UNESCO - Lili on the Loose

17 02, 2016

30 at 30: Best Experiences So Far

By Lili|February 17th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories|Tags: Abu Simbel, Africa, Anaheim, Antigua, Asia, Aswan, Bath, Belize, Belize Barrier Reef, Bent Pyramid, birthday, Bostan, California, camping, Canyon Ranch Spa, castle, Caye Caulker, Cenote, Central America, Champ de Elysee, Chino, chocolate, Christmas Market, CIE, Concert, concert photography, Costa Rica, Dahshur, Dashur, DC, Disneyland, Egypt, England, Epiphany Night, Europe, Ewok, fireworks, Florida, France, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Germany, golf carts, Great Britan, Guatemala, Harry Potter, haunted, Ik Kil, Ik Kill cenote, Ireland, Island of Adventure, Italy, Japan, Karnak, Lake Placid, Las Vegas, Latin America, lightsaber, Luxor, Massachusetts, memories, Mexico, Middle East, Munich, museum, Nagano Prefecture, Nevada, New York, North America, Orlando, Paris, photography, Playa Del Carmen, Pyramids, racing, Red Pyramid, reef, Rome, San Francisco, sharks, sheep, Sister Cities, snorkeling, Spa, St. John, Star Wars, Suwa, swimming, temples, The Vatican, Tokyo, tombs, tour, Trafalgar, Trajan's Column, travel experiences, trolly, Tucson, UK, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Universal Studios, USA, USVI, Vatican, Vatican City, Washington DC, white water rafting, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, yukata|1 Comment

Today is my birthday, and I've hit the "Big 3-0". I wanted to look back at 30 of my favorite travel memories in my life, in no particular order: Fulfilling my dream of going to Egypt, seeing so many amazing tombs and temples Sitting alone in the temples of Abu Simbel and Karnak Climbing into and on top of a pyramid Wandering the Christmas Markets of Munich Seeing the castles of Germany Taking a haunted trolly/walking tour of Boston graveyards. Seeing as many museums as I could in Washington, DC Swimming with sharks in Belize Racing golf-carts on Caye Caulker Making

8 02, 2016

Museum Monday: Laocoön and His Sons

By Lili|February 8th, 2016|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2005, All in the family 2005/2006, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Europe, Greek, Hadrian, Hellenistic, Italy, Laocoön, Laocoön and His Sons, Laocoön Group, Pliny the Elder, roman, Rome, statue, The Vatican, Trojan, Troy, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vatican City, Vatican Museum|0 Comments

I was lucky to have taken an entire class on Ancient Italian Art & Architecture the semester before I went to Italy. So when I turned a corner in the Vatican Museum and saw this statue I was very excited. This statue was re-discovered in 1506 but is thousands of years older. It is unknown if this was an original Hellenistic Greek Statue, or if it still dates from that period but is a copy based on a lost bronze version of the statue. It is so old that the famous ancient historian, Pliny the Elder, even referenced the statue on the

18 01, 2016

Travel Missteps: Don’t Look Under the Ledge

By Lili|January 18th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2010, 2013, beach, Belize, boat, California, Caribbean, Caye Caulker, Central America, fear, fish, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, grouper, island, Little Maho Bay, Maho, Mayan Encounter 2013, Mermaid, Michigan, ocean, paradise, snorkel, snorkeling, St. John, St. John 2010, The Little Mermaid, underwater photography, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, USVI, water|0 Comments

As a young child, my favorite movie was The Little Mermaid. I loved swimming and spent my childhood on the beaches of California and the Great Lakes of Michigan pretending to be a mermaid. On my first trip to St. John USVI, it was my first time snorkeling in years and I was excited to try out my new equipment and underwater camera. I swam out to a rocky outcropping near Little Maho Bay Beach and got a little snap happy as I hadn't expected the water to be so clear or to see so many fish so close to the

7 12, 2015

Travel Missteps: Terror on the High Seas

By Lili|December 7th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, Camel, Camels, Dream of Egypt, Dream Trip to Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, fear, fear of heights, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Giza, Middle East, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|1 Comment

They call camels the "Ships of the Desert" as they are the most resilient and efficient form of travel. I actually hadn't planned on riding a camel. I had been warned, "They spit! They bite!" And other travel bloggers noted that the gate of a camel is awkward and will make you walk funny for days after. But I got caught up in the mystique of the pyramids, and so happily joined my friend on a camel trek in the desert around the Great Pyramids of Giza. Plus it cost so little! Just 120 EGP (plus 10 EGP tip at

4 11, 2015

This Day in History: First Steps towards Tutankhamun’s Tomb

By Lili|November 4th, 2015|Categories: Currently Traveling, History, Travel|Tags: Africa, Cairo, Egypt, Luxor, Middle East, Tomb, Travel Thursday, Tutankhamun, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Valley of the Kings|0 Comments

Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon at the entrance of the tomb. 1922. “At last [I] have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; re-covered same for your arrival; congratulations.” Howard Carter's cable to Lord Carnarvon on November 5th, 1922. The day before, on November 4th, Carter's team found the first step of a sunken stairway and then on the 5th they reached the sealed doorway to the tomb. A few weeks later Carter and Carnarvon would open Tutankhamun's tomb and entrance the world with their findings. Today I'm sadly leaving Luxor to head back to

22 10, 2015

Sun Festival at Abu Simbel

By Lili|October 22nd, 2015|Categories: Events, History, Travel|Tags: Abu Simbel, Africa, Amun, Egypt, Middle East, Ptah, Ra, Rameses II, Ramses, Sun Festival, Travel Thursday, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|0 Comments

Today is Rameses II birthday! Each year on this day (and February 22nd, the day of his coronation) the morning light pierces into the dark chamber of his temple at Abu Simbel, shining on the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun. They are 3 out of 4 statues in the central chamber, the last one Ptah the God of Darkness, which remains in the shadows. Source Red more here. I'm excited to be heading to Abu Simbel during my trip to Egypt!

28 09, 2015

Travel Missteps: Wrong Exit

By Lili|September 28th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2005, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Europe, Italy, Rome, Sistine Chapel, swiss guard, tour guide exit, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vatican City, Vatican Museum, wrong|0 Comments

The Sistine Chapel - known for Michelangelo’s beautiful ceiling and the grand finale of most Vatican Museum tours. After craning my neck trying to take it all in, it was time to leave...except I went through the wrong exit. There are two ways to exit the Sistine Chapel. The main exit is to the left of the room as you enter. I’m told that this has a long walk back. The other exit is for licensed group tours only, and lets you out close to the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica saving you a long hike back and skipping an

3 08, 2015

Travel Missteps: Negotiating a Discount

By Lili|August 3rd, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2006, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Barter, Discount, Europe, Haggle, Italy, Leaning Tower, Pisa, shopping, Sister, Trafalger, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|0 Comments

Follow my blog with Bloglovin The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a gauntlet of gaudy souvenir hawkers and littered with people taking that same vacation snapshot. Neither of which is necessarily a bad thing. As long as you are aware of that going in, you’ll be fine. So after enjoying the lesser known Pisa Church and Baptistry my sister and I made our way out of the area when one of the many souvenir sellers called out to us, and his wares caught our eye. The Leaning Tower of Pisa He had fashion watches, jewelry, and knock off

2 07, 2015

Tips for Swimming with Sea Turtles

By Lili|July 2nd, 2015|Categories: Activities, Travel, Travel Tips|Tags: Belize, Belize Barrier Reef, Caribbean, Hawaii, Maui, Mayan Encounter 2013, North America, Sea Turtle, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, Tips, Travel Thursday, turtle, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, USVI|1 Comment

A turtle in Belize Sea Turtles are a majestic sight to see when snorkeling. I’ve had the opportunity to see and swim with turtles in Maui, HI, St. John USVI, and the Belize Barrier Reef. But too often swimmers or snorkelers get too close to Sea Turtles and inadvertently end up harassing them. Here are some tips when swimming with Sea Turtles to make sure the experience is good to everyone. Turtle Town Maui First it is important to note in many areas turtles are protected by law. You should not touch, attempt to feed, or

4 05, 2015

Travel Missteps: Yavin 4

By Lili|May 4th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: Central America, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Geek, Guatemala, Mayan Encounter 2013, Movie, Pyramid, Star Wars, Temple, Tikal, tour, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yavin 4|0 Comments

Its not often while traveling that you can really let your Geek Self out. But at the top of Temple IV in Tikal, Guatemala I had that opportunity to Geek Out with other Star Wars fans. You see, a very short scene from the original Star Wars (A New Hope) was shot at the top of this temple in Tikal to show the Millennium Falcon landing at the rebel base on the 4th moon of Yavin. Temples I, II, and III are seen off in the distance. Yavin 4 (Tikal) in Star Wars A New Hope I had