Greetings from Istanbul

It's spring awright!!!





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The Banaue Rice Terraces: A Living Cultural Landscape

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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
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Poland: The Wieliczka Salt Mine

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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 the visits
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Taormina, Italy: A Southern Gem Surpasses Expectations

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Italy has long been known for its stunning landscapes, rich history, and delectable cuisine. With several visits to this picturesque country under my belt, I thought I had seen it all. However, my recent adventure to Southern Italy, specifically Taormina, left me in awe and completely enchanted. It's safe to say that Taormina has claimed its spot as my new favorite city in Italy. I had originally planned to trek up the iconic Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, but the scorching heat convinced me otherwise. Little did I know that this change of plans would lead to an unforgettable experience. As the bus wound its way up the rugged mountain roads towards Taormina, I couldn't help but be captivated by the breathtaking scenery. The journey itself was an adventure, with each turn revealing a more awe-inspiring view of the Sicilian landscape. The Mediterranean Sea stretched out endlessly on one side, while the imposing figure of Mount Etna loomed on the other, its presence
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