Breathtaking Landscapes

As I was Stumbling the other day, I came across this article called: 

'25 EPIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES'

And that it was.

I had no greater obligation than to post it on here.

1) The Grand Canyon

 2) Ancient Rome

 3) Up North

 4) The Lighthouse

5) Sand Harbour State Lake, Lake Tahoe

6) Valley of Fire Wave

7) Venice

8) Nebula

9) Fly Gyser in Nevada

10) California Coast

11) Black Beach, Iceland

12) France To Chamonix

13) Alaskan Winter Sunset

14) Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland

15) Libyan Desert

16) Lagos, Portugal

17) Moon and Venus over Switzerland

18) Matterhorn Mountain, Switzerland

19) Erupting volcano with aurora, Iceland

20) Patagonia Landscape

21) Orange Reef

22) Camel Rock Beach

23) Milky Way over Jackson Lake

24) Nazca Desert

25) Travis County, Texas

1000 PTSBYD - CAÑO CRISTALES

Before you read any further, please click HERE to read the introduction of this new segment I shall be calling, '1000 Places To See Before You Die'. 

This segment - I guess you could call it - is basically my own personal bucket list of places I have to see before I die, and hopefully inspire you to feel the urge to visit as well. Most places I discover will have been taken from the aforementioned book, however today's destination was discovered through Stumbleupon. 

SO, Welcome to Caño Cristales. 

In Meta, Columbia - during the short span between the wet and dry season - this usually indistinguishable river breaks out into an explosion of vibrant colours. Known as "The River Of Seven Colours", "The Liquid Rainbow" and "The Most Beautiful River in the World", Caño Cristales has certainly taken its spot on my list of places I have to see. What I find most interesting, is that for the majority of the year this river is like any other - cool, clear and calm. The water level must be at a certain level in order for the colour to come through, as a unique plant which sits on on the river floor (Macarenia Clavigera) turns into a magical red.



The red is offset by some yellow and green sand, blue water and an array of shades in between (purple, brown, black). In the wet season, the water runs too fast and is too deep, therefore the sun cannot reach the Macarenia Clavigera to bring out the deep red. This being said, in the dry season there is not enough water to support the life in the river. So, if you plan on heading over to Columbia anytime soon, be sure to go between September and November to see what is usually a fairly ordinary river transform into a magical liquid rainbow.

Caño Cristales is not easily accessible by road, therefore it is a destination for the adventurous. The recommended means of transport is flying into the remote nearby town of La Macarena, and from there travelling down to the Serrania de la Macarena National Park, where Caño Cristales is located. The national park is home to many rivers, rapids and waterfalls, all which flow from the plateau south of the Serrania de la Macarena. Behind the oldest tepuis (tabletop mountain) of the Sierra, numerous rock paintings can be found, many still unexplored. This site was closed to tourists for several yard due to guerrilla activity (irregular warfare) in the region. It reopened in 2009, and there are now several Colombian Tourist Agencies that will actually fly travellers to La Macarena. It is now common to get to the river via horseback (or donkey), or by foot on a guided tour.

Happy travels!

The Universal Packing List

If you are anything like me, the only downside to travelling is packing the bag. I hate it. It is the bane of my existence. THEREFORE, I have found The Universal Packing List, which only requires you to enter a few details in order to receive a simplistic and stress-free travel packing list. Brilliant. This is literally the best thing to ever happen to the world.

So basically, fill this 'thing' (above^) out accordingly, and you will recieve a list (similar to this)…

THIS IS JUST SERIOUSLY SO BRILLIANT! 

AND SO THERE YOU GO, A PACKING LIST, JUST FOR YOU.

HAPPY PACKING!