Category: Travel

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.” – Genesis 1:9

Sometimes I go places not knowing what to expect, and sometimes I go places thinking I know exactly what you will see. I thought the latter about Canyonlands. I was so surprised to find this beautiful wilderness of rock unlike anything I thought I would see! I imagined a miniature Grand Canyon. But not so! Canyonlands has a beauty and personality all its own!

Canyonlands is so close to Arches National Park that we chose to visit both in one day, and it was totally doable. A short drive, less than an hour, and we were in the park taking in the beautiful sites below!

“Shafer Canyon”

“Grand View Pt. Overlook”

“Green River Overlook”

“Orange Cliffs Overlook”

 “Buck’s Canyon”

“Candlestick Tower”

“Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.”- Job 37:14

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” – Isaiah 2:2

Arches National Park is located in eastern Utah near the town of Moab. This park is famous for its more than 2,000 arches, but it also has pinnacles and other massive sandstone formations. The majority of the rocks are affected by weathering and wind resulting in the arches and other structures.

Despite the coronavirus, Arches NP was very busy from the entrance station to the various scenic spots in the park. Our first stop was a pullout where we could see the “Balancing Rock.” It was off in the distance, and later we would be much closer.

“Balancing Rock”

“Delicate Arch”

Our next stop was our first arch of the day. It is known as “Delicate Arch.” Like many of the arches, there was a trail leading to it that we could walk. There were actually three trails, two that were on one side of the arch and the third that took you to the opposite side of the arch.The third trail was much more strenuous than the one that we took to view the arch. The view was beautiful!

As we drove along, we came upon the “Fiery Furnace.” This was a really interesting rock formation, and with a bit of an imagination, it was easy to imagine the three Hebrew children being delivered by the Lord.

“Fiery Furnace”

None of these rock formations are within walking distance. This is definitely a “car park.” There are usually trails that lead to the arches. Our next stop was the “Broken Arch.” This is one we chose to view from a distance. There was a trail, but we only walked about halfway down it. The notch in the center of the arch is the “broken” part.

 “Broken Arch”

Skyline Arch is clearly visible from the road, but it had a nice trail leading up to it.

“Skyline Arch”

As we drove to the next group of arches, we passed the “Parade of Elephants.” You can almost “see” the elephants in your mind’s eye as drive by.

“Parade of Elephants”

This next group of arches involved more hiking than any of the previous arches we visited. There was a circular paved path that had several steps to climb to reach three arches. The first was Turret Arch. From this arch, you could peer through it and see the double arches, the North and South Windows. We hiked over to these as well, sitting beneath the North Window Arch for a short rest before hiking back down the hill.

“Turret Arch”

“North and South Windows”

Before finishing our 36-mile round trip drive, we chose to stop at a few other sites on the way out. Here are a few other photographs of sites we visited.

  “Garden of Eden”

“Sheep Rock”

“Petrified Dunes”

“Sand Dune Arch”

Would I recommend Arches National Park? Absolutely! God’s majesty is undeniable in the arches and other formations, and with a Biblical worldview perspective the splendor of His creation is astonishing!

“And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.” Isaiah 66:19

Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands located just 200 miles off the coast of Africa. Landscaped by volcanic activity, Tenerife is home to Mt. Teide, Spain’s highest peak at 12,300 feet with a caldera that is 29 miles across. Dormant since 1909, Mt. Teide is the world’s third tallest volcano, after Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Mt. Teide National Park is covered with spectacular volcanic rock formations, large fields of obsidian shimmering in the sunlight, and breathtaking lava flows.

(Mt. Teide)

(Rock formations)

(Obsidian)

(Lava flows)

According to mythology, just beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar), one could find the remnants of the ancient city of Atlantis whose survivors were known as the Guanches. Tenerife was believed be the Garden of Hesperides where Hercules killed a 100-head dragon, known as a radon, which guarded the island. This dragon’s blood seeped into the soil and turned into the dragon tree. Today, these trees are found throughout the island, and its sap is bright red. It’s massive trunk supports the twisted branches that resemble the numerous heads of the dragon.

(dragon tree)

(botanical orchid gardens)

Five interesting facts about Tenerife:

1. Volleyball is one of Tenerife’s most successful sports.
2. The Guanches were actually a tall, red-haired people who migrated to Tenerife from southern France.They were conquered by the Spanish in the 15th century.
3. Columbus actually was not permitted to land on this island for supplies in 1492 because the Guanches didn’t like his appearance. Apparently, their bearded European look was too similar to the Guanches themselves!
4. Witchdoctors are prevalent here with modern medicine mixing with traditional practices that include prayer, plants and other “witchery” to cure diseases.
5. Sadly, Tenerife is often remembered for a horrific airplane accident involving two large jets in the late 1970s.

(Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, clock tower, opera house with curved roof)

(Puerto de la Cruz)

Rabat is the capital city of Morocco. Like the country, it is an African, Arabic (ethnicity), and Islamic (religion) city where 50% of the population is Berber, and 50% is Arabic. While Morocco is considered a tolerant country regarding other religions, 99.9% of its population is Sunni Moslem.

Every town must meet five requirements in order to be classified a city. The town must have a mosque, a Koranic school for ages 4-6, a public bath, a shop for fresh produce, and a bakery.

As we drove to Rabat from the port (1.5 hours), we saw the minarets of many mosques, fields with sheep and goats, apartment buildings and areas with makeshift housing. The old city of Rabat is separated from the new city of Rabat by a river, and the old city has a wall around it.

In Rabat, we saw the king’s palace, the mosque and mausoleum of a former king, and part of the old city of Rabat where we stopped for refreshments and a little shopping.

Five interesting things about Morocco

1. Funerals are only attended by the men.
2. Moslems receive points throughout their lifetime, and it is the number of points that will determine if they go to paradise after death. Points can be accrued for doing good deeds (as stated in the Koran). For example, a man can receive 27 points for praying in the mosque, but only one point for praying at home.
3. Devout Moslems must travel to Mecca once in the lifetime, but Saudi Arabia determines how many Moslems from each country may come to Mecca annually.
4. According to the Koran, men can have up to 4 wives, but a woman can have up to 10 men.
5. If a woman has multiple husbands and becomes pregnant, she chooses which husband will be the father of the child.

(Mausoleum clockwise from top-left: mausoleum, guard on horseback, unfinished minaret and foundational columns of destroyed mosque, current mosque on site, tomb inside the mausoleum)

(Royal palace)

(From top-left: souk, city wall, pastries, mint tea, old city-foreground & new city-background, view of new city across river from old city)

(Hassan II mosque in Casablanca – biggest mosque in Africa, able to accommodate 30,000 worshippers at one time; at night, the green beam points toward Mecca, Saudi Arabia)

(Moroccan beaches)

Malaga started out very promising. No rain, but a very cool breeze. We started our tour early, heading to an overlook of the city. We could see the port and our ship quite clearly. Additionally, we could see the city’s bullfighting arena. The shoreline was beautiful!

(City overlook with bullfighting arena in foreground. Our ship can also be seen. It is the second one on the dock, pointing in a different direction than the other ships)

From there, we went to a city square that was near the home and school of Pablo Picasso. It happened to be across from the apartment home of Antonio Banderas, although we did not see him!

(Pablo and John)

As we strolled through the town, we saw the old Jewish quarter, the Picasso Museum, and the Church of St. Augustine. After that, we went to the Cathedral of Malaga. It was built between 1528 – 1782 on the site of an Islamic mosque. It was very similar to other cathedrals we have visited, including the golden inner domes, the religious paintings and sculptures, and stained glass windows.

(Malaga Cathedral)

(Cathedral art clockwise from top-left: beheading of Paul, anointing of Jesus’ feet, Ferdinand and Isabella praying to Mary, the annunciation)

From here, we walked to a Roman amphitheater and the Alcazaba, a Moorish fortress. The amphitheater is nestled at the foot of the fortress, and is the oldest monument in Malaga. It was built in the 1^st century AD by Emperor Augustus. Today, it is used for open-air performances.

(amphitheater)

The Alcazaba was built by the Arabic conquerors to ward off pirates in the 8^th century, and it served as a citadel for the conquering powers for more than 700 years. From the top of this fortress, we had a breathtaking view of the city and coastline.

(Alcazaba collage)

Malaga remained under Moorish rule until the 15^th century. It was here in Malaga that Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon united leading to the reconquest of Spain and the Moors’ surrender in 1492.

(Malaga beach)

Cartegena is located on the southern end of the Iberian peninsula, and it was founded by the Carthaginians in 228 BC. 20 years later, it was conquered by the Romans, who ruled until the Moors invaded and took control. In the 1500s, Christians conquered the Moors, and it has been under the Roman Catholic Church control since that time. Built in a natural bay with five hills surrounding it, it was a desired military site due to its protected harbor.

Five interesting facts about Cartegena

1. This is where Hannibal assembled his troops and elephants for his famous march across the Alps.
2. Bullfighting is against the law in Cartegena, but it is legal in Murcia, only 40 kms away, where 7 bulls are killed weekly in the games.
3. Graffiti is encouraged to show local talent. It is new each year and judged for its artistry.
4. Landowners are not allowed to build on their land if the government archaeologists find any historical artifacts on it during construction.
5. The town has numerous façades erected to keep maintain the appearance of the city, but the lots themselves remain vacant behind the due to their historical value.

(Town hall and bell tower)

(Roman ruins clockwise from top-left: temple of Isis, religious banquet room, Roman bath, fresco painting)

(Façade with scaffolding visible behind it, holding it up)

(Clockwise from top-left: city square, graffiti artwork, statue of Augustus, Cathedral of St. Mary)

Corsica is a French island located north of Sardinia with the Mediterranean Sea on its western coast and the Tyrrhenian Sea on the eastern shores. It is only about 56 miles from Italy and 110 miles southeast of France. Corsica is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Prunelli Gorge is an area carved by the Prunelli river through red granite rock. The cliffs formed by the erosion are filled with chestnut and pine trees whose brilliant fall colors were on majestic display! The chestnut tree is very important to the Corsicans. Flour is made from the nut, and its versatility is shown through the many different dishes that can be made using chestnut flour.

There is a fragrant chaparral known as macchia throughout the foothills of the forest, and long ago, Corsican bandits would seek refuge in the lush foliage traveling along paths known only to them. Today, the flowers of the chaparral produce extracts used in perfumes and aromatherapy scents. Plants such as myrtle, rosemary, thyme, and mint are also found throughout the island.

Corsican honey is very well known, and there are many varieties of it. Some honeys are quite bitter, but combine well with dark chocolate or coffee. The different types of honey depend upon the time of year and type of flowers the bees visit. Here in Corsica, bees are able to make honey all year long as the wildflowers continually bloom due to the Mediterranean climate.

We also visited Tolla Lake as we drove through the mountains.

Five interesting facts about Corsica:
1. Corsica is the birthplace of the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.
2. Corsica has one of only three tortoise protection centers in the world with more than 130 species of tortoises and turtles from around the world.
3. Chestnuts are used to make beer in Corsica.
4. Honey bee queens that are bred here can fetch as much as $10,000 each!
5. Paoli City in Pennsylvania is named for the “Father of Corsica.”

Katakolon, pronounced “kuh-TACK-uh-lawn,” is a seaside village on the Peloponnese peninsula. It is probably best known for being the gateway to the site of ancient Olympia, home of the Greek gods and the site of the first Olympic games.

Approximately 30 miles from Katakolon, Olympia is in the valley of the Alfios River, at the foot of Mt. Kronos. Here, the first Olympic games were recorded in 776 BC, and there was only one event… a 650-foot long footrace. As years passed, events like the javelin and discus throwing, wrestling, long jump, horse and chariot racing, and boxing were incorporated. The games were discontinued in the 4th century AD due to the rise of a Christian emperor who banned the competitions. It wasn’t until 1896 that the games were reinstituted in the Athens Olympic stadium.

(Clockwise from top-left: swimming pool, John in front of gymnasium, temple of Zeus, gymnasium, Roman bath, Phillippeion)

The archaeological site in Olympia is home to the Temple of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. Built between 470-45 BC, it once housed the majestic 42-ft high, 20-ft wide gold and ivory statue of Zeus.

The Temple of Hera, the queen of the gods, is also located here. It was built around 600 BC, and the Olympic torch is lit on the altar of Hera’s temple to herald in the games (below – temple is in the background, altar in the foreground

).

The original Olympic stadium track is approximately 192 meters x 29 meters. The stadium can accommodate approximately 45,000 spectators. There are no seats except for the a section in the grassy hillside for the judges. Others simply sat on the grass surrounding the stadium track.

(Below: top photo – stadium; middle photo – entrance to stadium; bottom photo; marble starting blocks in stadium0

Five interesting facts abut the Olympics
1. During July and August, the season of the Olympic games, a truce was called for an entire month between warring city-states to allow people to travel safely between their homes to Olympia (considered a neutral area) for the games.
2. When an Olympic winner returned to his hometown, he was usually given free meals for the rest of this life.
3. Others events at the Olympic games also included writing, poetry, and history readings.
4. The Olympic torch made its first appearance during the 1936 Olympics. It is not an ancient custom.
5. Nike was the goddess of speed, strength, and victory long before being associated with a running shoe.

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s.” 1 Corinthians 1:2

I was thinking of the apostle Paul during our trip to Corinth. It took about an hour or so for us to get to Corinth from Athens by bus, and I thought about how long it took Paul to travel there. To think that he probably walked nearly everywhere boggles the mind because the distances are so great. Even by boat, the trip would have been long. What great lengths he went to to get the gospel to people. I think of the Corinthians who struggled in their new faith, and how Paul must have loved them so much to invest not only his time into their lives, but his heart as well.

Paul came to Corinth on his way to Rome, and during his stay, he worked as a tent maker while he taught the Corinthians about Jesus. The Greeks already had a concept of god-mortal offspring as many mythological Greek god-human unions produced demi-god heroes such as Hercules and Achilles. They understood the concept of the resurrection also from examples such as the goddess Persephone who went to the underworld and then returned to the surface. However, they had no concept of a loving heavenly Father who sacrificed Jesus, His only Son, so that they could have their sins forgiven and receive eternal life! Paul hoped to change all that for them and give them true hope, something they could not ever acquire through their mythological gods and goddesses!

(Corinth Canal)

There were not any excursions into Corinth itself. The only tour that would take us near the city was a trip through the Corinth Canal. Just before heading to the boat for the trip, we stopped at a bridge spanning the canal. From here we could see the walls of the 19th century man-made canal and the passageway from the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea. Prior to the canal being built, ships had to sail around the Peloponnesian peninsula. At times, the canal closes due to the water level being too low from the winds, which are strong enough to alter the water currents. The ocean tides themselves only vary the depth of the canal by 60 cm at the most, so they don’t really impact the transit. The canal is about 4 miles in length, about 70 (bottom of water) to 80 feet wide (at the water’s surface), and a depth around 26 feet on average. It was dug at sea level, and it has no locks.

Here are some of our photos from the Corinth Canal.

(We stood on the same bridge you can see the people on in this photo.)

(This is the same kind of boat we rode as we made the transit.)

Layers of sedimentary rock, mainly sandstone and limestone, comprise the walls of the canal. The canal is in a seismically active area, and sometimes there are landslides in the canal, which can require closure for extended lengths of time.

(Our view as we sailed through the canal.)

Next stop: Katakolon, Greece

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” Psalm 100:1

Located along the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik is an ancient medieval walled city with sandstone buildings with red-tiled roofs, narrow cobblestone streets, and fortified ramparts. It is currently thought that this area was inhabited as early as the 9th century BCE.

Dubrovnik is a city that refuses to die. Nearly destroyed in 1667 by a devastating earthquake, the people of Dubrovnik rebuilt their city. Bombed mercilessly in the late 1990s during the Serbian-Croatian war, the city once again restored itself in an enchanting Baroque style, and today, Dubrovnik is a major tourist site for the region.

The entrance into the old town of Dubrovnik is through the Pile (pronounced “pee-lay”) gate, which has been designated as a World Heritage Site gateway. As you walk the marbled pedestrian walkways, you can see the 15th century Onofrio Fountain, which still yields cool, potable water for the weary traveler!

(clockwise from top-left: Entrance to Old Town Dubrovnik, Onofrio Fountain, Main walkway, Bell tower, Pile Gate)

The Franciscan monastery, the order established by St. Francis of Assisi, houses a library with over 30,000 books and 1,500 priceless documents. Its Old Pharmacy is still in operation, making it the world’s oldest working apothecary.

(clockwise from top: monastery gardens, colonnade, Monk Jayne)

The Regent’s Palace, the 1673 Dubrovnik cathedral, and the massive city walls are all impressive structures to explore. In fact, if you don’t mind climbing 300 steps, you can actually ascend a stairway to the top of the city wall, and then walk the top of the wall encircling the town!

(clockwise from top-left: Regents’ Palace, palace sculpture, treasury iron chest, metal sculptures)

We also visited Cavtat, a coastal village about 30 minutes from Dubrovnik. It is situated on a beautifully serene bay, where the water is crystal clear, and you can see fishes swimming around, even at the bottom of the bay!

Five Interesting Things about Dubrovnik
1. It is the setting for the hit television series “Game of Thrones.”
2. Although it is part of the EU, the kuna is the official currency, and the euro is not legal tender here.
3. More than 1,000 islands dot the coastal region of Croatia.
4. Croatia was once part of the country Yugoslavia, as was Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Slovenia.
5. Hrvatska is the actual name of the country; Croatia is the English language name.

Next stop: Corinth, Greece