Post: #51

(07-13-2015 06:24 PM)Global Entry Wrote:  Unless they've been imported, there are no tigers in the Kruger. Tigers are from Asia...Kruger should be on everyone's short list (unless you want real blood, then you should visit Tanzania in the dry season, when the animals have no choice to gather around the watering holes and be part of the crocodile and lion buffet.

Point well taken regarding the difference between tigers and lions. I am a city slicker by birth, so these details slip by me at times.

Tanzania is on my list someday as well - might as well knock out the other big boy on the continent, as far as wildlife goes. The South Africa trip opened up the gates so to speak, so now I have a better idea of what to expect.

How long do you think I would need to see the major Safari sites in Tanzania?

Post: #52

Post: #53

This is always a hard one to answer. For my mind to 'be blown' I need to have experienced a certain amount of difficulty to get there, or the place needs to be nearly void of people in order for me to let go and bask in the utter silence and timelessness of such a wonderful earth.

Culturally some things shake me for no given reason other than a split second of understanding; that this place really was worth fighting for, that there really is a spiritual homeland for all of mankind.

In no particular order, and in no way the only list I have:

Tombstone, Yukon

The Yukon is epic, dangerous and beautiful. Its also where a lot of my family calls home and we are lucky enough to have the means to access whatever we want. This is my families personal favorite of all the Yukon.





Nahanni, Yukon/ North West Territories

They moved the border of the park onto my families land some years ago, so while its technically in the NWT, we have always accessed it from the Yukon. This is old God country and the landscape has no idea what to do as it falls into the karst of the NWT. But on the border its remote, rugged and amazing.






Nikko, Japan

This is a cultural one. There was a point when I looked at all this that was built by man, yet was done with absolute worship for mother earth and thought Perfection. At every turn there was another temple that humbled itself purposely in front of the beauty of nature. It took away nothing from the landscape and yet the craftsmanship is something that I have never seen since. The love the tradesmen had for their craft, their land and their Gods was something that I wish to never forget.





Barranca del Cobre, Chihuahua

I was early 20's and fixed up an old motorcycle that struggled to get me here. All the way it wanted to break down.I underestimated Mexico in almost every way. I froze in my tent at night, baked during the day. Short distances took days, not hours. But when I got here, everything came to a peak. It was a wonderland. Still to this day among the best riding I have ever done.







Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Another cultural one. Walking into the mosque, which has traded hands between Christians and Muslims for thousands of years I suddenly understood that war is absolutely about possession. To own this piece of land, these sacred places of worship holy to two faiths, to be in control of what comes into Europe and what leaves, this is surely why men have always fought, and always will fight.

Post: #54

The Sahara Desert of Morocco. Morocco is a beautiful country with pretty varied landscape from beaches, to mountains, to the great Sahara desert. It's also very cheap and the food is excellent. The people are friendly and it's mind blowing how many languages they speak. They grow up speaking at least English, French, and Arabic and couple that with at least a few other European languages. I found usually German and Spanish common amongst them.

The city of Marrakesh was one of the most energetic places I've been to at the square.



Sahara Desert at Sunrise.


The Swiss Alps. They are just massive and incredibly beautiful.

Post: #55

Nepal. Every corner that I turned was simply breathtaking. I was there for two months and the entire experience seems almost sureal now that I'm back home in the stagnant West. Funny I say that though because the the Nepalese live as if they were still stuck in the 1500's. Every thing is handmade from houses to furniture and the countryside is dotted with locals cultivating crops by hand.

   
   
   
   

And it is also quite a feeling to take a bus into Kathmandu. When your inside Kathmandu the fog endlessly shrouds the surrounding mountains, but when you come in from outside it will simply blow your mind how there can be such a vibrant and bustling city in such treacherous terrain.

   
   
   
   

Post: #56

I'm not good at posting pictures, so you guys can do some google searches if you're interested, but I'll mention some of the best spots I've been to. For sure one of the dopest was this national park in Costa Rica, Rincon de la Vieja, near the town of Liberia in the Guanacaste region. Most people in Costa Rica visit other popular parks like Manuel Antonio, but Rincon de la Vieja is one of the least visited parks in the country, however it is one of the most pristine and beautiful in all of Costa Rica. A friend and I took mushroom chocolates I brought from Cali and tripped balls as we hiked through four different eco-systems that were all other worldly and different from each other, we were headed to our final destination the blue lagoon, which was a huge waterfall crashing into a crystal clear blue pool, surrounded by jungle without another soul in sight.

The next amazing destination I highly recommend to everyone, which I also experienced under the influence of mushrooms is the Sahara desert outside of Marrakesh Morocco. Words cannot explain how extraterrestrial the landscape is out there, the perfect shape and curve of the sand dunes, the amazing array of colors that the sand has, red, orange, purple, then there is the beauty of seeing a group of palm trees jutting out of the desolate sand, the experience of climbing to the top of a huge dune and watching the pink and purple hues of the sun setting over an endless sea of sand. At night you can see every star in the sky, I saw at least a dozen shooting stars that night, while I hadn't seen any in my entire life before then.

A spot that I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned is Laos. Honestly the entire country has absolutely stunning scenery, especially the areas around Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. Luang Prabang you have the beautifully preserved French architecture mixed with traditional Laotian Buddhist temples, all with the back drop of the hills and the mighty Mekong River. I have good memories of smoking weed by the side of the Mekong, then cruising aimlessly on a bicycle as I watched the sunset turn little puffs of clouds all kind of psychadelic colors as they loomed over the Mekong River. Outside Vang Vieng I rode my bike outside of town to find all kinds of crazy mountains, rock formations, caves, and idyllic little villages that look like they have been frozen in time. Laos is truly a magical place.

Lastly I want to rep the state of Chiapis in Mexico. Specifically the highland city of San Cristobal de las Casas, and the Mayan ruins in the jungle at Palenque, where you will find ruins that back up to jungle covered hills teeming with screaming howler monkeys. Not too far outside of Palenque you can go to Agua Azul where there will be crystal clear turquoise hued water cascading down multiple waterfalls into perfect smoothed out stone pools, where you can swing and frolic with local Mayan villagers who live just up the river.

Post: #57

(07-14-2015 02:04 AM)OGNorCal707 Wrote:  I'm not good at posting pictures,

Because we all love these beautiful photos, and because I see some guys aren't sure how to resize the shots, here's a post by Hotwheels on how to post pics without stretching the forum.

/thread-35577.html

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #58

(07-13-2015 08:19 PM)MajorStyles Wrote:  

(07-13-2015 06:24 PM)Global Entry Wrote:  Unless they've been imported, there are no tigers in the Kruger. Tigers are from Asia...Kruger should be on everyone's short list (unless you want real blood, then you should visit Tanzania in the dry season, when the animals have no choice to gather around the watering holes and be part of the crocodile and lion buffet.

Point well taken regarding the difference between tigers and lions. I am a city slicker by birth, so these details slip by me at times.

Tanzania is on my list someday as well - might as well knock out the other big boy on the continent, as far as wildlife goes. The South Africa trip opened up the gates so to speak, so now I have a better idea of what to expect.

How long do you think I would need to see the major Safari sites in Tanzania?

You'll need much more time, and probably much more money, than for Kruger. I don't think a completely independent trip to safari sites in East Africa is advisable. Or even possible. Look at safari companies arranging trips. There are some really nice lodges there, but of course they are very expensive.

I'd choose the area around Kilimanjaro first, and the Selous Game Reserve a close second. There's also a train between Lusaka, Zambia and Dar Es Salaam that I want to take sometime. It travels down the rift valley and right through the Selous Reserve. Must be an amazing trip, though the service is spectacularly unreliable. Apparently you can expect to be delayed as much as 24 hours...

Post: #59

Alaska Highway

Post: #60

Cool to see a few people mentioned Utah. I haven't done too much outside of the US yet, but in terms of natural beauty the area around Moab is probably the best I've seen. Arches national park is reason enough why we should have a national park system. Some trails are more tourist packed, but on some you can find isolation wandering through the desert. Great for meditation and connecting with nature if you're into that. Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point nearby are also great.

As far as cultural/history, this may sound dark but I'd have to say Auschwitz blew my mind. World War II and the holocaust are things you learn about your whole life and Auschwitz is probably the most infamous place you hear about. To actually be standing in the middle of it safe and sound in the present day is almost surreal.

To combine natural and historical, Mesa Verde in southern Colorado is pretty cool. Hundreds of years old cliff dwellings built into the sides of the mountain, and you can walk around inside them, just like the Natives would have. That was a humbling experience.

Post: #61

Rolle, Switzerland... on Lake Geneva.

Also, Venice. People talk a lot of shit about Venice. "Oh, it's too touristy" or "you only need 1 day there, the rest of Italy is so much better". Venice is MINDBLOWING. It is more humbling and edifying and beautiful than any exhibit in any of the great museums of the world. That men could plan and build and then kick ass from such a living work of art -- it will motivate you beyond belief.

Post: #62

Here's some trips I've done everyone should do, many of which are obvious...

--Tiger Leaping Gorge, China
--Beijing & Great Wall, China
--Hong Kong, China
--Angkor Wat, Cambodia
--Kyoto/Kinki/Himeji, Japan
--Kamikochi, Japan
--Highway 1, California
--Cusco/Machu Pichu & environs, Peru
--Rio de Janeiro
--Manaus, Brazil
--Coast of Uruguay during January Catholic holidays
--Salvador, Brazil
--Thailand
--Oaxaca/San Cristobal, Mexico, on a motorbike
--Guanajuato, Mexico
--Madrid/Segovia/Valle de los Caidos
--Rajasthan/Delhi/Agra India
--Bavaria -- Munich/Hitlers Eagles Nest/Neuschwanstein castle
--Edinburgh
--Wales/Bath/London
--Paris
--Colorado

Trips I want to do:
--Sail the Caribbean
--Sail the Mediterranean
--sub-Saharan Africa
--Iran
--Papau New Guinean highlands
--Madagascar
--Istanbul
--Glacier National Park, US
--Zion National Park, US
--Medellin, Colombia
--Camping in the Grand Canyon
--Scandinavia
--the Baltics
--Morocco

Post: #63

Aside from the obvious things some inspiration from relatively close to home, you wouldnt expect that the Spanish mountains have pretty cool stuff. Sistema Central is the name of the mountain range.


Note that every water reservoir is a swimming pool on it's own!



Isolated monastery:

Post: #64

(08-13-2015 08:29 AM)_Cicero Wrote:  Here's some trips I've done everyone should do, many of which are obvious...

--Tiger Leaping Gorge, China
--Beijing & Great Wall, China
--Hong Kong, China
--Angkor Wat, Cambodia
--Kyoto/Kinki/Himeji, Japan
--Kamikochi, Japan
--Highway 1, California
--Cusco/Machu Pichu & environs, Peru
--Rio de Janeiro
--Manaus, Brazil
--Coast of Uruguay during January Catholic holidays
--Salvador, Brazil
--Thailand
--Oaxaca/San Cristobal, Mexico, on a motorbike
--Guanajuato, Mexico
--Madrid/Segovia/Valle de los Caidos
--Rajasthan/Delhi/Agra India
--Bavaria -- Munich/Hitlers Eagles Nest/Neuschwanstein castle
--Edinburgh
--Wales/Bath/London
--Paris
--Colorado

Trips I want to do:
--Sail the Caribbean
--Sail the Mediterranean
--sub-Saharan Africa
--Iran
--Papau New Guinean highlands
--Madagascar
--Istanbul
--Glacier National Park, US
--Zion National Park, US
--Medellin, Colombia
--Camping in the Grand Canyon
--Scandinavia
--the Baltics
--Morocco

Do not forget Yellowstone

Post: #65

I haven't travelled internationally in years but this thread has made me lustful for adventure.

Damn you all! This will burn a bunch of my savings.

Post: #66

Bump.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #67

Second the Northern Lights. We went up to Tromsø away up in Northern Norway in the Arctic Circle.

Got the proper viewing of the lights on our final day, day 3, up on a mountain just outside Tromsø which is an island city.

We went up on a cable car with the guy we stayed with and his dog. The lights made their appearance and we stuck around drinking freezing cold beers. Afterwards we all, dog included, went crashing back down the mountain. I smashed myself into many a tree on the steep hike down, our host was a skieer so he knew how to cut his boots.

The place itself struck me more than the lights. Rugged natural beauty, we were in an area with Norwegian fjords. Various islands connected by bridges. A guy we met drive us out across these blizzard landscapes in an previous attempt to see the lights.

Another thing was the effect the place had on people. Small populations and highly isolated. With the most Northern University and brewery in the world apparently. Almost 24 hours darkness in winter on account of how Northern it is. People told us they were in a constant battle not to lose their minds. It showed with the guy who drove us out, he was a very smart and cool guy but he enjoyed his drugs. Our host was slightly unhinged, blasting his music at all hours and hitting whiskey. But maybe he was just naturally a bit more mad judging by an adventurous past when he used to DJ in Brazilian jungles. One thing I did take particular note of though was that the shops had big floodlights facing out from their windows onto the streets to light them up. This was supposedly to simulate natural light and to mitigate against depression that the environment caused for people. So it would seem that the slight madness of the people we met was probably a decent cross section of this mad place on earth as a whole.

Post: #68

For me it's definitely my recent trip to Antarctica.

It started out more of bucket list thing to get the 7th continent done, but once I got there I never saw or felt so inspired by pure nature.

I'm still writing up my experience, which I will be posting in the "Antarctica" thread. I must have taken 5000+ photos, still nothing can capture how majestic it was.

Less then 40,000 people visit Antarctica per year, and it's 1.5x the size of the United States/twice the size of Australia.

Here's some random photos I took:

Penguins just everywhere you look



Tabular icebergs, like 15 stories high, and as long as manhattan, and 90% of it is underwater


More scenery

Post: #69

Iran. Where else can you find sprawling metropolitan cities, history that goes back to 500 BC, world class ski resorts, deserts, and deciduous forests all in one country?!

Post: #70

Post: #71

Post: #72

Right here in the USA, Glenwood Springs CO

Post: #73

I went to Molokai today. Haven't been in a while but I always forget how gorgeous it is over there.

It's small planes that come in real low, so you get great views. You see these massive cliffs and waterfalls:

Aloha!

Post: #74

This is Mt. Kaala on Oahu:


Ive climbed it three times in my life. There's some spooky stuff going on at the top, and they chase you out after a little while:



But you can see all of the island from up there:



Aloha!

Post: #75