China's long-anticipated Chengdu Tianfu International Airport has officially opened for business, providing travelers with a new option to the home of giant pandas. The first flight, via Sichuan Airlines, took off at 11:10 a.m. on Sunday, 27 June, 2021 headed for Beijing. Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is now the third city in the country to…
Nature & the Environment
INTERPOL. EUROPOL. SURVEILLANCE. EYE IN THE SKY. In early May 2021, a Belgian farmer hit international news when he moved a stone out of the way of his tractor, and accidentally shifted the French-Belgian border 2.3m into France. Or did he? Is it actually possible to move a border just by moving a stone? And…
We periodically write about Wales, in the UK. Most tourists think of England or Scotland as destinations in the UK, but you should really also give Wales a try if you haven't already. Why? Well, first of all, the countryside itself is lush and untouched. Wales has been able to avoid some of the creeping…
At the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in northwest Azerbaijan, lies Parigala, one of the world’s most impressive archeological mysteries. The Azerbaijani name, Pəriqala, literally means Fairy Castle Carved into the nearly vertical face of a rock cliff, the centuries-old structure remains a mystery that hardly anyone knows anything about. The site consists of a…
Geysers. Hot springs. Wildlife. A few words probably come to mind when you think about Yellowstone National Park. But there’s one word that might come as a surprise: supervolcano. Because, if you didn’t know it already, the land that makes up Yellowstone National Park is actually one of the world’s largest active (yes, we said…
...and pink champagne on ice? We are all just prisoners here . . . oh wait, wrong references. Being one of the oldest civilisations on Earth, Europeans have a lot to show for it. Even beyond the splendors of Rome or Athens, there were generations and generations of forbearers who walked - and as it…
This is astounding. It almost defies belief, but the Chinese are behind it, so it could very well happen. Their abilities are legend. China wants to build a $200 billion underwater train to the United States. The China-Russia-Canada-America line would be the most expensive megaproject in history and take years to complete. The biggest engineering…
Free as a bird. The sky's the limit. 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky. It's a mackerel sky. Reach for the sky. Out of a clear blue sky. Sky high. Sky dive. Lucy in the sky. Sky rocket. Vanilla sky. Make a beeline for the treeline. You can see the forest for the trees. …
Europe is a well-known and well-traversed part of the world. We love it and can't get enough of it. But, there are some places that are still bubbling under, just waiting for (or hiding from) the crowds. One such place is Georgia - in particular, Vardzia. Vardzia-Khertvisi, comprising a vast territory in the upper reaches…
It's almost like a fairytale. But don't get tipsy and mistake it for a piña colada. Lake Retba is a true natural phenomenon located only 30 miles from Dakar. The highly saline Pink Lake lives up to its name. It is named for its pink waters caused by Dunaliella salina algae and is known for its high salt content, up to…
The United States of America has its fingers in so many pies in the world. And there are still remnants of the country's founding that give us a glimmer what it must have been like those hundreds of years ago, as the country was taking shape. One of those remnants that often is undersung is…
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Flamingos and pelicans and herons…oh my! Holbox Island is beloved by bird nerds for its population of exotic avian life. Perched near the Yucatan Peninsula, the island is also a hot spot for whale shark viewing, and kiteboarders love the shallow waters and wide beaches. The white sand streets are relatively unspoiled, as most tourists…
Can you believe this? On June 14, 2021, the Hard Rock venues turned 50 and that doesn’t happen every day. To mark this day, they want to share with you their new campaign. It is built on the principles that have guided Hard Rock since the beginning – providing a fresh approach and a call…
If you feel like you have visited almost every place on earth, you might want to give this a try. You can tour the Fukushima disaster zone - where the simultaneous, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant melted down and devastated the Fukushima area, and the ghost town Namie itself. It is safe enough for…
Raise your hands, those of you who have visited Brescia, Italy.
If you haven't, let us assist you in exploring this rich and varied place.
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo.
With a…
There’s an iconic moment, filmed in the shadow of the Very Large Array in New Mexico, that many people who visit this giant telescope try to duplicate. A young astronomer sits cross-legged on the bonnet of her car, the towering line of radio dishes vanishing into the distance behind her. With her laptop in front…
Medellín, Colombia (pronounced medi-jeen) is yet another eye-opening, mind-blowing, mind-opening world city that is recognised as a must-do adventure, but often bubbles under in people's minds. Why not surprise yourself and put it on your list? There's loads to do in Colombia's lively Medellín, but to help you get started, our affiliate friends Tiqets have…
Those of us who learned arithmetic using pen and paper, working with the ten digits 0–9 and place value, may take for granted that this is the way it’s always been done, or at least the way it ought to be done. But if you think of the amount of time and energy spent in…
It's starting to happen. Companies are taking it seriously. We can't continue the way that we have. We must get green.
An All Nippon Airways (ANA) Dreamliner winged its way from Tokyo to Osaka late last week using a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that blended traditional jet fuel with fuel made from microalgae.
The flight came on…
The USA is not a place normally associated with ancient dwellings. Most of its history ostensibly started around 1776, and it has always fashioned itself around its "newness."
But, like anywhere else, the country has its surprises, one of which is the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mesa Verde national park in Colorado. The park…