johnsakura's VirtualTourist Home Page
| Page Views: 47,250 | Joao Leitao's Travel Page by johnsakura - last update: Aug 27, 2009 |
| Bicycle in Sahara Desert - Summer 2008 |
Welcome to my travel page here on Virtual Tourist
Thank you for visiting my Page.
As my hunger in traveling gets bigger and bigger also my need to know more about places in the world takes a step forward in my list of hobbies and interests. I found in VT the perfect place to search and share travel information. I've been using VT information on my travels before I actually go somewhere.
My destination pages are always under construction, so every time I can, I try to update them!
2009 TRAVEL LIST
January: Morocco
February: Morocco, Moroccan Western Sahara, Mauritania
March: Mauritania, Moroccan Western Sahara, Morocco
April: Morocco, Spain, Portugal
May: Portugal, Morocco, Spain, Germany, Poland, Ukraine
June: Ukraine, Poland
July: Ukraine, Moldova, Gagauzia, Transnistria
August: Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Iraq, Ukraine
September: Ukraine
October: ??
November: ??
December: ?? |
| Medeu and Shymbulak, Almaty, Kazakhstan 2004 |
My last page: Almaty in Southern Kazakhstan. After one year from my trip, I decided to start my page on this interesting spot in Central Asia. Its not yet completed but you can already check it out. You already have about 80 tips to get lost and check out cool photos from this city: My Almaty page
Intro on Almaty's page:
"Mountains, Marijuana fields & Mafia all together! Alma-Ata a.k.a. Almaty"
"...My decision about going to Kazakhstan was very strange and i didn't really think much about it. my plans for the summer 2004 were to go to south America and cross a few countries and fly back from Brazil to Portugal. I ended changing my 1 year plans and in one week i bought one way ticket to Almaty without knowing much about the country or its geography. Only after i actually realized this city was just +-40km away from Kyrgyzstan and about 250km from China.
I have to say that I was quite surprised with what I found in Almaty and i really enjoyed it very much.
In the other day on travel channel i was watching a show on Kazakhstan and they reported this city to be one of the most dangerous in the world??!! really?? well, i know about some dangers but I'm still here, and i also think that all the people going there and staying more than just a week will tell me that they feel the same as I did.
My arrival in Almaty was already full of mystery when i arrived during the night and i had a ride on a private 4wd with chauffeur from a danish man working in town. this way i had a first introduction to the city a bit different than the normal traveler coming all the way from the airport taking the horrible taxis and get ripped of or even kidnapped, left out on the mountains without passport money bags etc etc. I entered Kazakhstan in style hehe.
I stayed one full month in town and i started giving this art workshops for children in this Lutheran association. this was a very interesting experience to me as i am not Lutheran. i was really well received being an outsider from their church, religion, country and local costumes. i enjoyed every single moment i had interacting with children and giving them advices in how to expand their artistic thinking i guess. this association had as first goal to children the learning of English, almost all children had the basic knowledge of English language. i also participated on the summer children English seminar teaching them English with games and stuff, and i also made a workshop on their summer camp outside Almaty..."
|
Kingdom of Morocco Morocco is an amazing country. Its the most wonderful place I’ve ever been to and somewhere I will always go until no more roads and villages are left to be discovered by me. I love Morocco and all it has to offer, either you’re looking for high touristy places or lonely villages in the middle of the mountains this is the place to be.
I moved to Morocco in 2007. I live in the southern region of Sahara Desert in a town called Erfoud, 35kms from Erg Chebbi dunes, 50km from the Algerian border.
I backpacked first time to Morocco back in 2000 and since then I’ve visited the country more than 20 times. Ever little time I have spare from my work in Portugal I try to head South and enjoy great people, food, landscapes and of course the thrill of it all: The Sahara Desert which is quite special here, not by its greatness (although the biggest sand dune of North Africa is here located) but indeed for its special energy and relaxing ambiance.
I have the idea that usually many people search for cultural shock or cultural differences to enjoy the most of a trip and put on their mind to buy a faraway ticket somewhere thousands of kilometres away. No need. At least for me, Morocco stays precisely 520 kilometres (323 miles) from my city to the border of Bab Sebta. As the country’s already keeps records of being one of the most visited countries in all Africa, still many places need to be visited and apart from big cities and fancy touristy spots, there is a lot to be found and experienced.
I discovered that driving to Morocco is quite more easy than taking public transportation as the countries conditions are very much ok to enjoy a trip with your car without worries. This is the way you can take more advantage of the country and explore unexplored villages or mountains that usually Agencies or buses don’t go. This way you can also experience Moroccan extreme sense of good hosts and receive you with great hospitality, which you can but not as often find in big cities.
Great places to visit in Morocco are:
Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi Sahara Dunes
Marrakesh the Red Chaotic city
Bou Iblane Mountains and surrounding villages
Gorges du Todra and all villages after
Draa Valley and Tinfou Sand Dunes near Zagora
Ait Ben-Haddou Kasbah UNESCO village
Chefchaouen Blue painted city on the mountains
To visit my Moroccan page please click on the following link:
Kingdom of Morocco
One of my favoritre places in Morocco is the city of Marrakesh. To visit my Marrakesh page please click on the following link:
Marrakesh the Red City
|
| Esfahan night life, Islamic Republic of Iran, 2004 |
Some of my best pages: Islamic Republic of IranIran was the thrill of my last summer vacations and all places I visited and people I met will stay in my mind for a long time. This country rich in cultural history lacks of tourism as it is wonderful to explore and get astonished by its wonderful landscapes and sites.
I flew to Tehran from Tashkent capital of Uzbekistan on the same day some suicide attacks were held in the city so quite a big sense of fear and expecting the unexpected was always present. Somehow I couldn’t really take off my mind the fact dozens of westerns were kidnapped and keep hostages in the last few years and especially back in the 80’s in here.
I was surprised by all and I love getting surprised by places while traveling. Although the country’s changed since the extremist government policies of Ayatollah Khomeini which keeps people living in fear and being obliged to follow “some harsh rules”, Iranians can somehow be, although all the pain in their heart, extremely gentle and nice to foreigners where in every time is present the interest for foreign things and to know how other countries in the world live.
Iran is a country which suffered changes held by Arabs, Mongols, Turkish Ottoman, Portuguese, Dutch, etc, but which never lost the presence of the fact they are the country of The Amazing Persian Empire and Persian Culture, unique in the whole world. The highlight of this Empire can yet be experience visiting its Capital City Persepolis or Fars.
I visited quite a few numbers of places while in Iran and would only want that my 12 days of visit would pass slowly to take advantage of everything. Iran is a place I’ll indeed visit again and again as soon I can. A great place I liked was the Persian Gulf and the fact I could felt the Portuguese presence still remaining in street names, local settlements and forgotten defense castle in Qeshme Island.
Great places to visit in Iran are:
Tehran’s 10km Bazaar
Esfahan UNESCO city
Shiraz
Persepolis Ancient City of the Persian Empire
Qeshme Island and the region of The Persian Gulf
To visit my Iranian page please click on the following link:
Islamic Republic of Iran
Republic of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a wonderful place to visit in Central Asia. In terms of historical sites, this is by fact the richest country in the entire region. I loved to visit this country and discover one of the highlights of the whole Silk Road Experience.
This country holds very important places in the emblematic Silk Road and both Samarkand and Bukhara are a must while visiting it.
Uzbekistan sees itself as the most important country in the former Soviet Central Asian republics and along with its Big Boss, President Islam Karimov makes a very strong hand over the country politics and civilian laws.
Uzbekistan suffered several incursions by several different empires starting to make part of some old Persian regions, On the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great came and actually married in Samarkand with a girl named Roxana. After came a small contact with Buddhism in the Kushan dynasty and again a small and brief return of Persian power under the Sassanians. After the Western Turks that came down from the northern steps, came Islam with the Arabs on the 8th century but who didn’t stay for long. Persian power came back again for the 3rd time now with the Samanid dynasty in the 9th and 10th century which turned Bukhara the capital of the empire. The Great Genghis Khan came to destroy late in the 13th century. Was only after all this that Uzbekistan came to be central in the region and due to the Timur empire became a very important outpost for the huge route of the Silk Road. In the late 18th century the country started its first contacts with Russia and since then became more and more in the hands of the Lords from the North.
To visit my Uzbekistan page please click on the following link:
Republic of Uzbekistan
|
| Me in Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal |
Republic of Senegal Senegal was a country I tried to enter once and couldn't due to document car problems, so my first failed attempt got stuck in my throat for a while until I went there to try again.
I went back to Senegal in April 2004 with my car all the way from Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, and could give a wide trip on the country, exploring almost every single region of Senegal. As I entered The Gambia, I had to come back again to Senegal. I was actually expecting more about this country but I liked it and maybe I will come back one day, but I think only to pass to Mali and other West African countries.
My trajectory in the country was:
Mauritania/Senegal border
Rosso, St. Louis, Richard Toll, Ndioum, Ouro Sogui, Bakel, Kidira, Mali Border, Tambacounda, Dar Salam, Tambacounda, Velingara
Senegal/The Gambia/Senegal border
Kaolack, Diourbel, Thies, Dakar, St. Louis, Rosso
Senegal/Mauritania border
To visit my Senegalese page please click on the following link:
Republic of Senegal
|
| Évora main square, Portugal |
Evora City I live in Evora, Portugal.
I switched Lisbon the big capital for this small town in the deserted region of the Alentejo back in 1999.
Evora belongs to UNESCO World Heritage since 1986 and I considered it to be one of the most important cities in Portugal regarding historical matters.
A bit of Evora's history:
The city has more than 2000 years of history, and pretty much before that, in the region, pre-historic men came and made important constructions that can still be seen in more than 30 Menhirs and other pre-historic monuments.
Evora, the city, and its narrow streets will remind you of the strong Arab presence and Moorish influence. Conquered by the Romans in 59 BC it gain the name of Liberalitas Julia.
Under the occupation of the Romans, Evora earned great importance as a city, visible by a large number of important monuments made in that period. There are very few remains left from the Visigoth period (between the 5th and the 8th century). After this came the period of Moorish domination, it all started with the conquest and domination of the city by Tarik, which lasted until the Christian reconquest in the 12th century. Yeborah, as the city became known by the Moors, perfected its early defensive system and got strong traces of the Moorish influence in its form, urbanization very visible in the Moorish quarter.
The city was chosen by several kings of Portugal in the first and second dynasties to serve as the headquarters for their court, and it was very enriched with palaces and monuments, especially in the reigns of D. Joao II and D. Manuel I (15th and 16th centuries).
With all this history, You have buildings from Pre-historic times until the romans, arab, romanic/medieval, gothic, renaissance, neo-gothic,etc... all in one little city within castle wall.
To visit my Evora page please click on the following link:
Evora Ancient Museum City
To visit my Portuguese page please click on the following link:
Portugal, Europe's pleasant travelers surprise
|
| Route to Bir Moghrein, North Mauritania, Sahara |
Sahara and Africa SaharaI have a very interesting relation with Sahara. The desert as it is called in Arabic. Since my first time surrounded by dunes and feeling the presence of the immense void of the Sahara, that I never came back to be the same person. The reality is that every time I go there again, I come back different... Trans-SaharaI have made 3 times the so called "Trans-Saharan" route. Trans-Sahara means to go down South direction West Africa passing all the countries that are touched with the Sahara Desert. I am now very interesting on making other sides of Trans-Saharan routes as I have made these one all on the same place, the Atlantic-Coast Trans-Saharan Route. I have plans to cross down South the Sahara from Libya to Chad and Niger. Future plans... The Atlantic Trans-Sahara route goes from Morocco down the Western Sahara down to Mauritania until Senegalese savanna landscapes start to apear separated by the Senegal River. My Trans-Saharan trips:Going SOUTH December 2003Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Islamic Republic of Mauritania until Senegalese border in Diamba. Going SOUTH March/April 2004Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia. Going NORTH April 2004Senegal, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Spain, Portugal. This last trip was very nice and I was able to make the forbidden and dangerous route passing North Mauritania trough Bir Moghrein passage to Gueltat Zemmour Army Post in Western Sahara.
Tips on how to get to Bir MoghreinI have written quite good texts about my experience on this last Trans-Saharan journey and you can read all about it on my Bir Moghrein page on the transportation tips. Click here to go to my Bir Moghrein page
My Moroccan page is full of good tips also, where I tried to collect all i know the best on my previous travels to this amazing place where i have been more than 45 times and where I moved to live since 2006/2007.Click here to go to my Moroccan page
Senegal was a good adventure and I enjoy all my visits there. I was very interesting to see how real Africa looks like going away from the Big SaharaClick here to go to my Senegal page
Western Sahara is indeed a good off the beaten bath while visiting Morocco and for sure a stop while going on Trans-Saharan route.Click here to go to my Western Sahara page
Mauritania, deserted country full of contrasts. This is an amazing place to visit where extreme traveling can be found along this rough country and beautiful landscapesClick here to go to my Mauritania page
And Finally my African page with a collection of all my tips around my travels in Africa.Click here to go to my Africa page
|
| Border Greece and FYR Macedonia, Summer 2003 |
Full Travel list 2008January: Morocco February: Morocco, Gibraltar, Portugal, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Palestine March, Abril: Morocco May: Morocco, Mali June: Mali, Morocco July: Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Iceland August: Iceland, Denmark, Belgium, Morocco, Hungary September: Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia i Herzgovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabagh, Armenia, Portugal, Morocco October: Morocco, UK, Ireland, Netherlands November: Morocco, Algeria December: Morocco 2007April:Kingdom of Morocco, U.S.A., Canada, Kingdom of Morocco August:Kingdom of Morocco September:Kingdom of Morocco, Cuba October:Cuba November:Kingdom of Morocco December:Kingdom of Morocco 2006January:Kingdom of Morocco February:Kingdom of Morocco March:Kingdom of Morocco April:Kingdom of Morocco May:Kingdom of Morocco August:Kingdom of Morocco 2005January:France, Luxembourg, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland February:Finland, Sweden, Russian Federation March:Russian Federation, Finland April:U.S.A. May:Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, France, Andorra June:U.S.A. July:Kingdom of Morocco August:Kingdom of Morocco DecemberKingdom of Morocco 2004January:Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Western Sahara March:Kingdom of Morocco, Western Sahara, Islamic Republic of Mauritania April:Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Western Sahara, Kingdom of Morocco June:Germany, Kazakhstan July:Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan August:Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, Kingdom of Morocco September:Kingdom of Morocco December:Kingdom of Morocco 2003February:Kingdom of Morocco May:Kingdom of Morocco August:Kingdom of Morocco, France, Switzerland, Austria, Poland September:Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland, Poland October:Poland, Germany December:Kingdom of Morocco, Western Sahara, Islamic Republic of Mauritania 2002January:Poland, Romania, U.K., Kingdom of Morocco April:Kingdom of Morocco August:Kingdom of Morocco 2001January:Kingdom of Morocco, U.S.A. February:U.S.A. March:U.S.A. April:U.S.A. June:France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria July:Bulgaria, Romania, U.S.A. August:U.S.A. December:U.K., Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Poland, Czech Republic 2000May:Kingdom of Morocco October:U.S.A. December:Kingdom of Morocco 1999October:France
|
 johnsakura's Albums | | | |
|
 Comments for johnsakura | | | | |
Leila79 Sun Nov 1, 2009 16:21 UTC
A really impressive travel list! :) | janetanne Sun Sep 20, 2009 06:45 UTC
Where did you celebrate you birthday this year John? Hope it was as unique as you. Happy Belated Birthday from sunny Greece. Janet | ladagspa Fri Sep 18, 2009 05:58 UTC
Joao, Belated wishes for a Happy Birthday. Happy Travelling! Angchuk | MITNIC Thu Sep 17, 2009 07:56 UTC
Happy Birthday - a bit late- from Poland... |
|
|
email me
add as friend
