Where Else but Masada, Does the Desert Look Like This?

There are so many things to see and do in Israel that it could take a lifetime to see and do it all.  It's amazing that there is so much history both of the world and of religion in one tiny slice of real estate.  Nearly all of the world's major religions have deep and profound connections to this tiny country.  There are forever disputes over who has the rights to what parcel of land in this region.  There is a lot to learn about this amazing place.
Now, I suppose that it would make sense to visit Jerusalem.  Possibly Nazareth, Galilee, and Bethlehem too.  But that will be a lesson in some history and a whole lot of religious doctrine, so I thought that it would be fun to suggest looking into something a little off the beaten path.
It's called the fortress of Masada.  This is one of King Herod's monuments to paranoia and a showcase to his opulent wealth.  It comes with a whole lot of history too.

1. Small bathhouse 2. Herod's palace-villa 3. Storerooms 4. Apartment building 5. Snake-path gate 6. Casemate-wall 7. Zealots' living quarters

8. Underground cistern 9. Southern bastion 10. western palace 11. Throne room 12. West gate 13. Synagogue 14. Large bathhouse

Masada, or citadel, which is pretty much what the word actually means, was a massive fortress built just before the time of Christ, by King Herod.  It was one of seven massive fortresses that he had built throughout his kingdom.  It was a combination of preparation to be under siege, and a show of his power and wealth.  He had Roman baths, which were controversial in the area at the time, huge storerooms to stash supplies in, and an opulent palace-villa where he lived.  It was an imposing fortress that covered the top of the plateau 1,200 feet above the desert floor, overlooking the Dead Sea.  There were several sections to the fortress which made it a self contained entity, that could survive a long time under siege.

Everything was taken into consideration.  There were towers where they raised and housed pigeons for food.

They had deep caverns to hold collected rainwater to drink.
The whole place is amazing, and it's well worth a look.  The guides are very knowledgeable and will tell you all of the amazing history of the place.  Herod was prepared for his fate.  But no one could have seen what was coming years later.
In 66 CE a group of Jewish religious Zealots, as they have been called, took refuge in the old fortress to escape the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans.  They had plenty of stored preserved food left over from Herod's time, and thought that they would be fine living there.  The problem being that a few years later, the second temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the Roman's decided that it was also time to deal with Masada.
The Romans descended upon the fortress where the resistance was holed up, and prepared to enter the citadel.  Going against Jewish law, the occupants staged a mass murder/suicide to avoid being captured by the Romans.  Only a woman and five children were found alive, which is quite possibly why the story is still known today.
Now, the fortress is here for our viewing and education.  It is a place that is steeped in history and teaches us a valuable chapter in Israel's history.
 

Now, we know a little about the history.  What about actually going there?  Well, it's best to not go in the middle of summer or in the dead of winter.  The summer brings about such heat that they will not let you walk the paths to the fortress unless you go early in the morning.  In the winter they don't have the beautiful light show at night that goes with the historical performances in the amphitheater.  So, pick your poison there.  Also, do not be concerned if you can't make the 15-20 minute walk from one side or the hour long hike from the other.  There is a cable car to help you along the way.  There is a lot of ground to cover within the fortress itself, so there will still be walking to do.  I always say bring water.  This is the desert.  bring a hat for the sun too.  There is a gift shop where you can get a drink if you don't have enough.
Now, I did mention that Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, right?  Well, that's the other part of this one.

After wearing yourself out climbing around Masada, it's time to take a dip in the world's most salt concentrated body of water.  This baby has a higher saline concentration that the Great Salt Lake in Utah.  And here's the catch.
The Dead Sea is known for it's therapeutic effect on people.  It's a well known belief that salt helps many ailments, and this water is full of it.  People come to soak in this water because they want to feel better.  They want to ache less.  People come here and rub the black mud from the area all over their bodies, because the minerals in this earth are healing and make people feel better.  It's not unusual to see people covered in black mud around this sea.  It's what they come here for.
The Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth, coming in at 417 feet below sea level.  The Jordan River empties into it, but so slowly that the salt collects faster than the water,  thus the high salt content.  There are no fish or other living creatures in this sea.  One end of it is an industrial collecting grounds for the salt.

One of the most endearing qualities of the Dead Sea is that anyone can just float around in it.  The high salt content makes us humans way more buoyant.  Most people lay in the water and read or watch the world go by.  It's a truly unique experience.
So, even though the Middle East is never the most placid and stable place in the world, they have so much to offer that it would be a shame to take it off your bucket list because of terrorists.  Take a chance and come to the desert world of Masada and the Dead Sea.

http://www.bibleplaces.com/deadsea.htm
http://www.extremescience.com/dead-sea.htm
http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Discover%20Israel/Geographic%20Regions/Pages/The%20Dead%20Sea%20General%20Info.aspx#Paragraph1
http://www.bibleplaces.com/masada.htm
http://www.israeltour.com/categories/about/masada.asp
http://www.chabad.org/special/israel/points_of_interest_cdo/aid/588226/jewish/Masada.htm
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/341444/jewish/The-Rock-and-the-Menorah.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nae2k47qOw
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html
http://www.israeldiscoverytours.com/
http://www.yallatours.com/israel/index.shtml
http://www.israel-guides.net/private-tour/mysterious-masada/
http://www.desertecotours.com/english/dead_sea_massada.asp
http://www.guidedtoursisrael.com/dead-sea-tour.html 
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

While you're there, if you like a lot of hiking and climbing, check out Qumran and the caves of the Dead Sea Scrolls too.
Enjoy!
  

Barrancas de Cobre...Welcome to Mexico's Canyons

One of the reasons that I travel is for the view.  Give me a great view, and I'm good.  Canyons provide some of the best views in the world.  Most of us have heard so much about the Grand Canyon and the Rift Valley that we sometimes overlook some other amazing canyons and gorges in the world.  There are websites totally devoted to those of us who love canyons.

Now, most of us perceive canyon travel to be rustic at best.  We see it as a lot of hiking, burros are involved, we have to drag along tons of water, and it's probably desert terrain and very hot.
Well, I have one that in many ways is different.  Copper Canyon, Mexico in the Chihuahua region is not your typical canyon.  It's six canyons, and if you think that you've seen it all because you were visiting it's neighbor up north in Arizona, then you are sorely mistaken.
 
Unlike the Grand Canyon, there are people living in the canyon besides the local native tribes people.  There are towns in there with people living, working and taking care of the tourists.  It's not several miles on foot with burros to the bottom to see a ranch.  This place has roads, although some of them are quite rudimentary.  There are cable car rides and driving routes here as well as the extensive horseback and hiking options.  There are natives here that have foregone the technological outside world and still live off the land in the area.  They are called the Tarahumara People or the Raramuri, and they have lived in the canyons for centuries.  They move about a bit, living in small cabins in the warmer months and in caves in the cooler months.  They don't really have any interest in interacting with the tourists, so if you get a chance, and find one of the tribespeople who want to meet you, don't blow it.  It's not every day that these locals find someone that they wish to interact with.

The views are amazing, and there's things there that literally have just come to the attention of the outsiders of the canyons.  For instance, there's a new waterfall.  It's not new, but it's new to all of us.  Discovered in 1996, Piedra Volada Falls are the highest in Mexico and eleventh highest in the world.  They are somewhere around 1,500 feet high in the wetter seasons.  In the dry seasons there are no falls there at all.  But, when they are running, it's spectacular.
 
And there are more falls in the canyons.  There are several extremely high waterfalls, as well as small and beautiful cascades.  When we think of Mexico, so often we think only of the hot arid dessert.  These mountains are full of beautiful rivers, streams, waterfalls, lakes, and hot springs.
 
Recohuata Hot Springs are only about 13 miles from Creel, a larger hub town in the area.  The springs are actually too hot for humans, but the area to get into them is a little ways down where the water from the local streams come in.  It's a wonderful place to spend a little time and just relax.
And if you like to relax while on vacation, there is the lovely Mirador Hotel which sits on the edge of the highest part of the canyon--about 8,000 feet--and is luxurious as well as having an excellent view.
 

There are many things to see and do in the canyons of Copper Canyon.  There are ruins from the times of the Conquistadors.  There are paintings from prehistoric times.  There are local arts and crafts, and sports activities to explore and learn about.  There are boat rides and even cable car rides within the area of this magnificent parkland.
Now, once you've taken a look around at what you wish to see, whether it's waterfalls, ruins, local people, caves, rock formations or whatever;  there is one thing that you absolutely must do.
 
You must check out ChePe.  That is one of the most amazing trains and train rides in the world.  This train route took almost 100 years to complete.  It only opened in the 1960's  It goes from sea level to 8,000 feet in elevation, and has some of the most stunning scenery viewable anywhere.  It has 39 bridges and 86 tunnels on it's route and runs some 390 miles.  It's a four hour ride, unless you get off to explore which is perfectly fine.  It's completely unforgettable.  This is that thing.  This is that activity that anyone can do.  This is that thing that makes anyone able to have an adventure here.
You don't have to rappel down a cliff, although you can.  You don't have to hike for miles to remote spots to see the sights, although you can.  You don't have to ride horses or use burros to camp out in the remoteness, although you can.  You can enjoy this area just by taking a trip on this train.  It stops in all the best places, so that you can meet the Raramuri, see the waterfalls, have amazing views, and shop for the local crafts.  It's an amazing way to see an amazing place.  This is one of those off the charts kind of places.  It's not the Grand Canyon, therefore it's not crowded like the Grand Canyon.

Come see something spectacular.  Meet some amazing people who still live in their traditional lifestyle.  Come see the wildlife, the waterfalls, the rock formations, and for goodness sake; ride the train.
Enjoy!

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/waterfalls-chihuahua-mexico-61641.html
http://www.coppercanyoninsider.com/
http://www.mexicovacationtravels.com/cenotes-natural-pools/piedra-volada-falls-waterfall-flowing-or-dry-this-place-is-beautiful.html
http://www.coppercanyontrails.org/
http://www.mexicotravelnet.com/copper_canyon/coppercanyon.htm
http://canyonsworldwide.org/copperCanyonOrg/index.html
http://mexicoscoppercanyon.com/
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/copper-canyon
http://coppercanyonmexico.com/
http://ratechex.com/hotels/landing?location_id=22123&keyword_id=68939b7f014ba20ab338d940e76f4414&keyword_template_id=0_3&creative_template_id=C_0&source=adcenter
http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/other_destinations/mexico/copper_canyon/index.html?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=usa_rail_tours_escorted&utm_term=copper%20canyon%20mexico%20train

http://canyonsworldwide.com/ 
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

If You Need Something for Everyone, but Want Someting Unusual...Come to Pigeon Forge and Area

I thought is was about time that I came back to the U.S.  I do live here.  I just prefer to do my traveling in the warmer months.  I mean, you can go to Disney in the winter and take a cruise in the South and whatever, but that isn't the kind of thing that I look for.  Been there, done that.
I've always been an advocate of the something for everyone style vacation.  If you have a family, you know how hard it is to make everyone happy.  That's why I've picked out Pigeon Forge and the surrounding area.  This is one of those places.  You get the culture which is almost pure country and southern.  You get a lot of history, including a museum of the Titanic.  This is not something that I expected to see in Tennessee.
The Titanic Museum is a hands on experience.  You get a ticket that looks just like the ones that the passengers of the ill feted ship had to board.  You get to see a replica of the grand staircase and other areas of the ship.  You get to feel ice and ice water to experience what it was like for the victims.  You also get to see things that were recovered from the ship.  It's a unique museum, and it sits in Eastern Tennessee.

The most famous thing about Pigeon Forge is Dolly Parton and her Smokey Mountain theme park, Dollywood.  This place is one of those wonderful spots that has all the action of thrill rides and water parks, but is in a beautiful setting.  It's not Disney, but it's really cool.  Not to mention, if you get there on opening day, which is tomorrow, you might just get to see Dolly, herself.  She goes to every opening day in person, to greet the new season's visitors.  Dollywood's creators add new attractions every year and try to keep the park at one with it's surroundings, so you won't see the normal gaudy displays that you see at other amusement parks.  You'll still see beautiful woodland buildings and lots of gardens.
In Pigeon Forge, you can stop by the old mill and buy tickets to any of the shows in town.  You can see just about anything.  They have magic, comedy, murder mystery, gospel, country, bluegrass, dinner show, and even the Hatfields and McCoys.  That's right, there's a Hatfields and McCoys Dinner Theater.  It's a comedy show that includes the feud, and some really great fried chicken and pulled pork.  So, if you have a family that's hard to please, pick out a show.  There has to be something that everyone can agree on.

Oh yeah, if the Hatfields and McCoys feud isn't enough thrill for you, you could always check out the Feuding Lumberjack show.

Then there's Wonderworks.  It's a little unusual.  It's one of the best interactive children's museums I've ever seen.  This place has climbing walls, virtual rides, and the place is upside down.  You can't dislike that.  Kids get to make giant bubbles, sit in space capsules, try on space suits, and lie down on a bed of nails.  There are many things inside this place to keep everyone busy from simulated earthquakes to laser tag.  It's a lot of fun and a lot of activity for children.


If you get tired of Pigeon Forge and Dollywood, even though I can't imagine how, there's always Gatlinburg right up the road.  This is a picturesque laid back area where you can concentrate on shopping for the local crafts, and plenty of restaurants that serve wonderful southern food.  If the pace of Pigeon Forge gets a little fast for you, take a side trip to Gatlinburg.  In Gatlinburg, you'll find a lot of touristy stuff, but it's fun.  You can also take a gondola or skylift ride up the mountains.  There are shows to see if you want, but it's easier to just kick back and relax.

Now, if the shopping and the shows aren't enough of a thrill for you, Sweetwater has something a little different.  The Redneck Resort is the place to go mud bogging.  And this is why I picked this vacation for the blog.  This place has mud bogging and rock crawling events.  You can come on over and watch, or if you're real adventurous, you can join in.  They do ATV's, 4WD's, and many other kind of vehicle competitions.  It's a lot of fun, it's loud, and it's dirty.  If you ever wondered what good ole boys and their families do for fun, here you go.  This is a place that for a fee, will allow you to try out mud bogging.  That's right, you can ride along with a bogger, or you can try the bog yourself.  There aren't many places around that are set up for the public like this one, so you should check it out.  The fees are reasonable, and the waivers are ready to be signed.  Just don't wear anything that's hard to clean.  If you like, you can camp in the dry part of this resort as well.
 
And my last idea for this little road trip is to visit the Cherokee Nation.  Cherokee, North Carolina isn't far from Pigeon Forge, but if you're that close and you don't go, don't blame anyone but yourself.  This is an amazing town.  Yes, they have a casino, but it's so much more.
Cherokee is in a narrow valley in the Smokey Mountains.  It's one of the most beautiful places on Earth.  The village is always bustling with activity.  In the summer they have festivals and pow wows.  It's wonderful to see the crafts, and learn the dances.  Most of the time in the warmer months there are dancers in full dress doing the dances on the streets and teaching people about the significance of each dance.  The kids always get to try out the dances and join in.  It's a lot of fun.
The Cherokee Indians were driven from their home in the 1830's by the Indian Removal Act.  The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians is the group that now lives in Cherokee.  Thousands of Cherokee were removed from the area, and thousands of them died on the forced walk to Oklahoma.  That's why it's called the trail of tears.  The few that stayed behind lived on the private land of a man who had been adopted by them, but was a white man.  It preserved the nation in the east and today, it's become a wonderful area where their culture will never die out.

High in the hills above Cherokee is an amphitheater built into the mountainside.  The acoustics of this place are amazing.  They don't need any speaker system.  You can hear them whisper.  This is where on most evenings in the warmer months you can go to hear them tell their story of the trail of tears.  It's very moving, and should not be missed.
Cherokee is a great place to see beautiful sights, learn about an amazing culture and spend some time watching your kids absorb some history without even knowing that they're learning.  I cannot stress enough that whenever you travel, you should spend as much time as possible learning about the local culture and traditions.
The United States is a big place, and this Smokey Mountain area is only a tiny part of it.  I've noticed that other peoples around the world have been trying to classify Americans as a single entity.  That's simply not possible.  There are so many different cultures and people in this country that it takes a lifetime to experience it all.  You cannot pigeon hole Americans into a single culture--we are many.
One of the best places in the country to learn that is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html
http://www.pigeonforge.com/Home
http://www.hatfieldmccoydinnerfeud.com/
http://titanicpigeonforge.com/about-titanic-pigeon-forge.php
http://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/experience/exhibits/
http://www.dollywood.com/
http://redneckresorts.com/home.html
http://visitcherokeenc.com/
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/
http://www.pigeonforgeonline.com/
http://www.insidepigeonforge.com/
http://www.vacationsmadeeasy.com/GatlinburgPigeonForgeAreaTN/
http://www.cherokeesofsouthcarolina.com/
http://paialowereasterncherokeenationsc.com/
http://www.harrahscherokee.com/
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm 
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings


Enjoy!

The Outback is Something Truly Fascinating...Welcome to Oz

It's an iconic image.  It looks like any of thousands of small towns across the heartland of America.  I grew up in one that had scenery just like this.  It's not unusual.  But, if you've ever wondered what it's really like to make a life in Australia's outback, you might want to check this out.  This is Broken Hill, held by many as the capital of the outback.  It looks pretty common, but it's a little different than most small towns.

Here's the thing that I've learned fast.  The outback of Australia does things they're own way.  Where I live, they would be considered eccentric at best.  But as a traveler, I love these places.  Broken Hill is home to many things that you won't see much anywhere else.  You can stay in a regular hotel and eat at great restaurants, and drive on paved roads there.  It's not as outback as some spots.  It's that the atmosphere is different.  There's so many things to check out.
You can fly to Broken Hill from most cities in that region of Australia, but it's what you can see at the airport that's different.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia has a major hub in Broken Hill.  These are the outback doctors, baby.  They cover thousands of miles of outback with fly in medical services.  Bruce Langford Visitor's Centre at the Broken Hill Airport is where you can learn about this amazing service that helps patients in up to %80 of the country.  There is also a museum there that tells you the history of this amazing service.
At the Broken Hill Visitor Center you can learn about School of the Air.  This is an internet system to help teach children over an area of 1 million square kilometers.  There are less than 100 children in the area, and this system is designed to reach them all.  You can sit in on a class and see how it works if you like.
 
But, just because Broken Hill and the surrounding area over 1,000 miles from Sydney, is remote, doesn't mean that they're lacking in culture.  There are many art galleries in the area from the massive sandstone sculpture garden just outside of town to the world's largest acrylic painting on canvas.  There's even a place where you can get money that's been made into jewelry.
The area is full of galleries as well as museums of all kinds.  The area is known for it's mining history, whether it be opals, lead, zinc, or silver.  There are a few mines that you can tour and see how they extracted these minerals and gemstones from the ground.
Now, why did I mention Broken Hill?  Of course it's unique and gets you out of the city, like I'm always preaching for travelers to do.  However, just up the road a piece from Broken Hill and all it's civility, even though there are more sheep roaming around there than people, is Silverton.

Silverton might look familiar.  The Silverton Hotel might seem like de ja vu.  The black rally car/muscle car/mutant car in front will probably look familiar.  It certainly will to the movie buffs who will enjoy traveling to this area the most.  This one is a movie lover's dream.  If you've ever seen The Road Warrior, Madd Maxx II, that black car in front of the pub will look familiar.  It was filmed here.  The car was one of them used in the movie.
But that's not all.  Over 50 movies have been in part, filmed here.  The landscape lends itself to exotic settings and there aren't many people to get in the way.  There are only about 50 people left living in Silverton.  They virtually all were in the Road Warrior.  The Silverton Hotel is really a pub, and has great hot dogs.  It is a piece of living film history where you can sit down and enjoy it.
But, they have a list of all the movies that were filmed in the area.  They even had Tom Cruise and crew come by to film parts of Mission Impossible II.  If you wander around the area, you will find pieces of film history and old sets.  It's all very interesting.

Mundi Mundi Lookout is a great vantage point just outside the ghost town, and this is where we all saw Mel Gibson staring off into infinity.  It does double as a fabulous place to take photos of the landscape.
Now, if you haven't had enough Madd Maxx after looking over old sets, visiting the pub, checking out Mundi Mundi Lookout, and hearing the tales from the locals, there's a Madd Maxx museum.  This place has a lot of the cars, costumes and other things representing the movie franchise.  It's a monument to the movies, and a must see for anyone who ever enjoyed Madd Maxx.
There are many things of interest in and around Silverton, but even though there are trails around the reservoir, and there are mines like the Day Dream Mine to go down in, remember that it's still arid like a desert.  Well, it is primarily desert.  That's why a safari can be the best way to tool around the area.

A camel safari is something that you wouldn't really expect to encounter in Australia.  It's not ingrained in our views of that country, but here they are.  They take you on short tours of the area on the back of a camel.  It's that something that you would almost expect to do in some parts of Africa or in the Middle East, but here it seems more exotic.  It's a lot of fun and it just adds to the wonderful day that you can have in Silverton.  There are also mines to tour, and shops to browse.  It's a wonderful little ghost town that is really worth a look.
Can you stay here?  Well, yes you can, but...  There is a cottage for a single group.  There is a hostel with minimal amenities.  There is a campground that accommodates RV's.  That's why I mentioned Broken Hill.  That's where the day tours to Silverton run out of, and that's where the food and lodging really are.  The easiest way to do it is to do that.  I know that I should be saying that the experience is what it's all about, but you can go camping anywhere and stay in a hostel anywhere.  It's not that singular experience that I often advocate.  Do yourself a favor and stay in the city.  Be comfortable and don't risk ruining a truly wonderful outback experience by delving too far into outback lifestyle.  Remember, you're here for a look, not to join the community.

So come and check out the red landscape around Broken Hill, see an old silver mine, visit the sets of movies, and take a camel for a ride.  It's an amazing area to visit.  It's rustic to say the least.  It still seems to signal a trek back in time in most places, even though in Broken Hill they are building brand new movies studios to accommodate all the commercials and movies that are filmed here.
The movie guys like it because it's remote and beautiful.  You'll enjoy that about it too.

http://www.brokenhillaustralia.com.au/
http://www.australianexplorer.com/silverton.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Silverton/2005/02/17/1108500198942.html
http://www.silverton.org.au/index.php
http://www.madmaxonline.com/museum/
http://www.aussiepubs.com.au/pubs/silverto/index.htm
http://www.hotels.com/
http://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/
http://www.silvercitytours.com.au/http://silvertoncamels.net/BRCS/BRCS.html
http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/outback-nsw/broken-hill-area/silverton/tours
http://www.atn.com.au/nsw/west/west-a.htm 
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

Enjoy!

Kunming, The Beauty and Culture of China

There are many things that I will never learn about China.  It's a subject not only on travel, but also culture, politics, and history, that would take much longer for me to study than the time I have left on this Earth.  It's one of those places that are always full of surprises.  I like surprises.
Kunming is one of the best surprises that I've seen in China.  It's a bustling overpopulated city, with great food, good shopping, lots of traffic, and fairly cheap hotels.  It's a balance between old and new, and I'm not sure which one is winning.

Dianchi Lake is on the south side of the city of Kunming.  This is a place of beautiful gardens and something called the Yunnan Ethnic Village or the Minorities Village.  This place showcases 25 different ethnic groups from the Yunnan Province.  They have food, crafts, lifestyle displays, and even music and dance.  It's an organized way for you to get to know the ways of their ancestors.  In a country that's modernizing at an uncanny speed, this is a good thing.  It keeps the system going.  It keeps the people attached to their roots.  It's also a lot of fun for the tourists.

Now, if you like shopping, Kunming has got it.  There are high end stores downtown.  There are market areas, like Nanping Business Street, and they have a couple of other open market areas as  well.  Each area is a little different from the others.  Nanping is one of the oldest, but not in the best shape.  These places don't care much about hours either.  They're open well into the night, and at night, people selling stuff out of the trunks of their cars are everywhere downtown.  As far as the eye can see.
Kunming is a bustling city, with a bright modern future.  It is also a great place for history and the past.  There are skyscrapers here and there are ancient temples.  It is rumored that not only was this place temporarily ruled by Genghis Khan, but it was also visited by Marco Polo.  It's not that this place is out of the way.  It's just that this place is nice and it has a few activities and other attributes that no place else has.
Now, why do I mention it on my blog?  Well, it has some very unusual features.

First and foremost, there is the Stone Forest.  This place reminds me of Tsingy Park in Madagascar.  There are hundreds of acres of these naturally formed spires.  Here the locals will tell you that many of them remind people of animals or other items.  One of them is a hanging rock, which precariously hangs as suggests its name.  The myth here is that if you truly love your lady, you will risk all and stand under the rock to prove your love.  It's a good thing that chivalry and proving oneself hasn't gone out of fashion.

Regardless, there is nothing like a labyrinth of stone spires to make for a very interesting day out of the city.  You can normally book a tour that drives you out on a bus for the day.  It's a nice ride and a fascinating look at mother nature.  There are also some caves in the area with some amazing formations, and one of them has a lake in it.

Not far from Kunming City is a wonderful ancient religious site called Dragon's Gate.  It is a thousand steps or so up.  The good thing about this is that there is also a cable car that you can catch in Haigeng Park.  There are also two wonderful old temples in the area to visit, Huating and Taihua.  This is a wonderful country visit from the city, with views that normally only angels have.  It's well worth the visit.

Now, there are many things to do in the area.  There are influences from a lot of different cultures.  That alone would keep you busy for quite a while, what with some of the cultures in the area being influenced by nearby Myanmar and Vietnam.  But, this is the modern age.  This is the time when China is moving ahead, modernizing everything, and keeping its economy going in some very strange ways.

Not far away is the city of Chendong.  This city was farmland not so long ago.  There are quite a few of these cities cropping up in China, and they are fascinating.  The government is building them to offset a possible real estate bubble.  The thing that strikes me about these cities, which are becoming more and more well known, is that there are little to no people there.  There are empty apartment buildings, empty shopping malls, empty houses, even empty subways.  It's eerie and worth the visit outside the box just to take a look.  How often do you get to see a vacant large city?
So, if you want a place that has reasonable hotel prices and a lot to see and do that you won't find anywhere else, come to Kunming.  Take a look at the past and the future.  Have some Over the Bridge Noodles, see some cultural dance and crafts, visit some temples, take a walk on the wild side, and enjoy a unique place with a lot to offer.  And remember, this is one of the lesser crowded cities in China, and the pollution is less than in a lot of areas.
Enjoy!

http://www.chinahighlights.com/kunming/attraction/yunnan-minority-village.htm
http://www.chinatouronline.com/china-travel/kunming/kunming-travel-tips/things-to-do-in-kunming.html
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/yunnan/kunming/stone_forest.htm
http://worldfacts.us/China-Kunming.htm
http://www.chinaodysseytours.com/yunnan/dongchuan-red-land-lexiagua.html
http://www.chinatourguide.com/Kunming/yunnan_ethnic_village.html
http://www.chinafacttours.com/kunming/attractions/yunnan-ethnic-village.html
http://www.yunnan-roads.com/travel/kunming/yunnan-ethnic-village.htm
http://www.yunnan-roads.com/tours/yunnan.htm
http://www.chinahighlights.com/kunming/attraction/the-stone-forest.htm
http://www.chinahighlights.com/kunming/
http://www.chinatourstailor.com/tours/best-10-top-china-tours.html
http://www.chinakunming.travel/index.aspx
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

Traditions in Japan...Kyoto

 
Kyoto is one of the most beautiful spots anywhere. Kiyomizudera Temple is a beautiful place where ancient meets modern.  The grounds are beautiful. The temple is beautiful.  The Buddhist religion is alive and well, and you can drink to health, wealth, and wisdom.  Or, according to the locals, long life, success in school, and a good love life.

 
Otowa Falls is the place to drink to your good future.  Here the water runs down in three separate streams, so you can choose what you wish to drink for good luck with.  It is considered in poor taste to drink from all three, so make your decisions wisely.

This is an amazing place.  It's not just a building.  There are many buildings, temples, garden structures, bridges.  It is a peaceful and tranquil place to spend the day.  If you've ever wanted to get away from it all, this is a great place to spend some quiet time and enjoy the beauty that the world has to offer.
Now, why did I mention this place?  Well, as usual, it's exotic, it's something that almost everyone can muster up the strength and energy to do, and it's cultural.  Culture is the best part of travel.  There was one other reason that I brought it up.

Kyoto, the location of the temple and grounds, is a cultural hot spot.  If you want to learn about ancient culture in Japan, here's your spot.  The gardens are amazingly well designed.  The trees are bonsai.  The waterways are beautiful.  The cherry blossoms are abundant.  The temples are plentiful.  There's not much here that you haven't seen in the movies.  This is where the traditions live on.
 
This is where modern meets tradition, and this is where you might just see a Geisha in the subway.  It's a way of life.  Here in Kyoto, the world of the Geisha is alive and well.  And if you want, you can go to a dinner club and see the Maiko perform.

Maiko are apprentices to become Geisha.  They spend years learning the art of pleasing people.  They learn to serve tea, dance, and perform for others.  This is the life of the Geisha.  Now, long since they have been noted as prostitutes.  That is not the case for the traditional Kyoto Geisha.  These girls are business women.  They perform for their customers.  They escort them to functions when asked.  They are subservient by trade, but do not confuse this with any kind of weakness.  These girls work for their clients, but their love lives are their own.  They do date and have relationships as would any other woman.  The only catch with her life is that when she gets married, she has to retire.  They are not prostitutes, but they are single women.  When they marry, they are retired.

Gion is the neighborhood where you can experience the Geisha culture.  There are restaurants where the Maiko perform for your entertainment.  They will even teach to you and play traditional drinking games with you.  There are places where they will dress you up like a Geisha and photograph you to impress your friends back home.  There are lots of different ways to experience the Geisha/ Maiko culture.

Kyoto is old world, with tea plantations, Geisha and Maiko, temples, castles, gardens, and canals.  The cherry blossoms in the spring add that little something that makes it like no place else on Earth.  Now, this is a popular tourist destination.  This isn't one of those out of the way places that no one knows about.  That said, make your plans in advance.  There are many tour companies that will help you out.  There are many places to stay.  There are many places to see.  There are many things to do.  This is one of the places that my mind kept coming back to so often that I finally had to write about it.  Enjoy!

http://kyoto-maiko.com/English/plan.html
http://www.city-discovery.com/kyoto/tour.php?id=1380
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3901.html
http://meetuskyoto.com/?gclid=CPfo-Jee67UCFYSe4AodrHcAeQ
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/kansai/kyoto/things-to-do
http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/7-things-to-do-in-kyoto-at-night
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
http://www.japanican.com/tours/list.aspx?aff=GMT&destcd=18
http://www.gojapango.com/Kyoto_Tours
http://www.kyoto.travel/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

It's Not Easy to See, But It's Worth It...The Skeleton Coast

Some places just beg to be visited.  Some of them you visit because of the beauty.  Some you visit because of the fun or the activities.  Some you visit because of historical significance.  Some places you simply visit because you have to see it.  I think that best describes Namibia's Skeleton Coast.
Historically, the Skeleton Coast covered hundreds of miles of Namibia's extraordinary desert coast, but now it's largely been contained inside a National Park.  You can enter the park through the frightening looking skeleton gates, but that's not going to allow you to go to the best parts.
This is one of those rare occasions where I will tell you to book a safari with a recognized tour company who has access to the restricted areas of the Skeleton Coast.  It's the best way to see what you really want to see.

That said, let me tell you that the rest will be an adventure.  The best and only way to get to see all of the shipwrecks along the coast, is to fly in and out in small planes with guides.  These trips are so sophisticated that they come with picnic lunches and specially outfitted Land Rovers with drivers who know where vehicles are allowed to drive.  All you have to do is go along for the ride and bring your camera.  This place is one giant photo op.
 
It's not just the desert that makes this place so treacherous for ships.  The Benguela Current flows in the area, and brings cold water from the Atlantic to the shores of the Namibian Coast here, making fog, and in effect, causing shipwrecks.  There are many stories about seafaring men who ran ashore and spent days looking for life in the desert.  It's a scary combination of desert and crushing currents offshore.
The land along the Skeleton Coast is full of shipwrecks and whale bones.  Reportedly, there are also some human bones wasting away in the sand of long ago tragedies never solved.
Namibia's desert is a fascinating place to visit.  As usual, I wouldn't tell you to go all the way to the most remote shoreline of Africa just to see some rotting old ships, fascinating though they are.
Cape Fur Seals inhabit the coastline, and even set up house inside the wrecked ships.  It's nature's way of making use of a tragedy, I suppose.  The seals fish directly off shore and sun themselves on the beach.  There are hundreds of seals in the colonies and they are quite something to see.

When you safari to the Skeleton Coast, you will most likely stay at a camp.  These camps are quite civilized, and you will find that you are as comfortable in one of these camps as you would be in a hotel.  They have wonderful meals and comfortable shower facilities.  The beds aren't bad either.
But you can go to more than one came and see more than one area while you are in Namibia.

Do you like dunes?  Along the coast of Namibia, you have some whoppers.  There are the Sossusvlei Dunes which are possibly the highest in the world.  They are surreal and glow red.  When on a safari, guides will drive you around them in Land Rovers and walk to the top of some if you wish.  The sand looks soft, but in many places it is walkable.
 
There are also the Roaring Dunes.  These babies are very red, and there's reason.  They're largely garnets.  Part of the sand along the Skeleton Coast is made of semiprecious gemstones, ground into sand.  It gives it a particularly shiny and colorful appearance, and the structure of these dunes makes them vibrate in a way that makes it seem as though they are roaring as you go down them.  It's an amazingly odd experience, that you won't want to miss.

If you go on a safari with a tour company, you will most likely get an opportunity to visit local tribes such as the Himba.  These are a nomadic people who have lived along the edges of the desert for centuries.  You will have a chance to meet them and see a little bit of their lifestyle.

And then there are the animals.  There are desert elephants here, who have adapted to this harsh terrain and live here quite comfortably.  You will also see Hyenas, Zebras, Turtles, many birds and so much more, including the seals.  The wildlife abounds in the harsh place, which is amazing, but there are a great variety of animals in the Western Namib Desert lands.
 
You will have the opportunity to take a boat on the Kunene River and see clay castles on the hilltops and Crocodiles in the water.  Once again, the camps will keep you comfortable and well fed.
This is a multi faceted adventure, and you will find something interesting and fascinating at every turn.  There are caves with archaic drawings in them.  There are oases, and canyons, and gemstones, and shipwrecks.  The Skeleton Coast and the surrounding area have something for anyone.  The best part is that you can go and still have a comfortable vacation.  It's certainly something that will give you impressions that you've never gotten anywhere else.  It will give you a new perspective on the rest of the world.
The world is old in Namibia, whether it be the old rotting ships in the sand, or the pipe-like rocks leftover from the volcanic times, or the dunes that rise unbelievably high against the coast.  Traditions are old here, just like everything else, and you should experience it before the conservationists decide to restrict it even more.  Make a reservation, and let someone else do the thinking on this one.  Just go along for the ride.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/83d91/f11/
http://www.opulentafrica.com/holidays/skeleton_coast_national_park.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=skeleton%20coast&utm_campaign=Skeleton%2BCoast
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http://www.africaexclusivesafaris.com/namibia/skeleton-coast
http://www.thesafaricompany.co.za/The_Skeleton_Coast_Safari.htm
http://www.tamba-africa.co.za/nmb_skeleton.html
http://www.voyagetrek.com/Travel/Tours/Namibia?tfa_SpecialFormNotes=Bing+Yahoo-Search&tfa_SpecialNotes2=Skeleton%20Coast%20safari
http://www.africanodysseysafaris.com/safaris/namibia/the-skeleton-coast/
http://www.african-tribes.org/himba-people.html 
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

Enjoy!