Traveling Solemates-Travel Photoblog

10/04/2016

Have you experienced bathing in mud? Come check out our new posts.

What’s a crazy romantic way to spend a morning of a wedding anniversary? How about a mud bath inside a volcano? Sounds a bit radical but that was how we started our celebration during our ann…

05/03/2016

Come check out our new post and colorful photos of Getsemani in Old Cartagena.

We ventured outside the fabled Walled City and explored the other district of Old Cartagena – Getsemani. While it does not possess the grandeur of the Walled City, Getsamani offers a more au…

15/02/2016

[New Post] COLOMBIA: THE WALLED CITY OF OLD CARTAGENA
The Walled City of Old Cartagena has certainly preserved its colonial charm, but is it still authentic? Come check out our new post.

One of the unforgettable highlights of any travel to Colombia is a visit to the historic and magnificent Walled City in the heart of Old Cartagena. Located in the country’s strategic Caribbea…

14/11/2015

Remembering and praying for Paris.
(Sacre Couer Cathedral)

20/09/2015

[New Post] BERLIN: A SUNDAY WITH LOCALS AT MAUERPARK

What used to be part of the "Death Strip" before the fall of Berlin Wall is now a lively, joyful zone where locals flock on Sundays.

If you have been to Berlin before and have seen all the must-see attractions or simply tired of the tourist track, why not check out many of its local scenes? If you happen to be in Berlin on a we…

08/09/2015

[New Post] THE MURALS ON BERLIN WALL'S EAST SIDE GALLERY

It has been 25 years since the fall of Berlin Wall but the expression of global euphoria of that historic time remains vivid on the longest surviving section of the Wall. Along the Spree Riv...

31/05/2015

Do you know that there is a museum and a post office in Antarctica? See our new and final Antarctica blogpost.

Journey to Antartica Aboard the National Geographic Explorer – Day 8 to 10 I felt someone woke me up from my sleep. I looked at the clock and it was only 2:30 am. I laid my head back on the pillow and then bolted right up. It’s 2:30! It’s sunrise time in Antarctica! I ran to the window to see if…

17/05/2015

http://www.travelingsolemates.com/antarctica-kayaking-neko-harbor-cuvervilles-icebergs/

Journey to Antartica Aboard the National Geographic Explorer – Day 7 So far, we have seen so much beauty in Antarctica and each day presented new wonders. Still in awe from the staggering grandeur of the Lemaire Channel from the day before, we were anxious to see what this day would bring. Kayaking…

07/05/2015

http://www.travelingsolemates.com/remembering-kathmandu/

Gentle and charming people, exquisite temples, deep spirituality, vibrant culture, rich artistic heritage, bursting with colors, delightful chaos – those are what come to mind when we think of Kathmandu. Our hearts wrenched thinking that many of the splendid cultural heritage sites and sacred places…

09/04/2015

[New Post] http://www.travelingsolemates.com/india-a-walk-around-the-town-of-orchha/

We visited, a small, charming town of Orchha, where most travelers make a short stop to break the long drive to the magnificent temple town of Khajuraho. What makes it worth a stop for many are its temples as well as its medieval forts and palaces built in the 16th and 17th centuries by Bundela dyna…

04/04/2015

http://www.travelingsolemates.com/antarctica-lemaire-channel-booth-island-full-moon/

Journey to Antartica Aboard the National Geographic Explorer – Day 6 The Lamaire Channel Early this morning we sailed through the most narrow and most scenic passageway in our voyage, the Lamaire Channel. Seven miles long and one mile wide, this picturesque channel is dubbed as “Kodak Gap.” Towerin…

04/04/2015

[New Post] ANTARCTICA: LEMAIRE CHANNEL, BOOTH ISLAND AND FULL MOON
See our voyage through the most beautiful passage in Antarctic Peninsula
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/antarctica-lemaire-channel-booth-island-full-moon/

21/03/2015

[New Post] http://www.travelingsolemates.com/the-mysterious-statues-moai-of-easter-island/
It was a lovely island, warm but not too hot, not overrun by tourists and really laid back, and we finally satiated our ardent curiosity about this island that remains so mysterious to the outside world. Check out our blog post.

Whenever Easter Island is mentioned, the word ‘mystery’ always comes to mind. Its claim to fame and the source of its mystery are the awe-inspiring monumental stone statues called moai.

25/02/2015

Another glorious day- cruising a bay surrounded by mesmerizing ice landscape, sighting of killer whales on a kill and a night hike to another penguin colony.

Journey to Antartica Aboard the National Geographic Explorer – Day 5 We were still feeling exhilarated from the penguins galore and sea ice walk from the day before. We thought that nothing could top the beauty and excitement of that day, but to our delight it got better each day. Zodiac Cruising o…

14/02/2015

We made a continental landing in Brown Bluff and encountered our first penguin colony in Antarctica. It was fascinating to observe the antics of the adorable penguins during their nesting season. Come check out our latest blog post and see more of their cuteness galore.

Journey to Antartica Aboard the National Geographic Explorer – Day 4 The day after our exhilarating first Antarctic landfall in Deception Island, we enjoyed an even more rewarding polar experience – our first encounter with a penguin colony, a glacier hike, sailing through beautiful ice field, a…

26/01/2015

[New Post] Deception Island: Our First Landfall in Antarctica

Our Journey to Antartica aboard the National Geographic Explorer – Day 3 We awoke on this day knowing that the infamous Drake Passage was behind us. Thank god! It felt quite a relief to be smooth sailing on a pleasant, calm water again. After breakfast, we crossed the 60th parallel south, the geopo…

18/01/2015

[New Post] ANTARCTICA EXPEDITION: Sailing from Ushuaia & Crossing the Drake Passage

Our Journey to Antartica aboard National Geographic Explorer – Day 1 to 2 We hope you enjoyed the preview of our journey to Antarctica. As promised, here’s the first installment of the day to day detail of our expedition. Also, we were surprised to have received so many questions about our experie…

03/01/2015

Reflection
The Lemaire Channel

21/12/2014

We were in awe of the immensity of the ancient moai (monolithic statues) in Easter Island. They puzzled archeologist and visitors for many years. We were happy to learn a lot about them and the island directly from people whose ancestors created these amazing statues. We will share more about them in our future post.

13/12/2014

[New Post] OUR JOURNEY TO ANTARCTICA
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/our-journey-to-antarctica/

We just concluded our biggest adventure by far –- an amazing expedition to Antarctica with National Geographic Expeditions. We were deeply moved by the pristine beauty of the White Continent and were in awe of its rich wildlife. We hiked in glaciered mountains, walked on sea ice, cruised and kayaked…

23/11/2014

[New Post] The Temples of Khajuraho
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/the-temples-of-khajuraho/

They are exquisite temples with some of the finest temples arts in the world. They are built as a place where Gods would love to play. They are well-admired for their intricately carved statues of Hindu gods, deities, mythological beings and ordinary humans, but it is for their erotic sculptures th…

10/11/2014

More colorful memories of India.

[New Post] Varanasi: The Morning Rituals in the Ganges River
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/varanasi-morning-rituals-in-the-ganges-river/

It was a chilly November pre-dawn in Varanasi when we made our way back to the Ganges River to take a boat ride to witness the morning rituals in this holiest city of India. We found the evening rituals very spiritual, poignant and fascinating, but we were not sure what to anticipate from this morni…

04/11/2014

Here to some fascinating memories of India.

[New Post] Varanasi: The Evening Rituals on the Ganges River
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/varanasi-evening-rituals-on-the-ganges-river/

Some people have asked us where the most fascinating place we have ever traveled. There are way too many. But one that tops the list is the city of Varanasi, the holiest city in India. Situated along the bank of the sacred Ganges River, Varanasi is a place where Hindus aim to visit once in a lifeti…

20/10/2014

[New Post] REMEMBERING HONG KONG
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/remembering-hong-kong/

Occupy Central, Umbrella Revolution – whatever you call it; Hong Kong’s huge protest for universal suffrage is all over the news. We couldn’t help but be sentimental about our last visit in this vibrant city 3 years ago and wonder if that would be our last visit of Hong Kong as a democratic region.…

27/09/2014

[New Post] A DAY IN CHIANTI: WINE AND BEYOND
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/a-day-in-chianti-wine-and-beyond/

12/09/2014

[New Post] Jewels of Tuscany: Siena and San Gimignano
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/jewels-of-tuscany-siena-and-san-gimignano/

After we said our bittersweet goodbye to the Etruscan Coast of Tuscany, where its lesser known hamlets enthralled us, we headed into the Central Tuscany to revisit towns that captivated us on previous visit more than a decade ago. These towns are more touristed, but absolutely for good reasons. Th…

06/09/2014

[New Post] TUSCANY: CHARMING HAMLETS IN THE ETRUSCAN COAST
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/tuscany-charming-hamlets-in-the-etruscan-coast/

“Come see us at my in-laws’ summer house in Castagneto Carducci, it’s on the Tuscan Coast, around Bolgheri area, where the Super Tuscan wines are produced…..,” replied our beautiful friend Lynn, who just then moved to Italy from NYC with her Italian husband, when we e-mailed her about our plan to vi…

30/08/2014

[New Post] SKYVENTURE MONTREAL: WE CAN FLY!
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/skyventure-montreal-we-can-fly/

During our visit in Montreal, we had a great fun tasting the city’s culinary delight and attending the world’s largest jazz festival. But our gravity-defying adventure in SkyVenture Montreal took the fun into a higher level. What’s the adventure all about? SkyVenture Montreal offers a wind tunnel t…

24/08/2014

[New Post] A TASTE OF MONTREAL
http://www.travelingsolemates.com/a-taste-of-montreal/

We took a lovely road frip from New York City to Montreal over the the 4th of July weekend. We enjoyed the preformances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, some flying adventure (more on this on the next post), walking around the pleasant, manageable city, but most of all, we enjoyed eatin…

08/08/2014

[New Post] Huahine: French Polynesia’s Off-the-Beaten-Path Island | Traveling Solemates

It’s only about a half-hour flight away from both its popular sister islands, Tahiti and Bora Bora, but why is this paradise off the travelers’ radar?

It’s only about a half-hour flight away from both its popular sister islands, Tahiti and Bora Bora, but why is this paradise off the travelers’ radar?We had not heard of the island of Huahine until we started planning and researching our trip to French Polynesia. We read up on the different islands…