World's Best Places to Visit

This week one of my biggest dreams came true. I have a thing for visiting off-the-beaten-track destinations.  This doesn’t mean I am interested to only visit destinations at the end of the world.  There are some places that, for some reason, do not get the deserved attention.  And, oh boy, how do I like to visit those places!! For some time, I have wanted to visit the Channel Islands National Park.  Five islands off the Southern California coast form this park.  Even though the closest island is only 11 miles from the shore, this is an undeveloped place reminiscent of what the mainland used to look thousands of years ago. Only 30,000 visitors set foot on these dreamy islands. The surprising thing is that the islands shelter more than 2,000 species of plant and animals.  That is on par with the Galapagos!! I visited Anacapa Island (the closest to the mainland).  Well, I didn’t set foot on it.  Our excursion cruised around the island (the company offering the cruise calls it a Seafar...

I have to confess that I messed up. I had a different post planned for today but forgot to remove it from the computer I was working on. Well, that is fine because now I can talk about my favorite country in Central America. What is my favorite country in Central America? Guatemala, of course. And today is the turn of magnificent Antigua, the third capital of Guatemala (they say third is the charm, right?). The city is famous because of its spectacularly preserved colonial ruins. It is also prominent thanks to the intricate Lent ceremonies celebrated each year. Elaborate carpets made of sawdust and flowers embellish the processions’ paths. The city’s Baroque architecture has won it the honor to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (Trivia: Which are the two other Guatemalan sites included in the World Heritage list?) Boy walking by the street Beautiful houses lining the street Unfortunately, I spent only one day at La Antigua. My dream is to go back, stay there a couple of...