I like to consider myself a wildlife enthusiast and explorer, so I generally steer clear of Zoos and Aquariums. Mostly because I just prefer to see animals in the wild, but partially because I have seen enough captive animals over the years to know that not all Zoos and Aquariums are created equal.
Some Zoos, however are doing great things in the name of science, conservation and the re-introduction of endangered plant an animal species into the wild. Once such organization is the San Diego Zoo.
An ‘Elephant’ outside the San Diego Zoo Entrance
When I visited, I had to choose between spending a day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, or the San Diego Zoo. The ‘Safari Park’ as the name implies is a wide open, outdoor park fashioned to be like the great plains of Africa, where wild animals roam free. As I’ve been on Safari in Africa, I was more curious to see how the original San Diego Zoo was. Could it really live up to the hype I’d heard? After all, many people have claimed it to be the best Zoo in the world!
A Curious Monkey at San Diego Zoo
In short, the answer was yes.
There was only one exhibit – one animal – I saw in the San Diego Zoo that seemed to be unhappy. It was a cat, which I briefly saw pacing around in it’s enclosure. Obviously not a natural habit, it was evident that the cat wasn’t perfectly happy. But with that said, it was in a temporary enclosure at the time, so by now it is hopefully roaming around in a bigger space and enjoying life a little more.
Black with White stripes? Nope – White with Black stripes!
All the other animals I saw, seemed to be in healthy, happy shape. Many of them were quite active and in most cases they had what seemed to be tons of space, compared to exhibits at some other Zoos I have been to.
I was particularly impressed with the Tiger enclosure.
Tiger Attacking a Toy Ball at San Diego Zoo
One of the staff members was doing a talk about the Tigers when I arrived and it was evident that they had put a lot of time and effort into making sure the Tigers were staying active and as ‘wild’ as they could be.
The many different kinds of Bears as well as the always fun Meerkats were quite entertaining as well. Even the long wait in line to see the ever-popular Panda Bears was worth it. While the Pandas weren’t exactly putting on an exciting show, the Red Pandas did provide some entertainment during the time in line.
A Meerkat on the prowl at San Diego Zoo
A sign that I had a great time was that the day went by fast, I arrived when the Zoo opened at didn’t leave until it was getting ready to close. I had planned to check out more local attractions that day, but in the end I just headed back to my hostel. (If you’re going to San Diego – I stayed at the HI in Point Loma, a really nice place in a quiet part of the city – one of the best hostels I’ve stayed at.)
A Red Panda photographed at San Diego Zoo
While I’d love to be able to see every animal from the San Diego Zoo in their natural habitat, I know I likely won’t have the chance to travel to so many far flung forests and deserts. If you’re a fan of Zoos, don’t miss the one in San Diego and if you’re not a fan of Zoos, I recommend it any ways just to see how well run a Zoo can be.
It’s easily the best Zoo I’ve been to for both how free the animals seemed and how educated and enthusiastic the staff were.
You don’t need to be a world traveller to have heard something labelled as the ‘8th Wonder of the World!’ But the more you travel, the more of these ubiquitous 8th Wonders you seem to run into.
I’ve had the luck of visiting at least four places that share this namesake. They were all wonderful indeed. It got me thinking though, just how many 8th Wonders of the World are there? I mean, there is no official title, so I could call myself the 8th Wonder of the World if I wanted to.
8th Wonder of the World Candidate – The Grand Canyon
My friend Google quickly presented me with more than 22 such places in only a few minutes. Filtering through the 8th Wonders I’ve seen and the ones presented by Google and others, here is my attempt at listing the most impressive places that have been unofficially deemed 8th Wonders of the World. (But are officially on my list of worthwhile travel experiences.)
8th Wonder #1: The Wonderful Grand Canyon, USA
I had heard from many photographers and travellers over the years that the Grand Canyon was over-hyped. They didn’t enjoy it as much as they had expected. The most common complaint was that it was too crowded and too hot. Sure, if you go in July or August I can imagine that to be the case, even more so if you drive yourself instead of take the free shuttles around the south rim.
I visited in early May, before the long weekend. The weather was in the 90s during the day but dipped near freezing at night. No crowds around and I was the only person on some of the trails I hiked. A few workers commented that it was the best week of the year to visit. Clear skies and great views of the rim and canyon greeted me each day, while the roadways were clear to stop and take pictures of the landscapes and wildlife too.
I won’t say I enjoyed it more than Bryce Canyon for photography and scenery, but I can say this whole area of the US deserves to be an 8th Wonder of the World.
8th Wonder #2: Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
This is the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the entire world. It also happens to be smack in the middle of prime big mammal territory in Africa.
A Rhino in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania – Possibly the 8th Wonder of the World
More than 25,000 animals call this crater home, which is like an oasis for many of them. Lions here have it easy – plenty of antelopes, wildebeest and zebras. Life is so good in the crater that many of the animals here don’t even have to migrate with the changing seasons.
Rhinos and hippos and elephants are all found here as well. So are flamingos and hyenas. For any wildlife lover, a trip down into the crater is a wonderful experience, easily worthy of the 8th Wonder of the World title.
8th Wonder #3: The Ancient Wonders of Angkor, Cambodia
Not far from the backpacker friendly town of Siem Reap lie the ruins of Angkor. These are the largest Hindu temple ruins in the entire world, built roughly 900 years ago.
To enjoy the large complex as much as possible, you can ride a bicycle through the ruins. A moment that is on many bucket lists is to get up early and watch the sun rise above the most famous of Angkor buildings – Angkor Wat.
Spiritually strong, the mix of ancient wonder, slowly being reclaimed by the jungle, is a special travel experience to say the least.
8th Wonder #4 – The Towering Wonder of Milford Sound, New Zealand
A Wonderful day of Kayaking in Milford Sound, New Zealand
I enjoyed kayaking to Milford Sound, keeping an eye out for seals and wildlife along the way. Locals often say that Doubtful Sound is the more impressive place to visit, but when you’re here, it is hard to think anything else could be more impressive. Soaring fjord walls, capped with snow, guide you along this lush landscape.
Waterfalls plummet from the peaks, in this wet – and wonderful – part of the world. If not an 8th Wonder of the World, surely a top wonder of New Zealand.
8th Wonder #5 – The Religious Wonders of Lalibela, Ethiopia
Sacred churches, built out of rock. Not by placing stones together to form walls, but by literally digging out the ground!
You really need to visit Lalibela and see the rock churches yourself to fully appreciate the human effort involved in creating them. These 13 monolithic churches are divided into three groups, and include the largest monolithic church in the world.
Quite possibly the most impressive religious wonder in the world.
8th Wonder #6 – The Lion Rock Wonder of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Sigiriya (Lion Rock) in Sri Lanka may be Wonder worthy
Sigiriya is often called the Lion Rock. Once, a giant carved lion appeared at the foot of the staircase to the top of this rock, but it has since broken and only the lion ‘paws’ remain.
An interesting history of battles and a strategic vantage point from the rock, make Sigiriya an important landmark in Sri Lanka. But when you add the impressive rock art, a curious ‘mirror wall’ and expansive, carefully excavated gardens to the nearby lands, it becomes even more.
8th Wonder #7 – The Warrior Wonder of the Terracotta Army, China
What makes the Terracotta Army extra special is that they remained undiscovered until less than 40 years ago! Despite being built more than 2000 years ago, this army remained hidden for thousands of years.
You can almost imagine them coming to life as well, perhaps because everything was built life-size – horses, chariots, acrobats, musicians and more than 8000 warriors! Kind of creepy? Yes. Kind of cool? Absolutely.
8th Wonder #8 – The Mysterious Moai Wonders of Easter Island, Chile
Easter Island has always fascinated me. So much mystery still surrounds this island. Once home to a thriving population, civilization quickly crumbled turned the island into a barren, inhospitable wasteland.
Mysterious Moai Statues on Easter Island – The 8th Wonder of the World?
The people living here once carved huge Moai statues from quarries, but at some time there was a change in beliefs, the Moai were toppled and the Bird Man Cult came into existence.
It is the kind of story that is perfect for blockbuster movies. Unfortunately we don’t fully know exactly why things changed. We don’t know the entire reason why the Moai were created or why the islanders didn’t see that deforestation of their island would lead to their starvation.
Mysteries surrounded by more mysteries is what makes Easter Island a worthy wonder.
8th Wonder #9 – Somewhere you have been…
What do you think? Do any of these ‘Wonders’ hold their own against the 7 Wonders of the World? What would be your choice for 8th Wonder of the World?
Last year, the ‘My 7 Links’ project was creating big buzz in the blogging world, with travel bloggers clamouring to share and show their greatest links.
Since then numerous new series of posts have begun, but I couldn’t let my nomination by Erin Halvey from A Sense of Place (formerly Visual Vacation) go unanswered as that would be bad Karma. Initiated by the good people at Tripbase, the project aims to give older posts a second life by sharing them with the online travel community.
Erin nominated me to participate in the My 7 Links project 10 months ago, when my website was only a few months old. I hardly even had 7 links total, let alone capable of filling in the topical needs for the project. So…I banned myself from participating in any such posts, but promised to catch up on them once my site was at least 1 year old.
That year has passed and I’m not one to break my promises, so here is my post – better late than never!
There is something about remote islands with perfect beaches that makes people go crazy. In the Maldives, having your own private island for a game of volleyball is a possibility. It is hard to take bad pictures in the Maldives, they’re such a beautiful destination.
Enjoying a Game of Beach Volleyball on a Private Island in the Maldives
This is an easy choice. Last October, a month before the world ‘caught on’ I unearthed some controversial news about the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign. Let’s just say sketchy business dealing not unlike bribery and blackmail may have helped decide on who won the competition.
The post generated media interview requests as far away as South Africa, Indonesia and the Philippines. It also generated more traffic to my site in one single day than I had received in the 5 months prior.
Iguassu Falls, Argentina - A New 7 Wonders of Nature Finalist
I thought perhaps my post on how to properly enjoy and appreciate Tequila would fit here, but instead something more practical.
Renting a car can be a costly pain if you need to pay for insurance and can’t get a great rate. But if you’re a frequent traveller, you should be able to get a deal through your favourite airline or credit card loyalty program. On the other hand, if you choose another, potentially cheaper, option like delivering a car … you might end up paying more in the end.
Delivering a car as a Hired Driver - like this Jaguar in Arizona - is one way to Road Trip
Really, it is just a stone. But it happens to be the world’s largest stone!
I love how we’re drawn to weird, quirky and often lame roadside attractions. It could be a huge chair, apple, ball of twine or fork and people will flock to it.
Some stories have a strong sentimental attachment to them, which I think is hard for many writers to detach themselves from.
That is the way I am with any story I write about Madagascar. It remains my favourite country in the world, yet I know others who were thoroughly unimpressed by it.
Still, any story that has a hint of Wild West to it, including an actual beheading, deserves some attention doesn’t it?
Sitting with Jacques, taking a Rest after hiking in Isalo
There you have it. 10 months after being nominated, I finally completed this long overdue post. Anyone out there who hasn’t created their 7 links post…go for it and nominate yourself to participate or hop on one of the more recent themes like 7 Super Shots!
There aren’t many animals out there with a better name than the Lava Lizard.
Seriously, try and think of a cooler named animal…I bet you can’t!
The Española Lava Lizard (Microlophus delanonis) one of 9 Endemic Lava Lizards in the Galapagos
Visit the Galapagos Islands and you’ll undoubtedly come across these skittish little creatures. While not unique to the Galapagos (Lava lizards are common to other destinations, in particular Peru), there are nine Lava Lizard species that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. As with the birds, tortoises and larger iguanas; the lava lizards have evolved on each island to be genetically unique.
A Floreana Lava Lizard (Microlophus grayii) photographed at Punta Cormorant
That’s one of those oddly interesting things about the Galapagos. You can sail to a different island in a couple of hours and see similar-looking animals, but their size, colour and habits will be slightly different – unique – from their relatives found on the other islands.
Some Galapagos Lava Lizards are brightly coloured, others are quite dull. (Females are often bright red in colour, males are dull grey or brown). Different islands have different sized Lava Lizards too, but they’re all pretty similar. I tried to challenge myself to find as many different species as I could on the islands, I spotted Lava Lizards on Espanola, Floreana, Bartolome, Sombrero Chino, South Plaza, San Cristobal and Isabela Islands.
A San Cristóbal Lava Lizard (Microlophus bivittatus) photographed at Isla Lobos
I captured decent photos of four different species, each pictured in this article, which help show the different shapes, colours and sizes of these lizards.
A Galápagos Lava Lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis) seen on Isabela Island
Unfortunately some of them were too elusive for the camera, so my photos of them are just tails, or specks too far away. I also failed in spotting any Lava Lizards breathing through their eyelids. Sadly that seems to be a myth from the classic baseball movie Bull Durham. Lava Lizards breathe through their nostrils. (Click on the Espanola or San Cristobal photos and you should see their nostrils.)
Another Galapagos Lava Lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis), the most widespread of the Galapagos species. This was on South Plaza Island.
Not far from Selçuk is the old Orthodox hillside village of Şirince. This small Turkish village is famous for it’s wines, olive oils and crafts and is a popular place for local (Turkish) tourists.
It’s a bit of a maze of a village, with some steep hills and market stalls lining almost every street. Some specialize in leathers, others specialize in colourful textiles. You’ll see plenty of the ubiquitous ‘evil eye’ souvenirs here as well.
A Market Stand selling crafts in Sirince, Turkey
The main attraction though is the wine. Not just grape wines but also many flavoured fruit wines. It is said that every home in the village produces their own wine, many of whom sell them at stands outside their homes.
You’ll also notice the village seems to be overrun by cats too. They’re all pretty laid back and sleepy looking, perhaps from all the local wine?
Bottles of home made wine at a market stand in Sirince, Turkey
The story goes that back when the village was settled they called it Cirkince, which means ‘ugly’. It was a ploy to trick visitors, tourists and foreigners into skipping this picturesque town, so it could stay a secret. It didn’t last obviously, as the name was later changed to Sirince, meaning ‘pretty’.
While the market stalls here sold some fantastic home-made crafts and wines, that ugly/pretty story came to mind when I passed this perfectly genuine, fake shop.
Genuine Fake Watches in Sirince, Turkey
Friendly shopkeepers, not pushy at all, made the experience here worthwhile. Many have areas set up at the back of their market stalls to sit and enjoy some Turkish coffee too. It’s a great place for a day trip, especially if you’re looking for a bottle of unique Turkish wine.
A Typical market Stand selling Olive Oils and Wines in Sirince
