The Quitsato Sundial, which is built EXACTLY on the earth's equator near Quito, Ecuador. Most of the monuments and tourist 'experiences' built on the equator are surprisingly not actually located exactly on the equator itself. Quitsato is a functioning sundial as well, and the position of the shadow can indicate the time of day as well as mark the solstices and equinoxes throughout the year. I visited Quito and this sundial back in 2013 and hope to return again sometime…
A woman sweeps in the narrow streets of the old town Stone Town on the island of Zanzibar (مدينة زنجبار الحجرية/Mji Mkongwe.) Zanzibar is an incredible place to visit, and Stone Town itself is a delightful blend of Swahili, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and British influences. I visited here back in 2012 on a trip to climb nearby Mt. Kilimanjaro and vowed that I would return again sometime soon. #Travel
The elaborate Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น), commonly referred to as the 'White Temple' in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The White Temple itself is actually an eclectic art gallery that is privately owned but incredibly ornate and fascinating. I visited here in 2013 on a trip through the 'Golden Triangle' countries of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. #Travel
Hindu devotees carry a platform holding the monkey king Hanuman at the Prambanan temple (Rara Jonggrang\ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This 8th century temple complex is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, and the 2nd largest in Southeast Asia after Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Later on that day when I visited in 2017 this platform was raced around the field in front of the temple as part of an elaborate show that was put on before a crowd of thousands of Hindu…
The Holsten Gate (Holstentor) in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, Germany. Lübeck is a wonderfully charming city with a an old city center that is Germany's largest UNESCO World Heritage site. I visited here in 2016 on a trip around Germany, Sweden, Poland and Denmark. #Travel
The city of Seattle as viewed from the Space Needle with Mount Rainer clearly visible in the background. Seattle is a gorgeous city in the Pacific Northwest and a major tech center in the US. Because of the work I do with Microsoft I have visited here often, but not always able to experience a view like I did when I took this shot back in 2016! #Travel
A boatman works his traditional vessel on the Buriganga river in the chaotic but fascinating city of Dhaka (ঢাকা.) I visited Bangladesh in 2016 and had a chance to see many of the sites of Old Dhaka as well as try multiple delicious Bengali dishes. I hope to get back again soon to see some of the mangrove forests in the south of the country at Sundarbans. #Travel
One of many of the whimsical statues in Oslo's Frogner Park (Frognerparken) that are part of the Vigelandsanlegget, a sculpture garden. This is the world's largest sculpture park that was created by a single artist, and is the most popular tourist attraction in the entire country of Norway. I've visited here twice, most recently in 2016. #Travel
Aboriginal canoe carved from bloodwood outside of the courthouse in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. This art piece was created by students at the local art school and represents aspects from traditional indigenous culture. I visited this area as part of a long drive from Adelaide along the Murray River, up to Broken Hill and looping through the Australian Outback on my return. I've taken several long trips like this through Australia and have greatly enjoyed each…
The beautiful mountain city of Queenstown, New Zealand with "The Remarkables" mountain range towering over it. Queenstown was the first city in New Zealand that I visited back in 2007 and just like the country of New Zealand in general I found it to be stunning. Nearby are glaciers, ski resorts, wineries, and a stunning landscape filled with fjords and waterfalls. #Travel
View of the Playa de Las Teresitas on the Spanish island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands located off the coast of Africa. The Canaries are known for their beautiful beaches, abundant sunlight, and their incredible nightlife. I visited this and several other islands in the chain back in 2008 and would most certainly visit again if given a chance. #Travel
Looking down on central Lisbon from St. George's Castle (Castelo de São Jorge.) Lisbon is an incredibly beautiful place and one of my favorite cities in Europe. I took this photo back in 2007 and have returned to Lisbon at least a half dozen other times over the years. #Travel
"The Twelve Apostles" limestone stacks just off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The stack in the lower left collapsed a few years before I took this shot in 2009 so the joke is that I only visited "The Eleven Apostles," but the truth is that there were never twelve stacks to begin with. This view is just one of many such sights that await tourists on the Great Ocean Road which winds through Victoria. If you're not in a rush, it's a great scenic byway to take…
The famous Pontifical Swiss Guard of Vatican City, from a photo I took back in 2009. Despite their honorary status, they are actually the official military of the Holy See and in the course of their duties protecting the pope and the Vatican itself they carry modern weapons in addition to traditional ones such as the halberds shown here. #Travel
A view of the pedestrian Millennium Bridge and the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral from across the River Thames in London, England. I took this particular shot back in 2009 but I have returned to London several times since then and have enjoyed it each time. #Travel
The infamous "Acqua Alta" or high tide in Venice, Italy as experienced by me during a visit there in 2012. During periods of high waters, many of the public areas of the city go underwater and some of the first floors of building are inundated with floodwaters. While they are currently working on a very expensive system to stop the floods, Venice continues to be slowly drowned by this phenomenon. This truly is unfortunate as Venice is a beautiful and fascinating city to…
The famous Mele Cascades on the island of Efate in Vanuatu. The path to the top of these waterfalls is carved directly into the rock and the chutes themselves, so unless you like wearing wet shoes you must make the journey up barefoot (or in watersocks.) The Mele Cascades can get quite popular, but if you arrive very early like I did on my visit in 2011 you can have them to yourself. #Travel
One of hundreds of small islands in Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca) near the beautiful old Nicaraguan city of Granada. Many of these islands are privately owned or, in the case of this one I visited in 2012, run as small resorts. The city of Granada and the lake itself are must-see attractions if you have a chance to visit Central America. #Travel
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (جَامِع ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد ٱلْكَبِيْر) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This mosque, finished in 2007, is massive and can fit up to 41,000 people at a time (inside and outside.) The interior of the mosque is even grander than the outside and includes copious amounts of marble, gold, crystals, and colorful ceramics. I personally found this mosque to be one of the most beautiful modern buildings in the world when I visited it in 2012. #Travel
The Ruins of Saint Paul's (大三巴牌坊 / Ruínas de São Paulo,) an ancient Portuguese church in Macau, China. Macau was the first and the last European colony in China, having been founded in 1557 and reverting to Chinese control in 1999, two years after Hong Kong. The food here is an fascinating mix of Portuguese and Chinese influences, with dishes such as Galinha à portuguesa and the delicious Pastéis de Nata de Macau as great examples of the fusion of Portuguese and Cantonese…
The 17th century Swedish warship "Vasa" on display in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. Richly decorated and bristling with heavy cannon, the ship was dangerously unstable and tipped over and sank only 1300 meters into its native voyage. Not discovered again until the 1950s, the ship was restored and put into the museum where it is one of the most popular sights in Stockholm. I've visited the Vasa twice, once in 2007 and again in 2010. #Travel
View from the Maïdo above the city of Saint Paul on the french island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Réunion is a full status region of France and is one of the outermost regions of the European Union and the eurozone. The island itself has spectacular scenery and unique flora and fauna and most certainly should be considered for a visit. I've stopped on the island twice...first time in 2017 and the second time a year later in 2018. #Travel
Saint Sophia Cathedral (Собор Святої Софії / Собор Святой Софии) in Kiev, Ukraine. Founded in the year 1011, the cathedral is one of the most popular tourist sites in Kiev and is a central architectural monument of the historical state of Kievan Rus, the predecessor of the modern Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian states. The interior and exterior of the cathedral itself is ornate and beautiful, and I've visited it multiple times over the years, the first time in the late…
The iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Completed in 1652, it was constructed as a mausoleum for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. 20,000 artisans were involved in the creation of this incredible building and the grounds around it and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in India today. I had a chance to visit the Taj Mahal back on a trip across India in 2009. #Travel
Iguazú Falls (Chororõ Yguasu,) the largest waterfalls in the world, on the border of Brazil and Argentina. I visited here on a trip to Brazil back in 2010 and hope to return again soon. In addition to the breathtaking water chutes, the area of Iguazú also includes a wide variety of interesting flora and fauna. #Travel
The famous Paro Taktsang (སྤ་གྲོ་སྟག་ཚང་) Tiger's Nest monastery, a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. A must-see sight on a visit to Bhutan, the Tiger's Nest can only be visited via a long hike up from the valley floor. I visited this spiritual place back in 2016 and hope to visit again sometime soon. #Travel
Pro-Basque flags and signage in the city of Pamplona (Iruña,) Navarre, Spain. Famous for the Running of the Bulls during the San Fermín festival, Pamplona is also part of the historical Basque regions of Spain and France (Euskal Herria.) The Basque language is very interesting to hear, it sounds completely different than any other European language. I visited Pamplona on a trip across Basque Country back in 2016. #Travel
The beautiful Ke’anae peninsula on the island of Maui. While tranquil and stunning today, it was the site of a massive tsunami in 1946 that wiped out all of the buildings on the island with the exception of a stone church. Today it's a great place to stop to pick up some banana bread on the way down the 'Road to Hana.' I highly recommend you make your start on the Road to Hana very early in the morning to avoid the throngs of tourist rental cars who pack the roads during the…
The world's largest Buddhist temple at Borobudur (ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ / Candi Borobudur,) on the island of Java, Indonesia. This stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site was built in the 7th century and was abandoned in the 14th century. It was restored in the 1970's and 1980's and is now the most popular tourist site in Indonesia. The nearby city of Yogyakarta contains another impressive temple complex, the Hindu temple of Prambanan, and both of these are must-sees if you are in the…
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