The holidays have arrived. I can't say I'm sorry about having no time to write, but I will be back and writing after Christmas! My son comes home for Christmas and my time is all devoted to him! See you soon after this post.
1. Gobustan National Park, Azerbaijan. We've kind of talked about this one before, in that they have the most mud volcanoes in the world. But there's more to this park than mud.
Not far from the country's capital of Baku, Gobustan NP is multiple plateaus of rock from times of old with petroglyphs to give a clue about life going as far back as 800 BC. There are trails, historic sites and many things to see in this park, that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When visiting this fascinating country, seeing the mud volcanoes is something you shouldn't miss. And who knew, there were signs of ancient civilizations there too.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1076/
https://www.getyourguide.com/gobustan-national-park-museum-l175193/
https://www.firebirdtours.com/sights/gobustan-national-park-azerbaijan
https://azerbaijan.travel/discover-gobustans-ancient-rock-art
2. Deniz or Caspian Waterfront Mall, Baku, Azerbaijan. In America, we'd see this as a super mall. This is something fairly new in the last couple of years in Baku. The mall is five stories high, I'm not sure how many venders inhabit it. They have activities, food, shopping and not far from the building is an eye just waiting to take you for a ride.
The mall sits along the Caspian Sea Waterfront in Baku with amazing views and there's even a view from the top. When in Baku, don't miss this. This is one of the things I love about Baku. You can go out to a national park and see petroglyphs and then go into the city and enjoy all modern life has to offer.
https://www.rehlat.co/en/explore/baku/caspian-waterfront-mall-baku-aserbaidshan-3t3to1molc
https://visitsilkroad.org/destination/baku-caspian-waterfront-mall/
https://bakutravelguide.com/en/deniz-mall-caspian-waterfront/
https://denizmall.az/en/about-the-mall/
3. The Pagan Temple of Garni, Armenia. This is a fascinating one. Built likely in the 1st century, this temple was built in honor of the sun God, Mithra. What's so interesting about it? It was built before Christianity took hold. It was and is labeled a Pagan Temple. It was destroyed at some point, not sure when, and rebuilt in the 1960's. It's now a museum and protected area in a beautiful setting for visitors. There are some pieces with Greek inscriptions on them and a lot to see, not to mention the view.
I have to make a note here. I've been discussing both Azerbaijan and Armenia here. Be careful if you try to visit both countries on the same trip. They are perpetually at war, and that means that border crossings can be difficult. If you visit both, your best bet is to fly and to have a layover in a neutral country in between.
https://www.remotelands.com/travelogues/garni-the-roman-temple-in-armenia/
https://cah.fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies/resources/architecture/garni.html
https://www.worldhistory.org/Temple_of_Garni/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdV_9GM-Ffg
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/whats-ancient-roman-temple-doing-armenia-1-180967756/
4. Moose hunting or spotting. I don't have a best location for this one. I go to Greenville, Maine as most of you know, but you can't count on places lasting forever, and when I was up there last summer I didn't see a single moose. Disappointing. The moose are still in the area, so you can find them nearby. Moose inhabit northern areas and can be found all over northern New England and Canada.
I lieu of having a bunch of new photos to post on my media or talk about here from my last trip to Maine, I thought I would just give some good tips so you can go and see moose of your own.
You can pay a lot of money for a tour with guides who know how to find a moose. It's almost guaranteed, but where's the fun in that? Spending a lot of money to do something that I can learn how to do myself seems like I've missed out on something.
Moose wander. They can walk miles in a day or night. They relocate when timber companies get too close to their habitat and make too much noise. It's just a fact. Moose like water and the algae that comes with the swampy edges of a lake or pond in addition to the thick woods. In Greenville, you can always see them from the air on a flightseeing trip. That's the only moose I spotted on my last trip to Maine.
Moose like the quiet. They're solitary creatures most of the time. They come out mostly at night. Your best time to see them is right at sunrise or sunset. They love bogs and the first thing a moose will do when it rises for the night is go to its favorite watering hole to get a drink. This is the time when if you drive along a quiet country road close to a lake or pond, they will probably walk right out in front of your car. Always drive slow. Just in case you didn't know, moose are large.
There are different seasons for watching moose. I like summer. The antlers are growing, the rut is still months away and the days are long. These all present good odds of spotting the moose. So, quiet, water with algae, dusk and dawn. All the best stuff.
Keep in mind, Moose are wild and big. Never aggravate a moose. They charge and they are dangerous. Keep your distance, bring a zoom lens and don't move so fast that you startle it. You can never be too safe with wildlife. Here are some sites with some more great tips on where and how moose spotting works.
https://www.northernoutdoors.com/where-to-see-moose-in-maine/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGyGKHesu-8
https://www.allagash.com/discover/visit-maine/where-to-see-a-moose/
https://q1065.fm/three-maine-roads-where-youre-likely-to-see-a-moose/
https://lodgeatmooseheadlake.com/blog/2023/08/maine-fall-foliage-at-moosehead-lake/
5. Preserving Travel Memories. I love to travel and I presume if you've read this for years and years, you probably do too. Going places is fun, educational, eye opening, adventurous, and memorable. However, shouldn't you bring something home with you for visual aids for your memories?
There are so many things that you can collect. The first thing that always comes to mind are T-shirts. But how many of those can you collect before you run out of room? The same goes with bulkier items like snow globes and figurines. I've collected a lot of things over the years. I've done post cards to put in a scrapbook, stickers, keychains, and on and on. Somewhere along the way, I had to figure out what was for me.
For me, I needed something that I could always easily pack in my suitcase without adding much bulk or weight. I still get some postcards once in a while, even though I take a million pictures everywhere I go. My favorite collectible item is magnets. My fridge is a work of art with all the magnets from around the world. I can pick out any given one and tell you all about what was happening when I bought it, where and when I was there. It's a scrapbook that's always in front of me. I also pick out photos from my favorite trip every year and design a Christmas ornament for my tree on Zazzle. My Christmas tree is also a scrapbook.
I don't buy as much as I used to, because you just run out of space. I use my photos to make items I use for memories a lot. However, in the more recent years, I've discovered some fun things to spend my souvenir money on. Suncatchers, small plates, even spoons.
But my favorite lately is socks. Most locations have souvenir socks. They're colorful and fun. I find that fun socks make me smile, and souvenir socks are fun. It is true that they don't last, I mean, socks wear out, but I always have my magnets!
The point is, whether you collect plates, shot glasses, dolls or whatever; always have a way to remember all those wonderful trips you take!
https://www.ourescapeclause.com/travel-souvenir-collection-ideas/
https://pulloverandletmeout.com/beyond/17-travel-souvenir-ideas-youll-want-to-collect/
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/souvenirs-88b46929-f155-4b7d-9461-c5fad46f9ebd
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