http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Omega/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Omega en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:03:55 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:03:55 +0000 When a group of clueless early pioneers heading for California decided to take a shortcut through its boundaries this gem of incredible natural beauty and superlative climatic conditions became forever associated with this very negative name. But the ldquoDeath Valleyrdquo denomination is so inconsistent with the rich variety of animal and plant species that make this land their home and wit http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Death-Valley-National-Park/blog-397196.html With absolute stillness the creature sat with a powerful gaze that completely neutralized the glare and reflections on the surface of the water. If it were not for the beautiful but subdued colors in its plumage it would have been very difficult to differentiate its shape against the thick vegetation surrounding it. Several minutes passed by accentuating the creature's almost inanimated stan http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Everglades-National-Park/blog-379752.html The sightings could not be predicted now and then you would hear the familiar noise that the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins make to clear water from the breathing hole and then soon after one or several of them would try to corner their quarry against the river banks making quite a racket with their tails and fins.On this cold and windy morning Elizabeth and I had biked to the isolated westernmo http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Carolina/Kiawah-Island/blog-371694.html When the rain subsided and more people started to walk through Plaza del Obradoiro towards the cathedral it was easy to identify who among the visitors had arrived to town on foot many among them had been on the trails for about one month and hiked over 780 km 485 miles from the border between France and Spain. A few of them had actually started their trek from origins much more distant such http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Galicia/Santiago-de-Compostela/blog-342442.html My original intention was to hike and otherwise explore Santa Cruz Island the largest and most diverse of seven Channel Islands just west of the coast of California and part of the Channel Islands National Park.My 545 AM expedited departure from Los Angeles allowed me to reach Ventura Harbor in just over an hour driving along Highway 101 North. I arrived there with plenty of time to catch the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Santa-Barbara/blog-335942.html As the plane slowed down to land on the runway upon descending at the San Pedro Sularsquos International Airport I wondered about my maternal grandfatherrsquos own arrivals in Honduras during the first half of the last centuryhellip His business trips to this country set in motion a long chain of events that ultimately produced the reason for my current visit to this lush and beautiful pla http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/blog-331629.html After the unwelcome and unanticipated delay Nelson and I were finally on board the train that would take us to the city of Naarden the ancient capital of Holland before Amsterdam became its capital and also the capital of the entire country of the Netherlands. Though yesterday had been a very productive day in terms of the video production work needed for our upcoming International Broadcast Co http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/blog-329053.html In quick succession Margot drove my three friends and me to the most representative localities in Amsterdam starting with the seaofbicycles around Central Station where people leave their bikes before catching their trains. Though I was very familiar with many of these localities from my previous visits to the city I was surprised to be acquainted with others that had managed to remain under http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/blog-321863.html My first lucky moment in the last several hours occurred when I drove into the last free space at the parking lot closest to the Village of Eze half way between Nice and Monaco. My being there on this cloudy afternoon after spending an almost sleepless night on a transcontinental flight was pushing the limits of comfort but I was actually very happy to have the opportunity to explore a place al http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-282361.html The idea would be preposterous unless you had the fortune of being one of the crewmembers onboard a space shuttle which can actually go around the World in about sixty minutes as it travels in low Earth orbit at speeds ranging from 18000 to 26000 miles per hour. But aside from the unique experience of space travel in itself and the incredible views of Earth from space what would be the point o http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/Las-Vegas/blog-270655.html After the extreme virtual time travel from yesterday at the Valley of Fire visiting this site that started forming only about one million years ago should have felt somewhat different but I found that it also contrasted the timelessness of our planet against the short human experience in it. Cathedral Gorge showcases abstract landscapes that are extremely unusual. Within its bounds you find g http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/blog-269345.html With every step on the loose sandy path among the massive red rock formations I felt a virtual time counter moving back ever faster through the centuries and then the millennia until a time during the Mesozoic era at the end of the Jurassic period 150 Million years ago when everything in my surroundings was at the bottom of an inland sea.Even at the present time the Valley of Fire feels like a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/blog-268385.html As I walked around the parkrsquos large pond with my overnight roller trailing behind me neither the numerous water fowl cruising the surface of the water nor the people sitting on the surrounding benches or walking their dogs on the paths seemed to take much notice of me.From my part I was truly enjoying myself being an observer of the morning activity developing all around me and capturing a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-262533.html Beijing China had been trying to host the Olympic games for many years and when the IOC finally awarded them to the city the entire country became intent to showcase the new China to the World. The same will and pride that inspired building the awesome Great Wall and the magnificent Forbidden City are now driving the construction of the most spectacular sports venues that the World has ever see http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/Olympic-Park/blog-255759.html Somebody said that you couldnrsquot claim to have been in China until you have been to the site of the Qin terracotta army in Shaanxi province near Xi'an. Often during my frequent business visits to China I had thought about visiting this place but always considered that it was just not possible to fit it in within the limited free time that I get sometimes.It was actually Elizabeth who kept i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shaanxi/Xi-an/blog-254377.html I actually did not notice the huge snowflakes profusely coming down until I was half through my breakfast at a small lounge on the sixth floor of my hotel. My cue came from other guests who kept glancing in the direction of the windowshellip A heavy snowstorm is not a common sight in Tokyo but having one just after a relatively warm day the previous day was really out of the realm of possibi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/Shinjuku/blog-246081.html The story has all the elements for a Hollywood production a good noble guy who dies unfairly a corrupt court official and cunning villain who is disliked by everyone but seems to be always ahead of the game the good guyrsquos loyal subordinates who are totally determined to avenge their masterrsquos death at whatever price even with their own lives... In the end the story has sparked http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-245266.html Sam Yeung and I met at the lobby of my hotel at 1100 AM this morning and then left together by taxi for Ditan Park in the northern side of Beijing. Though Sam no longer works for my company we remain good friends and wanted to have the opportunity for some needed catch up.Ditan Park is a 40acre wooded break in the otherwise heavily populated area just outside Beijingrsquos second ring road http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-243155.html The almost 700 yearold complex is impressive just in terms of its age but Dong Yue Miaorsquos has also an aura of otherworldliness to it. After all it is supposed to represent the realm of the afterlife at least according to the Taoist faith. This great surviving ancient temple in Beijing was built in 1322 and was thoroughly restored and opened to the public in 1999 by the Chinese govern http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-239980.html It took exactly one hour to drive the 21 miles around 34 km from Kiawah Island to the point in Charleston where King Street ends at the edge of the water passing through the business district. This historical section of the city in the proximity of White Point Park is still a fair representation of what the town used to look when it was named Charles Town and the U.S.A. was still a British col http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/South-Carolina/Charleston/blog-231801.html