photo - ilivetotravel's travel log

Photo of the Week – A Storm over Washington, D.C.

13 October 2013 by Raul 5 Comments

No, I am not referring to the government shutdown or any of the infinite number of incidences of stupidity that emanate from the politicians who make a career in DC at our expense and to our detriment (soap BOX!!!)… This is a literal storm caught from my hotel in Arlington, Virginia looking towards Reagan-National airport and the Potomac River right behind it. If it were not raining, you would see in the distance the silhouettes of the famous buildings around The Mall. But that is not to be in this moment.

I love the clear outline of the core of the storm as it seems to hang over the Potomac. Quite a sight!

Filed Under: Special Photos, US & Canada, Washington, D.C. Tagged With: airport, cloud, DC, DCA, grey, photo, Potomac, rain, Reagan National, river, storm, travel, Washington

There’s Something about Tallinn

11 October 2013 by Raul 45 Comments

On my way around the Baltic Sea with my family a couple of years ago, we stopped in the capital of Estonia: Tallinn. It was not a picture perfect June day weather-wise but, of course, we wanted to get off the ship and see the town. Tallinn is an old city in that part of Europe (think 13th century) and was known for most of these centuries as Reval (file under the “I’d never heard that name” category…). Nowadays is called more the Silicon Valley of the Baltic due to the presence of technology companies (Skype came from here!).

Estonia has a a strong cultural affinity to its northern neighbor, Finland (or is it the reverse?) and after Estonia broke the yoke of Soviet rule, it pulled towards its northern and quite successful neighbor. Tallinn itself is only 50 miles from Helsinki, Finland’s capital – a ferry ride away if you are ever in that part of the world or if you are lucky enough to fly Finnair to connect and go elsewhere (I flew that airline in 1997 and it is still one of my top 2 flying experiences!).

In any case the best thing for me about Tallinn was its charm. You truly see that it has been there since medieval times, yet you can tell that it has been through other periods too as its architecture well shows. From the city walls, to the 15th century Church of St. Olaf, to the 18th century Toompea Palace, to the late 19th century Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, to its very modern district, the city covers many centuries where it was spared destruction, unlike cities like Berlin, Warsaw, and others.

I hope the pictures I share here give you a feel for what I mean that there’s something about Tallinn. A one day visit clearly not enough to truly enjoy the town (wish I could have hung out at the cafés enjoying a few beers until sunset…) but I never complain about getting to sample a place, especially when it is as charming as Tallinn. It is no wonder it is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site! I hope to return and explore ALL that the city has to offer!

Click on the photos to enlarge!

Tallinn, Estonia, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history, city wall, , UNESCO World Heritage Site

The city walls that go around the old town

Along the city walls

One of the towers along the city walls

Tallinn, Estonia, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Typical architectural detail in the old town

Gorgeous old architecture surrounded by lively cafés make Tallinn an incredible charming town

Tallinn, Estonia, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history, skyline, St. Olaf, church, UNESCO World Heritage Site

The tallest structure is St. Olaf’s Church – from 1549 to 1625 it was THE tallest structure in the world!

Tallinn, Estonia, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history

Another beautiful architectural detail in a church right outside old town

Beautiful streets to walk around and get lost… and stop for a beer… or a coffee..

Tallinn, Estonia, Alexander Nevsky, cathedral, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral built in 1894–1900 (feels like Russian period)

Toompea Palace from the 18th century

Tallinn, Estonia, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history, statues, , UNESCO World Heritage Site

Feeling a little art deco

The modern part of the city

Tallinn, Estonia, charming, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, Reval, Baltic, medieval, city, architecture, history, flowers

Being late spring, flowers were no strangers to the scene

Filed Under: Estonia, Europe Tagged With: architecture, Baltic, Canon EOS Rebel, charm, Estonia, medieval, Old Town, photo, Reval, Tallinn, travel, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Photo of the Week – A Church on Rome’s Tiber Island

9 October 2013 by Raul 1 Comment

Last year during my one week in Rome, I did the usual when in cities as incredible as eternal Rome: walk, walk, and walk. Sometimes with a clear objective, sometimes just meandering and seeing what the walking will uncover. On this gray day, we found ourselves crossing the Ponte Cestio into Tiber Island as we aimed generally speaking for the Trastevere district (south of The Vatican) where we knew we would find awesome food (and sure did!).
On Tiber Island we walked past the Basilica of San Bartolomeo all’Isola (St. Bartholomew of the Island). The tower on the back dates from the 12th century, its current facade and the overall church were reconstructed in 1624 after many decades (and likely centuries) of damage, wear, and tear, as any old respectable structure may be allow to suffer from… But the original church dated from the 10th century!

In any case, the gray skies made for a phenomenal backdrop and contrast to the basilica making it a favorite pic of mine!

Filed Under: Europe, Italy Tagged With: basilica, church, Italy, Olympus, photo, Roma, Rome, San Bartolomeo all'Isola, St. Bartholomew, Tiber Island, travel

Photo of the Week – Busch Memorial Stadium

1 October 2013 by Raul 19 Comments

A long time ago, I did two round-trip drives from Atlanta, GA to Boulder, CO as I spent two summers in Boulder for a college internship. The very first time I drove to Boulder, accompanied by my college roommate, I was thrilled to see the St. Louis Gateway Arch for the first time and heeding that semi-eternal call “Go west, young man!”

We were thrilled to be able to make it to the Arch while it was still open. And we were rewarded with great dusk-time views. My favorite was this shot of Busch Memorial Stadium which served the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966 to 2005. I hate it when cities spend millions/billions held hostage by professional sports when that money would be better used to educate children, take care of the old, and -heck, why not- fix potholes. Seems to me if cities stood together, the pro sports leagues could be pushed back on and we could all end up with better cities instead of stuffing the wallets of hooligans. But I suppose that is a post for a different kind of blog. For now, I just wanted to share this great image this young man took back in the day with a film camera as he went out west…

St. Louis, Missouri, Busch Memorial Stadium, Gateway Arch, photo, vista, view, night, night time, baseball, Cardinals

Got lucky there was a baseball game going on!

Filed Under: Missouri, US & Canada Tagged With: Busch Memorial Stadium, Busch Stadium, Gateway Arch, photo, St. Louis, view, vista

Photo of the Week – My Dear Paris

19 September 2013 by Raul 10 Comments

A dozen years or so ago, I got to live in Paris. I did not get to choose where I lived during those six months as my employer took care of that. The place was nothing special EXCEPT for this one thing… The building had a rooftop terrace with a great view. I assume it is enough to just show it to you and not describe it… Voilà!

Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Tour Eiffel, Paris, France, view, vista, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, city, magnificent

Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower

A Wild Time in the Serengeti – Safari!

23 August 2013 by Raul 15 Comments

The Serengeti is the epitome of the national park offering what we call a safari experience (“safari” actually means “journey” in Swahili). Its vast expanse and, of course, the natural beauty and wildlife offer a very unique experience to us who don’t love in remote areas of Africa. I had done a one day in-and-out visit to this incredible site a few years ago. Work activities only permitted that one day. I KNEW I had to go back someday….

That opportunity came on the trip I made to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. After 7 days of working the mountain and a few days of working with a local orphanage with Trekking for Kids, 13 of us from the climbing group devoted 4 days to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti. Oh, and a visit to a Masai village!

These parks are very different from each other, even if some of the wildlife is the same. If you do this circuit, start with Lake Manyara. Leave Ngorongoro and the Serengeti for after it. We used Zara Tours who had also been the operator Trekking fro Kids had chosen for the Kili hike.

Here is an overview of our visit and some pictures. Clearly I have too many pictures and many are very good so to not overload you here, I will continue posting those over time in different posts be it photos of the week or photo essays. Keep checking in!

Where we stayed

Due to the route we were taking, we stated at two different places: the Highview Hotel Karatu on our first and fourth night, and the Ikoma Tented Camp the middle two nights. Two very different experiences and worthwhile in their own way. The best part: both offered good views of neighboring areas – and both sold wine and beer, something we were ready to partake in since we were eager to celebrate our climb of Kili.

The Highview Hotel, offered more standard hotel rooms which was nice from a normalcy standpoint. Of course, being in Africa, A/C is not a common amenity and this hotel was no exception but the building does sit high on a mountainside so there was a little more chance for a breeze. You could sit in the hallway which was one large, open porch and view the land around the hotel. Or you could go downhill to the hotel main building and sit there, sipping a glass of wine (likely South African) and watching the sky’s colors change. When our last day of safari ended, we loved getting back to the hotel to jump in the pool which, oddly, was very cold!

hotel, tanzania, highview, karatu, serengeti, ngorongoro, vista, view, safari, zara tours

Headed up to the rooms at Highview Hotel Karatu

The Ikoma Tented Camp was a great place to stay right outside the northern boundary of the Serengeti The advantage of staying here is the proximity to the park (less time driving). The camp’s tents are not small thing: our tent had two full-sized beds with plenty of room around us to spare. Each tent also had its own bathroom which though not luxurious were the size of a normal bathroom

hotel, tanzania, highview, karatu, serengeti, ngorongoro, vista, view, safari, zara tours, ikoma, camp, tents

Our tent. Zippered windows and doorway to help keep critters out

The restaurant was perched on top of a small hill, offering EXCELLENT sunrise and sunset views over the plains of the Serengeti. See for yourselves!

Ikoma, tent, camp, Serengeti, safari, sunrise, vista, view, Olympus, photo, tanzania

Sunrise view over the Serengeti from the restaurant

Ikoma, tented camp, Serengeti, sunset, safari, sunrise, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, Tanzania

Sunset view

You can stay in lodges inside the Serengeti too (if you want to dish out a lot more money) and that may be convenient but I have nothing but good things to say about where we stayed!

Wildlife watching

Of course, the reason you came here was, first and foremost, animals! So let me share a little on that… First, let’s debunk that you have to be up at the crack of dawn. Yes, less people out and about and yes, the animals don’t like the heat of the early afternoon. However, we managed to see lion kills and all the animals we wanted to see without an absurd wake-up time. Now, if you want to maximize how many hours of daylight you spend out there, then yes, wake up really early. While having a lot of vehicles can be a nuisance at peak times, it also helps your driver pinpoint where there may be something interesting as there are more driver-eyes looking out for things!

We saw everything… Here are some of my favorite shots.

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, zebra, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Double the pleasure; butt shot

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, giraffe, outdoors, nature, photo,, Olympus, camera

So majestic whenever we saw them

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, wildebeest, gnu, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

A former wildebeest (aka gnu) left up in a tree by a cheetah

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, hippo, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Hungry hippos nesting on each other. More on this scene in a future post as an “event” happened…

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls,lions, acacia, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Lions resting before or after a kill. One of my favorite pix

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, giraffe, outdoors, nature, photo, Olymmpus

There is other entertaining stuff going on besides the wildlife!

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, elephant, school, outdoors, nature, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, acacia

One of my favorite scenes: a school of elephants grabbing a shady spot!

But that’s not all…

OK, the lion kill I saw will go in another post as this one has become quite long. But I will leave you with two beautiful parting shots as we left the Serengeti one day… Breathtaking.

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, giraffe, outdoors, nature, photo, Olympus, sunset

Look at that sky!

Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, wildlife, animls, elephant, outdoors, nature, photo, Olympus, sunset

Now THIS is what I call an “elephant sunset”!

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, elephant, giraffe, gnu, nature, Olympus, outdoors, photo, safari, serengeti, Tanzania, wildebeest, wildlife, zebra

Photo of the Week – The Georgia Aquarium

13 August 2013 by Raul 4 Comments

The Georgia Aquarium is one of my favorite places to be like a tourist in Atlanta. It is well done and even me, not quite nature boy, is fascinated by the marine life it holds and how it presents it. The colors in this picture are some of my favorite in the whole aquarium. If you come to Atlanta, stop by downtown and check it out! I may also add that I really like the Chattanooga Aquarium. Maybe y’all should do an “aquariums (or aquaria??) of the South” tour!

Filed Under: Georgia, Special Photos, US & Canada Tagged With: aquarium, Atlanta, blue, Georgia Aquarium, jelly fish, jellyfish, orange, photo, water

Photo of the Week – The Mountains of Utah

8 August 2013 by Raul 6 Comments

Ah, this picture really makes me long for winter (or a trip to the southern hemisphere where IT IS winter!). Taken many years ago while I skied awesome Alta, I long to return to those wonderful slopes and setting. I need to ski next year as I missed this season and I also have Europe in my sights for a ski trip…

Are you a ski fan? What is your favorite place to ski? Where do you want to go ski?

Filed Under: US & Canada, Utah Tagged With: Alta, freedom, mountains, outdoors, photo, photography, ski, sports, Utah, vista

The Real Heroes of Kilimanjaro

6 June 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

Kilimanjaro, while not a technical hike, is still a very challenging climb. Anyone who has climbed it should be quite proud of the accomplishment. I am privileged to have had the chance to attempt it and lucky to have succeeded! And so for the other 15 trekkers in our group who also climbed it.

The 16 trekkers and our lead guide, Luis

The average age of our group of 16 was 42 (with the median at 46, in case that tells you something!). And we all made it thanks to many factors: our training, our willpower, our support of each other, the collegiality of the group, etc. But just as important were the leadership and support our guides provided. Minding our safety first, they also bonded well with us at different times and in different ways.

With Said, who helped me during summit night and then sped me down the scree field!

With Buga, one of the liveliest of our guides – always smiling, singing and taking care of us

The trekkers and the guides can certainly call their efforts heroic or near-heroic. We had a trekker climb with a broken hand for 3 days unknown to anyone but herself. Another had bronchitis. And another had severe nausea during the ascent. They ALL made it. They -Liz, Laura, and Olivia- are definitely heroes to me. The guides worked SO hard on behalf of us. Not only minding our safety but also helping us during summit night ANY way they could. And, for a couple of us, also on the descent through the scree. They certainly are heroes to those of us whom they helped achieve this fantastic feat!!

The local guides

However, all that said, the real heroes of Kilimanjaro are the folks who make everything happen seamlessly in the background so that trekkers like myself can have a wonderful trek, a comfortable camp experience, and good food and water to sustain us. The real heroes of Kilimanjaro are the porters.

Many of those porters, we never got to meet. They worked behind the scenes. They didn’t hike along us. They carried our main luggage, tents, and everything else needed at camp. They brought water to camp. They cooked our meals. They set up and took down tents. They set up and cleaned the portable toilets. They hauled trash away so we would leave the mountain as unscathed as we found it.

As we walked up the mountain, porters from our group or other groups passed us along the paths carrying their loads. They moved fast and many did not have the right gear. These men work hard and do hard work to earn a living. Many of them are just picked up at the start of the route by the local lead guide to be hired for the trek right before we get going. Some become part regulars. And some eventually become guides.

As porters passed us along the path, we always cleared the way so they could pass us and not be bogged down by us. Partly this was, admittedly, self-serving as the earlier they got to camp, the more ready the camp would be when we arrived. But when we started doing this, that was not what we were thinking about. We were strictly thinking about making things easier for them in appreciation for all they do.

Porter carrying a load up Kili

The evening after we came off the mountain, after we all cleaned up, we all met at our hotel to celebrate and thank our guides and porters for their great work. The video clip below is of very amateurish quality but I think the joy these guys live with is self-evident. We loved their singing during the hike and we enjoyed celebrating!

The porters of Kili are the real heroes for me. To this anonymous group (we knew some of them but not most), I say ASANTE SANA! Our Kili experience would not have been possible without you. If you climb Kili, be sure to clear the way as they try to pass you!!

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Photo of the Week: León, Nicaragua

2 June 2013 by Raul 4 Comments

I visited the town of León, Nicaragua a couple of times for half days during my visits to Nicaragua in the mid-2000s. Its main plaza is typical of the Spanish colonial layout seen all throughout parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America. León adds a nice touch with a statue in the plaza…

The lion roars!

Filed Under: Caribbean/C America, Nicaragua Tagged With: catedral, cathedral, Central America, Leon, Nicaragua, photo

My Favorite Nativity Sets

31 December 2012 by Raul 7 Comments

I am not typically focused during my travels on picking a particular item from every place I go. (OK, maybe a beer glass but I am not consistent with that one…) But if an item really catches my eye in a certain category, I do buy it. Nativity scenes (“pesebres” in Spanish) is one of those categories. I especially like the ones from Andean countries which you will see below. Here are my favorite ones with special emphasis on one of them.

Only exception in the bunch: this was a gift I was given, source unknown

From Poland

From Peru

From Chile

Now to a series of pictures from a nativity scene from Panama.

Nativity scene from Panama – the entire set

Baby Jesus

One of those who came to adore baby Jesus

Nativity scene from Panama - Virgin Mary

The Virgin Mary

Joseph

Here is hoping to many more still to be discovered and happy new year to all!!!

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Read some about the trips when I acquired the Nativity sets:

Poland: Visiting Krakow, Czestochowa, the Wieliczka salt mines, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Wadowice.

Chile: Santiago, Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, the Atacama Desert, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Valley of the Moon, and the Tatio Geysers.

Peru: Lima, Huaraz and Ancash, Puno, Cuzco, and Lake Titicaca.

Panama: Panama, Panama City

Filed Under: Travel Journal Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel T1I, Chile, Christmas, manger, Nativity, Panama, perú, photo, Poland, travel

The Christmas Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

28 December 2012 by Raul 1 Comment

Last night I went with family and friends to see the Christmas lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in the first year of what I hope ends up being a new tradition for the city. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens is, in a normal day, a beautiful venue: well-designed, in a great location, and just very nice to explore. Its most unique feature (for this non-botanist) is the floating walkway that meanders through trees seemingly in mid-air.

In any case, here are some of my favorite shots showing the variety of the lights and, if you look closely, the nearby skyscrapers of Midtown Atlanta.

Click on photos to enlarge and step through and let me know which is your favorite!