Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for international travel
Dolphins 101
By Linda Tancs
Meet Chabelita, Kayena, Pasku, Nubia, Alita and Machu. Those are just some of the dolphins waiting to engage with you at Curaçao’s Dolphin Academy. Located at the Curaçao Sea Aquarium marine animal park, the facility offers dolphin interactive and educational programming covering topics like dolphin training, communication, cognition, senses and anatomy. Put your knowledge to the test while enjoying an open ocean dive, where the dolphins will meet you outside their lagoon in the open ocean and dive with you among some of the most beautiful coral reefs of Curaçao.
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Alpine River Rafting
By Linda Tancs
Water sports enthusiasts adore the Soča, an Alpine river that rumbles for eighty-six miles through western Slovenia and northeastern Italy. Its tropical hue of green/blue belies the exhilaration it offers adventure travelers like kayakers, who are greeted with signage at various entry points warning them not to underestimate the river’s wrath. Don’t overestimate your talents; take some lessons at one of the many kayak schools all along the river. Bovec is a popular point of entry where you can obtain a river permit. Enjoy the season through October.
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Madrid’s Hidden Beauty
By Linda Tancs
Prado is Spain’s national art museum, located in central Madrid and filled with masterpieces by Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya and El Greco, to name a few. The museum’s collection ranges from the late second century to the threshold of the 20th century. With that much ground to cover, you’ll be grateful that the museum is offering an exhibition through 10 November to showcase its vast inventory–at least from the 14th to 19th centuries. “Hidden Beauty: Fra Angelico to Fortuny” features artists like Murillo, Rubens, Watteau, Goya, and Fortuny.
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The Jungle’s Temple
By Linda Tancs
Ta Prohm is a temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. One of the most visited sites in the region, this former Buddhist monastery is probably best known for the massive tree trunks and roots that have consumed the structure in an eerie natural embrace. Not surprisingly, the site was used in the film Tomb Raider.
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Sculpted by Nature
By Linda Tancs
In northeast Vietnam lies Ha Long Bay, an expansive area of over 1600 largely uninhabited islands and islets. Thanks to its exceptional abundance of limestone cliffs, caves and arches sculpted by nature, this popular tourist destination is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reachable from Hanoi (about a four-hour drive each way), consider a two-day excursion, complete with junk boat accommodations. You won’t want to miss the dark sands of Scorched Beach or the picturesque formations of Heavenly Palace Cave. Visit by month’s end while the weather is best.
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The Bridge of God
By Linda Tancs
In southern Ethiopia the twin lakes of Abaya and Chamo are divided by a spit of land called the Bridge of God, seemingly named for its heavenly nature. On the Lake Chamo side, its animal inhabitants might seem equally divinely inspired–or otherworldly, depending on your perspective. For instance, the area sports the world’s largest population of giant crocodiles, measuring nearly 20 feet in length. A boat trip will take you safely through the so-called crocodile marketplace, where you’ll also see hippos and a magnificent array of birds (including rare species). The lake’s northern end lies in Nechisar National Park, east of Arba Minch.
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Last of the Corn Mills
By Linda Tancs
In 1132, 13 monks came to England’s Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire to live a simpler life and created what now remains the most complete Cistercian corn mill in the country. You can have a whack at grinding some corn and watch the water wheel go round. But that’s only part of the charm of this estate, a World Heritage Site. The locale lays claim to some interesting monikers: The Temple of Fame in Studley Royal Water Garden; Anne Boleyn’s Seat (site of a decapitated statue before John Aislabie inherited the estate in the 1700s); The Serpentine Tunnel (a dark, winding tunnel cut through rock that was designed to spook guests of Aislabie); and the Temple of Piety (originally dedicated to Hercules). There’s also the Hermit’s Grotto and The Way of the Roses, a 170 mile coast-to-coast cycle route passing through the deer park.
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Summer Lotus at Shimabara
By Linda Tancs
Japan’s Shimabara Castle is located in Shimabara, Nagasaki prefecture. The five-storied castle keep was originally constructed in the 17th century. Although it survived the Shimabara Rebellion (arising from a ban on Christianity) and feudal rule, its keep and outer towers were subsequently demolished in the 1800s and the grounds used for municipal purposes instead. Today’s bright white castle was reconstructed in the 1960s, a faithful reproduction that houses a museum featuring exhibits concerning the rebellion and feudal reign. Summer visitors are treated to a magnificent carpet of lotus flowers at the castle’s original base.
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The Ramparts of Tuscany
By Linda Tancs
Just an hour outside Florence is an Italian gem called Lucca, a walled city in Tuscany with enough epicurean delights to rival the culinary masters in Rome. Easily accessible from Pisa (the closest airport), its medieval ramparts coalesce into greenways welcoming casual strollers and cyclists. The bricked Guinigi Tower, one of the few remaining within the city walls, has a hanging garden at its apex and sports beautiful panoramic views of the city. The summer festival is a big draw now. This year’s event features artists like Bryan Adams, Neil Young and Mark Knopfler.
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World’s Steepest Street
By Linda Tancs
Dunedin, New Zealand boasts the world’s steepest residential street, with an average slope of 1:5. Recognized by Guinness World Records, 1150-foot-long Baldwin Street gives any StairMaster a run for its money. Good thing a water fountain greets you at the summit! Best of all, though, it runs up Signal Hill, offering great views of Otago Harbor. Together with the peninsula, Otago Harbor is home to some of the rarest wildlife in the world and New Zealand’s only castle, Larnach Castle.
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