Once upon a time, Kennecott, Alaska had five copper mines. As the mines were depleted they closed one by one, until the last, named “Mother Lode”, closed in 1938. What has been left behind is a beautiful ghost town. Although, some of the buildings were razed and many visitors looted artifacts, the parks service is working on stabilizing structures and offers guided tours. While you are in the area, you might also want to go glacier hiking and ice climbing.

Crystal, CO

Crystal, Colorado is something of a ghost town, although it does have some summer residents. It certainly isn’t as large as it was at its peak when it had two newspapers and two hotels. It is located between Marble and Crested Butte in Gunnison County and is accessible by a four wheel drive road. Many of the abandoned buildings still stand, along with the highly photographed Crystal Mill, below.

St. Elmo, CO

Another mining casualty, this town once had a population of over two thousand, but is now considered one of the more well-preserved of Colorado’s ghost towns. It is filled heavily with tourists in summer and you can rent four wheelers to travel the old mining roads.

Silver City, ID

Situated in Owyhee County, Silver City, Idaho was once home to 75 businesses and had a bustling population of around 2,500. Due to its isolated location, when the mines played out, so did the town. Most of it still stands, but the seventy or so buildings are privately owned. It is still worth a visit, although you won’t be able to poke around the dwellings. A great place to stay, during a visit, is the Idaho Hotel, which was moved to Silver City from Ruby City in 1868 and has been authentically refurbished.

Wehrum, PA

Wehrum Pennsylvania was founded 1901 as coal mining company town. After several accidents, including a gas explosion that killed four people and another explosion that killed over twenty miners, the mine was sold and then inexplicably closed. The last human beings left in 1934. The houses were cannibalized for lumber and the mine buildings for scrap. You may find relics of the people who lived there in fields and ditches around the area, but the most obvious sign that people once lived here is Wehrum cemetery which is overgrown and fallen to neglect.

Ballarat, CA

Ballarat, California once had everything a good mining town could want- a bunch of saloons, three hotels, a post office, a jail and a morgue- with no church to speak of. One by one, the area mines shut down and the town slowly died, not that it has gone quietly. In the sixties, notorious killer Charles Manson and his followers lived south of town and left graffiti that can still be seen. Also, a memorable scene from Easy Rider in which Peter Fonda’s character throws away his rolex was shot in Ballarat. Ballarat currently has a population of two full time residents, but many campers and sightseers visit throughout the year.

Bodie, CA

When you think of Hollywood’s version of the Wild West, Bodie in its heyday probably fit the bill. Following a gold boom in the late 1870s, close to seventy saloons lined the mile long Main Street. Opium dens, brothels, and shootouts were regular sights in this town, which at its peak had a population of approximately 10,000. The last mine closed during World War II and the town’s remaining inhabitants left. Now Bodie State Historic Park, it is open year round to tourists, although in the winter, it is accessible only by skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles.

You should always thoroughly inspect your bike prior to leaving for your trip.  Examine the tires to ensure there are no spots of extreme wear that may cause a problem out on the road.  It’s also important to check your electrical systems, headlights, and controls are in working order.  Check the levels of vital fluids such as oil, brake fluid, and coolant.  If you are low, be sure to fill everything back up to the manufacturer’s suggested amount.

Due to the inherent limits on cargo and supplies that you can bring with you, it is vitally important to establish exactly what you need to bring.  Some bikes are equipped with hard cases or saddlebags.  If your bike doesn’t have either of these features, you’re going to have to figure out some way to store your belongings.  The bare necessities are all that’s required because there is only so much can fit inside these rather small containers.  You’ll want to bring a few different types of clothing depending on the weather conditions you expect to experience.  Thin clothing is recommended for extremely warm weather, but you should also be prepared incase things take a turn for the worse.  Always wear a proper safety helmet that has a face guard in order to protect yourself in case of an accident.

Be sure to pack some snacks and water as well.  Fruit bars, granola, or snack mixes will provide a much needed energy boost when you’re too far from modern conveniences.  It’s a good idea to bring plenty of water to avoid dehydration and keep your riding skills at an optimal level.  While you might not need any of these supplies, it’s always best to be prepared incase something unexpected comes up.

A well-planned trip is the best way to guarantee that you have a safe and enjoyable riding experience.

Australia has 25,760 kilometers of coastline, and more than half of this has access to surfing, and we haven’t even mentioned the Great Barrier Reef.  That’s a lot.  For Australia is only slightly smaller than the 48 States of America.  The terrain of this flattest of all continents, is a mixture of arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north. The lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m and the highest point: Mount Kosciusko 2,229 m. The natural hazards here are cyclones along the coast in the Australian summer, severe droughts, floods, and forest fires. 

There are lots of other nasties but, I guess you would have seen it all on TV.  If its sharks you are now thinking of and that dreaded Jaws movie tune is going through your head Doon,doon,doon, don’t worry about it, it’s super uncommon here for an attack and thousands of Aussies are in the water everyday all year through.

Surfing Australia  & Getting around

Hitching is a dyeing trade these days and there are heaps of transport options. Hire cars are everywhere and you can now also hire camper-vans at a great rate too.  The prices vary so need to shop around for a good deal.

Flying is a great way to move quickly here and its cheap Virgin blue and Jet Star always have deals going and also Tiger airways are worth a squizy.  These airlines fly all over Australia and can drop you off in some awesome surfing spots such as the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and many more.

Trains are another option in the city but are slow if you want to go a long way. Buses are also similar and do the long haul too, but truthfully unless you are scared of flying or want to go to a unique destination don’t bother, waste of time and hard earned cash.

Walking, well as discusses before it’s a bloody big country and I think you would wear your shoes out before you get anywhere.

Surfing Australia how much does it cost

It’s like most places you can go for cheap or super expensive.  There are still pack packer options with beds starting from $20-25 and hotels on the Gold Coast starting from $65.  These prices can vary in the peak holiday time.  And the best surf is usually right in Peak Season, sorry but us Aussies are clever buggers !

Plane tickets can start as low as $65-90 from Sydney to the Gold Coast and the trip takes about two hours.  The airport is right on the beach so you could literally be in the waves quicker than you could say COOOOEEE or throw another snag on the Barbie.

ACCOMMODATION

As mentioned above it varies in price and is super easy to find, but if you are coming in our holiday period in Easter or Christmas you must book ahead otherwise you might be sleeping on the beach and that sand gets cold.

DANGERS

Crocodiles, Sharks, dangerous snakes and spiders,

Yes we have them all, but the truth is driving a car is much more dangerous. Where shoes in grassy areas in the country to avoid getting bitten by ants, we have some real nasty ones that sting like hell and can jump too.  No bullshit, Hopper ants jump from limb to limb just to get you, but these are found mostly in Rain-forest areas.

Also, if you like bushwalking or looking for that secret surf spot keep plenty of water with you. You have more chance of becoming dehydrated than stumbling across a King Brown snake.  If you do come across a snake just stand still and let it pass on by.

When is the best time for Surfing Australia

Australia has waves all year round.  The west coast fires in winter with big Indian Ocean swells marching on their way to Indonesia, yep we get them first.

Victoria and Tasmania have great waves all year too, but you will need a wetsuit and maybe even booties and a Hoodie, depend how tough you are

Queensland and New South Wales have great waves all year with the north getting cyclone and north swells in summer and the south catching winter swells and cold offshore breezes.

Northern Territory and north Queensland just forget it, unless you want to meet with an un-friendly sea creature that likes to nibble on you like a chicken nugget.

BE CAREFUL

Be nice to locals and have respect on the beach Aussies love their home turf and are prepared to protect it. This doesn’t mean they will slash your tires but they won’t stand for any nonsense in the lineup. Just say “Gidday” and wait your turn for a wave,.

Always lock your cars in remote areas and don’t leave any valuable in there, sorry but it does happen.  Put on plenty of sunscreen, the Australian sun can be bloody scorching in summer and spring.

Surfing Australia is great surf destination and if you need any more pointers please feel free to contact me at www.worldboardridersclub.ning.com There are plenty of other members there who will also give you some great tips, and there is also great surf report links.

All the best Happy Surfing and Stay wet Marty

Surfing Australia

Diamondback is a hyper-coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.  It opened on April 18th 2009 and is the only sit down hyper coaster that features a splashdown.  Right from the gate riders ascend up the first hill at which point they drop 215 feet at a 74 degree angle.  The ride tops out at 80 MPH and also features a hammerhead turn as well as a 287 degree helix.

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Prowler

Prowler is a wooden roller coaster located at Worlds of Fun theme park in Kansas City, Missouri that opened on May 2, 2009.  It  features a 85 foot spiral drop which leads through a ravine into the woods reaches at speed of 51 Miles per hour.  It was built by Great Coaster International and cost an estimated 8 million dollars to build.

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Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation located at Six Flag Magic Mountain in Valencia California opened on to the public on May 29th 2009.  The wooden coaster was built by Great Coaster International and has a top height of 100 feet and a top speed of 55 miles er hour.  The theme is based on the movie Terminator Salvation : Rise of the machine which was released in early 2009.

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Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit is a steel roller coaster located in Hershey, Pennsylvania that opened on May 24th 2008. The ride starts off with a drop of 97 degrees making it the steepest drop in the united States.  The ride also features a total of six inversions and speed banked curves.  The name for the coaster came from Fahrenheit 457 a novel written by Ray Bradbury.  The coaster constructed by Intamin AG cost an estimated 12,100,000 dollars.

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Carolina Cobra

Carolina Cobra is a boomerang roller coaster located at Carrowinds in South Carolina.  The ride which opened March 28th 2009 takes riders backwards up a 125 foot hill and then drops them 120 feet through a Cobra Roll.  The ride also features a 360 degree vertical loop and a total of six inversions.

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Thunderhawk

Thunderhawk was originally built in 1998 at Geauga Lake’s  in Aurora, Ohio but in 2007 Ceder Fair decided to make Geauga Lake  solely a water park so the Thunderhawk was rebuilt at Michigan adventure theme park and opened may 17th 2008.  Thunderhawk features a barrel roll, a half loop, five inversions and a sidewinder roll.  It also features a drop of 85 feet and has  a top speed of 50 mile per hour.

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This is one of the largest constructions ever constructed in China’s history. Initially, it was built by the first emperor of China, after successfully uniting China with seven warring states. Emperor Qin decided to build a wall in 221BC to keep the invaders out of China. It took 10 years and a workforce of 300,000 soldiers and 500,000 slaves to build the wall. Later, other emperors continued the construction of the wall with the purpose to defend their borders. Today, the Great Wall of China stretches from the mountains of northern China along the northwest of Beijing. It has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in China.

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The main part of the wall is a staggering 3460km long, which is three times the length of Britain. With the width between 6 and 15m, and the height between 7 and 12m, it’s enough to allow five men on horseback to ride side by side.

The Great Wall of China is also regarded as a dancing dragon. It represents the spirit and soul that unites every Chinese in the world. With its mighty length, of course, there is a great journey to travel along the walls.  

Grand Canyon, United States

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Located in northern Arizona, Grand Canyon is an inspiring landscape crafted by nature. It’s indeed a superb architecture of God. Its width is up to 29km, while its length and depth is measured 446km and 1.6m respectively. It’s one of the most geologic cross sections which are visible on earth.

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Its timeless space creates an overwhelming sense of sight and its beauty really creates a spectacular view. While immersing yourself in its vast space, you may find solace from your busy and confusing life. Take your time to wonder along a trail, savor a sunset or sunrise, listen attentively to the roar of the rapids far below the rim, and have experienced for yourself the wind and sunshine on your face.

Pyramids, Egypt

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When we were small, we used to assemble wooden blocks to establish a building, but have we ever thought of building up a 100-meter high building like these Egyptian Pyramids? How do we build up the building with huge bricks weighing 100 tons each? These grand and marvelous building structures are amazing and their establishments constitute myths and legendary rumors until now (quoted from my previous article entitled Discovering the World’s Most Mysterious Places).

In the ancient time, the Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for their queens and the pharaohs. The pharaohs were buried peacefully in pyramids of many different sizes and shapes. Today, there are about 80 known pyramids left by the ancient Egyptians. The well-preserved and the three largest pyramids are found at Giza. Among them, Great Pyramids is the largest pyramids which took almost 20 years to build.

The Eiffel Tower, France

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The Eiffel Tower is the most amazing construction ever built in France. This iron tower was built by Gustave Eiffel on the Champ deMars beside the Seine River in Paris. Upon its completion in 1889, it was crowned as the world’s tallest tower, but it’s now the fifth tallest structure in France. This tower gained a significant place in French’s heart when it played a major role in capturing the infamous spy Mata Hari during World War I.

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The tower is 300m high and a meteorological station, a television transmission antenna and a wireless station are on its top. The tower has three levels with the first, second and third levels measured respectively at 57.63m, 115.73m and 276.13m in height. It’s a great sight to see this tower at night as the striking light will portray its delicacy and beauty of the steelwork. Indeed, the marvelous night view of the tower is highlighted with the gold lighting that you’d be missed in the daylight.

Taj Mahal, India

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The Taj Mahal is a famous architecture situated in the city of Agra, India. This spectacular monument was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In the center of the building, you’ll see one great dome surrounded by four smaller domes. The Taj Mahal was made of white marble and its construction took 20,000 workers to have it constructed in a period of twenty-two years.

The Colosseum, Rome

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The Colosseum (originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre) is considered a splendid architectural wonder built in Rome, Italy, about 1920 years ago. It’s the largest construction ever built in the Roman Empire, which can house nearly 60,000 seating and 10,000 standing. You can always enter and leave here within minutes as it has about 80 entrances. The Colosseum was once abandoned, but it became a picturesque view for artists, a fortress for the medieval clans of the city and also a place for Christians to worship.

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The tour to the Colosseum brings the past alive, as though you’ve yourself experienced the times and daily life of ancient Rome. Exploring the Colosseum will definitely leave you an unforgettable memory!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

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This leaning tower of Pisa (La Torre diPisa) was constructed as a freestanding bell tower (or campanile) for the cathedral in the city of Pisa in Italy. Soon after its construction in 1173, the tower started to tilt to the southwest at 3.99 degrees from its perpendicular due to a poorly laid foundation. The white marble campanile highlights its remarkable artistically outlook. One can reach to its top by climbing the 294 steps, which appears to rise in the form of a spiral on the inner side of its wall.

Now, you can read more of my content at TravelMate.

As the world becomes smaller and smaller, ultra- runners seek ever more exotic locations in which to run races.

Why? For me, the answer is easy, it’s the best way to live my life, by combining my hobbies of running, adventure travel, photography and writing. As an extra bonus, I meet great people, learn about other cultures and see the world, how can you top that?

A quick overview of my past adventure races might show you what I mean. Mt. Kinabalu Climbathon on the island of Borneo-Inaugural Antarctica Marathon, Nanisivik 100K-CanadianArctic, Inca Trail Marathon (I got lost and was separated from my running friends for over 30 hours), Marathon des Sables-Morocco’s Sahara desert, Havana Marathon-Cuba, Badwater-146, Death Valley to Mt. Whitney (finished twice ), Pike’s Peak Marathon- Colorado (round trip ), Comrades Marathon-South Africa, The Barkley Trail Run-Tennessee (I completed just one lap), Mt. Kilimanjaro (at 19,340 feet- Africa’s tallest mountain) .

We ultra runners are a special breed of people not always understood by our fellow human beings. How can we explain to a non runner what we get out of running eight to 13 hours in a 50-miler, over 20 to 30 hours in a 100-miler, or brutalizing our bodies for days in an event like the Marathon des Sables or similar extreme events?

I am a slow runner, so I don’t consider any event a competition; rather, I look at each one as an adventure with many benefits. I stay healthy and fit, get to be outdoors, run along scenic backdrops and enjoy great camaraderie (rarely seen in other sports). I travel to exotic countries the world over, have time to think allowing me to be alone with my thoughts as I combine my sport with my other hobbies. such as running and photography, one complementing the other.

The Mt. Everest marathon isn’t just a race, but a cultural and travel adventure, a physical challenge and in the end, a totally gratifying experience for the soul and mind, and THAT’S what ultra running is all about, at last for me.

The Ultimate Race

The Everest Marathon may not be the toughest run I’ve ever done, but the trek cannot be beat for sheer grandeur and scenic beauty as well as difficulty on the trail. This race must be the only running event in the world where runners have to walk 16 days to reach the starting line at over 17,000 feet altitude.

During a run in Death Valley some years ago, I met Ben and Denise Jones from Lone Pine, California, who told me about the Everest Marathon. After contacting Diana Penny Sherpani, the English woman instrumental in creating the Everest event, I signed up and was ready to go. Diana told me, when she first discussed the idea of an Everest Marathon with potential sponsors in England, they thought she was nuts. The two most common objections concerned impending disasters and impossible health demands placed on runners.

But her persistence paid off. In 1987, the first Everest Marathon took place with a handful of runners. Everything went well. All finished without major problems, and the event has been held every odd year since.

Diana outlined the aims of the Everest Marathon this way:

1. Organize a spectacular athletic event.
2. Raise money for charities working in the Kumbu region.
3. Promote awareness of conservation problems in the Sagarmatha region.
4. Promote tourism and sensible trekking in Nepal.
5. Provide a unique opportunity for medical and physiological research

Diana has undoubtedly succeeded on all counts. Many British pounds have been given to Nepal (partially from the entry fee of the runners) for community projects, such as running water and a dental clinic, that are much appreciated by the people of the region. After arriving in Katmandu, I rented a mountain bike and explored the entire valley before meeting the other runners five days later in the Blue Star Hotel. Roughly two-thirds were from England. but we tried not to hold that against them. Most of the rest were from other parts of Europe, with a small group of elite runners who belonged to a special Gurka military regiment, stationed in Hong Kong. From a logistics and organizational standpoint it made sense to divide the group into two parts.

Our group loaded onto three buses, each of which at some point broke down. In one instance, the bus ground to a halt, and our driver hopped out. Fifteen minutes later he returned with a two-inch pin that was supposed to be part of the drive shaft but had fallen off, apparently not for the first time. Within a few minutes he had reinstalled the pin and we were rolling again. It took us 10 hours to cover the 100 miles to the road head at Jiri, from where most Everest treks begin.

Our Tents and Mates

After walking an hour or so, we reached our campground and were assigned to our respective tents and tent mates. My tent mate was a mid-50s fellow from England, a milk delivery man by profession. When it was time to go to bed, I made a rather disturbing discovery: I forgot my sleeping bag, forgetting to rent one in Kathmandu. Several runners lent me blankets, which provided at least a little cover from the chill of night.

What was the food like on such a trip? Given the harsh circumstances and that the cooks had to use kerosene stoves to prepare meals, the food was terrific. Of course some runners complained, but I suppose every group has its malcontents. As we got on the trek and stopped for lunch along the dusty trail, most of our food was covered with a light layer of dust, adding a bit of calcium to our diet.

Following is a typical daily menu as prepared by our always happy-go- lucky Sherpa crew.

Breakfast: Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, Ovaltine, hot milk, pancakes with syrup, honey, or jam and scrambled eggs.

Lunch: Hot fruit juice (I’m not kidding), hot dogs, potato salad or baked beans, hot Nepalese bread, dessert (usually canned fruit).

Dinner: Almost always soup (often quite spicy) with popcorn and/or bread, rice or potatoes, cabbage and carrots, meat. and dessert such as pudding. cake, canned fruit, or other unidentified sweets.

Along the way, we came upon the occasional tea house, all with one-room kitchens and wood-burning fire pits. The room had no ventilation, so smoke accumulated so thick at times, one could barely breath and were guaranteed a headache if one stayed too long. The food however was very good and many runners made stops for fried potatoes, instant chicken noodle soup and other fast-food items.

After a long day’s trek, we often reached the evening’s camp ahead of the porters, which meant the tents were not set up yet. Once the sun disappeared behind the hills, the temperatures dropped by 20 or more degrees. After all our trekking and sweating, it did not take long to get cold. Learning from our first day, we all carried a couple of warm items in our day pack so we’d be comfortable until the tents were assembled and dinner was ready.

A high-mountain trek like this requires careful planning by all participants. We all received a list of essential items to bring for the marathon. Fortunately, we had yaks to carry our heavy duffle bags, so we merely carried a small day pack with water, photo gear and a few pieces of warm clothing.

After leaving Jiri, the jump-off point to Everest, there were no more streets, only dirt trails, explaining the high prices of items bought at tea houses, since porters carried every thing on their backs. We crossed swaying hanging bridges, sometimes with several Yaks crossing, as we climbed up one mountain side and down the other, something we would repeat for two weeks.

Reaching Namche Bazaar, the capitol of the Khumbu region, we were treated to the Saturday market, which was a colorful spectacle. The market included everything you could think of from frozen Yak meat to dried and can goods, from colorful hand-made clothing to spices and tools, a feast for the eyes and senses, especially for me as a photographer.

The Big Chill

Nights became very cold, down to the teens and eventually below zero, requiring several layers of clothing to keep halfway comfortable. Personal hygiene, naturally, takes a backseat on these types of outings, and after a week or so, we all smelled bad and kind of blended in with the rest of the trekkers.

At Dingboche, at about 14,000 feet, we received a lecture by the Himalayan Rescue Association on how to breathe in high altitude. Some runners took Diamox tablets, which are supposed to prevent altitude sickness. The night before the race, four runners had to go down to the lower camp because of severe mountain sickness. Gorak Shep, the base camp was at over 17,000 feet and must have been a former lake bed, since two feet of sand covered the entire area, making walking very tiring. From here, we had a clear view of the top of Everest, a stirring sight indeed.

A few adventurous souls, including myself, took the “short” trek to Kala Patarr” the day before the marathon, which was scheduled as a rest day. At 18,000 feet, you can see the glacier and the actual base camp on Everest. What a view!

That night was bitter cold, somewhere around 25 degrees below zero. I slept with six layers of clothing, three pairs of thick socks, three pairs of gloves, and I kept my shoes on inside my sleeping bag.

As a runner, about to go into a race, you need to stay hydrated and drink a lot. Naturally, what goes in must come out, but at night with temperatures well below 25 degree, I wasn’t about to get out of my tent to take a piss. What to do? No problem, mate. That’s what water bottles are for, right?

When you’re done and they’re full, you simply dump them outside the tent door, and in the morning, you are greeted by little yellow icicles.

Guess what the most treasured item of all was? That’s right: toilet paper. It’s much too cold and hard to dig a hole, so all you can do is cover it with

stones, since there certainly aren’t any leaves at this altitude. Ah, life at the most basic level! This is where the trappings of the world falls away and your priorities straighten themselves out quickly as all grabble with the same challenges.

On the morning of the marathon, I was dozing in my chilly tent, when I awoke to some one yelling “morning tea, hot water, porridge, biscuits!”

Room service at the Mt. Everest base camp? Are you kidding me? I opened my tent flap tentatively and, sure enough, a smiling porter offered me hot tea, sugar, biscuits and a bowl of porridge. Indeed, Life was good! After this glorious breakfast, the first warming rays of the sun bathed the entire camp in gold, setting a dramatic mood, worthy of our soon-to-begin marathon.

At Last, The Start

Almost before we knew it, the gun went off. The faster runners, amongst them the Gurkhas from Hong Kong, took off like rabbits. Slower runners like myself, shuffled through the ankle-deep sand, then over very rocky and steep downhill terrain. Still a little stiff from the cold, I took it easy, no sense taking chances on such a challenging course down to Namche Bazaar. After three miles or so we hit the first aid station, where many of us shed the first layer of clothing. Since I expected to finish near the rear anyway, time was irrelevant to me and I took it easy, trying to avoid getting hurt, taking time to pictures along the way and enjoying the incredible scenery.

Although we were descending from over 17,000 feet down to 10,000 feet we had several steep up-hills challenging us.

As the day wore on I was left behind and saw fewer and fewer runners. At about three in the afternoon I heard loud voices, like the roar of a crowd. As I drew closer, I saw the finish line several hundred feet below me as the local residents cheered on runners as they finished. Unfortunately, I had another six-mile loop to run, away from Namche, into a distant valley, and back. It was becoming cold, foggy, and the run had lost it’s allure, at least for me. I came to finish a marathon, however, and by God, finish I would. I was obviously talking to myself, trying to work up some enthusiasm. Once I reached the turnaround point, I felt reenergized and moved out with longer strides, feeling just like a horse, nearing its barn. From a high-ridge trail I could see the finish line way down there, with a steep, very rocky quarter-mile descent ahead of me.

Throwing caution to the wind, I blasted downhill, flying as on wings. While crossing the finish line, hundreds of local Sherpa children cheered me as if I was a hero. Once across the finish line, emotions overwhelmed me, to the point that I could not speak for about ten minutes, something that’s unlike me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I was unable to respond to the questions and congratulations of other runners.

I felt totally elated, as the enormity of what I just had accomplished, slowly sank in. How many people can say that they had ran and finished a marathon on Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain? Not many, I am sure.

This ending gave me a glimpse on how an Olympic marathoner must feel. He nears the stadium, while spectators within arms-reach fire him on. The adrenalin flows, no more pain and a feeling of total elation overcomes the runner as he enters the stadium to the roar of the crowd.

He eclipses the last oval, tumbling across the finish line, totally exhausted, but also elated and happy. It’s a feeling that is difficult to describe, but most athletes would give most anything to at least experience it once in their life time. I count myself extremely fortunate to have had that experience.

There was only one problem. The day after I had a let-down (emotional low) saying to myself: What now, where do I go from here after I had such a great and overwhelming experience?

Fortunately, that feeling only lasted a short time and I was again on cloud nine as we flew back to Katmandu and I realized how absolutely lucky and fortunate I was.

Writing about this and my other, similar adventures, lets others, less fortunate, experience these highs vicariously, allowing them a moment of imaginary glory too.

King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table searched for it… The cup from which Jesus drank wine at the Last Supper and that was later filled with his blood, at Golgotha. Legend says this “Holy Blood”, also known as “the Holy Grail” (Sang Real = San Greal = Saint Grail) was brought to Britain. Treasure hunters are searching the Holy Grail in places like Glastonbury, in southern France, or even in Spain… and that is very strange, because the one and only Holy Blood was found by the Knights Templar and the Count of Flanders on Christmas Day 1148, in the Holy Grave in Jerusalem! They brought it to Bruges, the Venice of the Nord, where you still can see it in the Chapel of the Holy Blood. But some say that it is a false relic, and that the one and only real Holy Grail was hidden somewhere in a house in Bruges. Eat your heart out, Dan Brown!… And start with his article: The Holy Blood of Bruges, a New Jerusalem - or do it when Visiting Bruges-la-Morte, a medieval ghost city!

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The Stolen Panel of the Mystic Lamb

The polyptych known as “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” was painted in the 15th century by the “Flemish Primitives” Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. It is regarded as one of the artistic highlights of Western civilisation and you can still visit it in the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. But one of the many oak panels is missing: “The Just Judges” was stolen in April 1934. A certain “D.U.A.” wrote a letter to the bishop of Ghent, stating he would return the panel if he could receive a “fee” of 1 million Belgian francs. Instead of 1 million francs, the bishop only would pay 25.000 francs… Some months later, Arsène Goedertier collapsed after a speech at a political rally. Before succumbing, he could tell a friend that he was the only man who knew where the stolen painting was situated. He had a file on that crime at home. The police investigated the file and did find something that looked like a code, but could not break the code. If you visit the city of Ghent, make sure you go to the Cathedral of Saint Bavo and see its most treasured piece of art, The Mystic Lamb… with the replica of the Just Judges. The whole story is here, and only during the city game that we organize in Ghent, the invaluable treasure can be found by true treasure hunters:

The Treasure of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

In the spring of 1791, the King of France was a prisoner in his own country.  Marie Antoinette, his wife, begged her brother, the Austrian Emperor, to save them from the revolutionary forces. She wrote her letters in a code that was borrowed from the Prophecies of Nostradamus. In fact they wrote a lot of “new prophecies” that were attributed to Nostradamus, but were meant to communicate with other royalists in order to save the royal family and their “war chest”. The royalist general de Bouillé had an army at his disposition in the fortress town of Montmédy, in northern France. Just across the border with the Austrian Netherlands was the Abbey of Orval, a perfectly safe place for Louis XVI and his family. De Bouillé thoroughly prepared the flight of the royal family from the revolutionary Paris, but he couldn’t possibly imagine at the moment that Louis, his wife and his children would be arrested in Varennes. The French Revolution would lead Louis and Marie Antoinette to the bloody axe of the guillotine, but the fortune of the Bourbons and the jewels of Marie Antoinette reached the Abbey of Orval… where they disappeared without leaving a trace. 

I wrote a book about the whole story (in Dutch), titled Nostradamus in Orval – but you’ll find the highlights here: Nostradamus and the Lost Treasure of the Bourbons.

The Curse of the Superstitions

In many of the legends concerning the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, an Apache curse protects the sacred burial ground and the treasures of the Indians, including the famous Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. According to the author R.G. Babcock, this fabulous treasure was nothing else but the Lost Aztec Treasure of Montezuma. The Legend of the Lost Dutchman goes way back to the 1840’s, when a Mexican family developed some gold mines in the Superstition Mountains and was ambushed by Apaches. Two Peralta’s escaped, they buried their mines with rocks and since then, numerous treasure maps have surfaced… but all the treasure hunters became the victims of all sort of troubles, caused by the Curse of the Superstitions. In the 1870’s, the “Dutchman” Jacob Waltz, who was in fact a German, would have located the mine. He gave the place a name, but he and his partners again had to deal with the Curse of the Superstitions… The whole story starts here: The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. Or here:

Treasure Island, for real!

Undoubtedly, everybody knows “Treasure Island”, the adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of pirates and gold, buried on an island.  But is this fictional island based on a real place? Sure it is. The German treasure hunter August Gissler used an old treasure map that once belonged to the infamous pirate Benito Bonito, and searched Cocos Island from 1889 to 1909.  Since then, many treasure seekers have visited Cocos Island, among them Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Felix von Luckner, who had a Cocos treasure map tattooed on his thigh. You’ll find Cocos Island 400 miles off the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica, latitude 5°32′57″ N and longitude 87°2′10″ W. Or you can make a short TouTube trip here:

Nazi Treasures, The Amber Room

In World War II the Nazis looted many grand houses in Europe and stole countless art treasures. Some are said to be hidden in underground tunnels in the Russian city of Kalingrad (Königsberg). But this city has now been completely rebuilt over the tunnels. The famous “Amber Room” – a whole room decorated with pictures made entirely from semi-precious stones – also got stolen from a palace near Saint Petersburg. It hasn’t been seen since 1943 and may have been destroyed in the war. Searches were held on the ground, underground and even underwater. In 2003 it was recreated and unveiled in St. Petersburg. But the real thing is still hidden… and waiting for you!

The Gold of Custer’s Last Stand

The Battlefield of General George A. Custer’s Battle of the Little Big Horn (25 Juni 1876) is now a United States National Monument. Major-General Custer, whom the Indians knew as “Long Hair”, was killed alongside his men, almost certainly on what is today known as Last Stand Hill. Just the day before Custer’s Last Battle, a supply boat called the “Far West” was making a difficult upstream journey to the junction of Montana’s Big Horn and Little Big Horn, for a pre-arranged rendez-vous with Custer’s commanding officer General Alfred H. Terry. And about the same time, some fifty miles to the west, a mule-drawn freight wagon from Bozeman, Montana, with a very valuable load of miner’s gold was making its way towards Bismarck, North Dakota. The day after the Custer massacre, Captain Marsh of the supply boat discovered he had missed the rendezvous point. He met the badly frightened driver of the freight wagon, who pleaded Marsh to take over the shipment of gold and silver and deliver it to Bismarck, as he seriously doubted his own chances of getting through alive. Marsh agreed, but because of the continued danger from the Indians, the gold was hidden at some suitable spot on shore… and was never retrieved. Read here more!

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The Blue Lagoon spa, in Grindavík Iceland, holds 6 million litters of water and is renewed every 40 hours. It’s hot spring waters hold minerals like silica and sulfur. It is purported that the minerals cure psoriasis.

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Japan’s Jigokudani Monkey Park is not only a hot spring haven, but it is famous for it’s “snow monkeys.” -Japanese Macaques. No worries, the human hot springs are separate from the monkeys.

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Waimangu Volcanic Valley New Zealand has the world’s largest hot water spring.

The valley is comprised of different craters, some of which are hosted by the rainforest. You can hike through the craters, take a boat cruise on crater Lake Rotomahana, watch the geysers, or soak in the some of the springs. The hot springs have a high acid-sulphate-chloride water content.

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Chile has enormous tectonic plates. These plates are constantly causing constant volcanic and seismic activity. This has caused Chile to become one of the hot springs hot spots. There are around 270 thermal hot springs in Chile. The most beautiful and active region is along the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault. Some of the springs reach 176 degrees F- hot enough to kill a person. The tourist industry has capitalized on the thermal springs, despite remote locations, and built modern amenities around them. However, for the brave, there are still many untouched springs, that are around the salt flats.

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Meiji Hot Spring in Guguan, Taiwan is located at an altitude of 800 meters. Guguan is one of Asia’s most popular tourist attractions. The hot springs can reach up to 140 degrees F. Natives believe the sulfuric water cures: arthritis, neuralgia, and stomach and intestine illnesses.

All pictures can be found here at iGoogle’s gadget page.

Etosha Park, Namibia

Etosha Park in Namibia (previously known as South West Africa) was set up when the state was still a German colony. Originally, at 38 thousand square miles, the park was the largest in the world, but has since, unfortunately, been chopped down to less than 10 thousand, because of political change.

The park is still one of the most important in the world, housing various native, protected wildlife.

The Forbidden City, Beijing

The Forbidden City was the exclusive home of the Emperor Kublai Khan, and was part of the Imperial City in Beijing during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty followed after the Yuan was overthrown. At this time, and under this latter ruler-ship, the capital was moved to Nanjing.  Beijing then, was demoted to a secondary capital city. In 1406 Chief engineers and eunuchs started building what was to become the Forbidden City as it is now known, so that rich, important families could live securely away from the rest of the nation.

The Roman Forum, Rome

The Roman Forum (or Forum Romanum) is the nucleus of  ancient Roman civilization. The most important buildings like the palace and the senate of the original city can be found in this haunting forum. 

The forum was the place to gather for any public meeting, and was considered to be the essence of the Roman Empire. Google is right in its choice of this particular destination, as this is indeed, one of the places you must see before you die – if only for the fact that a lot of the ancient world’s most important decisions were made at this spot.

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is a gigantic gorge situated near the Colorado River in Arizona.  It can be accessed through the Grand Canyon National Park, which was one of the first National Parks to be established in the US.

Before Europeans moved to America, the area of the Grand Canyon National Park was inhabited by Native Americans who made their homes in the natural caves occurring there, believing that the site was holy and special.

Hallstatt, Austria

When I noticed that Google had recommended Hallstatt as a site to see before you die, I couldn’t understand why until I read about its history.

The name Hall is from the old Celtic name meaning salt, and a few years ago, Halstatt had just 946 inhabitants.  The reason for the name is probably due to the many salt mines near to the village, and the reason this area is so attractive to tourists, is because the world’s first salt mine is located nearby.

Hallstatt can be toured on foot in just 10 minutes.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Kathmandu is the most developed city in Nepal and stands at an elevation of about 4,500 feet. More than 2.7 people live in Kathmandu, which is situated at the prime area of the most visited mountains of the world.

Kathmandu is considered by many, as the most beautiful city on earth, and has earned a firm place in the list of places to visit before you die.

Amboseli National Park, Kenya

The Amboseli National Park was previously called, Maasi Amboseli Game Reserve.

It spans 151 square miles and spreads across the Kenyan-Tanzanian border.  This area is especially note worthy, because of the world-popular Maasai people who originally inhabited it.  Nowadays, many people from other part of the country have settled there as well, because of the area’s increasing productiveness.

The Amboseli National Park arguably offers the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world, but not only this, it gives tourists a chance to meet the Maasai and to enjoy the views of mount Kilimanjaro.

Ko Phi Phi Don,  Thailand

Phi Phi Don used to be populated by Muslim fishermen in the 1940s, but later it became a coconut plantation.  It is the largest island of the group of Thai Phi Phi islands, and is the only one with permanent inhabitants.   These spectacularly beautiful islands were the main setting of the film ‘Beach,’ staring Leonardo De Caprio.

The Meteora, Greece

The Meteora, (suspended rocks) is one of the mainstream complexes of the Eastern Orthodox  monasteries. It is believed that the monasteries were first established in the 11^th century and that the monks lived among the caves and contours in these rocks. Although the monasteries have now become some of the most popular tourist sites in the world, a lot of them are mainly museums.

These places listed here are all steeped in natural history, and are destinations which make our world the beautiful, fascinating place that it is.  It is exciting that a powerful body such as Google, has chosen to give them the exposure that they so rightly deserve.  Every time I log into the internet, my iGoogle page presents me with a different picture of one of these totally remarkable places, places which I would definitely love to see before I die.

The Grand Canyon

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The Grand Canyon is located in the northwest part of Arizona. This “Grand Valley” was made by the cut of the running water. Colorado River flows through the Canyon and that over the years it cut through the rock. You can see many layers of the rock which are at least two billion years old according to the Geologists.

Glass Bridge is a special attraction of Grand Canyon.

Glass Bridge is horseshoe-shaped bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River on the very edge of the Grand Canyon. Tourists can skywalk here and get the thrilling experience of the Grand Canyon.

Rainbow Bridge

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Rainbow Natural Bridge is salmon-red Navajo sandstone arching over Bridge Canyon and located in Southern Utah, USA. Rainbow Bridge is the World’s natural bridge with the span of 275 feet, at the top it is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide. This bridge is made from sandstone formed during the end of the Triassic and Jurassic period.

Devils Tower

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According to geologists, Devils Tower is formed by the intrusion of igneous material. It is composed of sedimentary rocks like red sand stones, silk stones belonged to the Triassic Time, i.e.225 to 195 million years ago. Once upon a time there was a sea here, slowly gypsum, sandstone and limestone was deposited and a sudden volcanic eruption of the earth made it like a strong tower nearly 50 million years ago.

Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and has base 1,000 feet across. This 1.5 acre park is covered with beautiful pine forests, woodlands and grass lands. President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower National Monument in 1906.

Polar Aurora (Northern/Southern lights)

Auroras are natural colored light displays in the sky particularly in the polar zone. They occur in the ionosphere and usually observed at night.

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Aurora borealis (Northern lights) appear in green or red colors and in the months of September to October and March to April.

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Aurora australis (Southern lights) is caused by plasma particles from the sun i.e. part of the solar wind. These can be seen at the South Pole during the six month from March to September.

The collisions in the atmosphere electronically excite atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. Benjamin Franklin was the first person to theorize this.

The Bay of Fundy

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The Bay of Fundy extends from the northern coast of Maine and into Canada between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Bay creates the highest tides; some reach more than 50 feet. It was formed as the continental plates parted millions of years ago. The Bay of Fundy is a 170-mile-long, funnel- shaped bay and splits into two narrow bays, Chignecto Bay and the MinasBasin.

Ayers Rock

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Ayers Rock (called as Uluru by Aborigines) is one of the oldest rocks on the Earth. It is located in Australia. This rock is formed over a period of about 500 million years. The top of this rock is 1,142 feet above the plains and the base is 5 miles around. This is covered with many caves and grooves. According to a legend of Aborigines, Uluru was once an ocean, but due to a great battle on its shores it rose up in revolt, forming the great blood-colored rock.

Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves

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Eisriesenwelt ice cave is the largest ice cave in the world. It is a natural limestone ice cave and located at the height of 1640 meter in Werfen, Austria. The temperature inside the cave is under zero. Though the length of the cave is 42km, only the first kilometer is covered in ice and the rest of the cave is formed of limestone.

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You can visit this cave from May 1st to October 26th every year.

Dead Sea

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The Dead Sea is a salt lake located between Israel and Jordan. It is 1,083 feet deep, 67 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide. It is the deepest hyper-saline lake in the world with 30% salinity. No animals can flourish in this lake due to its high salinity, hence the name.