Great Victory for the Blue Whale, Chile, and Human Kind

Great news article regarding a protected marine area in Chile that has just been approved.

Blue whale conservation gets a boost

Places to See Before You Die: Mineral Deposits in Pamukkale, Turkey

When you arrive in the little town, you don't understand what the fuss is all about. There are plenty of touristic services in a small village that is seemingly unimportant. Until you venture out to the viewpoint and you feel like you have landed on the moon.

The city contains hot springs and travertine terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water.
The etherial landscape cannot be described in words. The name "Pamukkale" means cotton castle in Turkish, which clearly comes from the cotton-ball-like shape of the deposits created by the local hot springs in interaction with its surrounding nature, climate and geology. It is a UNESCO world heritage site truly unique in its genre. The lunar landscape seems neverending and provides breathtaking views from all sides of the site.

Places to See Before You Die: Ephesus, Turkey

Ephesus in Turkey is one of the most impressive remains of the ancient Greek empire.
You can walk around in what is basically a small village of ancient Greek ruins, but the library is clearly the highlight of this site.
The library wall is almost complete and many details are still clearly visible.
It is an impressive site, standing tall and proud.

As you walk around, you can learn about the various aspects of ancient Greek life and society. However, be prepared for the heat. As impressive as the experience was, I could not stay there very long. Many tourists chose to buy hats to protect against the heat as you are in a very exposed place, without trees around to provide shade. With the sandstone colors, the light is reflected and the heat is multiplied.

I believe this is one of the best preserved ancient Greek ruins that remain in the world and it is a must-see.

Places to See Before You Die: Maori Culture in Rotorua, New Zealand

It was raining cats and dogs when we visited, but it was still such a wonderful experience. I would advise doing the tour on a dry day if you can as we spent quite a lot of time meandering the village, which was clearly less enjoyable as it was really pouring down.

In Rotorua you can visit a Maori village built on hot springs. They will guide you through the village and
explain the many amazing ways the Maori cohabited and respected nature. It is a unique cultural experience.

The tour shows you the small Maori village with its distinctive architecture that actually seems to have eyes. They decorate their outside walls with shells that glimmer in the dark, looking like millions of eyes looking at you. I was told this works as a type of defence mechanism to intimidate intruders and unwanted visitors. They also show your their typical dance, serving a similar purpose.

In the tour they show you the area, which is impressive in and of itself, but the most fascinating part is how they use the natural thermic activity in their daily lives. The use their local hot springs not only for bath and leisure, but even daily chores such as cooking. It is inspiring to see how they interact with their surroundings, it is a natural and a cultural experience all at once, and I think we could learn a lot from them.

Places to See Before You Die: Reindeer Racing in Kautokeino, Norway

While reindeer seems like a very Christmassy theme to most, this is an event that takes place in Easter in Kautokeino. Kautokeino is a little Sami town in the North of Norway which holds Reindeer Racing Championships every Easter. I lived in these regions, so I might take a few things for granted. I am by no means an expert in Sami culture, but growing up in Northern Norway, you are clearly more exposed and knowledgeable about this culture than someone who has never visited the arctic.

 The Sami are a nomadic people living in the arctic in the north of Norway, Sweden and Finland. They are indigenous to Scandinavia and speak a Uralic language. Their main livelihood is reindeer-herding, something that is legally protected and reserved only for them in many regions in the Nordics. They have very distinct and beautiful, brightly colored traditional dress and live in a

temporary tent-like dwelling called a Lavvo. It is truly a unique cultural experience, which will for a brief moment include you in the life of a remarkable people.

You might be fooled by the concept of Easter, but in this area of our globe, there is plenty of frost and snow still at this time, so bring your winter jacket, scarves and gloves. The race takes place in the center of the town, collecting a nice little gathering of people. You can also visit a Lavvo and taste traditional Sami food. It might surprise you, but much of this food is often very simple and reindeer-based.

The race is in a small open plain in the center. The participants are behind the reindeer, either on skis or on a sled, holding reins to "control" the reindeer. Most of these won't make it to the finish line. Most of the time the reindeer does as it wants and people either fall on their butts before making it very far, or the reindeer runs of in a different direction. For the reindeer that chose to follow their own path, people on snowmobiles follow and track down participants. However, rumor has it many people get lost every year, some never to be seen again...