Category: World 🌎 » (Page 5 of 41)

How Kristine Tompkins and some 300 of her closest friends helped protect 15 Million acres in Chile and Argentina

2023.04.13 / Robert

Doug Tompkins; the Tompkinses on the coast of Chilean Patagonia

The only way forward was to dive even further into her conservation work. With the help of a roughly 300-person staff at Tompkins Conservation, she exceeded her late husband’s dream of creating 12 national parks. The current count: 15, along with two marine parks and a total of 14.8 million protected acres in Chile and Argentina—an area roughly the size of West Virginia. Those numbers keep expanding, along with Kristine’s seemingly endless supply of energy to continue the work she started with her husband. “I carry Doug around in my pocket. If I get really stuck on something, I simply ask: ‘What would you do?’ I am just grateful that we have this marriage,” she said, still speaking of their union in the present tense. “It’s given me unbelievable strength.”

Cyclists welcomed by the Warm Hearts of Africa

2023.04.12 / Robert

TDA Global Cycling Tour d’ Afrique ::

“When I arrived in Malawi, I met a group of locals who welcomed me by saying: “Welcome to the warm heart of Africa”

Riders An, Stephen and Patrick reflect on their time on the road from Nairobi in Kenya, over Arusha and Mbeya in Tanzania, through Malawi and all the way down to the capital of Zambia.

They talk about the people they have met and what life has been like on the Tour d’Afrique 2023 ever since touching down in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Top hiking trails in the Caribbean

2023.04.09 / Robert

The Caribbean is not widely known as a hiking destination, but Lonely Planet suggests these hiking trails if you want something more than lounging on the beach.

Waitukubuli National Trail, Dominica
Best long-distance hike » 185km (115 miles) each way
Pico Turquino, Cuba
Best trekking in Cuba » 22.5-25km (14-16 miles) round trip
Mt Christoffel, Curaçao
Highest peak in Curacao » 2.7km (1.7 miles) roundtrip
Gros Piton Trail, St Lucia
Best volcanic summit » Around 4.7km (3 miles) roundtrip
Dark View Falls, St Vincent
Best waterfall hike » Around 2.4km (1.5 miles) roundtrip

Colombia launches a digital nomad visa

2023.04.06 / Robert

Euronews »

“Colombia is thrilled to share with digital nomads the privilege of working from the second most biodiverse country in the world,” Carmen Caballero, President of ProColombia, part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism said in a statement.

“Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Cali, the Coffee Landscape and other destinations offer a variety of coworking spaces and accommodations with specific programs developed for more extended stays where remote workers will have unforgettable experiences.”

To apply for Colombia’s digital nomad visa you’ll need a valid passport from a country on the list of those exempt from needing a short-stay visa, a letter proving your employment in your home country and health insurance. The minimum income requirement is 3 million Colombian pesos or €600 a month which can be proved using bank statements.

If your income is over this, you’re from a country that doesn’t require a short-stay visa to enter Colombia such as the US, Canada or the UK, and you only plan to stay for six months out of the year, you might not need even need to apply. You can stay for up to 90 days which can be extended to 180 without the paperwork with an Entry Permit.

The 500 km Nunavut Quest, a dogsled race revitalizing a once-threatened tradition

2023.04.05 / Robert

Racer Joshua Haulli and dogsled team approach Camp 1. (Source » Canadian Geographic) Copyright © Dustin Patar

Story and photography by Dustin Parr »

It was cold, colder than usual for the time of year. Some 45 kilometres to the northeast, the Ikpiarjuk (Arctic Bay) airport would tally the low of minus 31.8 C as the coldest April 18 of the last 20 years. But the sun was shining, a clear indication that the darkness and true chill of winter had been washed away by the embrace of an early High Arctic spring.

Here, at the frozen mouth of the Iqalulik river on the northwestern corner of Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin Island), a small camp began to take shape. Not so slowly, a mix of well-worn white canvas tents seemed to pop out of the equally white sea ice, joined by others of bright orange and yellow.

As the tents went up, organized activity flurried around them. Plywood, blankets, sleeping bags and stoves were pulled from their resting places deep inside the qamutiit (traditional Inuit sleds) and placed inside the tents. A small number of saw-or shovel-wielding campers ventured out to where the sea of snow drifts was undisturbed, seeking the best snow and ice for drinking and cooking water. Another group, also gripping saws and axes, chopped whole frozen Arctic char and seals into small, manageable portions for dogs. Those too young to help out kicked a soccer ball through the snow.

Read the whole article at Canadian Geographic »

A collection of centuries-old fortified cities in the M’Zab Valley go to great lengths to protect and preserve their traditional way of life

2023.03.30 / Robert

BBC »

While few Algerians live in such hostile terrain, a chain of extraordinary hilltop settlements exist on the northern fringes of the Sahara: the five historic ksours, or fortified cities, of the M’Zab Valley. Collectively known as the Pentapolis, these magnificent, centuries-old citadels were built along the Wadi Mzab, a partially dry riverbed whose waters rise just once every three to five years. The towns include El-Atteuf, the oldest, founded in 1012; Melika; Bounoura; the Holy City of Beni-Isguen; and Ghardaïa (pictured), the principal settlement and commercial heart of the valley. In 1982, the M’Zab was classified as a Unesco World Heritage site due to its highly distinctive culture and architecture. “What makes the place so special is the unique combination of [the indigenous people of North Africa] with Ibadi Islamic beliefs who built fortress homes in the middle of the desert,” said local guide Khaled Meghnine. “There’s nowhere like it in Algeria, nor the rest of the world.” (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Read and See More »

Tanami Trac » Australia’s epic 1,077 km road trip

2023.03.30 / Robert

BBC »

In every direction, fire-red sand fanned out across the land. Everything that wasn’t red seemed covered in it: the boab trees, the spinifex, the termite mounds stretching like tiny Towers of Babel towards the sky. The road itself shimmered like a sea of rubies. We were just hours from Alice Springs, Australia‘s de facto inland capital, and already alone on the Tanami Track.

As it happens, that’s part of the appeal.

The Tanami, as locals call it, is one of Australia’s greatest Outback adventure tracks. The 1,077km road bisects the namesake Tanami Desert – one of the most isolated and arid regions in the world – connecting the Red Centre and Kimberley region, the country’s rugged north-west frontier.

Read the whole article »

Ten driest places on Earth

2023.03.26 / Robert

Driest places on earth based on least average annual precipitation »

McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (0 mm / 0 inches annual precipitation)
Arica, Chile (0.76 mm / 0.03 in)
Al Kufrah, Libya (0.86 mm / 0.03 in)
Aswan, Egypt (0.86 mm / 0.03 in)
Luxor, Egypt (0.86 mm / 0.03 in)
Ica, Peru (2.29 mm / 0.09 in)
Wadi Halfa, Sudan (2.45 mm / 0.1 in)
Iquique, Chile (5.08 mm / 0.2 in)
Pelican Point, Namibia (8.13 mm / 0.32 in)
El Arab (Aoulef), Algeria (12.19 mm / 0.48 in)

Nathan Starzynski » Cycling Canada solo tour » Saskatchewan

2023.03.08 / Robert

In the summer of 2022, Nathan Starzynski cycled 15,000 km across Canada in 175 days from May 21st to November 11th, Departing Victoria, BC, and arriving Cape Spear, NFLD.

This is the story of the third province of that journey. The Saskatchewan adventure took place from June 30th to July 11th.

Cycling Canada Ep 3 - Saskatchewan

Watch this video on YouTube

Note: Clicking the above image will load and play the video from YouTube.

Louisa & Tobi Cycle Peru, The Land of Extremes

2023.01.02 / Robert

From September to December 2022, Louisa and Tobi spent 89 days cycling 3215 kilometres through Peru, climbing a mind-blowing 55,000 meters in altitude!

After some 15 months into their world cycle tour, that they’ve called , Peru has so far been the country with the most adventure, the most remote trails and some of our greatest achievements. But it hasn’t been without many challenges.

You can also watch this episode on their Chains & Chords YouTube channel. The Video is 56 minutes.