Legacy of the Swedish Warship Vasa
A Brief History of the Swedish Warship Vasa On the 10th of August 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa set off on her maiden voyage. Never leaving Stockholm Harbor, she sank after sailing no more than 1300 meters (less than a mile). Although her guns were salvaged in the 1660s, the wreck sat underwater for 333 […]
Villa de Leyva: Colonial Town in a High-Altitude Valley
The Road to Villa de Leyva Villa de Leyva is tucked into the mountains a few hours’ drive north of Bogotá. Traffic was heavy getting out of the city on the holiday weekend we set out, but we still had time to make a stop at a very important historic site. Just before the city […]
Have you ever seen “Animals Inside Out?”
The “Animals Inside Out Exhibit” Having visited the “Bodies” exhibit in Atlanta last year, when we saw that “Animals Inside Out” was currently in Dallas we figured it would be an interesting activity for a day off. Dr. Gunther von Hagens and Dr. Angelina Whalley created the exhibit to boost appreciation for the animal […]
Shanghai-ed
Shanghai: A Great Place to Refuel After a month or so of wandering China, Shanghai was a wonderful place to rest up. It’s very much a modern city, with all the bright lights, shopping, dining and entertainment venues one could ever want. It’s also got pockets of history, tradition and cheap eats if you wander […]
Daejeon and Gongju
The central area of Korea is rugged mountains interspersed with rice paddies and fields. We stayed in a larger city, known for being a center for science as well as a transporation hub. It was rainy, so we had a relaxing couple days of museums and eating. In the nearby town of Gongju we visited […]
Cuzco: Heart of the Inca Empire
Cuzco History Heart of the ancient Inca empire, Cuzco is located in the heart of the Andes at about 11,000 feet. We’d recently been in Puno, and this was a bit lower. We were glad to have arrived by land, since it gave us the chance to adjust to the altitude. There are a number […]
Chiclayo y El Señor de Sipán
Exploring Chiclayo Chiclayo is about three hours north of Trujillo in northwest Peru, not far from the coast. It was founded near the Northern Wari ruins, an important archaeological site. There are additional archaeological sites of the Moche (Mochica) and Chimu cultures in this area near the coast. Today, the city is best known for its colonial […]
Lima
After a couple of months in Caracas, Lima is a big change. Things seem more relaxed here, and there is a noticeable tourist presence. We are also back in Hostel World, with lots of fellow travelers from different backgrounds and opinions. Prices are much lower than we´ve seen since Argentina and Chile (accommodation wise) and […]
Santiago Centro: Heart of Chile’s Capital
The architecture of Santiago is striking, and we enjoyed just strolling around the different neighborhoods, whether we knew what we were looking for or not. You can find everything from 19th century neoclassical at the center, mixed in with neo-gothic, art deco, modern, futuristic and other styles in different areas. The center of the city, is the […]
Pima Air & Space Museum
[metaslider id=11317] Having heard mention of the famous airplane graveyard on the east side of Tucson, we were excited to finally have time to check it out. The dry, sunny weather makes the desert a good spot for long and short-term storage of military and commercial planes, greatly prolonging their lifespan. There are thousands and […]