Interesting Foliage in South America

On September 11, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, South America5 Comments

During our trips to South America, we have come across some very interesting plants and trees. Especially when it comes to visiting the Amazon, there are often pops of bright color amid the mostly dense green foliage. Although they came in many different colors, the vibrant red flowers and leaves certainly stood out. Some of them were fairly normal looking, but others are very different and unique. We often take photographs of wildflowers during our hikes, so it seemed natural to capture images of these flowers as we trekked around the jungle. Do you take photos of seemingly random flowers or plants as you travel or hike?

Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland

On August 28, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Iceland17 Comments

The Gullfoss Waterfall on the Golden Circle in Iceland is truly spectacular. We visited during the winter and the falls were mostly frozen, which made them even more beautiful. It was a very cold day and the observation decks were being hit by the spray from the waterfall, making it even colder as we stood and took photographs. It is an amazing display of the forces of nature at work.

Gullfoss Waterfall translates to Golden Waterfall and is probably one of the most photographed images in Iceland. The waterfall is created by the flow of the Hvítá (White) River as it flows into a canyon. Although we could have hiked around the waterfall to see it from various views, it was way too cold while were there to take the time to do that. It was the last of the places that we visited as we drove the road that loops around several famous locations outside of Reykjavik known as the Golden Circle.

As popular as Iceland has become as a place to visit, Gullfoss Waterfall can be quite a busy spot as tour buses travel there throughout the day. Watching the water as it flows down the two steep steps down into the canyon is almost mesmerizing. It was definitely a highlight of our time in Iceland and should be included as part of any visit to the island.

Ancient Spanish Church in Bolivia

On July 10, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, South America6 Comments

We were driving through the countryside of Bolivia outside of Cochabamba and we came across a tiny village with an old Spanish church. We stopped and talked to the locals, but apparently the church was no longer in use and they didn’t have keys to let us inside. We walked around the church and found a window with a mesh screen that was loose and peeked through to see some of the contents inside. It felt as though we were looking back over a hundred years in time.

There are times when traveling, especially when you get outside of the major cities, where you come across little pieces of history that can be as fascinating as some of the well known places. There was nothing particularly specific about this little church, but understanding how the Spanish, who once controlled the region, influenced the native Quechua people is quite interesting. One could easily imagine missionaries working from this church and trying to convert the locals who remained faithful to their existing beliefs.

We would have loved to enter the church to see if there was any artwork inside, but unfortunately we were only able to see a little bit of the altar from the little window. We could have easily just driven by this church and not stopped to investigate, but we are glad that we took the time to visit. Clearly this church is never going to be on anyone’s travel itinerary, but sometimes these unique little oddities are as interesting as the destination. Have you ever come across something unexpected during your travels that has turned out to be memorable?