In Praise of Spontaneous Travel

I am writing this in Warsaw, Poland. That in and of itself isn’t that impressive. Many people visit Poland every year. What makes this special is that up until a few days ago, I had no idea I was going to be in Poland. In fact, until yesterday, I had no idea I was going …

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The Historic Centre of Warsaw

Historic Center of Warsaw UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Warsaw was deliberately annihilated in 1944 as a repression of the Polish resistance to the German occupation. The capital city was reduced to ruins with the intention of obliterating the centuries-old tradition of Polish statehood. The rebuilding of the historic city, 85% of which was destroyed, was the result of …

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Antigua, Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala UNESCO World Heritage Site

Antigua might be the most charming city in Central America. The former capital of Guatemala (antigua means ‘old’ in Spanish), Antigua was abandoned for Guatemala City because the area was earthquake-prone. Among the many Spanish colonial buildings are several ruined churches, which were destroyed by an earthquake and never rebuilt. In particular, the cathedral which …

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This Week In Travel – Episode 133

This week’s guest is Ralph Velasco, Photographer and Photo Tour Leader from RalphVelasco.com Subscribe on Apple Podcasts This Week’s News: Travel Writer Booted Off a United Airlines Flight for Taking a Picture of His Seat Farting on planes – let it rip say experts An Idaho man accused of uttering a racial slur and slapping …

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Tikal National Park

Tikal National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Together with Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, Maya is the most important reserve in the country, because of its archaeological and bio/ecological interest. Rivers, lakes, swamps and flooding savannas are important for biodiversity and for migratory birds. The reserve contains the largest area of tropical rainforest in Guatemala and …

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Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua

Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: The ruins of Quirigua retain an impressive series of stelae and sculpted calendars, partially deciphered, which constitute a remarkable and unique source of the history of the social, political and economic events of the Mayan civilization. The zoomorphic and anthropomorphic sculptures are among the most attractive pre-Columbian works known. Quirigua …

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Five Places to Explore the War of 1812 in the US

Every Friday I’ll take on a fun travel-related topic on Friday Five!  This week let’s talk about places where you can explore history by visiting places that were important during the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was somewhat of a second war of Independence.  Benjamin Franklin was said to have stated the following …

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Maya Site of Copan

Maya Site of Copan UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Copán with its temples, plazas, and terraces, comprises a type of architectural complex among the most characteristic of the Mayan civilization. The lengthy inscription on the Hieroglyphic Stairway Plaza is of considerable historical significance The Mayan city of Copán as it exists today is composed of a main complex of …

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Behind the Lens – Bangkok Red Shirt Protester

In the spirit of VH1, I am going to start taking time each week to tell the stories behind some of my favorite photos. This week I want to tell the story behind the photo of the red shirt protester I took in Bangkok in 2010. I arrived in Bangkok in early 2010 to take …

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