Pico do Arieiro - Pico Ruivo, Madeira, Portugal

Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Above a Sea of ​​Clouds


Nest of the blanket
Walker admires the scenery ahead from the balcony of the Ninho da Manta viewpoint.
glorious new day
Dawn admirers against the orange of another sunrise.
The Pride of Wood
Massarocos or Madeira prides stand out from the rest of the vegetation on the heights of Madeira.
Backlight
Hiker about to leave one of the several tunnels that provide the trail between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.
Hidden Radar
Air force radar semi-sheltered behind the cliffs of Pico do Arieiro.
In the clouds
Pause to catch your breath above the sea of ​​clouds that bathes northern Madeira.
vegetable path
Duo climbs a path surrounded by an assortment of Madeiran vegetation.
The stolen trail to the cliffs
Hiker walks along a stretch excavated in the rock of the trail between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo
small tunnel
One of several tunnels that pierce the mountain between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.
vegetable tentacles
Withered tree stretches towards the dampness that hangs against the north coast.
glorious new day II
Hikers follow the sunrise over Pico do Areeiro.
Framed Rail
A wide tunnel rounds the scene below the Ninho da Manta viewpoint.
color and shade
Mountain ridges between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.
The top of Pico Ruivo
Trail winds through the reddish roof of Pico Ruivo, the roof of the island of Madeira.
Directions
Signs indicate the opposite directions of Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.
passage through the dark
Hiker silhouette in one of the tunnels with Pico das Torres in the background.
The journey begins with a resplendent dawn at 1818 m, high above the sea of ​​clouds that snuggles the Atlantic. This is followed by a winding, ups and downs walk that ends on the lush insular summit of Pico Ruivo, 1861 meters away.

It's six in the morning. Hugo Rodrigues drives the jeep up a long succession of vertiginous slopes that connect the Funchal VR1 expressway.

First to Poiso, the hamlet and shelter nestled at 1400 meters, in the forest on the south side of the island, a village with a mandatory passage for those who want to reach Pico do Arieiro by road.

Above the forest, with the dawn creeping into the pitch, we wind through the highlands of the Massif Central. We surprised cows delighted with the damp pasture, some in a mysterious understanding with gravity.

Clarity increases visibly. Pico do Arieiro doesn't take long. We reached it just in time to park, to get around a corner of it and finally get an unobstructed view to the east. And what a sight! We must exclaim it with as much admiration as possible.

A Lush Celestial Dawn

To the east, a celestial carpet of clouds stretched out until it merged with the cloudless infinity that sat on the horizon.

As yearned by a scattered crowd of worshipers of the solar system's solemn events, the great star finally emerges from the sea of ​​clouds.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Dawn admirers against the orange of another sunrise.

First, in a surreptitious peek, covered by a band of warm tones, a kind of atmospheric frieze. Then, in a shy greeting. Finally, his whole face rounded and glowing, asserting itself as if the day had no choice but to welcome it.

The sun rises. It continues to dye the cloudy cloak that hid it. When your glowing ball stands out in the blue, it browns the cloudiness completely. It arouses exultations and celebrations of life among earthlings aware of the incredible astronomical bounty associated with any and every dawn.

The desire to move forward, to climb above the clouds and to try to reach it, passes through our minds. Rushed in a quick and apparent intersection of the Earth, the star rises and moves away from the horizon towards its zenith.

We turn to the West. The dawn gilded the capricious outlines of the mountains that make up Madeira's roof.

Retreating dawn spectators walked in the direction of the large Air Force radar, this one, a white and lifeless sphere, useful since 2013 but in the shadow of stardom and solar protagonism since it was inaugurated.

Air Force Radar, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Air force radar semi-sheltered behind the cliffs of Pico do Arieiro.

Sun Rise, Time to Leave Pico do Arieiro

We watched it for a moment, half-hidden as it was, behind a small mountain range with a jagged top. Until the warm tones of the Massif Central to the north of Madeira demand our attention and the crossing of its domains.

In the company of Gonçalo Vieira, a Funchal guide, we made our way to the stairway trail that descended on a thin edge of the slope, so narrow that it had the reinforced safety of side fences, providential in stormy days or just windy weather, in that without their support, hikers would be at the mercy of the weather.

We continued. For a short time. We are caught by the glimpse of houses scattered in the distant valleys of the mountain range, everything seemed to indicate inaccessible. Aware of the improbable reality of a village called Curral das Freiras and its proliferation in the remote depths of Madeira, we asked Gonçalo if it might not be, by chance, some of his houses.

Gonçalo confirms this, with a caveat: “…but they are not part of the central nucleus. They must be in the northern extension of the village.” Enlightened, we followed his firm steps, aware of those roller-coaster steps that required unexpected concentration.

A Rewarding Detour to the Ninho da Manta Viewpoint

We deviate from the main road, in order to pass by the unavoidable veranda of the Ninho da Manta, named in honor of a round-winged eagle (manta) that once nested there.

There, a viewpoint imposed on the relief revealed scenery more exuberant than ever. To the west, the higher and nearer slopes showed the ocher tone of its rock, too polished or arid to grant flowering.

Ninho da Manta, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Walker admires the scenery ahead from the balcony of the Ninho da Manta viewpoint.

In the direction of Pico das Torres (1853 m), the second highest on the island of Madeira, the serrated tops of the cliffs admitted a shallow green that clung to the less rigid and polished sections, in a grip resistant to the furious gusts of wind.

From the balcony down, against the still rising sun, an immensity of verdant peaks unfolded, subsumed under the advancing front of the sea of ​​clouds.

On clear days, you can easily see the island and even the neighboring islets of the Porto Santo. If this was not the case, we were delighted to be dazzled by the Fajã da Nogueira Valley, with its riverbed of Ribeira da Metade as a line leading to the foothills of successive lush cliffs.

They are so steep and difficult to access that the little jester, a sea bird, treated in Madeira as a seabird, makes a nest there, and it is estimated that another, even rarer and more protected, the Madeiran nun.

At the base of the balcony of the viewpoint, a colony of massarocos shows us its arrangement aimed at the skies of purple spikes, endemic and resplendent, as if to justify its nickname of pride-of-Madeira and wanting to rival the geological portent in around.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Massarocos or Madeira prides stand out from the rest of the vegetation on the heights of Madeira.

The Exuberant Geological Sections of Madeira Island

If everything – or almost everything – in the 740 km2 Madeira Island takes on a drama that is intimidating, let alone the zenith we were dedicated to traversing.

It is estimated that Madeira was formed from more than five million to seven hundred thousand years ago, in a long tectonic and volcanic process in which it ended up crowning a massive submerged shield volcano that rises 6km from the ocean floor Atlantic.

An intense erosion followed, responsible for the island's orography, almost always intricate and dazzling like the one that surrounded us. We return to the route.

Color ridges, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Mountain ridges between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.

From Ninho da Manta, we return to the main trail. We ascended to an exposed ridge that allowed us to admire the viewpoint again, with the clouds in the background but in unexpected comfort.

There, the furious trades characteristic of summer, tried as hard as they could to sweep us out of that fief of theirs.

Abrupt Descent to the Core of the Massif Central of Madeira

We resist. Then, we went down a new staircase to a deeper sector of the Massif Central, which revealed a new valley facing west, unlike the previous one in which we glimpsed the houses of Curral das Freiras, with no sign of human presence.

On the way down, we came across a family of partridges not as elusive as one would expect or – maybe that was before – trapped between us and the precipice behind the trail. We continued to descend.

Small tunnel, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

One of the many tunnels that perforate the mountain between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.

We cross the first tunnels that make the route possible: a wide one, framing the trail itself, a section of the valley that is covered and a bold front of clouds, much deeper into the mountain than the ones we had seen from Ninho da Manta. Then, the Pico do Gato tunnel, tight and gloomy to match.

The light in its background reveals to us a distinct stretch of everything hitherto, a curved cut on a slope below sharp peaks, on a slope lined with heather green, the bright yellow of daisies or the like.

And of wild hay gilt, with certain isolated husks of massarocos lending blue and purple to that incredible floral composition.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Hikers climb a trail surrounded by an assortment of Madeiran vegetation.

Around the imposing Pico das Torres

From shade and color, through a new tunnel, Gonçalo leads us back to the shade, against the resplendent view of the contours of Pico das Torres, the second elevation of Madeira, measuring 1853 m.

We chased it along a kind of human levada, excavated at the base of large reddish cliffs, in certain points concave, at first, overlooking a fort of rocky barbs, sharpened and detached from another half-slope in the form of a natural geological installation .

Shadow trail, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Hiker walks along a stretch excavated in the rock of the trail between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo

At a point where the passage appears endowed with an escape route, Gonçalo makes a stop to recover energy. While we devour an improvised snack, he confirms his desire and plan to travel to Nepal and from there travel the long Annapurnas Circuit.

It was a challenge we met in March 2018. Okay, we bombarded you with so many tips, adventures and trivia that the guide can barely process them.

After the meal was over, we resumed walking and realized at a glance the convenience of having replenished our energy there.

With Pico das Torres ahead, the trail continues along a long staircase with spaced steps that forced us to make a double effort.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Hiker about to leave one of the several tunnels that enable the trail between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.

We beat him with his legs on fire. At the top, we regain the distant view of the sea of ​​clouds.

We snake through a ghostly forest of trees that seem to have perished to beg for the marine moisture from the north.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Withered tree stretches towards the dampness that hangs against the north coast.

Final Attack on Pico Ruivo, Island Ceiling

Between ferns and heather in Madeira, in a sea of ​​green that rivaled that of the clouds, the trail climbs gradually. Until it is at the doors of the shelter of Pico Ruivo.

We take advantage of the shade of the local barbecue area to rest and regain energy.

By then, our muscles were punished and prepared for the massacres that would follow. In good time. Since the departure of 1818 meters, above and below, we had already walked the 1542 meters from the lowest point of the course.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Signs indicate the opposite directions of Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.

This was followed by the final ascent to 1861 meters from the roof of Madeira, almost 500 meters below the Pico on the Azorean island of Pico, smoother than we were counting.

At the top, 360º around the geodesic landmark that marks the fulcrum of the roof of Madeira, we contemplate the island in all its diversity and splendor: the northern cloud front, more tangible than ever.

Outsize View of Outsize Madeira

The Torres and Arieiro Peaks, so close that it was hard to believe that we had been walking through them for five hours, two more than normal, something justified considering the countless stops, setbacks and photographic essays with which we were illustrating the route .

Instead of a conventional peak, steep and sharp, the top of Pico Ruivo was flattened in a panoramic tens of meters. Around the geodesic frame, along its crest, an opportune sidewalk breaks the ocher tone, red like the baptism of the hill, predominant at the top.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Trail runs along the reddish roof of Pico Ruivo, the roof of the island of Madeira.

A few other hikers arrived at the safe and fenced threshold of the top, surrendered themselves to the glorious poses of “John and the Beanstalk”, there yes, visibly sustained by the sea of ​​clouds.

We and Gonçalo performed our own poses, refreshed by the marine breeze with which the Atlantic to the north it held us.

Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal

Hiker above the sea of ​​clouds that bathes the north of Madeira.

Half an hour later, we descend towards Achada da Teixeira where we end our journey. We had spent half the day at the peak.

Fifteen days of pure Madeiran wonder followed.

Porto Santo, Portugal

Praised Be the Island of Porto Santo

Discovered during a stormy sea tour, Porto Santo remains a providential shelter. Countless planes that the weather diverts from neighboring Madeira guarantee their landing there. As thousands of vacationers do every year, they surrender to the softness and immensity of the golden beach and the exuberance of the volcanic sceneries.
Pico Island, Azores

Pico Island: the Azores Volcano with the Atlantic at its Feet

By a mere volcanic whim, the youngest Azorean patch projects itself into the rock and lava apogee of Portuguese territory. The island of Pico is home to its highest and sharpest mountain. But not only. It is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the Azoreans who tamed this stunning island and surrounding ocean.
São Miguel, Azores

São Miguel Island: Stunning Azores, By Nature

An immaculate biosphere that the Earth's entrails mold and soften is displayed, in São Miguel, in a panoramic format. São Miguel is the largest of the Portuguese islands. And it is a work of art of Nature and Man in the middle of the North Atlantic planted.
Santa Maria, Azores

Santa Maria: the Azores Mother Island

It was the first in the archipelago to emerge from the bottom of the sea, the first to be discovered, the first and only to receive Cristovão Colombo and a Concorde. These are some of the attributes that make Santa Maria special. When we visit it, we find many more.
Terceira Island, Azores

Terceira Island: Journey through a Unique Archipelago of the Azores

It was called the Island of Jesus Christ and has radiated, for a long time, the cult of the Holy Spirit. It houses Angra do Heroísmo, the oldest and most splendid city in the archipelago. These are just two examples. The attributes that make Terceira island unique are endless.
Flores Island, Azores

The Atlantic ends of the Azores and Portugal

Where, to the west, even on the map the Americas appear remote, the Ilha das Flores is home to the ultimate Azorean idyllic-dramatic domain and almost four thousand Florians surrendered to the dazzling end-of-the-world that welcomed them.
Horta, Azores

The City that Gives the North to the Atlantic

The world community of sailors is well aware of the relief and happiness of seeing the Pico Mountain, and then Faial and the welcoming of Horta Bay and Peter Café Sport. The rejoicing does not stop there. In and around the city, there are white houses and a green and volcanic outpouring that dazzles those who have come so far.
Capelinhos Volcano, Faial, Azores

On the trail of the Capelinhos Mistery

From one coast of the island to the opposite one, through the mists, patches of pasture and forests typical of the Azores, we discover Faial and the Mystery of its most unpredictable volcano.
Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain

Fuerteventura's Atlantic Ventura

The Romans knew the Canaries as the lucky islands. Fuerteventura, preserves many of the attributes of that time. Its perfect beaches for the windsurf and kite-surfing or just for bathing, they justify successive “invasions” by the sun-hungry northern peoples. In the volcanic and rugged interior, the bastion of the island's indigenous and colonial cultures remains. We started to unravel it along its long south.
La Palma, Canary IslandsSpain

The Most Mediatic of the Cataclysms to Happen

The BBC reported that the collapse of a volcanic slope on the island of La Palma could generate a mega-tsunami. Whenever the area's volcanic activity increases, the media take the opportunity to scare the world.
Lanzarote, Canary Islands

To César Manrique what is César Manrique's

By itself, Lanzarote would always be a Canaria by itself, but it is almost impossible to explore it without discovering the restless and activist genius of one of its prodigal sons. César Manrique passed away nearly thirty years ago. The prolific work he left shines on the lava of the volcanic island that saw him born.
Castro Laboreiro, Portugal  

From Castro de Laboreiro to Raia da Serra Peneda - Gerês

We arrived at (i) the eminence of Galicia, at an altitude of 1000m and even more. Castro Laboreiro and the surrounding villages stand out against the granite monumentality of the mountains and the Planalto da Peneda and Laboreiro. As do its resilient people who, sometimes handed over to Brandas and sometimes to Inverneiras, still call these stunning places home.
Sistelo, Peneda-Gerês, Portugal

From the "Little Portuguese Tibet" to the Corn Presidia

We leave the cliffs of Srª da Peneda, heading for Arcos de ValdeVez and the villages that an erroneous imaginary dubbed Little Portuguese Tibet. From these terraced villages, we pass by others famous for guarding, as golden and sacred treasures, the ears they harvest. Whimsical, the route reveals the resplendent nature and green fertility of these lands in Peneda-Gerês.
Campos do GerêsTerras de Bouro, Portugal

Through the Campos do Gerês and the Terras de Bouro

We continue on a long, zigzag tour through the domains of Peneda-Gerês and Bouro, inside and outside our only National Park. In this one of the most worshiped areas in the north of Portugal.
Montalegre, Portugal

Through Alto do Barroso, Top of Trás-os-Montes

we moved from Terras de Bouro for those of Barroso. Based in Montalegre, we wander around the discovery of Paredes do Rio, Tourém, Pitões das Júnias and its monastery, stunning villages on the border of Portugal. If it is true that Barroso has had more inhabitants, visitors should not miss it.
Paul do Mar a Ponta do Pargo a Achadas da Cruz, Wood, Portugal

Discovering the Madeira Finisterre

Curve after curve, tunnel after tunnel, we arrive at the sunny and festive south of Paul do Mar. We get goosebumps with the descent to the vertiginous retreat of Achadas da Cruz. We ascend again and marvel at the final cape of Ponta do Pargo. All this, in the western reaches of Madeira.
Terra Chã and Pico Branco footpaths, Porto Santo

Pico Branco, Terra Chã and Other Whims of the Golden Island

In its northeast corner, Porto Santo is another thing. With its back facing south and its large beach, we unveil a mountainous, rugged and even wooded coastline, dotted with islets that dot an even bluer Atlantic.
Graciosa, Azores

Her Grace the Graciosa

Finally, we will disembark in Graciosa, our ninth island in the Azores. Even if less dramatic and verdant than its neighbors, Graciosa preserves an Atlantic charm that is its own. Those who have the privilege of living it, take from this island of the central group an esteem that remains forever.
Corvo, Azores

The Unlikely Atlantic Shelter on Corvo Island

17 km2 of a volcano sunk in a verdant caldera. A solitary village based on a fajã. Four hundred and thirty souls snuggled by the smallness of their land and the glimpse of their neighbor Flowers. Welcome to the most fearless of the Azorean islands.
São Jorge, Azores

From Fajã to Fajã

In the Azores, strips of habitable land at the foot of large cliffs abound. No other island has as many fajãs as the more than 70 in the slender and elevated São Jorge. It was in them that the jorgenses settled. Their busy Atlantic lives rest on them.
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beaches
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Okavango Delta, Not all rivers reach the sea, Mokoros
safari
Okavango Delta, Botswana

Not all rivers reach the sea

Third longest river in southern Africa, the Okavango rises in the Angolan Bié plateau and runs 1600km to the southeast. It gets lost in the Kalahari Desert where it irrigates a dazzling wetland teeming with wildlife.
Muktinath to Kagbeni, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, Kagbeni
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit 14th - Muktinath to Kagbeni, Nepal

On the Other Side of the Pass

After the demanding crossing of Thorong La, we recover in the cozy village of Muktinath. The next morning we proceed back to lower altitudes. On the way to the ancient kingdom of Upper Mustang and the village of Kagbeni that serves as its gateway.
Music Theater and Exhibition Hall, Tbilisi, Georgia
Architecture & Design
Tbilisi, Georgia

Georgia still Perfumed by the Rose Revolution

In 2003, a popular political uprising made the sphere of power in Georgia tilt from East to West. Since then, the capital Tbilisi has not renounced its centuries of Soviet history, nor the revolutionary assumption of integrating into Europe. When we visit, we are dazzled by the fascinating mix of their past lives.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Aventura
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.
Military Religious, Wailing Wall, IDF Flag Oath, Jerusalem, Israel
Ceremonies and Festivities
Jerusalem, Israel

A Festive Wailing Wall

The holiest place in Judaism is not only attended by prayers and prayers. Its ancient stones have witnessed the oath of new IDF recruits for decades and echo the euphoric screams that follow.
Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Kitts, Berkeley Memorial
Cities
Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis

A Capital at the Caribbean Sea Level

Nestled between the foot of Olivees Mountain and the ocean, tiny Basseterre is the largest city in Saint Kitts and Nevis. With French colonial origins, long Anglophone, it remains picturesque. It is only distorted by the gigantic cruises that flood it with hit-and-run visitors.
young saleswoman, nation, bread, uzbekistan
Lunch time
Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, The Nation That Does Not Lack Bread

Few countries employ cereals like Uzbekistan. In this republic of Central Asia, bread plays a vital and social role. The Uzbeks produce it and consume it with devotion and in abundance.
Maiko during cultural show in Nara, Geisha, Nara, Japan
Culture
Kyoto, Japan

Survival: The Last Geisha Art

There have been almost 100 but times have changed and geishas are on the brink of extinction. Today, the few that remain are forced to give in to Japan's less subtle and elegant modernity.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Sport
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.
jet lag avoid flight, jetlag, turbulence
Traveling
Jet Lag (Part 1)

Avoid Post-Flight Turbulence

When we fly across more than 3 time zones, the internal clock that regulates our body gets confused. The most we can do is alleviate the discomfort we feel until it gets right again.
Islamic silhouettes
Ethnic

Istanbul, Turkey

Where East meets West, Turkey Seeks its Way

An emblematic and grandiose metropolis, Istanbul lives at a crossroads. As Turkey in general, divided between secularism and Islam, tradition and modernity, it still doesn't know which way to go

ice tunnel, black gold route, Valdez, Alaska, USA
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Sensations vs Impressions

Santo Domingo, Colonial City, Dominican Republic, Diego Colombo
History
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The Longest Colonial Elder in the Americas

Santo Domingo is the longest-inhabited colony in the New World. Founded in 1498 by Bartholomew Colombo, the capital of the Dominican Republic preserves intact a true treasure of historical resilience.
Fontainhas, Santo Antão, Cape Verde, balancing houses
Islands
Ponta do Sol a Fontainhas, Santo Antão, Cape Verde

A Vertiginous Journey from Ponta do Sol

We reach the northern tip of Santo Antão and Cape Verde. On a new afternoon of radiant light, we follow the Atlantic bustle of the fishermen and the less coastal day-to-day life of Ponta do Sol. With sunset imminent, we inaugurate a gloomy and intimidating quest of the village of Fontainhas.
St. Trinity Church, Kazbegi, Georgia, Caucasus
Winter White
Kazbegi, Georgia

God in the Caucasus Heights

In the 4000th century, Orthodox religious took their inspiration from a hermitage that a monk had erected at an altitude of 5047 m and perched a church between the summit of Mount Kazbek (XNUMXm) and the village at the foot. More and more visitors flock to these mystical stops on the edge of Russia. Like them, to get there, we submit to the whims of the reckless Georgia Military Road.
silhouette and poem, Cora coralina, Goias Velho, Brazil
Literature
Goiás Velho, Brazil

The Life and Work of a Marginal Writer

Born in Goiás, Ana Lins Bretas spent most of her life far from her castrating family and the city. Returning to its origins, it continued to portray the prejudiced mentality of the Brazilian countryside
Visitor risks his life atop the basalt columns of Reynisfjara.
Nature
South of Iceland

South Iceland vs North Atlantic: a Monumental Battle

Volcano slopes and lava flows, glaciers and immense rivers all hang and flow from the high interior of the Land of Fire and Ice to the frigid and often angry ocean. For all these and many other reasons of Nature, the Southland It is the most disputed region in Iceland.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Tsitsikamma National Park
Natural Parks
Garden Route, South Africa

The Garden Coast of South Africa

Extending over more than 200km of natural coastline, the Garden Route zigzags through forests, beaches, lakes, gorges and splendid natural parks. We travel from east to west, along the dramatic bottoms of the African continent.
Mirador de La Peña, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
UNESCO World Heritage
El Hierro, Canary Islands

The Volcanic Rim of the Canaries and the Old World

Until Columbus arrived in the Americas, El Hierro was seen as the threshold of the known world and, for a time, the Meridian that delimited it. Half a millennium later, the last western island of the Canaries is teeming with exuberant volcanism.
aggie gray, Samoa, South Pacific, Marlon Brando Fale
Characters
Apia, Western Samoa

The Host of the South Pacific

She sold burguês to GI's in World War II and opened a hotel that hosted Marlon Brando and Gary Cooper. Aggie Gray passed away in 2. Her legacy lives on in the South Pacific.
Coconut picker in Unawatuna, Sri Lanka
Beaches
Unawatuna to Tongalle, Sri Lanka

Along the Tropical South of Old Ceylon

We left the Galle fortress behind. From Unawatuna to Tangale, the south of Sri Lanka is made up of beaches with golden sand and coconut groves attracted by the coolness of the Indian Ocean. Once the scene of conflict between local and colonial powers, this coast has long been shared by backpackers from the four corners of the world.
Kongobuji Temple
Religion
Mount Koya, Japan

Halfway to Nirvana

According to some doctrines of Buddhism, it takes several lifetimes to attain enlightenment. The shingon branch claims that you can do it in one. From Mount Koya, it can be even easier.
Flam Railway composition below a waterfall, Norway.
On Rails
Nesbyen to Flam, Norway

Flam Railway: Sublime Norway from the First to the Last Station

By road and aboard the Flam Railway, on one of the steepest railway routes in the world, we reach Flam and the entrance to the Sognefjord, the largest, deepest and most revered of the Scandinavian fjords. From the starting point to the last station, this monumental Norway that we have unveiled is confirmed.
Society
Cemeteries

the last address

From the grandiose tombs of Novodevichy, in Moscow, to the boxed Mayan bones of Pomuch, in the Mexican province of Campeche, each people flaunts its own way of life. Even in death.
Busy intersection of Tokyo, Japan
Daily life
Tokyo, Japan

The Endless Night of the Rising Sun Capital

Say that Tokyo do not sleep is an understatement. In one of the largest and most sophisticated cities on the face of the Earth, twilight marks only the renewal of the frenetic daily life. And there are millions of souls that either find no place in the sun, or make more sense in the “dark” and obscure turns that follow.
Cliffs above the Valley of Desolation, near Graaf Reinet, South Africa
Wildlife
Graaf-Reinet, South Africa

A Boer Spear in South Africa

In early colonial times, Dutch explorers and settlers were terrified of the Karoo, a region of great heat, great cold, great floods and severe droughts. Until the Dutch East India Company founded Graaf-Reinet there. Since then, the fourth oldest city in the rainbow nation it thrived at a fascinating crossroads in its history.
Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles
Scenic Flights
napali coast, Hawaii

Hawaii's Dazzling Wrinkles

Kauai is the greenest and rainiest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is also the oldest. As we explore its Napalo Coast by land, sea and air, we are amazed to see how the passage of millennia has only favored it.