Air conditioning is not common in Northern Europe. It’s probably a combination of normally cooler weather and a cultural attitude, but when it gets really warm you’ll hear a lot of complaining.
A couple of years ago there was an unusual hot spell in Amsterdam with a lot of people trying to deal with the heat. Above is a grab shot of a second floor window. Relief where you find it…
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If you are a lover of wild places and stunning landscapes, do not pass up a chance at visiting Chile!
Starting in the north the Atacama Desert is a region that is one of the driest places on Earth, famous for mining, salt lakes, cinder cone volcanoes, lamas and flamingoes. Spend some time in Santiago the capital and the very heart and soul of this remarkable country. Finish your visit at the bottom and Torres del Paine National Park with the incredible vistas of the Patagonian mountains.
Looking at a map of South America the country of Chile seems to be squeezed into this unusually thin strip with still over 4,000 miles of Pacific coastline. In fact Chile is so thin that there are sections where the country is less than 50 miles wide. The shape was not defined by geo-politics like many countries, but actually by extreme geography. The nation is squeezed between the high Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. This narrow strip of land is also constrained by several extreme natural barriers with the Atacama Desert in the north, ice fields in the south, and mountains and ocean on either side resulting in an average width of just 61 miles.
For centuries Chile has been one of the most isolated areas in the Americas mostly because of its geography…
The Andes Barrier:
The towering Andes Mountains have prevented access to the east for centuries and along with the Pacific Ocean, create a naturally thin corridor.
Arid North:
To the north, the Atacama Desert is blocked from receiving moisture by the Andes along with the Chilean Coastal Range.
The Cold South
To the south, cold conditions influenced by its proximity to Antarctica and mountain glaciers limit habitable space, with the mountains of Patagonia reinforcing that thin, longitudinal shape.
Isolation: The combination of mountains, sea, desert and ice has physically isolated Chile from its neighbors by defining the eastern border.
Chile’s History
Chile’s history spans agers of thinly populated indigenous peoples, Spanish colonization (1540-1818) that saw fierce Mapuche* resistance, along with a long struggle for stable democracy after independence, punctuated by the 1973 socialist Allende government, the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), with a recent a peaceful return to democratic rule, focusing on resource export (nitrates, copper) that shaped its economy through periods of boom and crisis.
Pre-Columbian Era
Early Inhabitants: Humans arrived around 12,000 BCE, developing diverse cultures, with the northern people influenced by Incas and southern Araucanians (Mapuche) fiercely resisting conquest.
Colonial Period (1540-1818)
21st Century Chile today continues as a stable democracy, while still facing challenges like rewriting its Pinochet-era constitution, and ongoing important social and economic development.
*The Mapuche comprise the principal indigenous population of Chile as well as Argentina with about 84 per cent of the total indigenous population of southern South America and about 1.3 million in Chile.
Currently we’re planning to add a number of articles over the next weeks to help in planning a Chile trip, so be sure and check back…
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These incredible birds were photographed above the harbor in Charlotte Amalie, USVI while they repeatedly attacked other birds and stole their catches.
The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), are remarkable seabirds known for their unique adaptations and behaviors. These birds are often referred to as “kleptoparasites” because they steal food from other seabirds, including snatching chicks from nests. The Magnificent Frigatebird is also colloquially known as the “pirate bird” due to its aggressive feeding tactics and is a prominent sight across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas;
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Visiting Chile’s Patagonia Mountains with dramatic, glaciated peaks of the Southern Andes that feature iconic summits like Mount Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, and the Torres del Paine. These rugged mountains offer world-class trekking, amazing ice fields, and dramatic granite towers, with peaks reaching over 12,000 feet that includes Cerro San Valentín.
More in future posts from exploring Chile.
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Get a jump on Summer and get in some serious beach time. There’s no better time for sun on the beach than Florida in the Spring with its hundreds of miles of sandy beaches lined with palm trees and lapped by crystal turquoise waters. If you’ve been dreaming about a Florida beach vacation here’s some tips on what consider.
First, Florida is not all hot tropical weather all the time. The state has three primary temperate zones:
The Panhandle – This piece of Florida is a popular vacation destination but its season actually runs from Spring to Autumn because of its mild temperate zone location. Also because there are no major airports nearby it is often a summer driving vacation destination for Southeastern families and Spring Breakers.
A stretch of Florida coast heading east from the Alabama line that features some of the cleanest, whitest sand in the whole world, gorgeous Gulf waters and frequent sunshine. Centered on Destin this stretch of Florida coast is one of the state’s most affordable beach areas. Along with stretches of resort hotels and beach communities Destin also offers some remarkable state park beaches like June White Decker Park and Crystal Beach. Again season runs from Spring to Fall.
Panama City Beach’s 27 miles of beautiful white sand Gulf beaches offers a range of accommodations. Because of its resort vibe and wide selection of activities and restaurants it’s a popular Spring Break destination and a Summer family vacation destination.
The best moderate Winter beaches are mostly found on the central East Coast and include wildlife refuges, long barrier island beaches, the Space Coast all within easy driving distance of Orlando.
Famous for its wide expanse of white sand beach Daytona also draws Spring Break crowds, a biker week and the famous Daytona 500 race. It also has the advantage of the theme parks of Orlando only an hours drive away. If your looking for a bit more action than just lounging on the beach this city has a lot to consider.
The unincorporated “town” of Merritt Island is located on Florida’s largest island and is adjacent to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and also serves as the home of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with its launch activities and the popular Visitors Center. Located on the north end of a stretch of coast that includes Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville, Vero Beach and Hutchinson Islands there’s a lot to take in.
The coast from West Palm Beach south to Miami includes the beautiful beaches of the Fort Lauderdale area, the excitement of Miami’s South Beach with incredible diving and sport fishing just offshore.
Located on a strip of land south of Boca Raton and North of Miami between the Florida Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean, it includes towns like Pompano Beach, Hollywood and Dania Beach. This area draws Winter vacationers to its warm weather, white beaches and crystal clear waters all packaged with the excitement of a major metropolitan city.
This world class city has a decidedly Latin vibe with its famous South Beach, incredible resort hotels and magnificent beaches. You could spend a month here and never run out of things to do.
The Florida Keys draw boaters, sport fisherman scuba divers and snorkelers to its warm clear waters. Hundreds of islets, islands and quays (keys) stretch south from Miami to Key West. But, if you are looking for fantastic beaches this isn’t what you are looking for with only a few small exception:
Located just east of Marathon this small town features one of the best beaches in the Florida Keys. The beach stretches for less than a mile in front of a row of classic beach motels but you are only minutes away from the attractions of Marathon, Islamorada and only about 50 miles from iconic Key West.
Florida’s Southern Gulf Coast includes another hundred plus miles of fantastic beaches. After crossing through the Everglades from Miami on the Gulf Coast you’ll discover a number of famous islands and beach resorts. Starting in the south is Marco Island, farther north is Sanibel and Captiva and in between is the upscale beach town of Naples. Traveling north along the coast are great beaches at Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Dunedin along with stretches of sany barrier island beaches.
Wall to wall with golf courses, gourmet restaurants and fancy boutiques, Naples is a seriously upscale Florida beach town. While the luxury resorts and fancy restaurants can make Naples seem a bit expensive there are moderately priced accommodations to be found and luckily, the beautiful beaches are free to enjoy. Watch for the frequent dolphins swimming near the beach and visit Naples’ iconic fishing pier.
Great beaches and one of Floridas best places for shelling. Shell hunting there even has a name – the Sanibel stoop. Like its sisters, Marco and Captiva, Sanibel has a laid back feel that benefits from its sense of being off the beaten path. Perfect choices if you are trying to just get away.
Another major metropolitan center is Tampa Bay with its string of white sand beaches the area also offers major attractions like the Florida Aquarium, Busch Gardens, the Dali Museum and some of the best Sunsets anywhere. At Clearwater Beach’s Pier 60 watching a breathtaking sunset is a popular pastime. The 1,000-foot pier with its lights draws anglers here at night to fish.
When the cold gets you down and your dreams start drifting to tropical climes, remember Florida has an antidote for cold and snow just waiting for you.
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On a recent South China Sea cruise we spent only a day in Hong Kong. While it is not enough time to do much we managed to hit a few highlights. Our first impression of the city as we sailed into port is one of rolling hills and countless skyscrapers. If you are cruising in, the ship will probably dock at the new cruise terminal that was once the site of the international airport in Kowloon. Across Victoria Harbour is
Hong Kong Island and the central business district with Victoria Peak standing above it. The first suggestion is to get yourself oriented as to where you are and what locations you would like to visit. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive and the subway (MTR) is easy to use. You can find a number of official maps here .
Going up to Victoria Peak is one of the cities highlights. There is a Peak Tram that leaves from a station near Hong Kong Park and the Government Center but by the time we got to the tram the wait to buy tickets and catch the tram was several hours. We’ve been told that the tram is an experience in itself but from our experience we would recommend getting to the tram lower terminus early in the day and if you’re staying in Hong Kong for a few days don’t miss going up at night. We shared a taxi with another couple up and back for less than 25 Hong Kong Dollars (US$5) each person and the view is well worth the effort. I can imagine what it looks like at night with the city glowing below you but even in the day it is spectacular.
We started the day with a free bus ride to Plaza Hollywood which is a large mall with exhibit space, a movie theatre and a couple hundred stores. Leaving the Plaza we walked a couple of blocks over to the Nan Lian Gardens (look for the elevated highway and walk under it). The park is a classic style Chinese garden and is beautiful with flowers, water falls, Koi ponds and pagodas and completely surrounded by high rise buildings (admission is free). Afterwards we walked back to Plaza Hollywood to its MTR Diamond Hill Station where we caught a subway. We used the subway to get to the business district at the Central Station. The MTR is easy to figure out with well designed maps and ticket machines with English language options. The trains and stations are modern, clean and well marked. From Central MTR station we walked to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus. The area features numerous skyscrapers and upscale shopping with the alleys between buildings filled with market stalls selling everything from food to inexpensive clothing.
One of the surprising things we learned is that while Hong Kong is a wealthy, vertical city with high rise buildings and skyscrapers everywhere, there are lower income neighborhoods where high rise apartments average only a dozen square meters. We were told that it is common to have them furnished with triple-decker bunk beds. When you realize this you begin to notice laundry hanging out of windows all the way up to the higher floors.
If we weren’t running short on time we could have taken the MTR back to the Cruise Terminal but we used our remaining Hong Kong dollars to take a taxi. We would recommend changing money and using credit cards in Hong Kong as US dollars are not readily accepted.
Our ship sailed out of Victoria Harbour as the Sun began to slip behind the skyline marking the end of a great visit, but we are convinced that this city deserves a number of days to spend exploring.
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