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This Is Pakistan Too… Beauty At Its Best

I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to see any of these sights in Pakistan in person, but thanks to my friend CS, I can appreciate and share the natural beauty of a land not always recognized for it, and not always associated with it.

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“Astola Island ” [near Pasni Baluchistan 40 km from shore]. Astola is Pakistan ‘s largest offshore island and the only significant offshore
 island in the northern Arabian Sea .

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“Arror Rock” 
[near Rohri in Sindh]
The shape of rock was caused by unknown natural forces.
There is also a Shrine on the top.

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This is an amazing view of a tunnel and bridge over a river on the railway track from “Rohri to Quetta “.

This track passes through 20 tunnels and over 368 bridges.
It’s the longest Railway gradient of world, and most scenic Railway ride of Asia .

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Headmarala , Sialkot
Mountains of Jammu & Kashmir in the background.

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Attabad Lake also known as Hunza Lake is a lake in the Hunza Valley of northern Pakistan .

The beautiful lake was formed due to a massive landslide at Attabad village in Gilgit-Baltistan, 9 miles (14 km) upstream (east)

of Karimabad that occurred on January 4, 2010.

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Is this Great Wall of China ?

No. It’s Wall of Sindh in Ranikot [3 hrs drive from Karachi ].
It’s the part of one of the Largest Fort in World, Fort of Ranikot.

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Kalam Valley.
It is a valley along the upper reaches of the Swat River in Swat , Pakistan .
Kalam Valley is known for its waterfalls, lakes and lush green hills, and is a 270 km drive from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan .

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Kachura Lake.
The Kachura Lakes are two lakes in the Skardu District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Pakistan . The lakes, at 2,500 metres (8,200 ft)
 in elevation, are Upper Kachura Lake and Lower Kachura Lake .

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This is a ‘Mud Volcano’.

In Pakistan there are more than 80 active mud volcanoes, all of them in Baluchistan province; there are about 10 locations

having clusters of mud volcanoes. In this region, the heights of mud volcanoes range between 800 to 1,550 feet
(243.8 to 472.4 m). The most famous is Chandaragup.

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The Great Trango Tower , 6,286 m (20,608 ft).
The east face of the Great Trango Tower features the world’s greatest nearly vertical drop. [aka Tallest vertical mountain of world]
Located in Gilgit-Baltistan Region of Pakistan . This is one of the most difficult mountains to climb.

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Laila Peak , Hushe, Karakoram Range , Pakistan . 
It has a distinctive spear-like shape. One of the most beautiful & scenic snow covered mountain of the world.
The Laila peak has been climbed only twice.

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This is not Fox and Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand .
This is Biafo Glacier – which is a 63 km long glacier in the Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan meets the 49 km long Hispar Glacier
at an altitude of 5,128 m (16,824 feet) at Hispar La (Pass) to create the world’s longest glacial system outside the polar regions.

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Makran, Pakistan.
The present day Makran derived its name from Maka, a satrap of Achaemenid Empire. Maka was an important early eastern satrapy of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire.

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K2.
It is the second-highest mountain on Earth, only after Mount Everest . It has a peak elevation of 8,611 m [28,251 feet]!!!

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Concordia Base Camp , Pakistan .
This is the view from Concordia towards the valley of the Baltoro Glacier at dawn. On the left [Paiju peaks], middle ,[Trango towers] & on the right [Grand Cathedra].

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The epic Lake Saiful Muluk.
It is located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley (34°52′37.34″N 73°41′37.71″E) near Naran, Pakistan .
The clarity of the water comes from the multiple glaciers all around the high basin which feed the lake.

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Village Halmet, Neelum Valley , Pakistan .
Neelum Valley is definitely another hidden pearl of Pakistan . No other valley in Kashmir can compare this valley and even
most of the Pakistanis know little about it and have little visited there.

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Lansdowne Bridge of Rohri, Pakistan .
A marvel of nineteenth century engineering, the ‘longest “rigid” girder bridge in the world’ at that time, was begun in 1887.
Designed by Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel, the girder work weighing a massive 3,300 tons was erected by F.E. Robertson, and Hecquet.

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Is this Grand Canyon or Texas ?
No. It’s Hingol National Park of Baluchistan, Pakistan . It got Mysterious Mud mountains, beautiful blue water Hingol river,
desert and deep blue Arabian sea . [3.5 hrs drive from Karachi on Makran coastal highway]

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Cold Desert of Skardu in Pakistan .
This is one of the most beautiful tourists attraction of Northern areas of Pakistan . There are huge sand plains in Skardu.

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Passu Peaks , Hunza , Pakistan .
Mysterious mountains stand like a wall between Hunza river and valley.

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Uli Biaho Tower, Pakistan. 
It is a peak near Trango Towers and Baltoro Glacier in the Northern Areas of Pakistan . It consists of two main peaks,
Uli Biaho Tower (listed by Roskelley as 19,957 feet, and by Kopold as 6109 m (20,058 feet)); and
Uli Biaho Peak (Kopold: 6417 m), which as of 2006 was unclimbed.

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Rakaposhi, Pakistan. 
Rakaposhi is also known as Dumani [Mother of Mist]. It is situated in the Nagar valley.

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Nanga Parbat.
It is the ninth highest mountain on Earth and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters (26,660 ft).
It is also an immense, dramatic peak that rises far above its surrounding terrain.

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Karamber Lake.
Karambar Pass marks the boundary between the Chitral and Ishkoman Districts of Pakistan . The Karmabar Lake is almost 3 km long
 approx and it is 4300 meters above sea level. The flowers of autumns are worth seeing on this lake.

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Deosaid plains – Skardu

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Bara Pani – Deosai

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Dudiptsar Lake or DudipatLake is a lake encircled by snow clad peaks in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park .
The lake lies in the extreme north of the Kaghan Valley

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mexico City Must-Dos — National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides

I intend to do all ten of these, one of these days…

Xochimilco

Bar La Opera
Try some tequila in this classic watering hole in the heart of Mexico City. Accessible and authentic. The opulent mirrored bar is straight out of Manet. Ave. Cinco de Mayo 10, Col. Centro. Tel. 55 5512 8959.

Coyoacán
“A place the urban jungle couldn’t quite swallow, with walled gardens, Franciscan churches, cobblestone streets and shaded plazas.”—Catherine Dunn, managing editor, Inside Mexico. Busy church, markets, dancers, clowns, balloons, fountains, old- and new-age hippies, craft stalls, and drums, Jarocho coffee and los famosos helados (ice cream), all in the quaint streets that lead between the two squares and Frida Kahlo’s Blue House. www.coyoacan.df.gob.mx

Chapultepec Park, Castle, and Zoo
Go strolling, boating, and take the mini train to get a sense of the size of the mammoth park, one of the city’s pulmones (lungs). Renovated with an eye to tourism and education, the National Museum of History inside the castle is a beautifully designed introduction to Mexican history (www.mexicocity.com.mx/castillo.html). Zoo highlights include pandas, snakes, and butterfly house. www.mexicocity.com.mx/chaprk.html

The Museums of Chapultepec
Divide the day between the Museo Rufino Tamayo (Tel. 52 55 5286 6519, www.museotamayo.org), the Museo Nacional de Antropología (Tel. 52 55 5512 3224, www.mna.inah.gob.mx) and, if you find time, the Museo de Arte Moderno, with a leisurely break for lunch in one of neighboring Polanco’s stylish restaurants.

Templo Mayor
The former Aztec Temple has been expertly excavated and converted into the most accessible museum about the capital’s pre-conquest past. Near the cathedral on the Zócalo. Tel. 52 55 5542 4943; www.templomayor.inah.gob.mx

Turibus
Board the bus at any of the many historical, cultural, and architectural monuments that serve as stops on the route, from the Zócalo and Anthropology Museum to the Angel of Independence and Chapultepec Park. The ticket is valid for 24 hours. www.turibus.com.mx.

Plaza Garibaldi and Bar Tenampa
Where locals come, often inebriated, to pay for a tear-jerking tune, or also to hire a band for a fiesta. Tip: This is not the safest area late at night. Tenampa, Plaza Garibaldi 12, Col. Centro; tel. 52 55 5526 6176.

The Pyramids of Teotihuacan
The mammoth pyramid of the sun and its neighbor, the moon, are the best known highlights of one of the largest Pre-Columbian city in the Americas, but the most spectacular is that of the Plumed Serpent (Templo de Quetzalcóatl). Get an early start for the long haul northeast to clamber around in the morning and take shelter in the museum and covered areas during the midday sun. Bring a good guidebook to make the most of this visit. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tel. 52 55 595 60052; fee.

Museo Leon Trotsky
Everybody goes to Frida Kahlo’s museums, but most ignore Leon Trotsky who gained asylum in Mexico in 1936 with the help of Kahlo’s husband, painter Diego Rivera. Four years later he was murdered with an ice axe inside his fortress-house here in Coyoacán. The museum offers a real sense of how Trotsky was hemmed in at the end. Río Churubusco 410, Coyoacán; tel. 52 55 5658 8732; fee.

Palacio de Bellas Artes and The Alameda Park
An architectural gem as well as a treasure trove that unites murals of Orozco, Rivera, Tamayo, and Siqueiros, and a Tiffany glass mosaic curtain. Stroll in the adjacent park among the fountains and monuments, and look for the policharros (a mounted policeman dressed like a mariachi). 1 Avenida Hidalgo, Col. Centro; tel. 52 55 5512 2593; fee. www.bellasartes.gob.mx

“Just love the chaos and tackiness.”—Jo Tuckman, writer, The Guardian. Boozy weekend jaunt on florid barges along the chinampas (floating gardens) of the Aztecs. Waterborne entertainment and sustenance from paddling mariachis and taco sellers in canoes. In the far south of the city. www.xochimilco.df.gob.mx

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Cherry Blossom Season in DC Right Now – National Geographic

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Last year at this time, we spent a week in Washington, DC and took in the wondrous sights of the cherry blossoms, among other things. Amazing how they know to bloom right on time!  Click on the picture to go to the NG website for the complete gallery of cherry blossom pictures.

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La Villita, Historic Arts Village in San Antonio, Texas

Well, if you thought you’d (vicariously) seen it all, you haven’t.  Not just yet.  Because there’s more of the lovely city of San Antonio, Texas, that is to be shared in the annals of this lovely travel blog of mine.   

And so, after experiencing the dizzying heights of the Tower of the Americas and the magnificent Hemisfair Park grounds, we walked across the street and entered the exquisite La Villita, the Village, if you will.  And what a lovely little village it is, indeed.  La Villita is a historic arts village that consists of a group of quaint shops housed within a large compound that carry authentic handmade wares from artisans and craftsmen in Mexico, Central America and South America.  These are not factory-made or mass-manufactured products; they are each a one-of-a-kind item be it a piece of jewelry, art, pottery, etc.  Many of the artists whose work is displayed here are well-known in their field in their home countries, I was told. 

To see the official website of the La Villita, click here.  Reminded me of the Dilli Haat in New Delhi, a very similar arts village that carries the handiwork of artists from around the country.  The Villita was not like the El Mercado that we went to see the other day, by the way.

A very pleasant afternoon may be had at the La Villita in San Antonio.  Go see for yourself.  But until you go in person, check out in the slideshow below to see what we saw:

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The Tower of the Americas & Hemisfair Park in San Antonio, Texas

So, in continuation with the amazing week-long vacation that I took with my honey in the lovely city of San Antonio, Texas, recently, one stop that we made was at the Tower of the Americas and the adjoining Hemisfair Park. 

The Tower is a 750-foot observation tower/restaurant and offers the most breathtaking views of the city on a clear day.  We did happen to go up on a clear day, as you’ll see from the pictures below.  Also, the Hemisfair Park is a beautifully manicured set of lawns and grounds that evidently hosted the World’s Fair in 1968.  For more on the official site of these two venues, click here.  Lovely views on a lovely day.  See for youself: 

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El Mercado in San Antonio: An Assault of Colorful Wares

Well, when you go on holiday, there comes a time, no matter how tranquil your environs, or even how hectic your sightseeing that you will either wilfully stop by a gift-shop or will be lured into one with a view to look for a souvenir or two.  It is the most universal of holidaying customs, and I was therefore no exception to this on my most recent holiday to the lovely city of San Antonio, Texas. 

I found myself at this huge indoor mall called the El Mercado, spanish for The Market, I think.  And what a colorful market it was!  It was an assault on the eyes– an assault of colors in every bright and beautiful hue for all kinds of things you really have no need of at all but suddenly feel you so very much would like to be the owner of!  Things such as pottery pieces, fancy cowboy-style hats, paintings, sketches, fancy belts, tapestries, handbags, jewelry, you name it.  And given that the Mexican border is barely hours away from the city, these colorful wares were all imported from the south of the border.  Only, we didn’t pay in Pesos, you see; they wanted only the US Dollar!

Well, here are some pictures my camera captured of my visit to the El Mercado.  Enjoy!

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Mission San Jose, San Antonio, Texas: Relics Of A Spanish Legacy

Mission San Jose was the other mission that we paid a touristy visit to in the lovely city of San Antonio, Texas.  Known as the “Queen of the Missions”, this is the largest of the missions and was almost fully restored to its original design in the 1930s by the WPA (Works Projects Administration). Spanish missions were not churches, but communities, with the church the focus. Mission San José shows the visitor how all the missions might have looked over 250 years ago.  Some pictures taken from our time there are captured in the slideshow below:

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Texas Ranger Museum in San Antonio, Cont…

So, if you think I’m going a bit crazy about this whole Texas Ranger thing, may I assure you I am not.  Only, it is only proper that I catalog the remainder of the pictures that I took in the section devoted to the TRs.  The lore of the Texas Ranger runs deep and strong within the state of Texas, nay, within popular American culture itself, and it is therefore a part of all things Americana.  The most recent reference to the spirit of the Texas Ranger was in the recent movie True Grit.  And so, here’s some of the memorabilia gathered up in this museum that has been collected and displayed so well.  These are the images of the old-world style of the men who earned the title of Texas Ranger.  Slideshow follows:

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