Showing posts with label UNESCO heritage site. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UNESCO heritage site. Show all posts

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Puerto Princesa: Home to the Natural Wonders of the World

The motive here was simple. The legendary sub-terranean River. Time has named this place 1 of the 7 natural wonders of the world, despite all the wonders that nature has brought us. I suspect there must be a reason.

So we arrived at Puerto Princesa, by now the small airports don’t surprise us anymore. Funny how fast people get used to things. It was a little dreadful knowing that this would be our final stop before we head back to reality.

With a huge comfortable pickup from the airport, we arrived at the hotel and a light lunch after we unpacked. It totally feels like Phuket here, no idea why but this place gives me the same feeling, maybe because there’re more ang mos* (Caucasians) here than elsewhere.

It was really impromptu but we decided to go for a firefly tour since we have nothing on for our first night. It was the first for my boy and he really enjoyed it. The only other time I went on a firefly tour was years ago and I felt that I enjoyed this a lot more, although a little scary at first.

The entire tour comprised of a buffet dinner, which was fabulous, and a private firefly tour for groups of 2 in their small little boats. And by small, I mean small, it can only take a maximum of 4 people including the navigator, which is why it’s so scary! The width of the boat is only a little wider than my hips! Oh gawd! But the entire tour was actually amazing, we saw how fireflies will light up in sync when you shine red light at them. They light up like a Christmas tree!!! So amazing. Sadly I did not take any photos since it was too dark and I was too engrossed. But nothing can beat the first hand experience in those boats watching the amazing firefly *pun unintended*. Of course there are also little planktons in the water that light up a little when we the boatman paddled.  We already thought this was amazing enough for Mother Nature, but what comes the next morning was even more amazing at the underground river.

Before we even set foot into the underground river, we waited at the port waiting for our ride to come! As we reached the island housing the underground river, there was also another deadly attraction – Monitor Lizards, or what the locals known as Bayawak. And so the tour starts. It was like a cruise in a huge cave and the beauty will only be underrated by the use of words.










As we went back for our buffet lunch then a zipline adventure! The other people said they saw sea turtles whilst zipline. Envy max!!! 







Note: All photos are unedited.

Sunday, 26 January 2014

A day in Teotihuacan

Another UNESCO heritage site situated in Mexico, housing the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon is also known as the city of gods, Teotihuacan is the largest Pre-Columbian city in the Americas.
Pyramid of the Sun
Don't let the sun fool you. It was pretty cooling the day we went.
I even regretted slightly i did not bring my jacket along with me. 

Really magnificent architectural that is
 Well, it’s a beautiful place if you love some fine monuments and pyramids. I love this place because despite the ever blue skies, the weather is constantly at 20+/- degC which is a very good weather for scaling all those heights. In my honest opinion, if I were warm and sweaty by the end of the trip I probably wouldn’t feel that this trip was as good as it had been. Not to be vain, but it feels all comfortable and breezy after you scale the top is really one of my nicest experience. 



The entrance
The first sight you will see when you enter the premises.
Peak of the Pyramid. (See small reflector near feet)
It's not exactly long way down.
And you can see craved steps and handrails. They are really safe.
It was not tough to scale the peaks.
This little boy is proof.



Here and there will be some locals selling souvenirs and handicrafts.
There are some stalls around the premises as well.
Vendors selling souvenirs & handicrafts
Some fun facts about these pyramids in Teotihuacan.

1. It was mysteriously abandon in 700A.D.
2. The Pyramid of the Sun is exactly half as tall as the Pyramid of Giza
3. Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl are in the same layout as Orion’s Belt