Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (Photo by Razi Gaskari), originally uploaded by awaydotcom.

Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. The park is named after the Grand Teton, which, at 13,770 feet (4,197 m), is the tallest mountain in the Teton Range.
The name "Tetons" originally was intended to describe several hills near the town of Arco, Idaho. They were named by a French trapper who thought that they resembled the female body. Many years later the name was mistakenly applied to the mountains of present day Grand Teton National Park due to the poor map-making and map-reading standards of the time.
Grand Teton National Park was established on February 26, 1929. The park covers 484 square miles (1,250 km2) of land and water.
There are nearly 200 miles (320 km) of trails for hikers to enjoy in Grand Teton National Park.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Teton_National_Park

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming, USA

Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming (Photo by Tony Wear), originally uploaded by awaydotcom.

The First 50 Years In 1956, Devils Tower National Monument celebrated its 50th birthday. A Park Service historian used that occasion to record a history of Devils Tower. A big event occured in 1941 when a parachutist landed safely on top of the Tower. Getting off the Tower was the problem. (The document is rather long - CLICK for an unedited text only -- printer friendly -- version.)

Climbing Lore - Learn about the first technical climb of Devils Tower. Also, read an account of the first all-woman technical ascent of the Tower. And, how do they get up there anyhow?

Devils Tower - Sacred to Plains Tribes
A review of the ethnographic literature demonstrates that Devils Tower was a sacred area for several Plains Tribes, and that it is considered an important landmark in tribal narratives.
First Stories – In Their Own Words In the 1930’s, the importance of Devils Tower to many Plains Indians was recorded in first person narratives.

source & more info @ : http://www.nps.gov/deto/historyculture/index.htm

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico , USA

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico (Photo by Walter Duke), originally uploaded by awaydotcom.

Like No Place Else on Earth

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and created the world's largest gypsum dune field.

White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this unique dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment.

source and more info: http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

islas Galapagos, Ecuador

Open publication - Free publishing

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

St Agnes Clift Tops, Cornwal, UK

St Agnes Clift Tops, originally uploaded by Bob.Bee.

St Agnes (Cornish Breanek) is a village and a parish on the north coast of Cornwall, England. It is in the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, and lies halfway between the artists' colony of St Ives and the surfers' paradise at Newquay. It is one of the twelve sections of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
St Agnes grew up as a fishing and farming community which, from Roman times (perhaps earlier) until the early part of the 20th century, relied heavily on tin mining as a source of income.
With the demise of mining in Cornwall, St Agnes has become a popular tourist destination, offering excellent beaches at Trevaunance Cove, Chapel Porth National Trust beach, and nearby Perranporth and Porthtowan; walking (St Agnes Beacon and many cliff, coastal and country walks); painting (beautiful scenery), industrial archeology, stone-age remains and geology.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Pamvotis lake, Ioannina, Greece

beauty-portrait, originally uploaded by efou222.

The Lake of Ioannina (Greek: Limni Ioanninon (Λίμνη Ιωαννίνων)), also Pamvotida (Παμβώτιδα, older form: Pamvotis Παμβώτις) is Epirus' largest lake located near the central part of the Ioannina prefecture in Greece.
Ioannina to the west and the town or Perama to the north are urban settlements fringing the lake while the remaining of its periphery is composed of farmland. The lake features small fishing ports and a boating port while the island is situated in the east of the lake. There is a regular boat service to the island (Nisi). Mountains lie further north and south with Mitsikeli overhanging the east part of the lake. The GR-6 surrounds the northern half of the lake.



TRIVIA
*The name Pamvotis first appears in the 12th century commentary on the Odyssey of Eustathius of Thessalonica.
*Air Sea Lines uses hydroplanes, which fly to Corfu.
*Ioannina is located on the west coast of the lake.
*It is home to an island, where Ali Pasha was hiding during the last days of his reign.
*Urbanisation and pollution are threatening the lake ecosystem, home to small mammals, waterbirds and a rich fish and crustacean fauna. Eutrophication is the main problem as in the summer blue green algae is quite common.
*Pamvotida is home to Tsima (Τσίμα), a species of fish endemic to the lake.
*Two bryozoan species have recently been reported from the lake.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Alaska wilderness, USA

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Maya bay, the beach on Phi Phi Leh near Ko phi phi in Thailand.

Maya bay, originally uploaded by wilfried.b.

Ko Phi Phi Leh (or Ko Phi Phi Ley) is an island of the Phi Phi archipelago, in the Andaman Sea. It belongs to the Krabi province of Thailand.
Mahya Bay (or Maya Bay) is popular for diving, and has become even more popular after the 2000 movie The Beach was filmed there. According to the Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook, the 2004 tsunami dramatically improved the look of Maya Bay. This was due to the fact that the high waves had cleaned up the beach and removed all the landscaping the Fox production team had added.
Controversy arose during the making of the film The Beach due to 20th Century Fox bulldozing and rescaping of the natural beach setting of Ko Phi Phi Leh to make it more "paradise-like". The production altered some sand dunes and cleared some coconut trees and grass to widen the beach. Fox set aside a fund to reconstruct and return the beach to its natural state, however lawsuits were filed as many believed the damage to the ecosystem is permanent and restoration attempts failed.
The lawsuits dragged on for years. In 2006, Thailand's Supreme Court upheld an appeal court ruling that the filming had harmed the environment and ordered that damage assessments be made. Defendants in the case included 20th Century Fox and some Thai government officials.
Prior to 2004, the island had avoided development. However, it is now a part of Phi Phi National Park and has since begun to see the beginnings of development and some clearing of natural plant life. There are current plans to build bungalows on the island and as of 2004 an entry-fee of 40 Baht has been charged; as of February 2007 the charge for private visitors has been raised to Bt200 per person. There are now permanent basic facilities on the island - toilets, a snack bar and camping sites.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Ama Dablam , Nepal

Clearing Storm over Ama Dablam by Michael Anderson, originally uploaded by AndersonImages.

Ama Dablam is a mountain in the Himalaya range of eastern Nepal. The main peak is 6,812 metres (22,349 ft), the lower western peak is 5,563 metres (18,251 ft). Ama Dablam means "Mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (ama) protecting her child, and the hanging glacier thought of as the dablam, the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women. For several days, Ama Dablam dominates the eastern sky for anyone trekking to Mount Everest basecamp.
Ama Dablam was first climbed on March 13, 1961 by Mike Gill (NZ), Barry Bishop (USA), Mike Ward (UK) and Wally Romanes (NZ) via the Southwest Ridge. They were well-acclimated to altitude, having wintered over at 5800 meters near the base of the peak as part of the Silver Hut Scientific Expedition of 1960-61, led by Sir Edmund Hillary.
Ama Dablam is the third most popular Himalayan peak for permitted expeditions. The most popular route by far is the Southwest Ridge (right skyline in the photo).
Climbers typically set up three camps along the ridge with camp 3 just below and to the right of the hanging glacier, the Dablam. Any ice that calves off the glacier typically goes left, away from the camp. However, a 2006 avalanche proved otherwise.
A climbing permit and a liaison officer are required when attempting Ama Dablam. As with Mt. Everest, the best climbing months are April-May (before the monsoon) and September-October.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Alaska ...ice and forests

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Cir Mhor & Glenrosa Water, Scotland, UK

Cir Mhor & Glenrosa Water, originally uploaded by antsplan.

A very impromptu, last minute trip across to Arran with David. Great day for the soul as its a gorgeous glen but I'm still really struggling to get into the landscape stuff. I shot lots of frames but on review my compositions are sloppy at best, its just not happening for me just now. Perhaps I'm expecting too much, I suspect so. Time to slow down and concentrate on continuing to learn & hopefully improve.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Mount Fuji Japan

Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art. Among the most renowned works are Hokusai's 36 Views of Mount Fuji and his One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji. The mountain is mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and is the subject of many poems.

It is thought that the first ascent was in 663 by an anonymous monk. The summit has been thought of as sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era. Ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. The shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame in the area in the early Kamakura period.

The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860, from the foot of the mountain to the top in eight hours and three hours for the descent. Alcock's brief narrative in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely disseminated description of the mountain in the West. Lady Fanny Parkes, the wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes, was the first non-Japanese woman to ascend Mount Fuji in 1867. Photographer Felix Beato climbed Mount Fuji in that same year.

Today, Mount Fuji is an international destination for tourism and mountain-climbing. In the early 20th century, populist educator Frederick Starr's Chautauqua lectures about his several ascents of Mount Fuji—1913, 1919, and 1923—were widely known in America. A well-known Japanese saying suggests that anybody would be a fool not to climb Mt. Fuji once—but a fool to do so twice. It remains a popular meme in Japanese culture, including making numerous movie appearances, inspiring the Infiniti logo, and even appearing in medicine with the Mount Fuji sign.

In September 2004, the manned weather station at the summit was closed after 72 years in operation. Observers monitored radar sweeps that detected typhoons and heavy rains. The station, which was the highest in Japan at 3,780 metres (12,400 ft), was replaced by a fully-automated meteorological system. As of 2006, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps continue to operate military bases near Mount Fuji.

a fine photo from Tokyo Undressed: 201020102010

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Cape Kiwanda Oregon City, USA

Cape Kiwanda - 2010, originally uploaded by Jesse Estes.

This is the beautiful Cape Kiwanda area in Pacific City Oregon. I left the house at 4:30am in hopes of catching a nice sunrise on the coast. This is always hit or miss (usually miss), but on this particular morning, I wasn’t dissapointed. Those are 20 foot swells crashing into the sandstone cliffs below.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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First Light, Two Medicine Lake, Montana USA

First Light, Two Medicine Lake , originally uploaded by jimgoldstein.

First Light at Two Medicine Lake with Sinopah Mountain reflected in the calm water - Glacier National Park, Montana

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Great Wall of China

月出, originally uploaded by 做梦的多啦A梦.

The Great Wall of China
(simplified Chinese: 长城; traditional Chinese: 長城; pinyin: Chángchéng; literally "long city/fortress") or (simplified Chinese: 万里长城; traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng;

literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (里)") is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall.
One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia.
The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Antarctica, a frozen desert.

Antarctica (NASA, Sailing With NASA, 10/24/09), originally uploaded by nasa1fan/MSFC.

This is a supporting image for the "Sailing With NASA" blog, which is documenting space shuttle external tank ET-134's sea voyage from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Credit: NASA/Carnegie-Mellon University

Read the original blog post, "Exploration May Be a Matter of Timing" --
blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/sailing_with_nasa/posts/post_12562...

Follow the "Sailing With NASA" blog and the ET-134 journey:
blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/sailing_with_nasa

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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65 years old, climbs to Everest summit

Fiennes climbs to Everest summit

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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just Africa, a wonder land

Africa from Captured Life Productions on Vimeo.

Two filmmakers following five visionaries for hope and change through Southern Africa.



Filmed on location in South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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a "Greek Odyssey"... the eternal voyage

Greece is full of archaeological sites and monuments of distinctive prestige and charm, on which all known periods of its long-standing history have left their mark. 
Visitors have the opportunity to make a unique “journey” through the rare “mosaic” of historic and cultural memory which has left an indelible mark on every region of the country and effortlessly highlights the manifold manifestations of Greek culture to date.
According to the UNESCO catalogue, the following archaeological sites and cultural areas in Greece have been characterised as Monuments of Cultural Heritage:

1. Monastery complex of Aghio Oros (Mount Athos)
2. The Acropolis of Athens
3. Vassae: The Temple of Epicurean Apollo
4. Vergina - Aegae
5. Delphi (archaeological site)
6. Delos (archaeological site)
7. Epidaurus (archaeological site)
8. Early Christian and Byzantine Thessalonica
9. Monastery complex of Meteora
10. Mystras (Medieval City)
11.The Monasteries of Daphni (Attica), Ossios Lucas (Central Greece) and Nea Moni (New Monastery) of Chios
12. The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns
13. Olympia (archaeological site)
14. Patmos: Monastery of Aghios Ioannis Theologos and the Cave of the Apocalypse
15. Medieval city of Rhodes
16. Samos: Pythagoreio and Heraion
17. Old Town of Corfu (Kerkyra)

For further information, click one of the specific items.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Bora Bora a tropical paradise...

Bora Bora island is possibly the single most famous island in all the world. The legends, mysteries, and romance associated with the words "Bora Bora" bring an almost mystical presence to the island.

It's true Bora Bora is indeed a wonderful place to vacation... but this magical presence is not so unattainable.

This website seperates the facts from the fiction regarding this wonderful Tahiti Polynesian island paradise: Tourism aspects, activities, practicalities, culture, and all the things you'll want to know when planning a trip to Bora Bora. We propose to the would be traveler that the Island of Bora Bora is quite real and attainable as a vacation getaway.

Part of the allure has to be its almost unbelievable beauty. Two towering peaks of sheer black rock dominate the center of the island and make an impressive backdrop to an assortment of blue waters that will dazzle the eyes. Bora Bora's lagoon is its most treasured feature, and allows the traveler many opportunities to experience it in a variety of ways. Windsurf, jetski, scuba dive, swim, bask in its warmth... the list goes on.

Bora bora is truly an experience worth having. A wonderfully relaxing place to be as well as a great island for you to experience, your Bora Bora vacation will never be forgotten.

Explore our pages as you take a cyber tour of Bora Bora and let us know what you think. The magic is there still. The legend persists. How will you experience it?

for more information about Bora Bora 

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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