Europe Sites

Site one: The next couple of days we spent in Europe. We went to many different places, but the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France really stuck out to us. This is perhaps the most famous structure in the world. This iron tower in located on the Champ de Mars in Paris and is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel who designed it in 1889. It has a height of 324 meters and is the tallest structure in Paris. It was the tallest tower in the world from 1889-1930. It is the most visited paid monument in the world with over 7 million people visiting in 2012.
       When we got here there were tons of people and a couple hour wait to get up on the lift to go up the Eiffel Tower. Another group and us decided that we would take the stairs and walk all the way up. This way we could see everything from every angle. It was a good workout with walking up hundreds of steps. We got to the top and explored up there for awhile and then we would take the lift down because we did not want to go against traffic coming up the stairs. We got back down in about an hour. We were discussing everything with the other group and we all decided that taking the steps was a great idea because we got to see a lot more than we would have gotten to on the lift.

Site two: On our fourth day in Europe we made our way to Pisa, Italy. We went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is known worldwide for its unintended tilt. The Tower is the third oldest building on Pisa's cathedral square, it is in line after the Cathedral and Baptistery. The construction of the Tower of Pisa began on August 9,1173. The tower actually stood upright for a little over five years, but after the completion of the third floor in 1178 it began to lean.
      We drove here and headed straight to the tower. When we got there we were amazed at how much the tower was actually leaning. It was very crowded and touristy, but it was really cool. The leaning of the tower made us all elusive. It looks like it could fall over at any moment. We climbed to the top and it was a very unique and fun experience. You could see the whole town from the top. It was a beautiful view. We then got back down and took a look at the visitor center. We bought a train ticket to get back to our hotel.

SW Asia & North Africa

Today we are off to Southwest Asia. We will be going to the city of Jerusalem.

Site one: The first historical site we went to was the Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The building process was from 688-692 CE. The original dome collapsed in 1016 and was then rebuilt in 1021. The Dome of the Rock was built over a sacred stone. This stone is believed to be the place from which Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven during his Night Journey to Heaven. This building is in its core one of the oldest extant works of Islamic architecture.  This is the most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem.
      When we first got here they had the Dome closed because it was under inspection. The security told us it would be an hour or two, so we just walked around and looked at the wildlife and nature for awhile. We go in line a little while later because the line started to get very long. We stood in line for about forty-five minutes and then we got in. It was very old in there, but very interesting to look at. They were many old artifacts and wall carving that were pretty amazing to look at. You could not talk in there, so it was silent. We only got about an hour in there then we had to leave because of how big the line was outside.

Site Two: The next couple of days we spent in Northern Africa. We went to many different historical sites, but the Great Pyramid of Giza was very interesting to us. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza complex bordering, what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. This pyramid has three chambers. The first is underground carved in the bedrock. The second, above ground chamber was called the queen's chamber by early explorers. The third chamber is the king's chamber, which held red a red granite sarcophagus placed almost in the center of the pyramid. The width of the pyramid is about 755 feet and the height is about 452 feet. It is wider than it is tall.
      We got here and were amazed at the sized of the pyramid. We walked around and looked at all the stuff around the pyramid and looked at all the surroundings. We were amazed that it was kind of out in the middle of nowhere. We spent a few hours here and looked around. We walked through the inside and looked at all the carvings in the walls. We were very interested about all the writings in the dirt and walls. It was a great experience.

Caribbean

Today we will be visiting the Caribbean. Our first place we are going is in Jayuya, Puerto Rico.

Site one: Today we are off to Puerto Rico. We will be going to Cemi Museum. This building was once the site of the short lived Puerto Rican Nationalist movement who claimed independence from the United States on October 30, 1950. The revolutionaries were arrested, but this museum stands in honor of the brief stage in Puerto Rican history. The building that houses the museum is itself in the shape of a cemi. The museum is small, but it is nice. A cemi is a god, spirit or ancestor. It is also the name given to the religious symbol that is the physical representation of a god. This museum has pieces of pottery, some tools and other artifacts from daily Taino life.
          When we first saw the outside we thought it was to small to be anything good, but when we got inside we changed our minds. They recommended we watch their twenty minute video they had which showed us everything they had to offer. Then we started walking around and we saw lots of old documents and lots of pottery. Every pottery sculpture had a learning description by it. We learned a lot of new things about Taino history and how they built things and did daily tasks. It was interesting to learn about these things that we had never known about before.

Site two: We are off to Antigua. We are going to Shirley Heights. Shirley Heights was created as a military post by the British, but today it's known as the best view in Antigua. The military complex is perched high up on the hill overlooking Nelson’s Dockyard.  The overlook is part of the English Harbor historic district, a collection of buildings and historical sites dating back to when the British were supreme. The name Shirley Heights honors the British governor of the Leeward Islands at the same time as the American colonists were breaking ties with the motherland. On the weekends it is one of the most popular visited places.
          We got there and had to wait in a huge line to get up onto the Shirley Heights. There was a fee to go up because you had to have a tour guide to go up. So we paid our fee to the guide and he then took us up there. When we got up there we were amazed at how far you could see. The view was absolutely amazing. We could see all the wildlife, bodies of water, and nature that was around it. The guide explained some of the things we could see and told us what everything was. Our hour was up so we had to go back down. This was an amazing experience and we would definitely do it again. You can't imagine the view until you are actually up there.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Today we are going to Sub-Saharan Africa. To start off with, will be stopping in Tanzania.

Site one: The first site we are going to today is serengeti national park and ngorongo crater. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located 180 km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. This is Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park. It was ranked 7th world wide for the climate and vegetation. Over 90,000 tourists visit this national park each year.
          The first thing we did when we got there was go into the visitor center and get a map so we could find our way around. They asked us if we would like to pay to have a guide, but today we decided to just explore on our own. We started walking along trail that the national park had made. Once we got by the river we started seeing zebras and many other animals. It was like we were looking into paradise. We saw a beautiful body of water and animals all in one view. We then went on a boat tour and saw the beautiful rock creations and just all the nature around the area. We walked back the visitor center and bought a few souvenirs. Then we left.

Site two: The next day we were off to Mombasa, Kenya. We went to  Fort Jesus which is a Portuguese fort located  the Mombasa Island. It was built in 1593 through 1596 by order of King Phillip I of Portugal. It was built in the shape of a man, and was given the name Jesus. The only issue with this was you could only see the man shape if you were up in the air. It was built to protect the Old Port of Mombasa.
          When we first got there, we could not believe how many people were there. We found out that it is a destination for many research programs, conservation labs, and many education departments. We got to walk through it and it was pretty much silent in there. people were all looking at the carvings in the rock and many other little things that were scattered all over inside. It was really cool to see this fort and find out more history about it.

Latin America Sites

We are off to Latin America today. Our first stop will be at Iguazu Falls which stretches across Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.

Site one: The first site we went to was Iguazu Falls. It is made up of 275 waterfalls, and is twice as wide as Niagara Falls. Iguazu Falls is the result of a volcanic eruption which left a large crack in the Earth. Iguazu Falls is divided by various islands. The islands make the water flow into all the waterfalls. It is in a very tropical environment, so if you get bored with looking at the falls you can look at the wildlife and nature around you.
When we first got there we got a private tour guide to show us around. He took us to the Brazil side to look at the falls. It was very eye opening to us! We had never something so big and beautiful before. We had the tour guide for three hours, so he showed us many cool places throughout Iguazu Falls. After our time was up with the tour guide we went to Porto Canoas and ate the buffet. After that, we took it easy and looked at the wildlife and nature.

Site two: The next place we went in Latin America was Santa Maria de Loreto in Chiloe, Chile. It is one of the finest of wooden churches built. This was a church that taught European Christian Culture. This structure was made entirely with local timber. It was started in 1740, and is the oldest church in Latin America. This was built mostly to house Jesuit missionaries on their tours of the islands.
We got there and toured the church. We were amazed at the artifacts that were in there and it is amazing to know it was all done by hand. After we were done touring, we got to talk to some of the missionaries that had been staying there. It was very interesting to learn what they know about the place and we learned about their experiences while staying there. It was fun to learn about things that we had never known about before.

We are off to North America! Today we will be going to Death Valley, which is in Death Valley, California.

Site one: Our first stop is Death Valley. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest National Park. In this below sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer temperatures make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. A great variety of things live and grow in death valley.
First, we went for a hike before it got too hot. The Rangers there suggest not hiking after 10am because it gets humid and dehydrates people very quickly. After that, we went to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center where we looked at exhibits and asked rangers a few questions about the park. Then we went to the Borax museum where we saw mineral collections and the history of Death Valley. We had to do indoor activities the rest of the day because it was too warm outside to go do anything outside.





Site two: On a cooler note, we went to Fort Ransom in Fort Ransom, North Dakota. This National Park is in a heavily wooded area near the Sheyenne River Valley. The National Park officially opened in 1979. This park is managed as a natural and scenic area. Before this park was here, there was a farmstead which had many cattle and different variety of crops and other types of harvest. People worked hard to make this land into a National Park.
The first thing we did there was we went hiking down national trails and looked at the nature and wildlife. After that we were warm and sweaty so we went for a swim in the Sheyenne River. Once we got cooled off, we went canoeing. Canoeing is popular on the Sheyenne River during the summer, with canoe and kayak rentals available in the park. We got told snow skiing and snowmobiling were also very popular, but since we were there in the summer, we couldn't do either of those things. We decided we would come back on snowmobiles in the winter to go skiing. It was a very enjoyable trip.