The World Through My Eyes !

David Min Some of my best shots from my travels around the world.

[globetrotter2000]

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The Burj Al Arab by David Min Via Flickr: The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the third tallest hotel in the world (although 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space). Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m from Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a ship. It has a helipad near the roof at a height of 210 m above ground. The beachfront area where Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach. The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land 280 meters offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tanks, known locally as Kazzans on the site. The old name persisted after the old Hotel was demolished in 1997. Dubai Chicago Beach Hotel remained as the Public Project Name for the construction phase of Burj Al Arab Hotel until Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the new name.

[globetrotter2000]

Tsagaan Suvarga, Mongolia - White Stupa by David Min Via Flickr: The scarp of Tsagaan Suvarga is located in Ulziit soum of Dundgovi province. It is interesting to see the sheer slope, facing east, which from a distance seems to be the ruins of the ancient city. The cliff is 30 meters high and 100 meters wide. Over thousands of years the wind has created this amazing structure. It is sheer slope and was an old seabed with sedimentary structure created by millions years and the different colors of the ground represent different times. The formation is over 50m in its highest point and continues 400m. There is 2 famous sites for explore. First one is a interesting cave which is 70 m long Khevtee Bosoo agui (Lie and Stand Cave) and not so far from the site. Second option is exploring Del uul (Back Mountain) for seeing rock drawings of Bronze Age. This is considered to be largest site of Rock drawings in Central Asia.

[globetrotter2000]

New York, USA - Yankee Stadium by David Min Via Flickr: Yankee Stadium is a stadium located in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. It serves as the home ballpark for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB), and is also the home park for New York City FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). The $2.3 billion stadium, built with $1.2 billion in public subsidies, replaced the original Yankee Stadium in 2009. It is located one block north of the original, on the 24-acre (9.7 ha) former site of Macombs Dam Park; the 8-acre (3.2 ha) site of the original stadium is now a public park called Heritage Field. The stadium incorporates replicas of some design elements from the original Yankee Stadium, and like its predecessor, it has hosted additional events, including college football games, soccer matches, two outdoor NHL games, and concerts. Although Yankee Stadium's construction began in August 2006, the project spanned many years and faced many controversies, including the high public cost and the loss of public parkland. The overall price tag makes the new Yankee Stadium the most expensive stadium ever built.

[globetrotter2000]

MacDonnell Ranges, Australia - Glen Helen Gorge by David Min Via Flickr: The West MacDonnell Ranges part briefly at Glen Helen Gorge, to make way for the Finke River. The ranges are of pacoota sandstone and form steep, broken ridges and it is here that the permanent Finke River waterhole is an important refuge in the hot summer months. It provides shelter for all nine species of fish recorded for the Finke and is an important stopover for waterbirds migrating along its course. The Finke River continues and makes its way to the Simpson Desert. Glen Helen Gorge is a great place to view the ranges and nearby Glen Helen Resort offers accommodation and meals.

[globetrotter2000]

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Dubai Marina by David Min Via Flickr: Dubai Marina is a district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city, built along a two-mile (3 km) stretch of Persian Gulf shoreline. When the entire development is complete, it will accommodate more than 120,000 people in residential towers and villas. It is located on Interchange 5 between Jebel Ali Port and the area which hosts Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, and the American University in Dubai. The first phase of this project has been completed. Dubai Marina was inspired by the Concord Pacific Place development along False Creek in Vancouver, BC, Canada. There have been many instances of marine wildlife (especially whales and sharks) entering the marina, because of its proximity to the open sea.

[globetrotter2000]

Paris, France - Eiffel Tower Miniature by David Min Via Flickr: The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Constructed from 1887–89 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015. The tower is 324 metres tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris. Its base is square, measuring 125 metres on each side. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930. Due to the addition of a broadcasting aerial at the top of the tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 metres. Excluding transmitters, the Eiffel Tower is the second-tallest structure in France after the Millau Viaduct. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground – the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift (elevator) to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the climb from the first level to the second. Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually accessible only by lift.

[globetrotter2000]

Catania, Italy - Mount Etna @Happy New Year by David Min Via Flickr: Happy New Year to all my Flickr friends ! Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. It is the highest active volcano in Europe outside the Caucasus. It is currently 3,329 m high, though this varies with summit eruptions. It is the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 with a basal circumference of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. Only Mount Teide in Tenerife (owned by Spain) surpasses it in the whole of the European–North-African region west of the Black Sea. In Greek Mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under this mountain by Zeus, the god of the sky and thunder and king of gods, and the forges of Hephaestus were said to also be located underneath it. Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations. In June 2013, it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

[globetrotter2000]

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque by David Min Via Flickr: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The largest mosque in the country, it is the key place of worship for Friday gathering and Eid prayers. During Eid it may be visited by more than 41,000 people. The Grand Mosque was constructed between 1996 and 2007. It was designed by Syrian architect Yousef Abdelky. The building complex measures approximately 290 m by 420 m, covering an area of more than 12 hectares, excluding exterior landscaping and vehicle parking. The project was launched by the late president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to establish a structure that would unite the cultural diversity of the Islamic world with the historical and modern values of architecture and art. His final resting place is located on the grounds adjacent to the complex. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) offices are located in the west minarets. SZGMC manages the day-to-day operations and serves as a center of learning and discovery through its educational cultural activities and visitor programs. The library, located in the northeast minaret, serves the community with classic books and publications addressing a range of Islamic subjects: sciences, civilization, calligraphy, the arts, and coins, including some rare publications dating back more than 200 years. The collection comprises material in a broad range of languages, including Arabic, English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Korean. For two years running it was voted the world's second favourite landmark by TripAdvisor.

[globetrotter2000]

IMG_0819-Modifier by David Min Via Flickr: The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m and a roof height (excluding antenna) of 828 m, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest structure in the world since topping out in late 2008. Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed five years later in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centrepiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to construct the building is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was originally named Burj Dubai but was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records, including its designation as the tallest tower in the world. Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, then of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), whose firm designed the Willis Tower and One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. The design is derived from the Islamic architecture of the region, such as in the Great Mosque of Samarra. The Y-shaped tripartite floor geometry is designed to optimize residential and hotel space. A buttressed central core and wings are used to support the height of the building. Although this design was derived from Tower Palace III, the Burj Khalifa’s central core houses all vertical transportation with the exception of egress stairs within each of the wings. The structure also features a cladding system which is designed to withstand Dubai's hot summer temperatures. It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators. Critical reception to Burj Khalifa has been generally positive, and the building has received many awards. There have been complaints concerning migrant workers from South Asia who were the primary building labor force. These center on free market wages deemed by third parties to be insufficient.[11][citation needed] Several instances of suicides have been reported, which is not uncommon for migrant construction workers in Dubai.

[globetrotter2000]

Guadeloupe, France - Sugar Loaf @Islands of the Saints by David Min Via Flickr: Islands of the Saints, also known as Les Saintes, is a small archipelago of the French Antilles located to the south of Basse-Terre Island, west of Marie-Galante and north of Dominica. It is a dependency of Guadeloupe, which, in turn, is an overseas department and region of France. Pain de Sucre (sugar loaf) is a little mountain located on Terre-de-Haut Island on the archipelago of Îles des Saintes with the height of 53 metres. It is a peninsula between two beaches called Petite Anse du Pain de sucre and Anse Devant. Pain de Sucre is constituated by an alignment of basalt columns plunging into the blue waters of the bay of les Saintes. The organ pipes of this mountain are a spectacular geologic curiosity and a famous tourist spot of the archipelago.

[globetrotter2000]

NYC, United States - Manhattan Bridge by David Min Via Flickr: The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is 448 m long, with the suspension cables being 983 m long. The bridge's total length is 2,089 m. This is one of four toll-free bridges spanning the East River; the other three are the Queensboro, Williamsburg, and Brooklyn Bridges. The bridge opened to traffic on December 31, 1909. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff, and is noted for its innovative design. As the first suspension bridge to employ Josef Melan's deflection theory for the stiffening of its deck, it is considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges and this design served as the model for many of the long-span suspension bridges built in the first half of the twentieth century. The Manhattan Bridge was also the first suspension bridge to utilize a Warren truss in its design.

[globetrotter2000]

Agra, India - Taj Mahal by David Min Via Flickr: The Taj Mahal ultimately from Arabic, "crown of palaces" is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

[globetrotter2000]

Salvador de Bahia, Brazil - Largo do Pelourinho by David Min Via Flickr: Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. With a charming Old Town, a vibrant musical scene and popular Carnival celebrations, it is considered one of the birthplaces of Brazilian culture. A 100m cliff runs along the entire bayshore, dividing the city into Cidade Alta, up on the cliff, and the Cidade Baixa down by the bay. The former features Pelourinho, the old city center that packs historical sites, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars, hostels, artisanal shops, and music/dance/capoeira academies into a convenient, albeit tourist-swarmed, set of winding cobblestone streets. The latter features a commercial center with lots of bus traffic coming in from all over Salvador.

[globetrotter2000]

Orkhon valley, Mongolia - Horse Rider by David Min Via Flickr: Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape sprawls along the banks of the Orkhon River in Central Mongolia, some 320 km west from the capital Ulaanbaatar. It was inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as representing evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia.

[globetrotter2000]

Ushuaia, Argentina - Sea Lions & Cormorants by David Min Via Flickr: Ushuaia, at the southern extreme of Patagonia, offers tourist resources that are quite unique in the world. A land of legends that many audacious spirits in the world have dreamt of visiting, and a land rather barren, inhabited only by those who have accepted the challenge of loneliness, their only company being nature at its best! Located on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. The city of Ushuaia is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Islands of the South Atlantic Province. It was founded on October 12, 1884, and the meaning of its name in Yámana language is "bay that penetrates towards the west." It is surrounded by the mountain range Martial that offers a unique combination of mountains, sea, glaciers, lakes and forests, overlooking the Beagle Canal, in the South end of the continent. There you are only 625 miles away of the Antarctic peninsula and 1900 Miles south from the city of Buenos Aires. Catamaran trips will take you around the Beagle channel and give you nice views of the mountains, cormorants, sea lions and penguins.

[globetrotter2000]

Khongoryn Els, Mongolia - Singing Sands by David Min Via Flickr: Khongoryn Els also called Duut Mankhan is popularly known as the "Singing Sands". It lies within the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in Mongolia. The sand dunes extend to over 965 square kilometres area. The dunes extending up to the foot of the high Altai Mountains range, lie about 180 kilometres from Dalanzadgad. It is at a distance of 130 kilometres along the desert tracks to Bogd in Ãvörkhangai in the north, and 215 kilometres to Bayanlig on the northwest in Bayankhongor. Travel through the desert is either by camel rides or by jeeps with drivers who are knowledgeable about the desert. Mongolia has three types of deserts, and some of it has enough grass for livestock to graze, but the Khongoryn Els, in the extreme south of the Gobi Desert, has a huge range of sand dunes â 6â12 kilometres wide, 100 kilometres long (180 kilometres is also mentioned and rising to a height of 80 metres (a maximum height to the apex can be 300 metres). They are similar to the dunes of Egypt. The sands have attractive curves which end in a sharp edge, making wave like patterns on the sand. They continually change shape due to wind and reflect yellow-white colours as the intensity of light changes during the day. As the sand is moved due to winds or is in the process of collapse due to small avalanches, a strong sound is made giving it the name "Singing Sands." A French team has explained this phenomenon as due to a thin surface coating of slate over the sand grains which causes the sand to make a resonant sound. The sound is also attributed to heat, the weather conditions in the desert and to the avalanche effect caused by the sand particles moving harmoniously. This sound is also compared to the sound made by an aircraft during take-off and landing stages. Its length and width vary. The largest of these dunes is found in the northwestern end of the range. The northern border of the dunes is skirted by a small river, the Khonggoryn Gol, where green pastures are noted. The river is sourced by subterranean flows from the mountains forming its valley. Grazing by camels and horses of the nomadic population of the area is noted. The wildlife recorded consist of Saker falcons, Pallas's sandgrouse and Saxaul sparrow, Corsac fox or red fox.

[globetrotter2000]

Petra, Jordan by David Min Via Flickr: Petra, the fabled "rose red city, half as old as time", is a well known ancient Nabataean city in the south of Jordan. Due to its breathtaking grandeur and fabulous ruins, Petra was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.