TRAVEL TUESDAY 556 - CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

“In Colombia, everything is an exaggeration – the people, the colours, the festivals, and the stories.” — Jorge Franco

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.
There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and then share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.
Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a vibrant, highly biodiverse nation located in the northwestern corner of South America. Nicknamed the “gateway to South America”, it is the only country on the continent with coastlines along both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has a population of about 52 million people and the capital city is Bogotá, located high in the Andes mountains.

Cartagena, is a vibrant, historic port city on the Caribbean coast, which is highly attractive for tourists. Famous for its UNESCO-listed walled Old Town, it blends stunning colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and colourful balconies with tropical beaches, incredible gastronomy, and a lively Afro-Caribbean cultural scene.

Amongst the many attractions are: 1) The Walled City (Ciudad Amurallada) — Wander the cobblestone streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enter through the iconic Clock Tower Gate (Puerta del Reloj) to explore historic plazas like Plaza de Bolívar and the Palace of the Inquisition. 2) Castillo San Felipe de Barajas — A massive, strategically built fortress on the Hill of San Lázaro, designed to protect the city from pirates. 3) Getsemaní — Just outside the walled city, this hip, bohemian neighbourhood is famous for its vibrant street art, colorful umbrellas, and trendy, local-heavy bars. 4) Convento de la Popa — Located at the highest point of the city, offering panoramic views of the coast and cityscape.

While the urban beaches in the Bocagrande and Laguito areas are popular, the best pristine white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters require a short boat trip. Rosario Islands (Islas del Rosario) are a stunning national park located about an hour boat ride away. Perfect for snorkeling, scuba diving, and relaxing. Playa Blanca is located on the nearby Barú Peninsula, offering a classic Caribbean beach experience with a laid-back vibe.

The image is within the walled city and the landmark in the background is the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandría.

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TRAVEL TUESDAY 530 - YANGSHUO, CHINA

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” - Laozi

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and then share it with the rest of us.
Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only. Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Yangshuo County (simplified Chinese: 阳朔县; pinyin: Yángshuò Xiàn) is a county under the jurisdiction of Guilin City, in the northeast of Guangxi, China. Its seat is located in the town of Yangshuo. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, it is served by bus and by boat from nearby Guilin.

The area has been inhabited for about 3,000 years. In 590 CE, under Emperor Wen of Sui, Yangshuo County was incorporated. At the time, the county hosted a street 5 metres wide, and 200 metres long that would become contemporary West Street.

Yangshuo County would briefly fall under Japanese occupation in 1944, and Imperial Japanese troops looted many prominent local businesses in the county during that time. By the 1970s, domestic tourism in Yangshuo County was commonplace, and the government made efforts to open up the county to foreign tourists, including European and American tourists.

Tourism is a major component of Yangshuo County's economy. West Street serves as a major local focal point for tourism, receiving over 21.1 million tourists in 2023, and is lined with various tourist-oriented shops and restaurants. Due to the county's popularity with foreign tourists, including those who speak English, the county has a sizable English language learning industry.

Yangshuo offers spectacularly beautiful scenery, particularly along the hill-lined Li River, which you can tour by cruise boat or, if you’re feeling more confident, by bamboo raft. Streets in Yangshuo are kept in their original style, preserving the layout of the ancient city. savoury local specialties like beer fish and shatian shaddocks are served on West Street, one of the town's liveliest thoroughfares. Kids will adore the local butterfly cave.

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TRAVEL TUESDAY 354 - QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

“New Zealand was one of the most beautiful countries to drive through for the scenery and the vast scale of the place.” -  Louise Redknapp

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Queenstown (Māori: Tāhuna) is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains such as The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak and just above the town; Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill. 

Queenstown has an urban population of 15,500 (June 2021), making it the 29th largest urban area in New Zealand, and the third largest urban area in Otago, behind Dunedin and Oamaru. The Queenstown-Lakes District has a land area of 8,704.97 square kilometres not counting its inland lakes (Lake Hāwea, Lake Wakatipu, and Lake Wanaka). The region has an estimated resident population of 48,300 (June 2021 estimate).

Its neighbouring towns include Arrowtown, Glenorchy, Kingston, Wanaka, Alexandra, and Cromwell. The nearest cities are Dunedin and Invercargill. Queenstown is now known for its commerce-oriented tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism. It is popular with New Zealand, neighbouring Australian and other international travellers alike.

This post is also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme

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TRAVEL TUESDAY #145 - PINNACLES, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

“The best education I have ever received was through travel.” - Lisa Ling

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately. 

The Pinnacles are limestone formations contained within Nambung National Park, near the town of Cervantes, Western Australia. The raw material for the limestone of the Pinnacles came from seashells in an earlier epoch rich in marine life. These shells were broken down into lime rich sands which were blown inland to form high mobile dunes. The Pinnacles remained unknown to most Australians until the 1960s, when the area was added to Nambung National Park. The area receives over 250,000 visitors a year. A visitor precinct and interpretive centre was completed in March 2008.

The best season to see the Pinnacles is Spring (from August to October), as the days are mild and wildflowers start to bloom. The pinnacle formations are best viewed in the early morning or late afternoon as the play of light brings out the colours and the extended shadows of the formations delivers a contrast that brings out their features. Most animals in the park are nocturnal, but emus and kangaroos can be seen during the daytime, more commonly in the evening or early morning.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

POSTCARD FROM SYDNEY

“Sydney’s a beautiful city. It was a great experience.” - Barbara Hershey
 

I am in Sydney for work and enjoying some slightly better weather (expecting 21˚C maximum and sunny, compared to 16˚C and cloudy/showery for Melbourne). Not that I am enjoying much of the great outdoors as I am confined to buildings and meetings… Nevertheless, it’s good to be able to god from one place to another without getting wet or being cold. I always enjoy visiting Sydney, but at the same time I always enjoy leaving it. It would be a difficult city to live in, but always a lovely place to visit.
 

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. It is on Australia’s south-east coast, on the Tasman Sea. In June 2010 the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.
 

The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet, as a penal colony. The city is built on hills surrounding Port Jackson, which is commonly known as Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge feature prominently.
 

The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach and Manly Beach. Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Sydney is a high-ranking world city and has hosted multiple major international sporting events, including the 1938 British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) and the 2000 Summer Olympics. The main airport serving Sydney is Sydney Airport and its main port is Port Botany.
 

Sydney is the top tourist destination in Australia, most international tourists spending some time there if nowhere else in Australia. In the year ending 2012, Sydney received a total of 10.5 million international and domestic visitors, which injected $11.7 billion into the state of New South Wales’ economy. The most well-known attractions include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions include Royal Botanical Gardens, Luna Park, Darling Harbour, some 40 beaches and Sydney Tower.
 

The New South Wales Government operates two programs relevant to Sydney as part of the NSW Tourism Strategy, they are: Brand Sydney ( to revitalise and strengthen the image and appeal of Sydney) and Visit Sydney (to increase promotion of Sydney as a tourist destination through a strengthened dedicated business unit within Destination NSW). Sydney also has several popular museums, such as the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.