Featured Travel Blogger: Nelieta believes that all journeys have secret destinations

I AM HAPPY TO INTRODUCE TO YOU my first featured travel blogger from Argentina. Her name is Nelieta and originally came from South Africa. Her travelling adventures started when she was a teenager and when her parents bought a caravan. Every year, together with her parents take a family vacation to some exotic destinations. But over the years the little explorer inside her was dying a slow death because of other personal commitments. Eventually, she promised herself that she was going to see the world and nothing was going to stop her.

Now, here she is, Nelieta will allow us to discover herself as a travel blogger and maybe we can ask her some questions as she embark a new life in Argentina!

Q1: How many times you travel a year? Whenever I get the opportunity.

Q2: Do you stay in your home country (locally) or do you go abroad/overseas? We started a business about 2 years ago which makes travelling abroad a little difficult. With the current economic climate it is also very expensive to travel abroad. I took one overseas trip last year and a couple of trips locally. They are both satisfying but if I could choose I would definitely travel abroad.

Q3: Do you organize your holidays yourself or do you go to a travel agency? I organize everything myself and that includes flight tickets. In the beginning of my travel I did make use of Travel agents.

Q4: Do you prepare your holidays in advance by reading guide books and onlinetravel sites? I do prepare for my holidays in advance by reading guidebooks and reviews. But I also like to experience the moment. I find that by reading reviews you form an opinion in your subconscious and often disappointment sets in. However when I travelled to Russia I used the last method and afterwards I wished that I have read more about the culture, people and the country.

Q5: Do you travel alone/with family or friends/with an organized group? I did use organized groups in the beginning when I just started to travel. As I travelled more I became more daring and moved on to individual tours.Then I started to do things on my own. It is very limiting to travel with family or friends especially if they don't share the same interests. Now I travel with my husband and we have such a good time together because we like the same things.

Q6: Do you prefer the beach/islands/countryside/cities as destinations? I like all holiday destinations.

Q7: Do you mainly relax or are you an active holiday traveller? I am an active holiday traveller. I love to explore places.

Q8: If you go abroad do you learn at least some words of the foreignlanguage? It is always important to learn a couple of basic words. People appreciate it when you try to say something in their own language even if the pronunciation is terrible.

Q9: Are you interested in the cuisine/food of a foreign country? Yes but I am not a cuisine fanatic. I would much rather spend more time taking photos than in a restaurant trying new food.

Q10: Which mode/means of transportation do you prefer? I use all kinds of transport. It is fun and a good way to explore the city.

Q11: What kind of luggage do you take with you? Have you got problems packing? I always have a problem with too much luggage. I don't pack a lot of clothes but I always take my camera bag , laptop and a book or two. This is already too much!

Q12: Do you send picture postcards to your family and friends? No, but I often buy postcards especially where I am not allowed to take pictures, like some museums.

Q13: What kind of souvenirs do you normally keep during your travels? I collect fridge magnets. I always try to find something that will trigger my memory when I look at it.

Q14: Does your blogging experience or having a travel blog help you in yourtravels? My travel blog is a personal recollection of my travel experiences over the years. I have always kept a travel journal and it helped me a lot when I started to write my blog. My travel experiences have given me a lot of self confidence and I am not scared to hop on a plane and explore a new country on my own. I realize that I am capable of doing anything.

Q15: Have you met someone or individuals through your travel blog? No but I would love to meet some of the people who are following my blog.

"People often ask me how I choose my next destination. I don't, I answer them, it chooses me" - Nelieta

NOTE: Nelieta also operates a modest hostel accommodation in Argentina. The hostel has new, modern and spacious rooms, inclusive of ensuite bathrooms and hot water. Bedding and linen are also provided. The hostel has a magnificent view of the mountains, and during the nights the sky when it is crystal clear, you can almost pick the stars from the heaven. To find out more, CLICK HERE.

Newsbits: Introducing My Featured Travel Bloggers

MY INTEREST IN TRAVELLING - exploring other places both locally and abroad is priceless! I am very grateful to have the opportunity to meet people online (and during my trips/holidays) who have also the passion in travelling. It might be interesting to feature these people in my travel blog.

Featuring them here is recognising their efforts to maintain their own travel blogs that serve as invisible bridges to connect travellers around the world and somehow to know them better as travel bloggers, finding something in common or maybe interesting things that inspire them to discover and explore other places that might also motivate or encourage other people to do the same. I think we are naturally "nomads", wanting to move around to discover new things or try to do things while travelling that caught our imagination.

I ENJOY READING OTHER TRAVEL BLOGS and it is nice to know the person behind the blogsite as well. As part of my 2011 travelling experience, I will be featuring some of the travel bloggers that Ive met online, and who knows I will be able to meet them in person if the opportunity allows it to happen in the future.

This will be a regular post in my blog and hopefully this will be informative and interesting, consequently an inspiration to others - making their travels more enjoyable and memorable.

Watch out for my first travel blogger from Argentina. And maybe who knows you will be the next! Just answer the following questions and send it to: curiousph@yahoo.com.

Q1: How many times you travel a year?
Q2: Do you stay in your home country (locally) or do you go abroad/overseas?
Q3: Do you organize your holidays yourself or do you go to a travel agency?
Q4: Do you prepare your holidays in advance by reading guide books and online travel sites?
Q5: Do you travel alone/with family or friends/with an organized group?
Q6: Do you prefer the beach/islands/countryside/cities as destinations?
Q7: Do you mainly relax or are you an active holiday traveler?
Q8: If you go abroad do you learn at least some words of the foreign language?
Q9: Are you interested in the cuisine/food of a foreign country?
Q10: Which mode/means of transportation do you prefer?
Q11: What kind of luggage do you take with you? Have you got problems packing?
Q12: Do you send picture postcards to your family and friends?
Q13: What kind of souvenirs do you normally keep during your travels?
Q14: Does your blogging experience or having a travel blog help you in your travels?
Q15: Have you met someone or individuals through your travel blog?

Sojourn in Motion: Derry - The Irish Walled City

Derry: The Irish Walled City Slideshow: Reymos’s trip to Derry, County Londonderry, United Kingdom was created by TripAdvisor. See another Derry slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Amazon Kindle: An ultimate travel gadget

HAPPY NEW YEAR! As we embrace the first week of 2011, I am also excited to start the new year with a big bang especially with my passion for books. As a traveller, I always bring a couple of books with me to entertain myself during long hours of flights and land commuting. There is no doubt that majority of international airlines have built-in entertainment programmes to choose from, but sometimes I still prefer to grab a pocket book for a while before I sleep or take a nap during long flights.

Recently, I got a pre-Xmas present from my cousin during my visit in the US and she bought me an ereader - the Amazon Kindle 3G. It is white, slim and light device which is very convenient to carry with one hand or inside a handbag. Indeed, this is an ultimate traveller's companion which can hold thousands of books and it has the functionalities for mp3 (playing music) and browsing the internet worldwide, free of charge.

With the fast-pace of technology in communication, we can now have easy access to free ebooks, and recently Amazon.com just recently announced the lending/borrowing/sharing functionality for Kindle users. This means that selected ebooks can be borrowed from other users in a certain period of time (14 days at the moment). Unfortunately, it is quite different to verify what books are available for loans, unless you catch up with the Amazon Kindle facebook account for updates.

As my personal contribution to this "amazonian kindling" era, I will post (on a regular basis) the latest ebooks, including links of websites that provided affordable copies or maybe at its best price: FREE! There are existing sites that maintain database of free ebooks, especially the classic ones. Once in a while, Amazon US is also offering free of charge copies in a limited period of time. The Amazon UK is currently offering 1-pound for a selection of ebooks until 06 January 2011. There are also promo deals for less than 1 sterling pound.

This week, I already downloaded dozens of copies in my Kindle with back-up in my laptop. Even if you dont have Kindle or ereader device, you can still read these books using your computer/laptop/netbook. The application can be downloaded from Amazon website or click the photo above. Later on, when you finally got your ereader gadget, it is easy to transfer the files from the computer.

As a simple bit of advice: Prior to your travels, it is more convenient to purchase or download your ebooks from your laptop/PC to your Kindle device. It is more easier and manageable in organizing them, instead of having them purchased during your trips.

Please note that are restrictions in terms of downloading ebooks overseas/abroad, so to avoid problems on credit card transaction, it is more advisable to verify your purchases thru the confirmation receipts being forwarded to your email address or you can manage it thru your Amazon account before you leave your country of residence.

With the start of new year, you maybe interested to check some of my ebook selection, available for download through your PC or directly to your Kindle or any any ereader device. Enjoy and share the fun in reading!

NOTE: Some of the interesting sites that offer freebies are shown below. You can be a member of these sites as well for managing your bookshelves (from wish list to purchased ones).

1. Manybooks. The site is also advertised in Amazon which contains thousands of ebooks. If you are interested with classical novels, then this is for you. For example, I did find stories written in Tagalog or Filipino or novels written by Filipino authors/writers.

2. Smashwords. Very simple site but quite beneficial for people who want to start their careers in publication. The site allows members to upload their stories for free or market it for a minimal cost. It also allows members to download the files in various formats and shared it various socialnetworking sites such facebooks, twitter, etc.

3. Feedbooks. It is similar to Smashwords but it has a link that list down the popular ebooks every week. It has limited options for downloading formats and for sharing.

Reminder: The featured ebooks above are free for downloading, however it does not guaranteed that it will be free from the time you have access to these books. You have to check it first before downloading them, otherwise you will be charged. Majority of the classics ones are free!

eTravelDiary: Featured travelsite at Blogroll

"Featured Blogs is a weekly Sunday post featuring favorite blogs from our network! We do this so we can share in the rich diversity of blogs our network has to offer by featuring some of our favorites and yours! The only requirement to be featured here is to be a member of The Travel Blogroll and be displaying The Travel Blogroll Widget on your blog.

If you are not yet a member, but you have a travel blog and would like to join us, please click here! If you have a favorite blog on The Travel Blogroll, that you would like to be featured here please leave a comment on this article and let us know your favorites! - BlogRoll"

Whats up?...merry christmas everyone!

CHRISTMAS TIME is always a busy part of the year. It is also a busy time for me to update several blogsites- from uploading of photos to online books inventory. With TripAdvisor's TripWow video application, I can now upload and share photos taken during my travels in a video format which can be downloaded or embedded in various websites, either in facebook or wordpress.

Whats up with my etraveldiary? So far, it is inspiring to share some of my recent travels both in the UK and US, including my summer vacation in the Philippines. I also joined the BLOGROLL, a site that promotes bloggers that share their travel experiences online. You can check it out using the sidebar link. It is a simple way to increase readership of my site as well as meeting new online friends.

If you just recently browsing my blogsite or maybe a previous fan who missed some of my journals, then I take this opportunity to provide you some of the highlights of whats going on in my travel site during the past weeks.

With my 5 months vacation in the US, I have posted several stories with photo collages and videos powered by TripAdvisor. Some of the interesting stories are as follows: Disneyland Adventure in Anaheim, California; Seaworld in San Diego; Napa Valley, California; and Las Vegas in Nevada. I had the chance to watch the Farmers Classics' tennis in Los Angeles when Andy Murray of Britain first joined the tournament.

During my short trips to the Philippines, I was able to explore, Boracay Island; Corregidor Island and my hometown, Sibuyan Island. Highlights of the trips will be posted very soon.

Other interesting trips include: Louvre Museum in Paris, Natural History Museum in London, and Mournes Mountains in Northern Ireland.

FINALLY, I also included my first ever attempt to do painting using instant coffee, and my passion in reading which I regularly write book reviews. Coffee Painting provides you some of the basic tips to do it (if you like) as a hobby while traveling; and my first Travel Book Review - showcasing 40 unforgettable islands to escape before you die. I'm glad that the author of the book himself wrote his comment in my post. Check it out! If you fancy of buying a new book for a gift or for personal reading, you can visit my other website, Book-Aklat-Libro to find out more about my book collection.

ENJOY browsing, have a wonderful and happy Xmas!
Oooh... I forgot to mention my first ever travel book "My Fascination with Traveling", showcasing some of my photos taken in Europe, Thailand, Canada, UK, the Philippines and other parts of Asia. I have two more travel books to be published through BLURB. Watch out for that as well.

Unforgettable Islands: A travel book review

BEFORE BBC BOOKSHOP (BELFAST) was closed permanently in 2007, I bought several books and DVDs for a half price from the store. In particular, I collected 3 out of the 4 exciting series of books written by international travel writers, Steve Davey and Steve Watkins; and photographers, Marc Schlossman and Clare Jones.

Briefly, these travel books include the following: Unforgettable Islands to escape to before you die, Unforgettable Journeys to take before you die, Unforgettable Things to do before you die, and Unforgettable Places to see before you die. First, I will be sharing to you the fourth title published in 2007, entitled Unforgettable Islands to escape to before you die!

Why the Unforgettable Islands? Well, just to give you first a background of my origin. I was born and raised in one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippine archipelago. Where is Philippines located, by the way? Having a review of geography, my home country is just 3 hours away from Japan and Singapore by plane and almost 5 hours from Australia. Also, this is where Mylene Klass' mother and Nicole Scherzinger's (Pussycat Dolls) father came from. People who are living in the Philippines are known as Filipinos and the country got its name from Spain - colonized "Filipinas" for more than 300 years.

In other words, I am an islander who loves the beach, coconut trees, waves, sunset, coral reefs, forest, cool breeze and rivers! The environment I grew up was quite similar as portrayed in the Shipwrecked or Lost TV programmes, except that there is no competition and no fear for survival. It is a place I always called "home". This is the reason why the book reminded me of my home - a place where illustrated inside the colourful 256 pages of the book.

When I found this book during my first visit to BBC store, I was fascinated by its cover and the title itself. A feeling that draws me to browse the book and finding out why it is unforgettable. I searched it thru Amazon to see if I could get a cheaper deal using my dooyoo voucher; unfortunately the price is the same at £18.99. Few months later, I found out the BBC store is closing down and offering for 50-70% discounts. Without a second thought, I bought the 3 titles.

The author, Steve Davey and with the assistance of Marc Schlossman for the images of the 40 islands featured in the book, vividly describe his personal experience visiting these islands for almost 11 months. Some of the islands where covered in the first three series of his publications which I will be reviewed in the near future.

I don't want to give you all the contents of this book, but rather I will provide you the outstanding elements of the book that a traveller and photo hobbyist like me could get unforgettable insights of the featured islands which I am also dying to explore them before I die!

Generally, the book is perfectly packaged in a form suitable for a coffee table display. The image featured in the hard cover is taken from Stockholm, Sweden. The author's introduction is very well written emphasizing the value of visiting these places, without affecting the eco-system of the islands. He acknowledged both the positive and negative effects of tourism to these vulnerable places, and the same time the rewarding hospitality and generosity of the people living in these islands surrounded by bodies of water.

On the other hand, the lay-out is simple where the texts and images were laid-out for easy reading. Each of the 40 islands featured in the book are illustrated between 8-10 pages, where photos are in different sizes with individual short caption. For each island, extra information is added explaining on how to reach the place in terms of the best time to visit and the mode of transport to reach the island. Few pages at the back of the book cover important contacts that the author recommended to communicate, including useful websites. It also contains a map showing the locations of each island as a table contents graphically laid out at the first few pages of the book for easy browsing.

When I finally finished reading the book, the first thing that entered my mind was on the decision of the author to embark visiting these places in a span of 11 months. As a traveller, visiting a place is always motivated by fascinating features and priceless experience of being there in the island as described by others who have been there and also the promotional campaigns thru available on-line or printed materials. I am not sure if the author was persuaded by what others have said or what he had read about these islands. Maybe, as a travel writer, he was looking for distinct characteristics of each island that might encourage other people (like me) to experience what he had or maybe trying to persuade a segment of the urban society to visiting some places that they would never considered before.

In order to understand the motivation of the author to publish these 40 islands, I decided to examine the characteristics of each island as being discussed by the author. These are the interesting points that I have found out and vividly demonstrated in the images printed on it.

* The island has unspoiled beaches, wildlife (flora and fauna) or
biological diversity

* The island has interesting history, including the way of living:
culture, tradition, settlements, inhabitants, religion and beliefs

* The island has unique geological formation that attracts people for
climbing, cycling, walking

* The island has archaeological significance, including sensitive marine environment with endangered species

* The island has beautiful landscape, including cityscape and urban form and architecture

* The island is accessible for all means of transport, especially by air

* The island has "photogenic" charisma - a delight for both professional and amateur photographers.

I also observed that the quality of the images inside the book portrayed the significance of these places, without major alteration of the print. In other words, the photos do not bear any special effects which enhance the colour and presentation of the images. What you see in the pages of the book, are what you get when you visit these places - very natural view of people, structures, motion, textures, and surroundings. I was really impressed with images taken in Thailand, Fiji, Santa Barbara (USA), Sicily, Portugal, including the Philippines.

Why this publication stands-out from the rest of the travel books that have read? Aside from the reason of having visited the countries (not the islands) mentioned, the book is unique in a sense that the author gave his personal reflections about the travel as well as the photographer captured the natural sceneries thru the images. There was a chemistry between the writer and the photographer to bring out the best features of these islands - to captivate the hearts of travellers like me - destined to explore the planet Earth. In a way, it serves as a travel guide as well but more on the aspects of the physical features of the islands - exploring the unspoiled beauty.

Are you hopeful that you have already visited some of these places during your holidays or are you planning to visit them in months to come and still undecided to have it a go as your next top priority holiday destination? Well, personally I have only visited 2 of the islands, namely: Stockholm (Sweden) and Hongkong (China) out of the 40 places mentioned in the book. But Im desperately dying to explore the rest before I die especially the following: Bacuit Archipelago, Palawan (Philippines), Big Island (Hawaii), Phang Nga Bay Island (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia), Ibiza and Formentera (Spain), and the Society Islands (French Polynesia).

It is an unforgettable reading this book that provided me a glimpse of beautiful places that Mother Earth can offer. Despite the economic crunch, everybody deserves one or two places to visit every year. UNFORGETTABLE ISLANDS, unforgettable places, unforgettable moments and memorable experience of a life time await everyone!

NOTE: This is first published in dooyoo and ciao consumer sites. Few months ago, I got my Amazon Kindle 3G ebook reader and thanks to my cousin who is generous to have it as a pre-Xmas presence. I think with my new travel gadget, it lessen of carrying pocket books during travels, but with Travel Books like this under review is something to keep in its original version - I mean a "hard copy"!

Coffee Painting while traveling

ASIDE FROM TAKING PHOTOS, and meeting old and new friends while traveling, or even reading my favourite books through my Kindle3G, I can proudly say that I could also do my hobby in painting. This time is painting using instant coffee.

Sketching/painting is only a past time to complement my interest in photography. With photography, I can now capture my artwork and share it online.Inspired by a Filipina artist/painter, few months ago I decided to try if it will work. An ordinary sketch pad, brush, a diluted instant coffee in a small cup, I transformed my favourite subject, Trees into shiny sepia looking images.

One of the challenges to make it work is to get the right blend between water and the powdered/granuled instant coffee. The shades and textures can be controlled by the amount of water added to the coffee granules. I just use a tap water or re-use water and even the left-over from your cup to dilute the pure coffee. I also tried to use warm/hot water and it seems easier to mix the coffee granules with water providing an "old-look" effect on paper.

It is also interesting to blend or mix with other medium. For example, I tried to blend (not mix) coffee with choco powder but the latter does not provide a strong shiny brown effect on paper. I did try the Hershey's choco flavour which is quite effective despite its stickiness, it provided an added volume and luster on the surface of the subject.

Coffee painting is easy and the materials are affordable. It does not require a studio or a special place to do it. Even while sipping your favourite latte o cappuccino inside a coffee shop, with your brush and paper, you can paint instantly. While traveling, you can also use recycled plastic or aluminum cups to contain the diluted mixed coffee which is easy to dispose after use or carry them inside a backpack. Chinese brushes are quite easy to find especially in artwork shops or school supplies stores.

For an 8X12 paper size, I can normally complete my painting between 20-30 minutes, depending on the details of my subject. If I wanted a densely landscape, then it would require additional details and shades of the background.

It smells good while doing it! Have a try the aromatic experience in painting while traveling...

Boracay: The Philippine island paradise

I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT BORACAY ISLAND is chosen as one of the best travel destinations in the world organized by TripAdvisor (the leading travel site in the cyberspace). Ranked 9 in the World listand number onein Asia, beating Maldives and three of the islands in Thailand, Boracay is the best destination in the 2010 Travelers' Choice Award under the "beach and sun" category.

Boracay is one of the 7,107 islands in the Philippines and part of the central group of islands in the country. The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia comprising of 3 major groups of islands: Luzon (north), Visayas (central) and Mindanao (south) and out of 7,107 islands, only 4000 are inhabited. The Philippines is blessed with beautiful forests and beaches.

Few months ago, the Philippines was in the headline again after the unexpected hostage drama in Manila City when 8 Chinese nationals from Hongkong were killed in the incident. It is anticipated that this will affect the tourism industry of the country, consequently will bring a big impact to Boracay as one of the popular beach destinations of foreign visitors from neighbouring countries, including China and Hongkong.

Boracay: The Philippine Island Paradise Slideshow: Reymos’s trip to Boracay, Visayas, Philippines was created by TripAdvisor. See another Boracay slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Honestly, when I visited the island in April 2010, I observed that the majority are local tourists and there are so many things to explore in the area. I have been here in several occasions but only this recent visit that I really enjoyed and travelled around the island together with foreign friends. Aside from feeding Nemo and his friends during our snorkelling, we also did the island hopping and visited some underground caves. We did the reef walk, as if strolling under water with a helmet. The accommodation is affordable, including a selection of excellent water rides, food and entertainment.

A morning plunge in the sea and strolling in the beach while watching the sunset are just one of the things you could enjoy in the island. Did you know that Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxer owns a beach resort in the island?

NOTE: The original travel journal was posted in JPGMagazine website as the Story of the Week No.39 last September 2010.

Sojourn Nevada: Viva la vida Las Vegas

Viva la Vida Las Vegas Slideshow: Reymos’s trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, United States was created by TripAdvisor. See another Las Vegas slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

Pic-a-boo 501: The taste of Napa Valley (California, USA)

CLICK HERE to find more

My Fascination with Traveling: first ever travel photobook

My fascination...

A simple way of sho...

By Reymos

Book Preview

AT LAST I SUCCESSFULLY CREATED AND PUBLISHED MY FIRST EVER COFFEE TABLE BOOK using Blurb. It is a forty-page landscape print showcasing my very own images taken during my travels locally and abroad using my dependable-companions, Sony Cybershot and Olympus (for underwater).

My fascination with Traveling by Reymos | Make Your Own Book

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED to have a signed copy of this book, you can join my "Grab a Copy" contest which details will be posted very soon. Your comments are also welcome. Please watch out for my 2nd book entitled, My Travel Blog...

For every journey there is a story to tell... and this is my own story. Unfolding before your eyes through the images I captured during my travels...

Pic-a-boo 401: SeaWorld - Wet and Wild adventure

CLICK the photo collage or HERE to find more

Sojourn in Motion: Mournes Mountains inspire C.S. Lewis

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING OR TREKKING IS NOT my cup of tea but when the opportunity comes, I will not hesitate to join and prepare my snickers! This is not the extreme climbing but I could categorise this as "slow trekking" or maybe just we say "walking". My home country, the Philippines is naturally-endowed with beautiful rugged mountains, and one of them is found in my hometown, Sibuyan Island, called the Mount Guiting-Guiting (as scissor blades' shape). But mountain climbing back then is the least I could do for economic and safety reasons. Three years ago, this trekking opportunity came, not while I was living in the Philippines but rather at the birthplace of ill-fated Titanic ship and popular Irish writer, C.S. Lewis.

Mournes: Exploring Nature at Its Best Slideshow: Reymos’s trip from Downpatrick, County Down, United Kingdom to New Castle N Ireland (near Craigavon, County Armagh) was created by TripAdvisor. See another Craigavon slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

The Mountains of Mournes are the highest grounds and natural-reserved protected areas which serve as the main source of potable water for Northern Ireland and some part of the Irish region. Mournes is composed of several mountains and Slieve Donard and Slieve Biennan are the most popular peaks for climbers/trekkers because of the difficulties of reaching their peaks; the former is the hishest summit while the latter is the third highest peak with magnificent view - overlooking the south of Ireland.

My first visit to Mournes was organised by Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church in cold month of December. It was a long drive (1.5 hours) to Newcastle where the mountains stand beautifully alongside of the crystal clear blue sea. A wonderful sunny but chilly day, it was enjoyable experience ascending this magnificent peak of Slieve Donard.

My 5-hour walk from the foot of Donard Forest was paved off as the towering natural ground of 849 metres high (2,786 ft) sets before in front of me; with several mini waterfalls along the way. It was -4 degrees C during our climb and my clothes and shoes were not enough to cover me from the freezing wind!

The second time, I joined again the church members to climbed the 3rd highest peak of the mountains, Slieve Binnian. Seeing again the Mournes reminds me of the books written by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia. The Mournes inspired Lewis to write this series of novels for children. Unfortunately, I havent read any of the stories, except that I watched the film - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as adapted from the books.

While ascending the mountains, the panoramic view is astonishing - combined with brown, yellow and green colours infront of us which dominates the skyline! It was a glorious Easter Monday with sunny spell and the frequent touch of the cold wind.

Before we proceeded to the peak of Slieve Binnian, we had our lunch besides the small lake and the atmosphere is surreal having such special moment having with nature - appreciating the wonderful gifts from God! As soon as we finished filling our hungry stomachs, we started our journey and finally reached the foot of Slieve Binnian where the catchment areas for the water source of Northern Ireland take over the view, including the coastline of the Republic of Ireland. Tiny bits of hails struck our faces while ascending the peak!

I can not explain the feeling of being there - at the top of the mountain watching the well-curved mountains of Mournes, including the icy tip of Slieve Donard, some of the uniformily laid-out stones - the Mournes Wall, the green spots of pine trees and the blue ocean below. It took us almost 2.5 hours to reach the top confronting our fears to be carried away by the freezing wind and not to mention the slippery sloping ground while descending the peak. Descending the icy peak of Slieve Binnian provided us another view of Mournes, where green fields and farms meet with the coastline, including the whistling sound coming from the wind passing through the gaps between the stones of the Mournes Wall.

Another testimony of nature at its best and it deserves to be admired. A place not to be missed while visiting the Irish region.For future trips, click here for additional information: MOURNES

Pic-a-boo 301: Exploring our Natural World at British History Museum

The Natural History Museum in London (UK) is free to the public but there are on-going exhibitions inside that require tickets for access. The museum is divided into 4 zones: Orange Zone, Blue Zone, Green Zone and Red Zone. Some of the interesting and must-see galleries include the following: (Orange Zone) – dont miss to visit the Darwin’s Centre – Cocoon; (Blue Zone) – Dinosaurs; (Green Zone) – Giant Sequoia, Minerals, and The Vault; and (Red Zone) – Earth Treasury and the Power Within.

IN PARTICULAR, the Red Zone’ Earth’s Treasury contains hundreds of valuable gemstones and minerals, and the Power Within is showcasing the actual footage of BBC News during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. The Vault in the Green Zone is keeping some of the most beautiful and stunning precious stones and some of them are sparkling in the dark. Find out more by clicking the collages above.

It took me 3 hours to really enjoy the visually stunning and thought-provoking collections of hundreds of natural history specimens, including images, interactive displays, and visual works.