Halloween does not necessarily hold a monopoly on eerie ghost stories; something creepy can happen any day of the year. For me, it was early evening on an ordinary day in November, when I was wandering around the oldest cemetery in Auckland, New Zealand — a fairly neglected and lonesome graveyard that hasn’t seen a new burial in about a century and is littered with decaying tombstones. Throw in a man who appears out of nowhere and disappears just as suddenly, and I was ready to outdo Stephen King. Read more >
Category Archives: Nature
Top 5 Aquariums
The deep blue sea is probably the last great unexplored place on the planet — a dark, forbidding netherworld filled with beauty and mystery that has long held the fascination of mariners and landlubbers alike. Examine any map from the 1500s and you’ll see the oceans illustrated with ferocious sea monsters that terrorized sailors. Although many of the legends and myths surrounding those creatures have been dispelled or explained (mermaids don’t really exist, and the Kraken was most likely a giant squid), the sea and its myriad denizens still fascinate us.
Whether it’s the ferocious dragonfish or horrifying viperfish that could petrify even the bravest explorer, the perennially happy clownfish (thank you, Nemo), the vividly colorful mandarinfish, or the remarkably intelligent dolphin, life under the sea is an ongoing voyage of discovery. Thanks to aquariums around the world, we don’t have to plunge to the ocean floor to see and understand what lies beneath (although that’s fun, too). These are my top five aquariums in the world. Read more >
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Purmamarca: The Most Colorful Place in Argentina
I had never heard of the tiny town of Purmamarca until I arrived in nearby Salta and happened to see a postcard featuring the Cerro de los Siete Colores. I knew at once I had to see the Hill of Seven Colors. The polychromatic mountain, layered in oranges and purples, is a spectacular display of color in the foothills of the Argentinean Andes, standing at the edge of the town, and one of the world’s top natural curiosities. Once I arrived here, however, I quickly learned that the mountain isn’t the only kaleidoscopic thing around: The market in Purmamarca’s only plaza, ablaze with vibrant textiles and clothing, does its fair share in making this village the most colorful place in Argentina. Read more >
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Ambling Around One of the World’s Most Beautiful Gardens at Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, Ireland
One of the best things about Dublin, Ireland, is the ease with which you can reach other destinations outside this hectic metropolis, whether it’s another city, like Belfast, or the famed Irish countryside. I took advantage of the abundant connections by hopping on a double-decker bus to the village of Enniskerry to see the famous gardens at Powerscourt Estate — 47 acres of spectacular grounds, including Italian and Japanese gardens, the tallest tree in Ireland, and a pet cemetery that includes a tombstone for a 17-year-old-cow named Eugenie. Read more>
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Split’s Marjan Hill: Perfect View, No Tourists
For a fantastic view of the second-largest city in Croatia, I headed to the top of the ancient St. Domnius Cathedral. From the observation level, I was enchanted by everything around and below me, but I was also attracted to the big green hill off to the right, a tremendous contrast to the built environment next to it. This was Marjan Hill, and the view of Split from the top of it proved to be even better than the one I was enjoying at that moment. Read more >
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Tulip Mania at Keukenhof
I’ve booked vacations around available time off from my job, around seasonal weather in my destinations, around fluctuating airfares and hotel rates. But only once did I plan a vacation around a flower.
Spring in the Netherlands is all about the tulip. Given the fairly short lifespan of this iconic flower in the country that sparked the “Tulipomania” in the 1630s that nearly ruined it, I had little leeway in the weeks I wanted to spend here. So, with some careful planning, I arrived at the best time of year, when tulips of all varieties and colors greeted me wherever I went — in parks, markets, planters, and shop windows. But it wasn’t until I visited Europe’s largest garden, Keukenhof, and its seven million flowers that I truly appreciated my good timing. Read more >
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Visiting the Feathered Guests at Güira Oga
Güira Oga, a refuge and rehabilitation center for injured animals tucked deep in the jungle off the main road to Parque Nacional Iguazú in northeastern Argentina, serves a virtuous purpose. The “guests” at this refuge have been rescued from roadside accidents, from traffickers’ inhumane shipping methods, and from owners who abandoned animals that were never intended to be pets. Before exploring the national park’s majestic waterfalls, I spent a couple of hours here, learning exactly how to re-train a wounded bird of prey to survive in the wild. Read more >
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Lake Bled Remains a Romantic Idyll in Any Weather
Slovenia is one of the greenest countries in Europe, thanks to its also being one of the wettest — a challenge to my plans to take in one of the most idyllic places on the continent after a week in brilliantly sunny Croatia next door. Ultimately, Mother Nature did not cooperate, but even a cloudy day at Lake Bled proved to be magical. Read more >
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Life in Bronze and Granite in Oslo’s Vigeland Park
In a city that is continually ranked as one of the world’s most expensive, it’s a wise idea to give your credit cards a little breather and take advantage of anything that doesn’t charge a fee in Oslo, Norway. One of the best krone-free venues is Vigelandsparken. Oslo teems with statues, but Vigeland Park takes it a step further, showcasing more than 200 sculptures by acclaimed artist Gustav Vigeland, earning it the honor of being the world’s largest sculpture park made by one artist. Read more >
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Five Caves and Caverns of Subterranean Marvels
Every guide on every cave tour I’ve ever been on has asked the inevitable question: What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite? Having been to more than a dozen caves now, the answer is easy: Stalactites hang tight from the ceiling; stalagmites grow up from the floor. One day, millions of years down the road, they may connect to form a column. They’re extraordinary to see, but these two formations are just a couple of the natural wonders that lie beneath the earth’s surface. Throw in flowstones, boxwork, ribbons, curtains, popcorn, soda straws, helicites, rivers, pools, and the odd creature or two, and these underground wonderlands become some of the most fascinating places on earth. These are my favorite caves and caverns in the world. Read more >
Stephen Travels 