Ryukyu Islands

Like several of our other destinations, the Ryukyu Islands have more than one name. They are also known as the Nansei Shoto (Southwest Islands) and Ryukyu Retto. Alternatively, the northern bunch of the islands is known as the Satsunan Shoto and the southern half as Ryukyu Shoto. If that's not enough, from about 1829 until 1950, they were also known as Loo-Choo, Lu-Tchu, Lieu-Baeu, Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew (from Mandarin Liuqiu).The islands kind of arc out from the southern tip of Japan and swing around nearly to Taiwan.The islands were semi-independent for much of their history, though they lacked an organized military which made them quite literally sitting ducks for any world power that wanted to overtake them. In fact, China and Japan both colonized and claimed them and for a goodly portion of their history, the independent kingdoms in the Ryukyu Islands paid tribute both to the Chinese Emperor and the Japanese Shogun.In 1879, Japan decided that the Ryukyu Islands were theirs. China appealed to President Ulysses S. Grant to arbitrate the claim, and USG decided Japan's claim was stronger. Ryukyu has been a part of Japan since.Okinawa (above) and Yonaguni (below) are just two of these islands.According to Wikipedia, "An article in the 1878 edition of the 'Globe Encyclopaedia of Universal Information' " (sounds like a handy thing to have, doesn't it?) states that "the islands enjoy a magnificent climate, and are highly cultivated and very productive."Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Bilbao

Bilbao is the capital of the province of Biscay in Basque Country. It is on the north coast of Spain, right near the Bay of Biscay, making it an important port city.There is no agreement on where the name "Bilbao" comes from, but theories range from a corruption of "bella vado" (beautiful river crossing) to a combination of billa (Basque for stacking) and "vaho" (Spanish for mist or steam) because of the stacked appearance of the buildings and the mist rising from the river. The area has been populated since ancient times, with ruins dating to the 11th century. In 1602 it was made the capital of Biscay (previously the capital was Bermeo) and has remained one of the top five ports in Spain.The city's architecture ranges from castles and cathedrals in the "Old Town" to the Guggenheim Museum (above), which demonstrates the vitality of this beautiful city. It is still growing and changing and yet it retains its old world charm.
Doesn't it seem like a nice place for a walk?

Tbilisi

Tbilisi means "Warm Spring." This is no doubt due to the presence of sulphur hot springs in the area.It was probably settled about 400BC. It is the capital of Georgia and is located on the bank of the Mt'k'vari river.As you might imagine, the age of the city means that the architecture and culture is mixed with more than 10 different ethnic groups calling this city home.Abanotubani (Bath) Street
It looks like a lovely place to just walk around with a camera, doesn't it?Sameba Cathedral

Chan Chan

Quick - where is Chan Chan located?






If you guessed Peru, you are correct.
Chan Chan is the largest mud city of the Americas and the world's largest adobe city.
It was built by the Chimor civilization.The adobe bricks were covered by cement which was then carved into intricate (yet stylized) shapes.Unfortunately, Chan Chan is at risk of erosion (as one would guess of a city made of mud), so there is great effort underway to figure out how to preserve it.It looks like a marvelous place to spend a day just wandering and looking.

Cape Kidnappers

"The land on the Sea-Coast is high with steep cliffs, and back inland are very high mountains...the face of the Country is of a hilly surface and appears to be cloathed with wood and Verdure."Captain Cook wrote this in his journal on 8 October 1769, seven days before he landed at Cape Kidnappers.Of course, it wasn't Cape Kidnappers then. When he first sailed into the area, he named the general area Hawke's Bay after Sir Edward Hawke, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Cape Kidnappers got its name when one of Cook's crew members named Tiata was in the water near the Endeavor. Suddenly a Maori fishing boat came alongside and scooped Tiata up, but Cook's crew immediately opened fire on the Maori craft. Tiata jumped out of their boat and swam back to the Endeavor, but the attempted kidnapping prompted Cook to give the headland of the southeastern end of Hawke's Bay the name of Cape Kidnappers.Cape Kidnappers is home to a Gannet reserve. These birds have inflatable air sacs in their necks and breasts, which act as shock absorbers when they dive into the water. Sheep also wander the bay area, including the golf course.
It looks so pristine,so inviting.Want to go for a walk?

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the traditional Keresan language of the Pueblo de Cochiti


















These really aren't cliffs, though. Usually formations like these are called hoodoos.



These rock formations in New Mexico offer a unique opportunity to study the effects of wind and water erosion on deposits left after pyroclastic flow. The conical (tent) shape is because (per the BLM website) "perched on many of the tapering hoodoos are boulder caps that protect the softer pumice and tuffa below. Some tents have lost their hard, resistant caprocks and are disintegrating."




The tents range anywhere from a few feet to more than 90 feet tall, but that is not all there is to see here. The Monument is home to myriad petroglyphs. There's also an abundance of southwestern wildlife like the whiptail lizard (below).


It almost looks to me like something I'd expect to see in outer space, not in the U.S. The world is more interesting than I think it is sometimes.

Baden-Baden

Baden means "bath" or "bathe" in German. The Romans, those intrepid explorer/conquerers, spent a lot of time in the springs in this area. According to Wikipedia, Caracalla himself came up for a soak.It actually wasn't Baden-Baden until 1931. Before that it was just Baden. Baden-Baden is the short form of Baden in Baden, as Baden is in Baden which has actually been Baden-Wuerttemberg since 1952. (Which, yes, if you're keeping score here, makes the name whole Baden-Baden in Baden-Wuerttemberg. For further etymological enjoyment, Baden-Wuerttemberg is also known as Laendle which is Swabian for "small land." Land, that is, not name.) Calling this city Baden-Baden differentiates it from Baden bei Wein (Baden by Vienna) and Baden Switzerland. And yes, the baden in Baden-Baden still are in use to this day.
There is a funicular railroad that runs up Mount Merkur from which you can enjoy a spectacular view of Baden-Baden below.
On an interesting note (which will be proven a very bad pun), Wikipedia notes that "The anthem of Baden is called 'Badnerlied' (English: Song of the people of Baden) and consists of usually four or five traditional verses. However, over the years, many more verses have been added--there are collections with up to 591 verses of the anthem." (Suddenly "99 Bottles of Beer" doesn't seem quite so long, does it?)





Of course, when you're not taking train rides up the sides of mountains or singing the song of the people of Baden, you could take a walk through the Lichtentaler Allee, a historic park and arboretum and admire its plantings and footpaths.
A walk in the park after a spa visit? I guess my arm could be twisted into such a thing. (Just don't make me memorize all the verses to that song!)

Dapeng Bay

This sheltered bit of Taiwan's coast is one of the few stable bits of beach that has remained unchanged by typhoons since the 17th century.The bay is bordered by wetlands populated by mangroves and crabs and is home to myriad birds.Up until the late 1990s, this was actually an oyster-farming area, but it has since been designated a major tourist attraction and development has converted the coastline to a popular place to visit.You can see the appeal.

Kolkata

I must really be out of touch - I hadn't known that in 2001, the British name "Calcutta" was changed to Kolkata to reflect a less imperialist political heritage and a more Bengali pronunciation. (Of course, the natives remain "Calcuttans," so it seems a bit of a pyrrhic victory to me.) Kolkata served as the capital of the British Raj (1772-1912), and today is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.Marble Palace
Kali TempleKolkata was known as the "City of Palaces," but has more recently been nicknamed "The City of Joy" and "The Football City." Archaeological evidence shows that the area has been inhabited for more than 2,000 years. It is home to the Indian Museum, the oldest museum in Asia (est. 1814), as well as the Victoria Memorial which is a major tourist attraction and museum in its own right.Indian Museum
Victoria MemorialThe city is spread along the banks of the River Hooghly. Much of the wetlands surrounding the area have been drained to make room for a burgeoning population, but lately parts of it have been designated as protected wetlands. The Howrah Bridge spans the Hooghly, providing a stunning visual display on this major river port.Howrah Bridge
Kolkata UniversityThe University of Calcutta is the oldest western-style university in Asia according to Wikipedia. This is a vibrant city, rich in the heritage of two cultures (Bengali and British) where Mosques and Temples, Museums and Schools stand together to reflect a pursuit of learning and growth and a preservation of diversity.Belur-Math