Gray Line Wanderings Travel Blog

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Every good traveler needs to expand their vocabulary every once and a while. Whether it’s learning a few phrases of a foreign language or mastering a local dialect in your own language, expanding your vocabulary is generally a very good thing.

I recently expanded my vocabulary to include the word funicular. A cable railway where a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other. Plus it offers great bragging rights to those who ride one.

Implemented throughout the world where steep inclines make transportation difficult, the funicular comes to the rescue.

Have you ridden a funicular? Have you encountered any other interesting modes of transportation with names as fun as funicular? (Click here if you can’t see Facebook comments: Funicular Friday Blog Post)

Cloudy Sunset in Cabo Polonio, Uruguay - Photo by Author

Sometimes you just have to run away to the nearest beach. You know, get away from it all.

One of the best places in South America to do this is Cabo Polonio, Uruguay.

This bohemian, come-as-you-are hippy town is famous for it’s lack of electricity and subsequent amazing star gazing. During my recent vacation to Uruguay, I decided it was finally time for me to check this place out.

Located on a rocky point surrounded by Cabo Polonio National Park, this is not your average vacation destination.

The only way to get here is to take one of the 4 x 4 shuttles that run hourly through the sand dunes. I recommend sitting up front.

My ride

Wooohooo!

Cabo Polonio is simply amazing. Travelers come from all around South America to rent a rustic cabin on these special shores. The most common activity is relaxing, closely followed by beach exploring, sitting amongst candle light and playing the guitar.

Fishing Boats + The Sea = Lucky Me

Lighthouse, Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

When was the last time you got away from it all? Tell us your story in the comments below. (Click here if you can’t see the Facebook Comments below)

Sunset in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Hold on to your hat, because I’m about to make a bold statement. ‘Costa Rica is home to the best sunsets in the world’. Don’t believe me? Well then check out these pictures I snapped on my last trip to Costa Rica.

To preface, my friend and I had just wrapped up an invigorating day of hiking and monkey-spotting in Manuel Antonio National Park. We decided to make our way over to the public beach in the heart of Manuel Antonio, with a cold Imperial (or 2) in hand, to catch the sunset. In my 33 years on Earth, and some 12,093 sunsets, this still goes down as one of the most awe-inspiring acts of nature that I’ve ever seen. We were so mesmerized that we stood on the beach, watching the evening surfers carry their boards in and out of the water under the purple sky, for over 2 hours.

Sunburned and Satisfied

Next time you’re in Costa Rica, allow Gray Line to show you around this amazing country.  Visit Tabacon Hot Springs in Arenal, zip line through the Monteverde Cloud Forest, or go white water rafting in Guanacaste.  The things to do in Costa Rica are as endless as the horizon!

Where do you think the best sunsets in the world are found? Share in the comments below! (click here if you can’t see Facebook comments)

“Sonja wake up, we’re going to be late!” Jory violently shook me from the best sleep I’d had since I arrived in India four days prior…

It was 5:30 am and we had one hour if we were lucky, to get through the gates to watch the sun rise behind the Taj Mahal. Everyone had expressed to us that this was the only way to experience it. They would swoon saying, “the lighting… THE LIGHTING!” I quickly threw some cold water on my face, collected my things, and ran out the door.

“Hola, Hola, Coca Cola!” greeted Omar, the rickshaw driver we had commissioned the day before. Amazed by his enthusiasm at such an early hour, we climbed in and relayed our desperate situation. The spicy, sweaty, floral scent of Agra attacked our senses as we flew through the eerily silent city. Dawn began to break and a sense of panic started to seep in, “what if we miss it?!”

Once we arrived we quickly bought our tickets, fought off beggars, peddlers, and even monkeys – only to discover we were not the only ones to have this stroke of genius. The line moved slowly as the horizon began to lighten. After being searched by four different guards, a precaution taken in thanks to the attacks in Mumbai a few months prior, we finally crossed the gates as the sun kissed the sky. There she stood white marble veiled in a pale pink glow, blushing, as if someone had drawn the curtains too soon. The water in the pool guiding you to the entrance blinked as the light hit the surface. We stood in awe, and being a hopeless romantic, I began to tear up, not only because of its striking beauty but because it was built as a monument of love. After a moment of standing in silence I looked over at Jory and was relieved to see that she was just as moved by the experience as I was.

“They were right” she whispered.

I smiled and responded “the lighting…!”

What travel experiences have you had where timing really was everything? Share with us in the comments below! (if you’re having trouble viewing Facebook comments, click here)

Midnight Sun | Iceland from SCIENTIFANTASTIC on Vimeo.

And why would you ever want to go there? Simply click on the four-minute movie above for your answer. If this video doesn’t make you want to instantly look up flights to Iceland, then check your pulse. Filmed during a period of 24 hours of sunlight, a.k.a. Midnight Sun, SCIENTIFANTASTIC captures exceptional images of black volcanic beaches, heaving geysers, ice blue lagoons and ever-moving glaciers. A visible organic wildness flows throughout this ferocious island’s scenery and geological forces ensure that this unruly terrain will always be ever-changing.

Main point: Iceland looks like the coolest place on earth (That’s my one and only cheesy ‘ice’ pun, promise).

By now you’re probably thinking “This place looks amazing, but when will I ever have a chance to go to Iceland?” How about on your next transatlantic flight? Icelandic Air offers competitive rates for flights between Europe and North America with options for stopovers or layovers in Reykjavik. For budget flights between Europe and Iceland, check out Iceland Express. Even if you just have several hours in Iceland, many tour companies offer transportation to or from the international airport.

When to go: Summer, specifically June through August. While there are things to do in Iceland all year-round, some tours and attractions are only available during the summer months for logistical reasons. The downside is that everyone else goes during this time and prices are higher.

What to see: The Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik, Northern Lights and much more depending on the length of your itinerary.

What to pack: Warm clothes and your camera. Weather can change rapidly in Iceland, so pack smart!