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Greencaviar Travel

To take nothing but photographs, and leave nothing but footprints.

Washington, DC: Memorial Day Images

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Memorial Day Parade

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Smithsonian Museum of American History

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Island-Hopping the South Pacific

Island-Hopping the South Pacific: New Caledonia, Mystery Island, and Dravuni Island The South Pacific has always held a certain magic for me — a mix of wild beauty, rich cultures, and that irresistible laid-back island vibe. On a recent trip, I had the chance to experience three incredible destinations: New Caledonia, Mystery Island in Vanuatu, and Dravuni Island in Fiji. Each place offered something unforgettable, from cultural discoveries to lazy days in crystal-clear waters. Mystery Island, Vanuatu Nouméa, New Caledonia: A Touch of France in the Pacific My journey began in Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, where French influence blends seamlessly with Melanesian heritage. Of course, the waters were every shade of blue I had dreamed about — perfect for snorkeling and swimming. But beyond the beaches, Nouméa surprised me with its culture and history. I visited Coconut Palm Square , home to the Celeste Fountain , built in 1892 — a lovely, shaded place that felt like a little E...

The Banaue Rice Terraces: A Living Cultural Landscape

My interest in exploring the northern part of the Philippines started from looking at a piece of art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California. Among the display of ceramics and pottery engraved with gold and other decorative stuff, a wooden carving of a male figure squatting on a platform with the lower arms on top of each other, resting upon his knees, caught my eye. According to the docent, the wooden sculpture was called "Bului" which literally means "granary guardian" in the "Ifugao" tribe dialect. The carved wooden sculpture was set on a platform on top of another platform, a mortar. Our docent explained the significance of the wooden mortar (which was used with the pestle, to separate the husk from the rice, sort of rice mill) and linked the story to the Rice Terraces in the Cordillera Mountains of the Philippines built 2000 years ago by the “Ifugao” tribe. So two years and three hundred kilometers north of Manila later, we explo...

Qatar

Discovering Qatar: A Blend of Old and New When I stepped out of the airport in Doha, I thought I knew what to expect — a city similar to Abu Dhabi or Dubai. In some ways, that was true. The skyline, partially shrouded in fog, felt familiar. But as I traveled from the airport to my hotel, I realized Qatar had its own distinct character. The landscape was sparse, just as I had imagined — few trees, mostly artificial palm trees lining the boulevard. Yet, as we passed a palace, I was struck by the sight of guardsmen on horseback riding around the palace. (I found out later that the palace was not the royal residence but a meeting place) That moment felt like stepping into another place and time — a reminder that I was truly in a foreign land. My hotel was in the old town, conveniently close to several museums. From my room, I could see the National Museum of Qatar, a stunning building with its desert rose-inspired design. Visiting the museum, along with the Museum of Islamic Art...

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The Banaue Rice Terraces: A Living Cultural Landscape

My interest in exploring the northern part of the Philippines started from looking at a piece of art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California. Among the display of ceramics and pottery engraved with gold and other decorative stuff, a wooden carving of a male figure squatting on a platform with the lower arms on top of each other, resting upon his knees, caught my eye. According to the docent, the wooden sculpture was called "Bului" which literally means "granary guardian" in the "Ifugao" tribe dialect. The carved wooden sculpture was set on a platform on top of another platform, a mortar. Our docent explained the significance of the wooden mortar (which was used with the pestle, to separate the husk from the rice, sort of rice mill) and linked the story to the Rice Terraces in the Cordillera Mountains of the Philippines built 2000 years ago by the “Ifugao” tribe. So two years and three hundred kilometers north of Manila later, we explo...

The Amazon, Part 3: The Tree Killer Tree

"There are 121 ecosystems in the world and 80 of those can be found in the Amazon, and it is in the Peruvian Amazon that you will find the green biome , more than two-thirds of the world's plant species,” said Vics, our naturalist-guide. Through our small boat excursions, we were able to see the most bio-diverse part of the Amazon, the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the largest wetlands in the world. We went through its narrow rivers, tributaries and black waters and lakes to hike the “Amazon Jungle”. Day-3: Jungle Trek Strangler Tree or Tree Killer Tree From the Turmalina, we hopped into a small boat. The boat hardly moved, we just used it to get offshore. We walked a tiny bridge and short pathway to get to the lake. We then crossed the lake using a catamaran to get to the edge of the lake where we found the entrance to the trail. Within minutes of leaving the larger river, we entered a narrow trail into the canopy of trees, kill...

Poland: The Wieliczka Salt Mine

One of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites I visited this year was the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow, Poland. It was founded in the 13th century to mine the rich deposit of salt. Salt mining stopped in 1996 when the low price of salt on the world market made it too expensive to mine and the mine was slowly flooding. But miners did more than just extract salt. They left behind them a breathtaking record of their time underground in the shape of statues of mythical, historical and religious figures. Part of the salt mine became an art gallery, chapels, cathedral, and underground lakes. Today, Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most visited National Monuments in Poland. For safety reason, less than one percent of the mine is open to visitors, but even that is almost four kilometers in length. There are 20 chambers to visit and 800 steps to climb of which 350 at the beginning take you down into the mine. You can’t just visit and wander around on your own. All of t...

Transylvania, Romania: The Land of Dracula

When we hear the place Transylvania, we almost always think about Dracula, the bloody vampire, that always makes a good Halloween story. So, when I visited Transylvania early this year, it's hard not to associate the places, like the Bran Castle to the famous novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. It’s said that Bram Stoker’s inspiration for the Dracula was a historical character Vlad Tepes or Vlad III, the ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century. During Stoker’s research on the region of Transylvania, he came across the brutal accounts of the atrocities committed by Vlad III, also known as Vlad Dracul, aka Vlad the Impaler. He was known for committing brutal acts of war and was under constant threat of attack from the Ottoman and Hungarian forces. During his infamous retreat from the Ottoman forces, Vlad the Impaler had the bodies of his enemies and his people alike impaled on large spikes in the field surrounding his county. The inspiration for the made-up character ma...

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Washington, DC: Memorial Day Images

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