Tokyo Bay, Japan

Bay Watching, originally uploaded by Sprengben.

Tokyo Bay (東京湾 Tōkyō-wan?) is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was Edo Bay (江戸湾 Edo-wan?).

Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Boso Peninsula (Chiba Prefecture) to the east and the Miura Peninsula (Kanagawa Prefecture) to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the Cape Kannon (観音崎 Kannon-zaki?) on the Miura Peninsula on one end and Cape Futtsu (富津岬 Futtsu-misaki?) on the Boso Peninsula on the other end. This area covers about 922 km². Tokyo Bay in a broad sense includes also the Uraga Channel. The total area would then be 1320 km².
Tokyo Bay includes about 249 km² of reclaimed land area.
The only natural island in the Bay is Monkey Island (猿島 Saru-shima?), Yokosuka, Kanagawa. There are however many artificial islands that were built as naval fortification during the Meiji and Taishō period.
[edit]Islands
Dream Island (Yume No Shima)
Odaiba
Saru Island (the only natural one)
Heiwa Island ja:平和島
Katsushima ja:勝島
Showa Island ja:昭和島
Keihin Island ja:京浜島
Hakkeijima
Higashi Ogijima ja:東扇島
Tokyo International Airport

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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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
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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
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Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Canada

~ Rideau Canal, Ottawa ~, originally uploaded by ViaMoi.

The Rideau Canal (French: Canal Rideau), also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its original structures intact.
The canal system uses sections of major rivers, including the Rideau and the Cataraqui, as well as some lakes. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and in 2007, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is operated today by Parks Canada as a recreational waterway. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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The historic street Weissgerbergasse in Nuremberg, Germany

Weissgerbergasse Nuremberg, originally uploaded by Habub3.

The southern part of the old town, known as Lorenzer Seite, is separated from the north by the river Pegnitz and encircled to the south by the city walls.
Nuremberg Castle: the three castles that tower over the city including central burgraves' castle, with Free Reich's buildings to the east, the Imperial castle to the west.
Heilig-Geist-Spital. In the centre of the city, on the bank of the river Pegnitz, stands the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. Founded in 1332, this is one of the largest hospitals of the Middle Ages. Lepers were kept here at some distance from the other patients. It now houses elderly persons and a restaurant.
Hauptmarkt, which provides a picturesque setting and famous market for gingerbread. Nuremberg's star attraction is the Gothic Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) which was erected around 1385 but subsequently replaced with a replica (the original fountain is kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum). The unchanged Renaissance bridge Fleischbrücke crosses the Pegnitz nearby.
The following churches are located inside the city walls: St. Sebaldus Church, St. Lorenz, Frauenkirche (Our Lady's Church), Saint Klara, Saint Martha, Saint Jakob, Saint Egidien, and Saint Elisabeth.
Gothic St Lorenz-Kirche (St. Lorenz church, St. Lorenz), one of the most important buildings in Nuremberg. The main body was built around 1270-1350.
The church of the former Katharinenkloster is preserved as a ruin, the charterhouse (Kartause) is integrated into the building of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum and the choir of the former Franziskanerkirche is part of a modern building.
The Walburga Chapel and the Romanesque Doppelkapelle (Chapel with two floors) are part of Nuremberg Castle.
The Johannisfriedhof is a medieval cemetery, containing many old graves (Albrecht Dürer, Willibald Pirckheimer, and others). The Rochusfriedhof or the Wöhrder Kirchhof are near the Old Town.
The Tiergarten Nürnberg is a zoo stretching over more than 60 ha in the Nürnberger Reichswald. It is the home of Flocke, an orphan polar bear cub who in 2008 became a major attraction and a figure of a large publicity campaign for Nuremberg's metropolitan region.
There is also a medieval market just inside the city walls, selling handcrafted goods.
The German National Railways Museum (German) (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage) is located in Nuremberg.
The Nuremberg Ring (now welded within an iron fence) is said to bring good luck to those that touch it.
The Nazi party rally grounds with the documentation-centre.

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

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan

big swim, originally uploaded by anzyAprico.

The aquarium is a part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park located in Motobu, Okinawa. The aquarium is made up of four-floors which hold attractions of deep sea creatures, sharks, coral and other tropical fish. The aquarium is set on 19,000 m² of land, holds a total of 77 tanks with 10,000 m³ of water. Water for the saltwater exhibits is pumped into the aquarium from 350m offshore 24 hours a day.
The main tank called the 'Kuroshio Sea' holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water and features the world's second largest acrylic glass panel, measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters with a thickness of 60 centimeters. Whale sharks and manta rays are kept amongst many other fish species in the main tank.
On 16 June 2007 at 10:25 PM a manta ray was born at the aquarium after a gestation of 374 days.
The aquarium holds 80 species of coral and is one of very few that keep whale sharks in captivity, and is currently trying to breed them.

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






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Basilica del Pilar,@ River "Ebro", Zaragoza. Spain,

Basilica del Pilar, sunset, originally uploaded by Paulo Brandão.

The Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar (in Spanish Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon in Spain.
The Basilica venerates Blessed Virgin Mary , under her title Our Lady of the Pillar praised as Mother of the Hispanic Peoples by Pope John Paul II. I
t is reputed to be the first church dedicated to Mary in history.
Local traditions take the history of this basilica to the dawn of Christianity in Spain attributing to an apparition to St James the greater, an Apostle who had brought Christianity to the country. This is the only known apparition of Mary to have occurred before her Assumption.
Many of the kings of Spain, many other foreign rulers and saints have paid their devotion before this statue of Mary. St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and Blessed William Joseph Chaminade are among the most outstanding ones.
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is one of two minor basilicas in the city of Zaragoza, and is co-cathedral of the city alongside the nearby La Seo Cathedral. The architecture is of baroque style, and the present building was predominantly built between 1681 and 1872.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria Germany

The most famous Place - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria Germany, originally uploaded by Batikart.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a town in Middle Franconia (Germany, Bavaria), is the Plönlein.
To the left you see the Siebersturm and to the right the Kobolzeller gate. You can walk down to the gate in the direction of the Tauber valley. If you have time, you should walk through the gate, because from there you have a magnificent cityscape to the southern of Rothenburg. The Plönlein with the half-timbered house is probably the best known motif and is photographed hundreds of times by tourists daily.
The name "Plönlein" comes from Latin (planum) and means level/lowlands.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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Fire Island Lighthouse, Long island NY USA

Fire Island Lighthouse, originally uploaded by Ronaldo F Cabuhat.

We were in NYC but was still cold for a walk in Central Park.
We drove through Long Is, NY and ended up on this enchanting island. (More pics to come!)

This lighthouse is a 167 foot Stone tower that began operation in 1858 to replace the 89 foot tower originally built in 1827.

I think this is the building where one scene(beginning portion) in
"National Treasure 2 : Book Of Secrets " ( starring Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren and Ed Harris) was shot.
The scene at the mail office (supposedly in a Massachusetts town).

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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Medieval Castle Het Steen - Antwerp, Belgium

Medieval Castle Het Steen - Antwerp, Belgium, originally uploaded by Batikart.

Het Steen is a historic medieval castle in the old city center of Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's biggest ports. Built in 1200 - 1225, Het Steen is Antwerp's oldest building.
Previously known as Antwerp Castle, Het Steen gained its current name in around 1520, after significant rebuilding under Charles V. The rebuilding led to it being known first as "'s Heeren Steen" (the King's Stone), and later simply as "Het Steen" (The Stone). The Dutch word "Steen" means "stone", and is used for "castle" or "fortress", as in the "Gravensteen" in Ghent, Belgium.
The castle made it possible to control the access to the Schelde, the river that flows through Antwerp. It was also used as a prison between 1303 and 1827. This was not the noblest time of existence of the Steen Castle. Captivity itself was not punishment - the prison was where you awaited your sentence. Very popular punishment available was; chopping of hands, heads and/or burning and quartering. The prison’s regime was not a very honest one. The rich were logged in the right wing and the poor in the left wing of the castle.
Part of the castle was later demolished to make the roads to connect the south and the north part of the port. The remaining building contains a shipping museum, with outside on displayed on the quay, some real old canal barges.
In 1890 ‘Het Steen’ became the museum of archeology and in 1952 an annex was added to house the museum of the Antwerp maritime history. Here you’ll also find a war memorial to the Canadian soldiers in WWII.
At the entrance to Het Steen is a bas-relief of Semini, above the archway, circa 2nd century. Semini is the Scandinavian God for youth and fertility (with symbolic phallus). A historical plaque near Het Steen explains that women of the town appealed to Semini when they desired children; the god was reviled by later religious clergy. Inhabitants of Antwerp previously referred to themselves as "children of Semini". An organization affiliated with historic preservation of Het Steen and Semini, Antwerp Komitee Semini in Ere (AKSIE), formed in 1986, holds annual celebrations at Het Steen as cultural events. (Source: Het Steen)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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Golden Gate Bridge, SF, USA

International Orange #2 - Golden Gate Bridge, originally uploaded by PatrickSmithPhotography.

The Golden Gate Bridge is acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful bridges and with its tremendous towers, sweeping main cables and great span, it is a sensory beauty featuring color, sound, and light. The Bridge can be a very busy place, particularly during the summer months. It is estimated that about nine million people from around the world visit the Bridge each year (1989 survey by San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau).
The Golden Gate Bridge, completed after more than four years of construction at a cost of $35 million, opened to vehicular traffic on May 28, 1937 at twelve o'clock noon when President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House announcing the event. The GGB opening was ahead of schedule and under budget.
The Golden Gate Bridge design echoes an Art Deco Theme. Wide, vertical ribbing on the horizontal tower bracing accents the sun's light on the bridge.
The towers that support the Golden Gate Bridge's suspension cables are smaller at the top than at the base, emphasizing the tower height of 500 feet above the roadway. Irving Morrow—an architect hired by Strauss to design an architectural treatment for the bridge—chose the 'international orange' paint color to blend with the setting while still being very visible to ships.
Coit Tower is another San Francisco landmark with an Art Deco design. Timothy Pflueger was probably the most prolific and renowned Art Deco Architect in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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Hong Kong Skyline

Hong Kong Skyline, originally uploaded by Sprengben.

The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the Cantonese pronunciation of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name "香港", meaning "fragrant harbour" in English.
Before 1842, the name Hong Kong originally referred to a small inlet (now Aberdeen Harbour/Little Hong Kong) between the island of Ap Lei Chau and the south side of Hong Kong Island. The inlet was one of the first points of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.
The reference to fragrance may refer to the harbour waters sweetened by the fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour for export, before the development of Victoria Harbour. In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking was signed, and the name Hong Kong was first recorded on official documents to encompass the entirety of the island.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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river lake havasu, Arizona USA

river lake havasu, arizona [_MG_2912], originally uploaded by marios savva.

The abundance of dams along the Colorado River creates a number of large lakes in arid, regions of the Southwest where large, natural bodies of water are nonexistent. These lakes provide unique recreational opportunities and offer an exceptional contrast to the scenic desert landscapes that surround them.
One of the most popular and interesting lakes along the Colorado River is Lake Havasu, well-known for one particular historic point of interest, the London Bridge. The London Bridge is one of the main attractions at Lake Havasu that sets it apart from other desert playgrounds.
More than 2.5 million visitors flock each year to shores of Lake Havasu to enjoy the scenery, the cool waters of the lake and abundant recreational activities. Water sports, hiking, off-road opportunities and cultural and natural history are some of the attractions that draw visitors year round.

Exploring Lake Havasu

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
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