Archive for the 'Exotic Yet Close' Category

Jul 14th
Tags:
Posted in:

From Europe,to Asia back to North America, British Columbia was the last stop on ArcticTropic’s Round The World Adventure. After a long flight from Tokyo,via Manila , we settled into Vancouver to readjust to North American life, then ventured North of the city.

Fjords begin just out of Vancouver and stretch thousands of miles up into Alaska.

Glaciers overlook the Pacific.

A young Miamian enjoys the summer snow.

Mysterious life forms in the rainforest.

Road signs in First People’s Native Language of Tsihqot’in.

Enjoying the northern sunshine.

Back across the Date Line.

And finally – Home !

 

For adventures in Canada, CLICK HERE

Tags:
, ,
Posted in:

Yamanouchi is an ancient village in the Japanese Alps, in the Prefecture of Nagano. Snow monkeys live in the forests and bathe in the volcanic hot springs. For a few months the forests are free of snow and the monekys give birth to many offspring.

A protective Mother.

Geysers shoot boiling water up from the volcanic ground.

While melted snow fuels the icy waterfalls.

Mother and Child in the forest.

Yamanouchi is an ancient village built atop thousands of hot springs. Buildings are heated naturally.

Social life revolves around the baths.

Inside a men’s bath. Cold water is mixed with hot to create a bath of 42 C ( 107 F ) .

A Zen Dinner at the Ryokan.

 

For adventures in Japan, CLICK HERE

Tags:
,
Posted in:

The best way to explore Japan is on the 200 mph , 320 kph High Speed Shinkansen network on Japan Rail. The Japan Rail Pass allows 7 days of unlimited travel for $ 279 – only non-resident foreigners are eligible. Distances in Japan are great – but seem close on these trains that seem to fly along the ground.

In Kyoto, the highest pagoda in Japan.

A Shinto Shrine.

Kyoto has delicious cuisine. Here is some venison sashimi.

Locusts.

And Bee Larvae

 

For Adventures in Japan, CLICK HERE

Jun 24th
Tags:
Posted in:

Japan does not normally conjure images of adventure, but ArcticTropic stopped in for several days to be totally immersed in this vibrant modern/ancient culture.

Tokyo is always the City of the Future.

Gundam ! Japan s the world’s merchandising capital.

Food choices not found elsewhere.

In vibrant Shinjuku ,where we stayed.

The best neon anywhere.

Our flight trajectory did not take us over North Korea even though we were in a Chinese plane. We passed about 50 miles south of that path.

 

For Adventures in Japan, CLICK HERE

Tags:
Posted in:
, , , ,

A quick representation of destinations since the GoPro was acquired less than a year ago. Featured : USA,Mongolia,South Africa,Namibia,China. Music will now accompany most videos.

Sep 23rd
Tags:
Posted in:

Last week ArcticTropic headed to San Francisco on business – to explore financial opportunities that will allow us to expand exponentially.  Since natural beauty abounds everywhere – it was easy to get great footage without traveling too far from the various meeting places.

Coming back into the City from Marin County at sunset. September is summer in the Bay Area – the normal cold grey cloak of fog lifts for a couple of months, allowing for spectacular views.

Sunset Over The Pacific.

The America’s Cup Yachts In Port.

Oracle Ahead – From the St.Francis Yacht Club.

On The Way – Chicago, before a change at O’Hare.

On The Way – Mono Lake, California – Nevada in the Distance.

 

For adventures in the United States, CLICK HERE

Tags:
,
Posted in:

Green World Adventures, in Costa Rica is one of ArcticTropic’s featured providers. As it is now the summer low season, prices are lower than in the peak winter months.

Some of the more high end trips feature luxury accommodations – great to relax after a day in the jungles and on the beaches.

Costa Rica is so close to the US – 5 hours from New York or California – only 2 hours from Miami. It is also one of the safest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

You can book directly right now by CLICKING HERE.

Apr 10th
Tags:
Posted in:

ArcticTropic has just Acquired the GoPro Hero 3 Camera with 1080p 60 fps quality. it will greatly improve our video presentations from upcoming expeditions. Above video was taken in the Florida Everglades,west of Miami, for testing purposes – editing on FinalCut Pro.

Tags:
,
Posted in:

An ArcticTropic friend, Siham Sharples, who lives in Dubai, recently travelled by auto with her family to nearby Musandam, Oman. Musandam is at the northern tip of the country,where the Straits of Hormuz join the Persian Gulf.

Fortress towns dot the countryside.

The Khasab Castle is built upon an old Portuguese fortress from the 1700s.

Coastal highways afford beautiful views. At this time of year the weather is dry and mild, about 22C ( 73 F), while in the summer it is ferociously hot, up to 50C ( 122 F ).

Beautiful old fishing boats,known as Dhows, ply the waters of the Straits between Oman and Iran.

Snorkeling and diving look like excellent possibilities.

Tags:
,
Posted in:

Today ArcticTropic was invited on a private yacht tour by a renowned Istanbul artist who will later be featured in the Blog.Time and bandwidth constraints in the hotel make posting difficult at this time. Today was an incredible fall day with temperatures in the 70s – in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

From Asia looking to Europe.

Turkey is extremely patriotic – the nation controls a good portion of this part of the world.

The entrance the Black Sea.

Saudi Prince Abdul Aziz pops in for a visit.