Destination #6: Punta Arenas, Chile

photo by Don Fulano

For our next stop in our trek across the globe, we head south (WAAAAY south) to the planet's southern most city, Punta Arenas, Chile!


Punta Arenas (Spanish for "Sandy Point") is located on the Strait of Magellan way down on the southern tip of South America. Magellan, of course, was the 16th Century explorer who led the first ever expedition to circumnavigate the globe (though he himself died in battle before his crew returned to Europe).


This memorial in Punta Arenas pays tribute to the great explorer and there is a tradition among sailors to kiss the statue when crossing the strait.

Before the building of the Panama canal, Punta Arenas was Chile's most important port. Today however, it has evolved into a modern city with a thriving tourism industry. Punta Arenas is a popular stop for cruise ships and also one of the main jumping-off points for scientific expeditions to Antarctica.

photo by zinnie

Punta Arenas is famous for some amazing sights for nature lovers! You can go check out some penguins on nearby Magdalena Island:


Or maybe take a trip to Torres del Paine National Park (take the time to explore this super cool website!) to see some amazing wildlife or take in the breathtaking mountains:


And finally we have some pretty neat webcams to look at! First up is Patagonia Webcam which gives a nice view of the mountains and sky near Punta Arenas.

And second we have a really fantastic Beluga Whalecam that let's us take a look at some friendly Beluga whales that congregate near the main dock in Punta Arenas!

Wow, I've never even heard of Punta Arenas before today, but I gotta say, it seems like an awesome place!

Trip #5: Ireland

I thought since St. Patrick's Day is coming up soon that I would travel to Ireland with week.
Ireland is the third largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world.

Geography
Location	Western Europe
Area	84,412 km² (32,591 sq mi)
Highest point	Carrauntoohil 1,038 m (3,406 ft)
Administration
Ireland
Largest city	Dublin
United Kingdom
Constituent part	Northern Ireland
Largest city	Belfast
Demographics
Population	approximately 6 million (as of 2007)
Indigenous people	Irish

The population of the island is slightly over six million (2007), with 4.34 million in the Republic (1.7 million in Greater Dublin) and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland (0.6 million in Greater Belfast). This is a significant increase from a modern historical low in the 1960s, but still much lower than the peak population of over 8 million in the early 19th century, prior to the Irish potato famine.

Here is a quick overview of Ireland

These are pictures of Ireland's country side. This is Giant's Causeway



Killarney National Park



Blarney Castle

Slieve League cliffs

Trip #4: Skiing Anyone?

After the recent snow storm, I decided that I would like to go on a "snowboarding trip." So the mountain that I really have always wants to travel to isn't really too far from Cazenovia. I want to go to Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, California. OK so maybe its a little hike from Cazenovia.

Mammoth by the numbers:

3,100 vertical feet
3,500 skiable acres
Top elevation: 11,053 feet
150 named trails
29 lifts (10 express quads)
300 days of sunshine per year
Winter season: approx. Nov. to June
400 inches of snow per year

Driving to Mammoth

Here you can see how much snow there is at the base of the mountain.

Official Website for Mammoth Mountain

I found a live Cam at Mammoth where you can control the camera and move it all over the place. Check it out!

This is an example of how steep the mountain really is.

There is even a great park.


This is a great family mountain with lots to do. If any of you get a chance to go out to California, you should check out Mammoth Mountain.

Destination #3: Istanbul!

photo by belthelem

Off on a brand new adventure! This time I visit ISTANBUL! (not Constantinople!)

With a population over 11 million, Istanbul is the 4th most populous city in the world and the cultural and commercial hub of Turkey (though it is not the capital). Located on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul is the only city in the world to straddle two continents (Europe and Asia)! This geographic location is what has allowed Istanbul to thrive into the eclectic historically and cultural rich city that it is today, serving as a gateway between East and West. Indeed, it has seen it's share of historical greatness, serving as the capital city of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon Bonaparte once said "If Earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital."

Istanbul has not always been called by that name. It was originally called Byzantium until the arrogant Roman Emperor Constantine I changed the name to Constantinople. Here's a sweet panoramic picture of "Constantinople" from the 1870s. Note all those boats! Istanbul has always been a major port city.


The city has a great mix of historic architecture and monuments, from the ancient Greek Maiden's Tower to the great Roman Column of Constantine to the Dolmabahçe Palace which served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire.

The city is home to many beautiful and historic churches and mosques however the epitome if Istanbul's architecture is the Hagia Sophia, a building which, since its construction in 532, has served as a cathedral, a mosque, and presently, a museum. Famous for its massive dome, the Hagia Sophia is considered the quintessential work of Byzantine architecture. Check it out:


And here's a neat video to learn more about this amazing place!



Wowee!

And while we are taking a look at sweet architecture, take a look at the stunning Blue Mosque!

And finally, check out these sweet links! First, some cool 360 degree views from around the city, and secondly some live traffic cams from all over Istanbul! NEAT!

Trip #2: Taj Mahal

So this time I decided to leave the country. I wanted to go somewhere known. So I thought, why not go and see the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

Taj Mahal is a mausoleum that was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Muntaz Mahal. Here is the story behind the building of this beautiful mausoleum.Taj Mahal

In 1631, in the fourth year of his reign, Shah Jahan set out for Burhanpur with his armies to subdue a rebellion. Even though Mumtaz Mahal was in the ninth month of a pregnancy, she accompanied him as she had done many times before. On a warm evening of April in 1631, the queen gave birth to their fourteenth child, but soon afterwards suffered complications and took a turn for the worse. According to legend, with her dying breath, she secured a promise from her husband on the strength of their love: to build for her a mausoleum more beautiful than any the world had ever seen before.

Architectural antecedents to the Taj Mahal.

The King cried out with grief, like an ocean raging with storm... He put aside his royal robes and for the whole week afterward, His Majesty did not appear in public, nor transact any affairs of state... From constant weeping he was forced to use spectacles, and his hair turned gray...
Shah Jahan grieved for two years. By official opinion, he never again showed enthusiasm for administering the realm. His only solace would be found in the world of art and architecture, and an obsession with perfection that would last his lifetime. Six months after the death of his wife, he laid the foundation for her memorial across the Jamuna River near his palace in Agra... the jewel of India, the far-famed Taj Mahal.

Here is a video of the Taj Mahal

And here you can take a virtual tour

Destination #1: Singapore

photo by christopher chan

Well what better way to start this voyage than to travel half way around the world to the island nation of Singapore?!


Singapore is the smallest country in Southeast Asia, covering 267.45 square miles! Originally a British trading post, Singapore eventually became an independent republic in 1965 and has gone on to become one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Singapore's climate is technically classified as a "tropical rainforest climate" however the country's main island is predominantly urban and very modern. Singapore's economy is mainly centered around manufacturing though tourism is also an important industry. The population is roughly 4.75 million, roughly half of which practice either Taoism or Buddhism. Singapore has a very good education system with literacy rates at more than 90%. While there are several official languages, English is the primary language used in both schools and business. Singapore promotes itself as a city of arts and culture, a cosmopolitan gateway between the East and West. Singapore offers a unique blend of cultures ranging from the Malay to Chinese to Indian and more.



Here's a video of a busy street crossing in one of the main shopping areas in Singapore, Orchard Street.



A nice tour of some of sites along Singapore River!

And finally, if you do a bit of googling, there are a handful webcams featuring live feeds of video from Singapore! One of the coolest ones I found was this, a webcam that has been showing the progress on the construction of the "Singapore Flyer" an observational wheel much like the London Eye. The Singapore Flyer was just in the news today as it was officially announced that it is ready for operation tomorrow!

Deciding

It's been about a week since Greg and I have decided to partake in this adventure around the world and I am personally having trouble deciding where I would like to travel to first. I've asked around about where I should travel to and gotten a lot of good ideas, but I just can't make up my mind. There was one place, or animal rather, that I always wanted to see. I wanted to see Giant Pandas. I mean real, live Pandas. They have always amazed me. And I did not just want to see pictures of them. I wanted to always see a living breathing Giant Panda.

So I searched for a live cam of Giant Pandas and this is what I found. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/
A REAL Panda at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. He was just sitting there face to face with me eating some bamboo. It was like I was there. And there wasn't just one camera, but two cameras. So if the Panda moved and couldn't see him in one camera, then try the other camera. It's so interesting that zoos can do this.

As I was looking around on the website, I realized that there were several cameras places throughout the zoo of different animals. Like Tiger Cam, Cheetah Cam, Octopus Cam, and Asian Elephant Cam. So I could see my favorite animals live. How Exciting!

Well thats enough traveling for me today. I'll keep on posting my travel adventures. Hope you enjoyed!