5 of some of my favorite places in the world...

I have been blessed to have gotten the chance to travel the world a little, though not as much as I would like yet, due to family commitments and financial restraints... but well, I am here to share five of my favourite places I have been to... There have been quite a number of countries I have visited, but for the moment, let me take the time to share 5 of some of my favorite places in the world first.....However, I may be biased as it is what I like because I am a person who enjoys historical sites, mythical places, places that have stories to tell and nature....And this is my blog after all....hehehe

MONKEY MIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

These people came to Monkey Mia the same time as me to meet the dolphins....forgive the graininess of the picture... it is taken from a more then 10 year old photograph...

1. Monkey Mia, Western Australia is a very special place where people like you and me are allowed to meet and greet the dolphins. Located in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Monkey Mia has over 100,000 visitors every year  who comes to enjoy a close encounter with the wild dolphins of Monkey Mia.

An old and grainy throwback picture of the dolphins I met at Monkey Mia

A grainy picture of a dugong I manage to take...

There are no fix times for dolphin experiences as they depend on if and when the wild dolphins visit the beach which can be anywhere from 7:45am – 12 noon. And having said that if you are unlucky, you could be waiting for hours and they won't come as well. Fortunately, when I was there, they chose to make their special appearance... I had to take an overnight bus from Perth to Monkey Mia and it was a trip that took about 10-12 hours I think...it has been quite a while since I was there so there might be changes I am not aware of...

Then there is the Shell Beach, that seems to have no sand but rather billions of tiny coquina bivalve shells. The Shell Beach is covered for a 60km-long stretch to a depth of some seven to ten metres. The effect is brilliant; a long, snow-white beach bordered by aqua blue ocean waters. Shell Beach is one of only two shell beaches like it in the world.

Forgive my grainy more then 10 year old picture...of me at the Hamelin Pool with an obvious bad hair..

There is also the Hamelin Pool at the base of Shark Bay's eastern gulf where the rocks are actually living things known as Stromatolites, the oldest living organisms on the planet. Some scientists believe they were the first living things on our planet earth!!!!

A much clearer picture of Hamelin Pool taken from www.australiascoralcoast.com

Hamelin Pool is the location of the best example in the world of living marine stromatolites. Most stromatolites are extremely slow growing. Those in Hamelin Pool grow at a maximum of 0.3mm a year, so those which are up to a metre high are hundreds if not thousands of years old. 

Stromatolite fossils are evidence of the earliest life on the earth. Western Australia perhaps has the best stromatolite fossils, giving a record through the eons of time.

CO. MEATH, IRELAND

2. County Meath in Ireland is a small county in the Emerald Isle. Meath also known as the "Middle Kingdom" is the site of some of the most extraordinary pre-historic remains to be found anywhere in Europe,  Neolithic and Megalithic burial complexes of the Boyne valley, erected by the pre-Celtic peoples of Ireland long even before the pyramids of Egypt were built!!!

It is also where the Battle of the Boyne happened, and this is also where you can find passage tombs from centuries ago like:-

Newgrange (c 3,200 B.C.)which is the best-known monument of the World Heritage Site of Bru na Boinne, predating the ancient pyramids by 400 years and Stonehenge by 1000. The passage tomb is surrounded by 97 kerb stones, the most impressive is the large entrance stone which is covered in swirls and designs. However, sadly I missed out visiting this place......

Outside the Fourknocks passage tomb

Yours truly here inside the 5000 years old tomb with the first depiction of a human face which was engraved on the stone..

Fourknocks is a Passage Chamber Tomb built about 5000 years ago. It is located 10 miles southeast of Newgrange between Ardcath in County Meath and the Naul in County Dublin. The name Fourknocks may be from the Irish Fuair Cnocs meaning Cold Hills.There are engravings with abstract art and the first depiction of a human face found in prehistoric art in Ireland here too!!!

My wild spirit when I was younger... had me climbing ruins even when I was wearing a tight dress... LOL

Slane Abbey atop the Hill of Slane..

Hill of Slane is where St Patrick lit his paschal fire at Slane, before the Druids could kindle their sacred fire at Tara. Seeing the flames at Slane, the Druids, warned Laegaire, the High King, that if Patrick’s fire was not put out immediately, it would burn forever in Ireland.

My pictures are all blurry and mostly spoiled from age... and so here is one from www.worldfortravel.com. The Stone of Destiny here or Lia Fair is said to be magical and when the rightful High King or Ireland touch it, it can actually roar..

Hill of Tara is where the ancient kings of Eire live for two thousand years.. This was an ideal spot to build a palace and, in time, the Five Ancient Roads of Ireland converged here, linking Crúachan - Rathcroghan in County Roscommon, Eamain Macha - Navan Fort in County Armagh and Dún Ailinne. The view from the hill is one of the best features. The surrounding countryside is considered to be one of the richest pasture land in the whole of Ireland.

It is so gorgeous and green here you find the place somewhat magical and mythical as Ireland is rumored to be...

To get there, there are dozens of tour operators from Dublin who will bring you there....

ANGKOR WAT, SIEM REAP ,CAMBODIA

Yaayyy back to normal digital camera pictures.... hehehe

3. Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in its beauty and state of preservation, is unrivaled. The Angkor Wat itself is impressiveness greater than that of the Pyramids, an artistic distinctiveness as fine as that of the Taj Mahal. 

Ta Prohm is the undeniable capital of the kingdom of the Trees'. It has been left untouched by archaeologists except for the clearing of a path for visitors and structural strengthening to stave of further deterioration.

The Bayon vies with Angkor Wat the favorite monument of visitors, and personally I cannot decide between the two myself... they are both majestic and glorious yet are different in purpose, design, architecture and decoration. The dense jungle surround the temple camouflaged its position in relation to other structures at Angkor so it was not known for some time that the Bayon stands in the exact centre of the Angkor Thom city. 

OSHINO HAKKAI, JAPAN

Yours truly in a Yukata given by my Japanese friend Misae at Oshino Hakkai

4. The town of Oshino Hakkai, in Japan is where eight springs are formed by Fujisan's subsoil water. Each of the eight ponds was a pilgrimage destination of Fujisan worship in association with one of the Eight Dragon Kings. 

You can drink the water here too which is absolutely refreshing and crystal clear...

These eight small ponds are home to one of the hundred famous freshwaters of Japan and the site is very popular with photographers. The four seasons, especially snowscapes and the fall colors, make a fantastic picture when reflected in the clear water.

SCHWANGAU, BAVARIA/ GERMANY

Picture credit to andreasmarkessinis.com of Schwangau

King Ludwig II (pic credit to google)

5. Schwangau is a town on the route south along the Romantic Road in Bavaria, Germany. It may be small but  it boasts however one of the most popular "sights" in the whole of Germany. That is Ludwig's fairytale castle also known as the famous Neuschwanstein Castle, and the villages of Schwangau and Hohenschwangau and the nearby surroundings boast some gorgeous lake and mountain scenery which will make anyone marvel at its natural beauty. It is truly breathtaking......

The castles were homes for King Ludwig II . King Ludwig was just 19 when he became king of Bavaria in 1864. Rather than live with the frustrations of a modern constitution and a feisty parliament reining him in, he spent his years lost in Romantic literature and operas.

Picture credit to Eurosbuildings.info ..whatever pictures I have are all grainy and spoilt.. over the years.. sob, sob...

Ludwig put his Neuschwanstein on a hilltop not for defensive reasons, but simply because he liked the view. The castle, which is about as old as the Eiffel Tower, is an example of 19th-century Romanticism. When Middle Ages ended, people named that era “Gothic” — meaning barbarian. Then, all of a sudden, in the 1800s, it was hip to be square, and neo-Gothic became the rage. Throughout Europe, old castles were restored and new ones built, wallpapered with chivalry.

See... what did I tell you... but just sharing this as 'proof' I was there at the glorious Neuschwanstein castle... LOL

The lavish interior, of damsels in distress, dragons, and knights in gleaming armor is enchanting. 

Ludwig was king for 23 years. In 1886, fed up with his extravagances, royal commissioners declared him mentally unfit to rule Bavaria. Days later, he was found dead in a lake. People still debate whether it was murder or suicide. 

And these are 5 of some of my most favorite places in the world which I have been lucky to visit , fall in love with and which has somehow etched themselves in a part of my memories and heart...thanks for reading this and sharing it with me..... hehehe