On a warm spring day in southern California, my friends and I find ourselves standing at a crossroads. Panda and polar bears, go left; monkeys, go right. An indecisive lot, we stand awkwardly, no one wanting to miss any of the exhibits during our day in San Diego. Finally, bears are determined the winners for today. And they do not disappoint. Located in sunny San Diego, the birthplace of California, the San Diego Zoo is a world-renowned and progressive zoo. Spacious exhibits sprawl out over 100 acres, housing more than 4,000 of nature’s finest creatures. It is home to 800 species of animals, including giraffes, elephants, zebras, polar bears, lions, and monkeys, and is one of the only zoos in the world to house the giant panda.
The animals are at home here, roaming about comfortably in San Diego’s mild climate. In fact, this zoo is one of the few that contains nearly all outdoor exhibits. Polar bears swim happily in their own private pools, then sun themselves while being hand-fed by one of the zoo’s staff. Here, visitors get an up close and personal view of the cuddly-looking animal. 
An aerial tram called the Skyfari zips us across the vast property, while providing an impressive view of the zoo’s natural beauty. The ground is dotted with exotic plants, some rare and endangered, which form the zoo’s colorful backdrop. Visitors may examine the plants more closely in the Orchid House, which is open on the third Friday of every month and select Sundays.
A leisurely trip up a moving walkway is a welcome respite from our long journey around the park. Elephants drink water from a garden hose. The water gurgles loudly as it rushes down their long trunks and into their mouths. Rounding the bend, Panda Canyon comes into view -- easily the most popular exhibit. Long lines are expected, but within a few minutes, a cameraman is telling us to cradle an imaginary panda cub in our arms for a souvenir photo. The line moves quickly, winding left and right, then through an opening in the foliage. And there he is, Gao Gao, the giant panda, more cuddly teddy bear than wild animal. A collective “aw...” echos through the crowd as he sits happily munching away on his ample supply of bamboo. Gao Gao seems to smile as he eats, as if posing for the countless cameras focused on his every move.
All too soon, it is time to move on; there are many more visitors like me who can’t wait to see the panda.
The San Diego Zoo is a perfect way to spend a day in San Diego. There is so much to see and do that you’ll wish you had more time in the city. The zoo itself deserves at least a full day, and even then you’ll find that there is more to discover. Daily admission is $42 for ages 12 and up and $32 for ages 3 to 11, and it includes unlimited use of the Guided Bus Tour, Express Bus, and Skyfari Aerial Tram. There are also multi-day and multi-park tickets, which include the San Diego Zoo, Africa Tram Safari, and SeaWorld San Diego. Visit http://www.sandiegozoo.org/tickets/zootickets.html or call (619) 231-1515 for ticket information. The San Diego Zoo is located at 2920 Zoo Drive in Balboa Park, just north of downtown San Diego. It is open 365 days a year, but the hours vary depending on the season, so go to http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/plan_your_trip/hours_directions for the current schedule.
There are still many discoveries waiting to be made at the San Diego Zoo, so until then, my photo with Gao Gao beckons me to return and explore.
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Do you dream of making your escape to the tropics… to the island life? Does the thought of exploring a remote island full of coconut palms and banana trees, surrounded by a warm, greenish-blue sea, fill you with yearning? 
The staff is remarkable -- either anticipating your every need or quickly tending to them with grace and charm. As you arrive, you are welcomed with a smile and a garland of yellow flowers that is draped around your neck. Then you are escorted into the pavilion and served “Buko” -- a large, freshly-picked coconut filled with coconut water that you drink from a straw.
Dinner is served in a huge gazebo-like structure with a view of the tropical garden surrounding you and the ocean just beyond. The menu is well-thought-out, presenting you with a wide assortment of delectable choices… all quite reasonably priced. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. 
Yangshuo nestles along the Li River in Guangxi Province amongst karst hills sculpted for millennia by wind and rain. Han Yu, a poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), said the Li River was like a green silk ribbon and the karst hills were like jade hairpins. Everything in Yangshuo is in walking or bicycling distance, but taxis and electric buses are on hand when you’re ready to get off your feet. There is no airport in Yangshuo, but visitors fly into Guilin to the northeast and take a bus or taxi to Yangshuo. Guilin is a three-hour flight southeast of Beijing near the Vietnam border.
After the fog on Longshen, rafting on the Li River back in Yangshuo was refreshing. The river was smooth, the air crisp, and the views spectacular. The rafts were traditionally made of bamboo and propelled with oars or long poles. These days, they are made of PVC with a little outboard engine tacked on the rear. During summer months, larger vessels for every budget and taste cruise the river, but in the winter months only the smaller vessels traverse out on the water. This means greater opportunity, with fewer distractions, for the eye to linger on the majesty of the great hills and for the heart to fill with the mildness of the graceful river. It was a glorious cruise. 
The karst hills and Li River are majestic and serene. There are many English-speaking folks here, getting around is easy, and costs are nominal. It’s a popular tourist destination, so two- and three-day tours from major metro areas like Beijing or Shanghai are easy to arrange and a very affordable way to get away to Yangshuo, a picturesque corner of China.
For some, it’s an excuse to dress in outrageous, colorful, and glitzy costumes -- many of which defy description -- and parade around at a Ball or Gala, soaking up the spotlight in front of thousands of enraptured spectators. To others, it means being on a parade float resembling a pirate ship or a huge alligator, and for foodies it’s an excuse to overindulge in Cajun and Creole cooking -- gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, and catfish, to name a few. 
The Krewe of Illusions Presentation and Ball
The Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu 
The Royal Gala
The Grand Finale: Krewe of Krewes Parade
Steamboat Bill’s
A Mayan temple perches atop a cliff overhanging the sea. Stand beneath its massive stones and watch the waves crash far below and you can almost picture ships coming through the cut in the reef guided only by lights in the tower above. 
If you visit, make sure to arrive early to avoid the tour bus crowd. The park opens at 8 a.m. Park your car and ride the shuttle down to the ruins. Make sure to wear light, comfortable clothing and carry water and sunscreen with you. There is a handicraft market near the parking lot. I suggest you stop on your way out. The market is filled with silver jewelry, onyx masks, bone chess sets, cotton blankets, and embroidered dresses, not to mention food for the hungry traveler and my favorite drink, agua frescas, a local drink made from lightly sweetened fresh fruit and cold, pure water. If you shop at the handicraft market, make sure to barter. The locals expect it. And while you’re there, have an agua frescas for me.
Located on the northeast end of Panama City, overlooking the Panama Canal, is Cerro Ancon. It’s the highest natural point in Panama City and has excellent views of the Panama Canal, Bridge of the Americas, Casco Viejo, and the modern skyline of Panama City. But it’s not on the “must see” list for most tourists or tourism companies. In fact, until recently you couldn’t even write a review for it on Trip Advisor. So let me be the first to suggest you take an hour or so out of your already busy trip to Panama City and visit Cerro Ancon.
While there is a single lane road that runs to the top from the Quarry Heights area that is driven mostly by taxis and tourism vans, it is a fairly easy walk. If you begin your walk from the Quarry Heights area and travel at a leisurely pace, it should take about 30 minutes. As you climb the hill, there are photo opportunities of the Panama City skyline and Casco Viejo that vehicles can’t stop for. Also, benches are conveniently located along the road so you can sit and watch the birds or just take a break. Once you arrive at the top, from one side of the hill you’ll have a great unobstructed view of Casco Viejo, the Pacific Ocean staging area to enter the Canal, and some views of the city. On the other side, you’ll see the Bridge of the Americas, the port of Balboa, and the Miraflores Locks of the canal.
When I started my university career, little did I know it would take me to a picturesque town in the middle of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. But where better to spend my semester abroad; it is gorgeous and warm in summer while beautiful and white in winter, and the people defy just about every stereotype you have ever heard about Germany.
On the southern side of the Old Town runs the Neckar River, which together with Neckar Island forms the most commonly photographed part of Tübingen. A popular pastime in Tübingen is riding on the Stocherkahn (punting boats), and there is an annual punting race on the river each June. Another novelty race held on the Neckar River is the rubber duck race, in which thousands of yellow rubber ducks are let loose on the river, competing for first place and a prize. It is also on the northern bank of the Neckar River that we find the Hölderlinturm, where the poet Friedrich Hölderlin lived for the 36 years before his death after he was brought to Tübingen for ongoing treatment of mental illness.
To the north and northeast of the Old Town we find the university and university residences, as well as residential buildings. South of the Neckar River is the train station and an extension of the shopping in the Old Town, and slightly to the southwest is a large outdoor water park alongside sport facilities and a large grassy reserve area. There are also many nearby towns to explore, as well as castles and the Bebenhausen Monastery. For such a small town on a world scale, you will struggle to run out of things to do in Tübingen and its surrounding areas.
As we hike in one of Colombia’s eco parks, Gustavo, our guide, points out a heart-shaped leaf from a tree, explaining it is known locally as Arbol de Drago, the dragon tree (croton lechieri). “The sap from this tree is red like blood,” he says -- from which comes the name Dragon’s Blood.
The list of health benefits attributed to Sangre de Drago is long. It helps fight against memory loss, intestinal parasites, sore throats, and haemorrhoids. Indigenous women apparently use a solution of it to wash out the vagina before childbirth. There are even claims that Dragon’s Blood is beneficial in the fight against cancer, tuberculosis, erectile dysfunction, and more... it seems a few absorbed drops of this liquid is a cure-all. Intrigued by these health claims, we later began our own investigation of this remarkable indigenous remedy. Internet research indicates there have been some U.S. patents registered to study the anti-viral and healing properties of Dragon’s Blood. A quick search also reveals that the dark, viscous liquid is sold on the internet.
A sleek, dark black body suddenly appears, gliding silently, effortlessly, close enough to touch. Just as quickly it’s gone. Another appears. The narrow, pointed head, small ears, bull neck, and powerful flippers are huge in the crystal clear, tepid water. The sea lion’s large brown eyes look directly at me as it rolls, dives, and frolics with dolphin-like antics. 
On land the same diversity and friendliness greet us. Many animals are endemic to specific islands. The three-foot-long red and green Marine Iguana (from the dinosaur age) are so plentiful and tame there is a real danger of stepping on them. They have a gland in the head that separates the salt from seawater so they can drink seawater. Occasionally they sneeze out the salt.
We’re on board the 46-foot sailing catamaran “Galapagos Vision” with nine passengers, a crew of five, and our guide. The Galapagos Islands straddle the equator. It’s hot, 105 degrees. There’s no wind so we can’t use the sails. The sea is flat. We keep cool by snorkeling twice a day or just jumping overboard. We travel at night between islands and arrive each morning in a new place. Sometimes there are six to eight other tourist boats anchored in the same bay, some with over 100 passengers!
Our five-day trip ended on the island of Santa Cruz where the Charles Darwin Station is located. Sea lions once again line the footpaths. The very successful giant tortoise recovery program at the Darwin Centre has been operating for 30 years now. We visit the sad-looking “Lonesome George,” the 100-year-old last surviving member of his giant tortoise species.
For those who like breathtaking views, but don’t want to climb Mt. Fuji, try tower hopping!
Of course there is the famous Tokyo tower, the world’s tallest self-supporting steel tower (1,091 feet), found in the Minato district of Tokyo. The view leaves you awestruck as to how many people live in this huge city.
I tucked into my Antioch kebab in an outdoor restaurant packed with Ramadan fasters, a gale blowing up from the ancient river that bisects the city sending burkas billowing on one side and blowing designer sunglasses and packs of Marlboro across Formica tables on the other. Miniskirts and veils mix easily in modern Antakya, a refreshingly cosmopolitan Turkish city close to the border with Syria.
The walls were what I’d endured a 14-hour coach trip from Alanya for, but now that I was here I’d immediately fallen in love with the whole place. I’d imagined a monotonous jumble of disorganized concrete building projects, a backwater far from the cultural orbit of distant Istanbul, and had found instead something completely different. 
If the medieval city walls were beyond me in the July heat, I at least managed to struggle up to St. Peter’s Cave on the lower slopes of brooding Mount Silpius. I don’t know whether the disciple really preached here or not, but I had to admire the gothic vaulting and rose window facade piously added by the crusaders after they’d finished slaughtering or selling into slavery most of the inhabitants. 
Darkness hung low, encompassing the island in its wet grip even as the sun struggled to break over the horizon. It was early in the morning as we stepped off the puddle jumper onto the soil of Molokai. As dawn turned into a diffused gray light, my first glimpse of Molokai was that of mountains rising up to the sky, completely shrouded in mist. But behind the curtain of drizzle, paradise awaited. 
Molokai’s solitude and wild beauty present a compelling case to reconnect with nature. Molokai offers a plethora of hiking trails to assist one in this endeavor. The Kalaupapa Pali Trail is one of the most widely known. This 3.5-mile trail -- the trailhead is located off Highway 470 -- winds its way down sheer sea cliffs, ending at the peninsula where a key part of Hawaii’s tragic side of history took place. In the 1800s, when many Hawaiians were contracting the dreaded leprosy (now called Hansen’s disease), the affected were brought here in the hope that isolation would halt the spread of the disease among the Hawaiian population. Here, the patients lived out the remainder of their lives in less than desirable conditions. Today, all remaining patients have been cured. Some have chosen to continue living on the peninsula.
This peninsula is now the location of Kalaupapa National Historical Park. A permit is required to visit the park, and can be purchased from the State Department of Health or from Damien Tours. To visit this park you can fly in, hike down the sheer sea cliffs, or take a mule ride down the cliffs. We decided to rough it, descending the 26-switchback trail to the seaside. It was during our long hike down to the peninsula that we came face to face with a delightful surprise. Out of nowhere there appeared a tiny newborn fawn, undoubtedly only days old. The fawn stood on trembling legs, and tentatively stepped toward us with soulful, trusting eyes. As the fawn moved forward, it let out a cry not unlike a newborn kitten’s meow, and cautiously smelled our hands. Having concluded that the mother was nowhere to be found, I admittedly was plotting how I could bring this adorable creature home with me. Rest assured, my sanity quickly returned. A local guide rescued the fawn, and carried it back up the cliffs draped over the back of a mule.
The perfect place to recuperate from the grueling Kalaupapa Pali hike is Papohaku. Located on the western coast, it is one of the most pristine beaches of the Hawaiian Islands. At three miles long, the width of the beach is no small matter either. The golden sand is so soft that I was compelled to entrench my feet deep down, reveling in the smooth, powder-like substance. Though swimming here can be hazardous, the sunsets give a glorious ending to the day. 
The annual Calgary Stampede is by far that city’s greatest tourist attraction. Held at the beginning of July every year, the Stampede is a renowned rodeo that celebrates the city’s ranching heritage. Every year more than one million attend this largest cowboy contest in the world. 
However, two events top all the other attractions: the afternoon Rodeo and the evening Chuck Wagon Races. The Rodeo is the world’s most prestigious, with $2 million in prize money, and is believed to be the wildest and richest daredevil show to be found anywhere. Bold and skillful cowboys ride bareback bulls and wild horses, rope calves with split-second precision, milk untamed cows, and wrestle fierce steers while fearless rodeo clowns perform their crazy antics. It is a three-hour non-stop spectacle of men challenging beasts for supremacy. 
Immediately following the Chuck Wagon Races, hundreds of comedians, dancers, singers, international acrobats, and world-class musicians entertain and delight the crowd on a gigantic stage in a mammoth 90-minute Grandstand Show -- an exciting variety spectacular. Fabulous costumes, glittering lights, and lavishly choreographed musical productions are included in a Vegas-style show featuring young Canadians and well-known star performers from around the globe.