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View All Posts By Mike
Read all posts by Mike in one place, organized by date. Go back in time and see how Mike started on the cheap route, it's probably funny to see the progression!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
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A screen cap from the video showing Planet Earth from outer space
A time lapse video taken by Expedition 28 & 29 from the International Space Station during the months of August to October, 2011. You can clearly see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) as the station crosses over the top of the Earth. Because of the Earths constant rotation things look a bit different than we're used to on the map, it's tough to make out what countries you're looking at (when the clouds aren't hiding the ground), but I was able to identify a few regions. The person who posted this video claims they didn't do anything to edit colors or anything similar, it's strange to see the atmosphere so clearly visible, very cool.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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My friend posing with the Ati Tribesman for a photo as they spit fire
When traveling through the Philippines, we found ourselves in Cebu for 2 days, waiting for a flight to the island of Siargao. We didn't really know what we wanted to do, and in doing a little research discovered the island of Bohol, just a couple hours away from Cebu by ferry. The island, pronounced very similar to "Butthole", is best known for the Chocolate Hills of Bohol. When we arrived, we decided to rent scooters and explore the island that way. One of our destinations, a lazy 45 minute scooter ride away from our resort in the Mactan Island area of Bohol, was the Loboc River.
Monday, November 14, 2011
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A view of Everest and the surrounding Himalayas
There are a lot of videos out there both climber made and commercial of Everest, Everest Base Camp, and the entire Himalaya Region. I spent a lot of time searching online and these were the highlights I came up with. Sadly there has been a lot of tragedy on the mountain over the years, so some of the videos are quite sad, but there is also some amazing scenery, interesting facts, and heart warming stories portrayed in these videos. If you know of other good Everest videos please post links in the comments and I'll add them to the collection.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
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Polonnaruwa Vatadage is believed to have once held the Tooth Relic (Budhas Tooth)
One of the major attractions in the Sri Lankan Cultural Triangle area, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa is a massive spread out area full of nearly 1000 year old ruins. There is a lot of variety in the UNESCO World Heritage site, with some of the best ruins in Sri Lanka, amazing temples, statues, and a healthy variety of wildlife (mainly monkeys). It's easy to spend a full day or two exploring this ancient city, rent a bike or hire a driver and get lost in Polonnaruwa.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
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Budha statues everywhere aroudn the Buddhist Stupahs
The Dambulla Rock Cave Temple is one of Sri Lanka's 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the heart of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, the caves are located conveniently between Kandy and the Siguriya Rock Fortress. At the base of the Dambulla Rock sits the World's Largest Budha statue (golden), then you climb up a flight of stairs for about 10 minutes until you reach the entrance to the caves. Inside there are 5 caverns, the large cavern being the most spectacular with it's painted ceilings, but all of them are pretty cool. The first cave has a big laying Buddha statue which was one of my favorites of the entire temple.
Friday, November 11, 2011
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A wide view of the Kravice Waterfalls
The Kravice Waterfalls on the Trebizat River in Bosnia are some of the coolest I've been to. Tucked away in the trees just across the border from Crotia, the waterfall spans 120m (~390 feet) and falls 25m (~80 feet). The Kravice Falls area also has a little cafe, a rope swing, a picnic area, and a place to camp if you like. I had never heard of these waterfalls before arriving in Dubrovnik, I suppose Bosnia is not the most traveled of places, but these falls were well worth the visit.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
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Maybe the ugliest goat I've ever seen, I had a soft spot for this guy at the Tiger Temple in Thailand
In my travels I've come across a lot of funny looking animals, and I always take pictures when I do. I don't know what it is, but I love photographing animals and catching them in that awkward moment of curiosity. I find them hilarious, their similarities to humans, and their differences. Unfortunately around the world a lot of these animals have lived in less than desirable conditions, but I do my best to give them a bit of food or love whenever possible. This is a collection of some of the funniest animals I've come across throughout my world travels.
Monday, November 7, 2011
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A 1000 Crowns note from the Czech Republic
Different people handle their money differently abroad. If you're an avid traveler, you surely have your own system. Holding large amounts of money puts you at risk for theft or loss of your entire trips funds. Travelers checks, and checks in general are outdated, a bit of a hassle to use, and will cost you money to change to cash. Withdrawing cash in the maximum daily limit increments is the best way to handle cash abroad for me, but standard ATM fees add up quick. However, by switching banks to use a Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account, and using a Capital One no international fees credit card, you can save these ATM fees and additional international charges. This article refers to banks in the United States.
Friday, November 4, 2011
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Prayer flags draped across Everest Basecamp with Phantom Alley in view
Climbing to Everest Base Camp does not have to be very expensive. In order to determine how much you should expect to pay, you'll first need to decide what type of trek you want to take, and how much time you have available. Another important factor in determining how much your trip will cost is the number of people in your group. With more people, you can share porters and a guide, cutting costs for each person.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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The northern lights as seen in Lapland, Finland
The Northern Lights have been on my list for a long time. I originally had them down as a Canada thing, but recently a friend of mine (from Finland) showed me this video of the Northern Lights filmed earlier this year in Lapland, Finland. It's an amazing video of an amazing phenomenon, so I figured I'd share it here.
