On July 8, at its 32nd session, UNESCO, (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) announced 27 new additions to the organization’s list of cultural and natural heritage sites. The meeting was held in Quebec City, Canada. UNESCO, a specialized agency formed in 1945, “seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.”
Here at TravelMuse, we love UNESCO World Heritage Sites! As a photo editor, if I am ever at a loss for finding pictures for certain countries or cities, I know I will always be able to find a picture of an UNESCO site that will make for an interesting picture and caption. If you plan to travel, it’s always a good idea to look into UNESCO sites near where you will be. You are sure to see sites that are both interesting and rich in history. The new sites are:
New UNESCO Cultural Sites:
Preah Vihear Temple (Cambodia)
Fujian Tulou (China)
Stari Grad Plain (Croatia)
Historic Centre of Camagüey (Cuba)
Fortifications of Vauban (France)
Armenian Monastic Ensembles in Iran (Iran)
Baha’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee (Israel)
Mantua and Sabbioneta (Italy)
The Mijikenda Kaya Forests (Kenya)
Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia)
Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús de Nazareno de Atotonilco (Mexico)
Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Mauritius)
Kuk Early Agricultural Site (Papua New Guinea)
San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano (San Marino)
Archaeological Site of Al-Hijr (Madâin Sâlih) (Saudi Arabia)
The Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area (Slovakia)
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Cultural Landscape (Switzerland and Italy)
Chief Roi Mata's Domain (Vanuatu)
Siemensstadt Housing, designed by architect Hugo Häring, is one the six Berlin Modernism Housing Estates that were chosen to be a UNESCO World Heritage site.
New UNESCO Natural Sites:
Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Canada)
Mount Sanqingshan National Park (China)
Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (France)
Surtsey (Iceland)
Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Monarch Butterfly biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona (Switzerland)
Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)
Added Extensions:
Historic centers of Berat and Gjirokastra (Albania)
Mountain Railways of India (India)
Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (Spain)
The Antonine Wall (United Kingdom)
This year, Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Saudi Arabia and Vanuatu, had sites inscribed on the World Heritage List for the first time. The addition of the 27 sites brings the number of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List up to 878. This includes 679 cultural site, 174 natural sites and 25 mixed sites in 145 countries.
Last night, I dropped in on an Afro-Brazilian dance class in my neighborhood, and what a trip! The room was hot, dark and the music—intoxicating. At home, reinvigorated by the samba beats, I couldn’t help thinking, “wouldn’t it be great to travel to Brazil to study dance?”
Dance travel programs often offer great deals, lodging, cultural excursions and multi-day, extensive dance classes. Some even include indigenous music classes. Here are a couple I found after a quick online search:
Discover Brazil’s six-night cultural vacation package in Salvador, Bahia includes accommodations, breakfast, two Afro-Brazilian classes, two Capoeira (a blend of acrobatics, martial arts and dance) classes and one Berimbau (a single-stringed, bow-like instrument) class, plus additional excursions. Prices start at $786 based on double occupancy.
The San Francisco-based dance company, Aguas de Bahia, is offering a two-week dance trip to Bahia from Aug. 4-19, 2008, where students can study either dance or percussion. Airfare is included; packages start at $2,800.
What are some of your experiences with dance or cultural education vacations? Can you recommend a good dance travel program to check out?
Anaheim/Orange County: Organic or Allergy-Friendly Restaurants
Posted by Donna M. Airoldi Jul 7, 2008
What could possibly be better than hanging out on a beautiful San Diego beach watching surfers duke it out to see who is top dog (literally)? If this sounds like a way to spend a lazy Saturday, then you should head down to the 3rd Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition—featured recently in our article about vacation activities for pets.
On Saturday, June 28, dogs of all sizes and breeds will wag their way down to Imperial Beach for a day of surfing that’s gone to the dogs. Last year, there were 47 competitors and more than 1,000 spectators at the event. This year, expect a much larger turnout as word has spread about these pups who can really hang 10 (or should I say 20). Last year’s event garnered major media coverage, as it’s the only surf competition for dogs in the United States. Here's a picture from the last year's event, courtesy of the Loews Coronado Bay Resort:
For a small entrance fee of $45, your pup could be the next King Kamehameha of the canine world. Think your dog could do better thanks to your own stellar surfing skills? Well, for an additional $5, you and Fido can enter the competition as a tandem team for the third and final heat of the day. A goodie bag will be given to all registered pooches, and an awards ceremony will be held at the end of the event to honor the first prize winners of each heat. Proceeds from the event will be donated.
If your dog’s not much of a water lover, there’s a plethora of things that you and your canine companion can enjoy together from the safety of the shore. Puppy portraits, doggy massages, goodie bags and food prepared by the talented chefs at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort are just a few of the things to keep you and you best friend entertained for the day. Think your pup is more stylish than surf savvy? Before the awards ceremony, there will be a fashion show featuring the best of dog couture by Lucky Dog Boutique.
The festivities kick off at 9:30 a.m. when the Coronado Surf Academy offers lessons and pointers for newbie doggy surfers. If you plan to be solely a spectator, arrive by 11 to see the puppies 40 pounds and under kick off the first part of the competition. For non-competitors, admission is free. Visit Loews Surf Dog Blogspot for more information and directions on how to get in on all the fun.
May 21-28 we spent a week at the Melia Cabo Real in beautiful Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of Baja California Sur. The resort had everything we could ask for: excellent food, beautiful rooms, great service, stunning pool, and plenty of cold jugo de piña (pineapple juice) for the kids and draft Corona for the grown ups. If you have kids and are looking for the perfect family vacation spot, this is it. There’s a kids club open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., that also has an evening activity planned each night.
We left the resort only a few times, and would have been fine not leaving at all, but wanted to explore the destination a little. We booked the dolphin encounter, which was a big hit with the parents but not super popular with our sons, Owen and Wyatt. It was a windy day, and the dolphin tank was quite cold. I think the boys are smiling like this because they’re glad it’s over. 
One morning we took a glass-bottom boat from the harbor out to El Arco (the arch) and Lover’s Beach. This iconic stretch of sand sits is at the very tip of Baja and straddles the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. It’s kind of an adventure to get to since there’s no dock—you literally jump off the boat at the surf break and run up on to the beach.
On another evening, we had dinner at The Office on the Beach[The Office on the Beach|http://www.theofficeonthebeach.com/]. The restaurant was great and the view of the bay and the arch amazing, but that stretch of Cabo is like stepping onto the set of MTV Spring Break, which made me appreciate even more where we were staying.
Our last excursion was a quick snorkeling trip in Chileno Bay—tons of fish and great water clarity. As good as anything we’ve seen in the Caribbean or Hawaii.
We were all a little misty-eyed to leave the Melia but we will be back!
