In the northwestern corner of New Zealand’s South Island, the Abel Tasman Coast Track unfolds as a trail of exceptional beauty. Spanning approximately 60 kilometers, this coastal journey traverses Abel Tasman National Park, revealing golden beaches, turquoise waters, and lush vegetation that create a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. The Abel Tasman Coast Track […]
Antonio García
An elusive and curious traveler who writes about tourism, travel, nature, technology and whatever else comes his way. Currently climbing Everest with a satellite phone for connection with the rest of the world.
Posted inGeography
The Colossal Underground Tunnels Shielding Tokyo from Floods at 164 Feet Deep
In a country like Japan, where torrential rains and typhoons are recurring phenomena, water management becomes a vital necessity. In response to the persistent flooding problems in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the Japanese government undertook the construction of one of the world’s most impressive hydraulic infrastructures: the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (MAOUDC), known […]
Posted inAncient Rome
The Tower of the Scipios, the Best-Preserved Roman Funerary Monument in Hispania
Six kilometers from Tarragona (roman Tarraco in Catalonia, Spain), next to the ancient Via Augusta, stands a stone monument that was misinterpreted for a long time: the Tower of the Scipios. The tower’s name comes from the mistaken belief that the Scipios, famous for their campaigns in the Second Punic War, had been buried here […]
Posted inScience
The Prodigious Plant That Can See and Simultaneously Mimic the Leaves of Surrounding Species Without Physical Contact
In the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina, a vine challenges everything we think we know about the plant world. This is Boquila trifoliata (or trifoliolata), popularly known as the South American vine, an extraordinary plant with an unprecedented ability: the capacity to mimic the leaves of other species around it. Nicknamed the chameleon vine, […]
Posted inAntiquity, Prehistory
The Imposing Rock-Cut Tombs and the Anaktoron Palace of Pantalica: The Mycenaean Connection of Sicily
In the heart of the island of Sicily, surrounded by the natural majesty of the Anapo Valley, lies one of the most significant archaeological sites of prehistoric Europe: the Pantalica necropolis. From its origins in the Bronze Age to its abandonment during the Greek domination, Pantalica preserves in its rocky walls, its excavated tombs, and […]
Posted inScience
The Heslington Brain: A Remarkably Well-Preserved 2,600-Year-Old Human Brain Found in a Pit
In 2008, during an archaeological excavation on the grounds where a new campus for the University of York was to be built, an unexpected discovery astonished the scientific community. A human skull, buried in a pit in Heslington, Yorkshire, contained within it a surprisingly well-preserved brain, despite having spent 2,600 years underground. This find, carried […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Maes Titianus, the Merchant Who Organized the First Roman Expedition to China
Trade has been, since time immemorial, one of the main driving forces behind contact between civilizations. In this context, the Silk Road played a crucial role in connecting the Mediterranean world with the Far East. Among the many figures who contributed to this exchange, one of the earliest was Maes Titianus. This Macedonian merchant, of […]
Posted inArt, Prehistory
The Enigmatic Prehistoric Stone Monuments: Menhirs, Dolmens, Cromlechs, Alignments – What Are They and How Do They Differ?
Since time immemorial, megaliths have fascinated archaeologists, historians, and travelers alike. These enormous stone structures, erected by prehistoric cultures, have withstood the passage of time and continue to raise questions: How were they built? What purpose did they serve? And most importantly, what significance did they hold for those who constructed them? There are many […]
Posted inAntiquity, Geography
Marinus of Tyre, the First Geographer to Include China in Roman Maps and Invent the Term “Antarctic”
At a time when knowledge of the world was fragmented and based on travelers’ and merchants’ accounts, one man set out to organize the information and give it a scientific approach. His name was Marinus of Tyre, a Greek geographer, cartographer, and mathematician of the 2nd century AD, whose work laid the foundations of modern […]
Posted inAncient Egypt, Culture
The “Instructions of Amenemhat”, the First and Only Pharaoh Assassinated by a Conspiracy in the Royal Harem
The Instructions of Amenemhat, also known as The Teaching of King Amenemhat I to His Son Senusret, is a literary work from ancient Egypt that belongs to the sebayt genre, characterized by the transmission of teachings and moral advice. This poem, written during the Middle Kingdom, takes the form of a dramatic monologue in which […]
