Travel

Video: Quito – the most beautiful capital in South America

Quito is possibly the most beautiful capital in South America. Spread across a spectacular Andean valley with volcanic peaks in the background, Quito’s setting alone is enough to leave you speechless. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978 and is incredibly beautiful. All the churches and colonial buildings have been restored and is in use which makes the city come alive with the vibrant working class and indigenous character that has always defined it. Walking its narrow streets is to wander into another world. The old time is also the best place to find a guesthouse. It is both the cheatpest and safest place to stay in Quito (if you can call Quito safe :-/)

Merely a 20-minute walk from the old town, Quito’s ‘new town’ is a different world; a mixture of hotels, high-rises and government complexes. Many travelers head to Mariscal Sucre, which has trendy cafés, international restaurants, travel agencies, cybercafés, bars and small hotels. The area’s nickname is gringolandia (gringo land), but quiteños (people from Quito) like it too. It is, however, a lot more dangerous to walk here after dark than in the old part – so be aware.

The video above shows you a little bit of Quito’s splendor.

San Pedro and the longing for empty spaces

San Pedro, Guatemala, Lake Atitlan

Arriving in San Pedro was by no means a surprise because I had no expectations for neither San Pedro nor Guatemala.

San Pedro de Laguna is a relatively small village (although not as small as I could wish for) on the shores of Lake Atitlan. It has 13.000 inhabitants spread out on the hillside.

Obviously San Pedro is very different from Asia where I have spent a long time. It’s much less developed than Thailand, but it is also much more traditional which has its own charm. The people here are very friendly and despite a growing tourism not jaded and unfriendly.

But don’t let this fool you San Pedro have been discovered many years ago and is not your "undiscovered paradise". It’s a growing village living from tourist, coffee and maize. It has everything from beautiful scenery, kayak trips, horse riding, restaurants, market, and internet shops to bars and drug problems.

We arrived at the end of the rainy season and thus the landscape was very damp, cloudy and misty. My feelings for the country are mixed. The people seem very nice despite the horrors of the past, the landscape is also beautiful, but the country suffers from the same problems as other developing (and developed) countries pollution. They still cook with firewood so three times a day the village of San Pedro is smoky wherever you go and it makes me long for empty spaces with neither people nor buildings just nature.

I admit though that I have had this longing for a very long time now Chiang Mai was too big and polluted for me, Copenhagen also contains too much cement for me too many people, too many cars, too much development. The older I have gotten the less of a city person I am I long for peace and quiet and stopping smoking (nearly 2 years ago) has not made me more tolerant to pollution, smoke, dust, fumes and all the other things that big cities "offer" on the contrary.

I suppose ideally I would live in a very deserted place surrounded by nature, sea, animals and with very few inhabitants I know it sounds like Alaska .however, I couldn’t live in such a cold place. I hate darkness and cold so more like the south pole than the north pole 30 degrees all year round is great J Any suggestions?

Video: Beautiful Koh Lipe island, Thailand

Koh Lipe – a tiny island located in Tarutao National marine park, is the most beautiful island I have visited so far – both in Thailand and worldwide. The video below – containing a 10 minute island tour (including a visit to all the beaches) should give you an idea why we love this island so much. Enjoy 🙂

Map and satellite shots of Koh Lipe


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Video: Khaosan road in Bangkok, Thailand

This video shows Khaosan Road in Bangkok.

Khaosan road is what you can call a traveller’s mecca. Some people hate it and some people love it. It is located in the old part of Bangkok in an area called Banglampu. It is well connected to major attractions in Bangkok by bus number 2, 15, 47, 73, and 511 just to mention a few. Bus no. 53 goes to the main train station.

I always stay around Khaosan Road when I visit Bangkok and have previous lived in the area for 4 months. I love the buzzing atmosphere – you can find absolutely everything here: restaurants, cheap guesthouses, old and new friends, clothes and handicraft shops, massage places, tattoo artists, internet shops, travel agencies (it is cheaper to by bus tickets from here than from the government run offices at bus stations) and places to have a fun night out.

It is a very vibrant place and a crossroad for travellers from all over Asia. I highly recommend you to stop over in Bangkok when you are in Thailand. This city has a lot to offer. Enjoy

Cornwall, England

CornwallCornwall is one of my favourite places in the world. The coastline is beautiful – just loook at the photo below taken overlooking Bedruthan Steps, just north of Newquay. It is one of the places I have missed most in my four years away from the England. Cornwall is the most South-Western country in England, and it has a population of about half a million people.

Cornwall is noted for its wild moorland landscapes, its extensive and varied coastline and its mild climate. Also notable is Cornwall’s stone age and industrial archeology, especially its historic mining landscape, a world heritage site. Tourism therefore forms a significant part of the local economy; however, Cornwall is one of the poorest areas in the United Kingdom with the lowest per capita contribution to the national economy.

Map of Cornwall, England

Cornwall is the homeland of the Cornish people and is also considered one of the six “Celtic nations” by many residents and scholars. The Cornish language is closely related to Welsh and Breton, and less so to Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx. A study in 2000 suggested that there were around 300 people who spoke Cornish fluently. Cornish however has no legal status in the UK. The language is still taught in about twelve primary schools, and occasionally used in religious and civic ceremonies.