in a country where you can have some great beers and wine in nice bars (it is allowed to drink alcohol), with that many incredible coffee and shisha places, restaurants and shops, don’t rush this too much, 3 days is the ideal.

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Iceland - Iceland

Iceland

Post published:29 April 2012
Post category:Europe Iceland Northern Europe

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The Land of Fire and Ice

Iceland, for a very long time in the bucket list of destinations wishing to go and finally a reality. And what can I say about this amazing country, other than wishing to have stayed longer and see more. Yet we knew four days was not going to be enough, the fact is that a week is still short for that many places you can visit, and all in this medium-sized island. A miniature continent full of fascinating natural wonders, the power of mother earth at every corner you go, no matter the season, the beauty is guaranteed any month. From being able to admire the spectacular Northern Lights and that winter wonderland snowy landscapes, almost isolated glaciers or icebergs on the beach to eerie empty grasslands, lava soil and powerful rivers and waterfalls with every shade of green from the fields; each of the seasons is more unique than the other.

Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in the world is the arriving gateway to this world of wonders. Small yet thriving, its metropolitan area is home to around 230000 people, that’s over 60% of the country’s population. Very organised, clean and the safest capital in Europe, is full of beautiful colorful wooden houses and mansions, churches, museums and a quite impressive nightlife especially during the weekends. Shops, bars and restaurants everywhere serving great food, notoriously good for fish and seafood, and whale steaks. Yes whale; Iceland and Japan are the rare nations still fishing it.

While visiting the capital will not take you even a day, the rest of the country we know would last several, but for the average visitor, some 5 days is good enough to capture the best spots allowing yourself a good reason why to come back, perhaps during a different season of the year to have a complete different view. After all, you are never too far away from Reykjavik from the top natural sights as the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon, the stunning rock formations in the sea by Reynisfjara Beach and the Vatnajökull National Park.

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Moscow - Russia

Moscow – Russia

Post published:9 April 2012
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Russia

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The Forty Forties. The Third Rome.

The quite impressive and sprawling massive city of Moscow, home to over 12 million people was for a very long time one of the most desired destinations to go. Not the easiest either, first of all the airfares at the time we went there were still quite high, with no other option than having to take a flag airline carrier as no low-cost airlines were flying, something that has dramatically changed with the years after by the way; and secondly, most important to be honest, the not so easy way to get a visa and its costs.

On the bright side, happy to finally be here and admire such grandeur and at points, luxurious city where you will come to see the so called “New Russians”. These are the rich and new rich people, mostly young students whose parents run successful business and have enough money to have that extravagant style of living where money does not really matter. The list speak for itself, Moscow has the largest community of billionaires in the world. On the other hand, the country is quite the opposite. No doubt the cities along the west especially Moscow and Saint Petersburg act as a facade and a truly show-off to what the reality is in the rest of the country, notably the rural areas which in the largest country in the world, trust me, it is huge, inconceivable huge.

Moscow’s history is terribly rich, and while some chapters are not that bright than others, no one can argue of its strength and power through the centuries. Always a super power and always grand. No matter on the ruling power of the time, here building the bigger and the better is still the tendency on our days. Founded as a small trading post in 1147, developing with the centuries into lavish baroque palaces, elegant avenues and boulevards with incredible mansions, fountains, statues and great public spaces legacy from the Tsar Russia, the once so extravagant and envied monarch system. And continuing to evolve after the fall of the Tsar regime in the February Revolution of 1917 with the establishment of the Bolshevik in 1923 founding the Soviet Union at the end of the Russian Civil War.

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Pompeii - Italy

Pompeii – Italy

Post published:19 February 2012
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

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Frozen in time and forever since 79 AD

Visiting Naples for the first time? Then chances you will be coming to Pompeii are high. This was our actual case, not only was the first time travelling to Naples (which nowadays we can count at least 5 more), but the entire trip had to be planned to include this stunning archaeological site. And to know that there are so many other Roman cities, islands such as Capri, the amazing Amalfi and Sorrentine Coasts or the impressive sites of ancient Magna Graecia at Paestum and countless more, then it is certain hard to even get tired of visiting what is to my taste, one of the most beautiful cities in the whole of Italy, Naples.

It is hard to even say something about Pompeii, where time simply stood still for 2000 years. After having visited some other ancient civilizations masterpieces such as Petra in Jordan, Athens Acropolis in Greece or Rome, the capital of the vast empire than once was; coming here was as exciting as for any of the others with the difference that this time we knew we would get to see how a Roman city really was, with all the infrastructure almost in perfect condition; palaces, temples, houses, baths, bars, shops, brothels; including original graffiti on the walls from that era; all there frozen in time after Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD.

Although Pompeii was not the only city to be buried. It was certainly the most affected in the sense that the amount of super heated pyroclastics felt too abruptly destroying the roofs and upper levels of almost every house in the fraction of few second; but this did not happen at nearby Ercolano and Stabiae, hence why you get to see almost complete houses and palaces with great paintings still decorating every wall at the others but very little of that here in Pompeii even though it was the largest city in the area. Everything completely disappeared after the eruption until its rediscovery and excavation, which it is still ongoing and will last for decades to come.

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