http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/steffen/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from steffen en-us Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:59:52 BST Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:59:52 BST ParisBoth long daylight and a lot of sun made the 2008 summer solstice an ideal opportunity to explore one world's most beautiful cities Paris. I stayed for three days which was barely long enough to see the main sights only. Although a bit pricey St. Christopher's Hostel was in fact one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at dormitory BB for EUR 35. Plus it is located near the Gare de l'Est http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/-le-de-France/Paris/blog-290957.html Over the Atlas mountainsI left Marrakesh airport on one of the frequent airport shuttle buses that connect the airport with the city 20dh. I got out at the central bus station and was lucky enough to catch a bus towards Ouarzazate 80dh straight away. The 5 hour bus ride across the High Atlas was impressive it never got boring due to the everchanging landscape with its barren mountains wild http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/Mekn-s-Tafilalet/Merzouga/blog-278060.html Start spreadin' the news I'm leaving todayI want to be a part of it New York New York.Frank Sinatra Theme from New York New YorkWith over 8.2 million residents within an area of 830 km New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. It has been the largest city in the US since 1790 and comprises five boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island and of cou http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/blog-257120.html JerusalemJerusalem is the capital and largest city of Israel. Its history goes back as far as the 4th millennium BC making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual centre of the Jewish people since the 10th century BC. The city contains a number of significant ancient Christian sites and is widely considered the thirdholiest city http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/blog-256478.html My other blogs on EgyptSinai Mountains and Saint Catherine's MonasteryFrom Abu Simbel to Aswan Kom Ombo and EdfuThe ancient temples of Luxor and KarnakTombs temples and a hot air balloonDiving in DahabCairoA visit to the pyramids is definitely one of the highlights of a trip to Egypt. However there is much more to see than only the wellknown Pyramids of Giza. There is a number of other sites w http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-243953.html The Pyramids of Giza at the edge of the Western Desert and the great Mosque of Mohammed Ali not the boxer in the east ... between these two monuments sprawls a vast city the largest in Africa and the Middle East Cairo. Its population is estimated at around 18 million and is swollen by a thousand new migrants every day. Unlike London the amount of green space per citizen has been calculated a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-240768.html The above panoramic photo shows the funerary procession in Ramose's tombMy other Egypt blog entriesDiving in DahabEgyptian pyramids Giza Saqqara and DahshurCairoSinai Mountains and Saint Catherine's MonasteryFrom Abu Simbel to Aswan Kom Ombo and EdfuThe ancient temples of Luxor and KarnakThebesThebes was the capital of ancient Egypt during the 11th Dynasty Middle Kingdom and most of the 18th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Thebes/blog-230861.html The above panoramic photo shows the First Pylon at Karnak TempleAs soon as I stepped off the plane at Luxor airport I realised that late November is an ideal time to visit southern Egypt. I could feel a warm dry breeze on my face when I left the plane. Humidity levels are low all year round due to the surrounding deserts so I didn't see a single cloud on the clear blue sky for the duration of my http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-224522.html The above panoramic photo shows the Ramses colossi at Abu SimbelI arrived in Aswan just after lunch on the morning train from Luxor 1st class LE41. Despite the fact that I had already spent 4 days in Luxor and Thebes I was keen on visiting some more ancient Pharaonic sites both Abu Simbel and Philae Temple were on my agenda. When I travelled back to Luxor I was even able to visit the temples i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Abu-Simbel/blog-224159.html MiamiBy far the bestknown city in Florida Miami is a gorgeous tropical city. Palm trees are everywhere and the temperature never rarely dips below balmy. The Hispanic origins nearly of two thirds its population make Spanish the main language in most areas.Miami Beach is actually a city on its own located on a long slender island. It is linked to Miami by four main causeways. South Beach is the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Miami/blog-214791.html It was already dark when I arrived at MoscowVnukovo on a Saturday evening. I took the airport express train to Kievskaya station RUR 100 or EUR 270 from where I walked down the lively old Arbat street towards my prebooked accommodation in the Hostel Moscow conveniently located in an apartment building near the Arbatskaja metro station. I stayed there for three nights dorm bed EUR 22 per nig http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Northwest/Moscow/blog-208085.html I arrived at Kathmandu airport Nepal's only international one in the early afternoon. After I paid the visa fee US 30 passport photo required at the immigration desk I was allowed to proceed to the luggage belt to find out whether my luggage had arrived. Despite the chaos at Delhi airport where I had boarded the flight my luggage had actually made it. I left the airport and took a taxi int http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-196060.html My first trip to Ireland was to Dublin just a few months earlier. Although I quite enjoyed the city and its surrounding sights I never saw the remote rugged coast for which Ireland is famous for. After a bit of research I was certain to find exactly that in the south west of the country and I returned for a threeday tour through the counties Cork Kerry and Clare.I arrived at Cork airport on a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Kerry/blog-195041.html SanssouciSanssouci palace is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great King of Prussia at Potsdam some 20km south west of Berlin. The palace was built between 1745 and 1747. It was named sans souci meaning without a care this reflects the king's need to escape the pressures of royal life. When I entered the palace grounds I felt like stepping into a fairytale. The Sanssouci palace overlo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Brandenburg/Potsdam/blog-188782.html MunnarThe day after I had been to the Backwaters I took a taxi to Munnar Rs 1750 EUR 30. Munnar is located in the high ranges of the Western Ghats nearly 1600m above sea level. The climate is much milder compared to the coast which is why it was chosen as a Hill Station by the British. In 1870 Munnar was developed to cultivate tea plants. Today the tea industry is the most important employe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Munnar/blog-188736.html A number of private airlines offer mountain flights with panoramic views of the Himalayas. The flights take off from Kathmandu airport in the early morning for an hour's worth of spectacular mountain scenery. The flight tickets can be prebooked at any travel agency in Kathmandu US 100 to US 130.I got up early and arrived at the airport at 7am. Although I was planning to return to the very sam http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Everest-flight/blog-173779.html The 1.30pm flight from Goa to Kochi via Bangalore with Kingfisher Airlines was excellent. The decision to go by plane was a pricey one Rs 6100 or EUR 110 however it allowed me to cover some 650km in a few hours only rather than loosing a full day or more on a train. I arrived at Kochi airport in the late afternoon and took a taxi Rs 650 to Fort Kochi. Here I found a spacious hotel room Rs http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kollam/blog-169316.html I left Aurangabad and the magnificent caves and temples of Ajanta and Ellora behind and spent the night on the sleeper bus to Mumbai Rs 450. I arrived at Mumbai airport in the early hours of 25 March 2007 a Sunday. I had a few hours to kill before I could board my flight to Goa so I took the train to downtown Mumbai. One of the highlights of my short visit to Mumbai was visiting Mani Bhavan. T http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/blog-169313.html DublinDublin is the largest city and the capital of the Republic of Ireland. Although well over a third of Ireland's population lives in the greater Dublin area the centre is relatively small and can be explored by foot. The city offers a large number of cafs pubs and restaurants and a few silent green parks which are an ideal retreat from the crowded main shopping streets. The main sights incl http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Dublin/blog-168210.html Brussels is not only the capital city of Belgium. It might also be considered something of a capital or at least an administrative centre for the European Union as many European institutions have their headquarters here. I started my walk through Brussels at the Grand Place. This is the central market square of the city surrounded by beautiful guild houses the city's spectacular town hall and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/Brussels-Capital-Region/Brussels/blog-164558.html