Author: Kristin
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Kizhi Island and Mandrogi
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On our way to Kizhi, we passed Rybinsk and saw the beautiful Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral (Transfiguration Cathedral) on the shore. Built in 1851, this cathedral is a priminent example of high classicism. We also had to pass through six more locks. The island of Kizhi is a UNESCO site. It is…
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Goritsky
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Our next stop was Goritsy. To get to there, we had to cross Lake Rybinsk and continue down the Volga River. We passed the Kazan Church in Tutayev on shore. We also passed the ruins of the Church of the Nativity in Krokhino. Build in 1788, it lies at the confluence of the…
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Golden Ring Towns
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Uglich Over the night we passed through 5 locks on the Moscow Canal to get to the Volga River. After breakfast, we passed through Lock #1 on the Volga (the 6th so far). There are a total of 18 locks between Moscow and St. Petersberg. When we docked at Uglich, we began…
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Moscow, Day Three
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At 9 we left for our Moscow marathon. We started at Red Square, and discovered that what we thought was Red Square was not. Red means beautiful and stands for fire. So “red” has nothing to do with Communism. Red Square used to be a market square, but after one of many…
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Moscow
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Day One After a lovely breakfast, a wonderful buffet with everything imaginable, in a beautiful, large atrium, with classical music playing in the background, we headed out on our first excursion to Tretyakov gallery. This gallery houses one of the world’s largest Russian Art collections with works from the 12th to…
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Arrival
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Our next adventure took us to Russia—first to Moscow, then a cruise down the Volga to St. Petersburg. After a long flight with delays and reschedules, we arrived in Moscow. Right outside the airport was big electronic billboard advertising the movie The Great Gatsby, which had just been released at home. I found that…
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Thanda Reserve Safari
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After a flight to Durban and three-hour drive, we arrived at Thanda Game Reserve, a private reserve owned by the founder of IKEA for a three-day safari. We expected to be in a safari tent, but were taken to a three-coned structure instead. We had been upgraded to a Villa. The villas…
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A Day in Stellenbosch
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Stellenbosch is a beautiful university town in the midst of wine country northeast of Cape Town. It was established on the banks of the Eerste River in 1679, making it the second-oldest formal settlement in South Africa. It is surrounded by the Stellenbosch Mountains. It is called the “Village of Oaks” with…
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Cape Point
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A trip to Cape Town requires a trip down the Cape Peninsula to Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. We headed out of town along the water, seeing the World Cup Stadium and beautiful beaches and communities along the way. Looking across the water you can see the Twelve-Apostle Mountains…
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Cape Town, Day Two
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There is so much to see here and digest. The diversity is so striking. Today we started at the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront. It is named for the Victoria Basin and the Alfred Basin located within the harbor, which is the oldest working harbor in the Southern Hemisphere. All along the waterfront…
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Cape Town
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Cape Town is South Africa’s second-largest city after Johannesburg and the legislative capital of the country. Located on the shore of Table Bay in the Atlantic Ocean at the northern end of Cape Peninsula, the central business district is the oldest urban area in the Western Cape. Because it was the site…
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Izcuchaca and Chinchero
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This morning, we begin a day filled with Peruvian cultural discoveries as we journeyed to Izcuchaca, a village in the Anta Province of Cuzco. Agriculture forms the basis of its economy. We learned that Peru has about 3,000 varieties of potatoes. The village has a stone bridge built in 1608, one…
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Oropesa, Tipon, Sacsayhuaman, and Kenko
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Oropesa Today, we explored the valley south of Cuzco, beginning in Oropesa, The “Town of Bakeries. “This small town is known for special bread called pan chuta, made in loaves as big as a wheel and traditionally brought as a gift to the host when visiting a home in the Cuzco…
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Cuzco
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We traveled first by train and then by bus to reach Cuzco, our next destination. After spending the night in our hotel, we set out on a walking tour of the city. Cuzco was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Roads stretching out to Chile, Argentina, and Columbia all lead…
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Machu Picchu
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As Peru’s most iconic archaeological site, Machu Picchu has appropriately been deemed one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Machu Picchu originates from the Quechua word “Machu Pikchu” meaning “old mountain.” Constructed in the 15th century under the order of Inca…
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The Sacred Valley
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The Sacred Valley of the Incas lies north of Cuzco, stretching along the Urubamba River. Flanked by tall peaks and irrigated by the river, it served as an agricultural hub and royal estate for the Inca Empire. It ranges in elevation from 6,730 ft to almost 10,000 ft. Three places we visited were…
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Lima–Miraflores
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We arrived in Lima in the middle of the night and stayed at a hotel in the Miraflores district of Lima. Miraflores being on the coast began as a fishing village. Now it is a middle-class neighborhood and tourist center. Its name means “look” at the “flowers” and there are flowers everywhere.…
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Lamar Valley
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We were fortunate to have friends who do horseback multi-day tours into the Lamar Valley take us on a day drive through this beautiful location in Yellowstone. This valley is not included in most tours of the park, and that is a shame because of its beauty and wildlife. Often called the…
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Second Trip to Yellowstone
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After our original survey of the park, we booked an all-day guided tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the geothermal elements of the park and the wildlife. We started at 6:30 a.m. in Emigrant. As we drove to the park he told us of the various land holdings on the…
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Paradise Valley
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The Yellowstone River Valley south of Livingston, MT is known as Paradise Valley and is truly a special place. It stretches 33 miles along the river between Livingston and Yankee Jim Canyon about 15 miles north of Gardiner and the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It is bordered by the…