Hocking Hills Region, Ohio

Fall is the perfect time to explore you own backyard and the state of Ohio has some beautiful areas to visit. Recently a friend and I decided to spend the day in the Hocking Hills exploring Old Man's Cave in Logan, OH and taking the Hocking Hills Canopy (Zip Line) Tour in Rockville, OH. Unfortunately the leaves had pretty much already fallen and it was kind-of rainy earlier in the day but sometimes the barren, leafless trees make more interesting pictures.

This is one of the zip lines that we took along the river which let us enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

Mysterious Egypt

Giza, Egypt- How did they build the Great Pyramid of Khafre?  This architectural marvel is just one of the amazing structures that the ancient Egyptians built over 3000 years ago.  This pyramid, which I was able to go inside to the Kings Chamber, is so tall that if one stood on the pinnacle, and threw a baseball, the ball would not clear the base of the structure.  There are several theories as to how the pyramids of Giza (built for the pharohs Khufu, Khafre, Menchare) were built but I cannot believe that aliens or slaves were involved.  As anyone who does any study of ancient Egyptian culture know, the people of Egypt revered their pharoh and would do anything to help him travel thru the Underworld.  Great insight, inginuity, and human hands built the pyramids which still stand today as a testament to the power of ancient Egypt. 

Giza, Egypt- Who was the Sphynx built for and for what purpose?  Is it the guardian for the pyramids, was it to guard the ancient harbor, we will never know.  The head of a man with the headpiece of a pharoah, and the body of a lion- what does it stand for?  Another unexplained phenomenal architectural structure that the ancient Egyptians created. 

Aswan, Egypt- The temple complex of Abu Simbel.  This is one structure of ancient Egypt that the purpose of building it is known.  Built by pharoh Rameses II in what was known at the time as Upper Egypt (remember Egypt is backwards and Upper Egypt is in the south and the Nile River flows south to north) to show Egyptian dominance to Nubia.  The temple on the left is for Rameses II and the temple on the right is for his favorite wife, Nefertari, and is built directly into the cliff.  With the construction of the Aswan Dam and the subsequent filling of Lake Nasser the original location of Abu Simbel is now under water- so to save such a national treasure the Egyptian government re-located the temple complex by moving every piece just as it was (fallen head and all) up and back. 

Ancient Egypt, land of sun, sand, and human inginuity.  I am in total amazement of what these people did to protect their dead in the afterlife and to show their dominance to the outside world- leaving behind a land of mysteries that are still being uncovered and explored.

Iceland, land of contradictions

Never have I seen a land more full of contradictions than Iceland.  For a small island there are so many natural wonders contained within that ones mind is boggled at how they can all exist in harmony- sometimes. 

In one area of Iceland there are the sulfur fields (pictured above) that contain hissing mounds that continually let off steam from underground.  Think of a natural pressure cooker.  In another area there is geothermally heated water bubbling from the ground that range in size from a boiling pot (pictured below) to a shooting geyser.  Amazingly, all of this heat is generated from the active volcanos that make up Icelands landscape.  (The Iceland volcanos produce such heat that all of the water for public use is heated geothermally.)

In another area of Iceland you encounter the total opposite- you find the cold, the glaciers.  There are two massive, living, moving main glaciers that carve out the landscape of  Iceland.   The land of Iceland is made up of the solidified volcanic lava and to demonstrate the power of a glacier, just think, the glaciers are what have carved out the "liveable" space (which there is not much of).  Looking at a mountain and seeing this large white expanse peeking over the top, or sliding down the side, just makes one wonder at this amazing creation.  A photo just does not express the expanse of space that these glaciers cover. 

The melting glaciers are also responsible for the many beautiful waterfalls that dot the Iceland landscape.  The most amazing waterfalls, in my opinion, are the single step waterfalls- these are the ones where the water just falls off the side of the cliff and plumets to the ground with a deafening roar. 

In a land that is composed of two total opposites, hot and cold, there is a harmony that exists.  Time has produced a hard landscape (lava) that has been carved and shaped by the glaciers- therefore contradictions existing together, creating a beautiful landscape that must be experienced.

Photos of Amazing Switzerland

The Magnificent Matterhorn.  Freezing cold temperatures, the ground wet with freshly fallen snow (there was a blizzard 30 minutes before we took the cog wheel train to the summit) but none of that is noticed when you turn around and gaze at this iconic symbol of Switzerland.  (Yes, this is also the inspiration for Toblerone candy.)  Eventhough the Matterhorn is not the highest point of this mountain chain, it looks to be because of the lower lying mountains surrounding it.   Standing across from the Matterhorn, trying to imagine what went thru the minds of the original explorers who took on the task of trying to climb this treacherous peak.  Which way to go?  Am I ready to die to climb this peak?  Do I go up the cliff side or the glacier side?  These are the questions that run thru your mind as you are standing at the top of the observation point surrounded by a glacier and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the world.   A photo just does not do it justice.

The Swiss countryside.  The best milk producing cows in the world for chocolate- the Swiss Browns- spend their time roming the countryside, climbing the mountains in search of the best grazing fields.  A picturesque countryside- quiet, relaxing.  The only sounds that you hear are the melodic bells of the cows echoing down from the hillside where they spend their lazy summer days. 

The sunlight filtering thru the clouds, creating patches of light and shadow, highlighting the beautiful expanse of Swiss landscapes that create some of the most beautiful, calming sights I have ever seen that just beg to be photographed.

Unusual Photo from Greece

Mykonos, Greece-   A picture perfect island, drenched in sun, beautiful blue sky, pristine white buildings, and what else would make this sight even more perfect?  To see octopus hanging from a ship- of course.  The story the fishermen told was that they caught the octopus, beat them 40 times against rocks (to vent the frustration given to them from their mothers-in-laws) and hung them up to dry. 

Unique Rocks of Switzerland

What cataclysmic event occured to cause these unique rocks?  I just had to take photos of these rocks.  And the most interesting thing is that the colored vein is of a totally different make-up than the main part which leads one to wonder what happened millions of years ago during the formation of this area.

These two photos are different since there is really only one colored vein, albeit different colors, running thru the rocks.  What caused the different colors to occur?  What caused the almost perfectly straight line?  Nature is totally amazing and so full of answers that we will never know.

Stave Churches of Norway

The Stave Churches of Norway are beautiful pieces of architecture- and also becoming very rare.  The construction of these churches is most unique.  The corners of the buildings are solid poles and the walls are slats which are held together by the poles.  It is a true honor to photograph these structures  which have stood the test of time by the most simple of measures. 

The most uniqes aspect of these churches is their architecture which makes them most interesting to photograph.  The stave churches are similar in structure but also very different as is evident in these photos.  Some have high peaks, some are more simple, some are small while others are large, and some are elaborate with arched walls but they all have the common thread of being built for one purpose- religious beliefs.