Stephen Paul

I waited 3 years to see the magical conifer forests of Central Chile. My guide Cote arranged 4 Days on Horseback with Don Angel and his niece Lucilla. A true Huaso, he even makes his own ropes and saddles. One saddle was made of alternating layers of burlap, wool and Guanaco skin! We rode deep into the heart of the Mediterranean High Andes where giant Quisco cactus give way to groves of Austrocedrus chilensis- Southern Cedars found only in Chile. After the archaic Araucaria and coastal giant Alerce, the Ciprés de la Cordillera (Austrocedrus chilensis) is Chile's 3rd most famous conifer. Some trees can be more than a 1000 years old!The HorseThe horse is so many things- a mythical giant, a beast of burden, a friend. To be honest I thought I had experience with horses, ... read more

Museums, Churches and Thieves: Aren't All Big Cities The Same? That was my initial impression after leaving Quito by bus. Why are we spending any time at all in a city when we could be climbing a volcano, river rafting in the cloud forest or hiking to Alpine Lakes? Then I took a minute to think about what I had seen- the soaring 4,784 meter Volcan Pichincha, still active. Impossibly beautiful churches hundreds of years old with interiors coated in gold. A 500 year old bible... 500 years old!! The book was probably held by the priests as they tried to convert the Quitus Indians, killed supposed witches and held Sunday mass. Old town Quito is a maze of tall buildings that are layered on one another, dissected by windy streets going up and down steep ... read more

One of my favorite pages on TravelBlog to explore is the "Travel Photos" tab. It's a temporary escape from my stationary life and the stresses of work. The pictures transport me to far off places through breathtaking photographs rated highly by other travelers on the site. Essentially they make me lust for the next big trip! Please take the time to explore the specific entries- I think they are some of the most impressive that TravelBlog has to offer. And of course if these pictures dont make you hungry or thirsty you might be a nun or monk! You might notice a curious absence of landscapes and people from this collection- I've posted 2 other similar entries. One with just portraits: One with just Landscapes: cheers! ·.´¯'·.´¯'·.´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'· Steve ·.¸¸.·´¯'·.´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.... read more

One of my favorite pages on TravelBlog to explore is the "Travel Photos" tab. It's a temporary escape from my stationary life and the stresses of work. The pictures transport me to far off places through breathtaking photographs rated highly by other travelers on the site. Essentially they make me lust for the next big trip! Please take the time to explore the specific entries- I think they are some of the most impressive that TravelBlog has to offer. You might notice a curious absence of landscapes from this collection- I've posted 2 other similar entries. One with just landscapes(in progress!): One with just food and drink(in progress!): cheers! ·.´¯'·.´¯'·.´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'· Steve ·.¸¸.·´¯'·.´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸--(((º photo=144344... read more

In 2006, a team of intrepid researchers in California discovered 3 trees taller than the Stratosphere Giant of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The tallest living thing in the world is now a Coast Redwood called Hyperion, and it stands an incredible 115.2 meters (378.1 feet) tall! Redwoods have grown and prospered in many areas of Europe, Asia and North America since the warm Paleozoic Era over 160 million years ago. Changes in climate have restricted their natural range and eliminated all but three genera of redwood. Dawn Redwood, (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), is native to a remote area of central China. The Giant Sequoia, (Sequoiadendron giganteum), is native to the western slope of the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The Coast Redwood, (Sequoia sempervirens), is native to the Pacific Coast from southern Oregon to central California, ... read more