After an early morning visit to the Cape of Good Hope, we took a full-day tour of wineries in Stellenbosch. The weather was stellar, with nothing but sun and beautiful views all around us. Stellenbosch is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is known for its wine production. There are many wineries located in and around Stellenbosch that offer...
Cape Of Good Hope, On The Atlantic Coast Of The Cape Peninsula In South Africa Early in the morning, I drove to the Cape Of Good Hope with a tour guide as part of a full-day tour of the area, mainly Stellenbosch Wineries. It was a sunny day, but as you would expect, given the location, a very windy day. After paying an entrance fee, we parked and walked over to a...
Nagano is just about an hour away from Tokyo by Shinkansen. Quick and easy trip to see Zenkō-ji Temple. This Buddhist temple was built in the 7th century, and the modern city of Nagano began as a town built around this temple. Prepare yourself for crowds as it is a popular place to visit, but well worth it. It is a pretty big temple complex, and there are many shops...
During my trek across Peru, I briefly visited Uros Islands, located a short boat ride from Puno. This place is home to Uru or Uros, an indigenous people of Peru and Bolivia. They live on approximately – and still growing – 120 self-fashioned floating islands on Lake Titicaca near Puno. It was an exciting and unusual experience, but I am thankful for...
When you are in Buenos Aires, you really should make a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento. It is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay. To get there, you can take one of three ferries leaving from Buenos Aires, Argentina: “Buquebus,” “Seacat Colonia,” or...
Everything looks like a typical Japanese train station when arriving from Osaka on a shinkansen to JR Kanazawa Station. Kanazawa gets a lot of snow each winter, so a large roof covers the station building to prevent train stoppages due to accumulated snow within the station. But the real treat is just outside. It’s called Tsuzumi-mon Gate at JR Kanazawa Station East...
If you cannot or simply don’t want to take a trek across Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, there is always a train option. Trains from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, Peru, take around 1h 31m and cover a distance of approximately 43 km. There are two services currently available, one by PeruRail and Inca Rail; I took PeruRail. It was a comfortable trip in spacious...
This would be my favourite town to retire to… Sitges in Spain has been recognized as one of the most charming towns and prestigious on the Catalan coast and enjoys a mild and temperate microclimate. It’s just 35km southwest of Barcelona, backed by the mountainous Parc Natural del Garraf. It’s known for its Mediterranean beaches and seafront promenade...
Istanbul is a charming city with a lot of history and places to explore. One of the more exciting spots is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city—located just 150 meters (490 ft) southwest of the famous Hagia Sophia. Built-in the 6th century during Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. Opened to the public, the Basilica Cistern is a...
La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, is located in a canyon on the Choqueyapu River. The best way to see the city is from high above, the views are amazing. Take something called Mi Teleférico or an aerial cable car urban transit system serving the La Paz–El Alto metropolitan area in Bolivia. It’s a brilliant child of former Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma, who...