leigh767's VirtualTourist Home Page

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in an attractive, well preserved body; rather, to skid in sideways, body thoroughly worn out, covered in scars and screaming, “Yahoo! What a ride!”
People travel for many different reasons: some to confirm the sights they have seen in books, others travel to challenge their existing beliefs about the world; others travel to forget, and still others travel to remember. Some travel to feel connected with the world, while others travel to affirm their own existence.

No matter how much I travel and how much I see and hear, after bearing witness to the glorious beauty of the oceans, skies, deserts, forests and ruins of the world, perhaps the main reason why I travel is for the stories.

The master weaver in Oaxaca may have a very different story to tell from the one that the young child in Lijiang has to share. But stories, like birds, all have a soul of their own and long to be freed. Stories are happiest when their songs are spread to the furthest corner of the earth, when their tunes fall on a new pair of eager ears.

And when you have exhausted the trail of your travels, and have seen all the dunes and valleys of the world, perhaps it is time to sit down by a stranger's side and hear the story that we each have to offer to the world.


Most recent updates (29 Sept, 2009):
- Dunhuang
- Hong Kong
- Marrakesh
- Beijing
- Oaxaca

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MAJOR UPDATES

Antarctica 2009:
Click here to see my VT page
Took a dream journey down to Antarctica in January and I must say, it was worth its weight in gold. "Seeing is believing" apparently doesn't apply to the White Continent because even after looking back at my photos I still wonder if it hadn't all been just one fantastic hallucination...

Mexico 2007-2008 tour:
Travelled through Mexico City, Oaxaca, San Cristobal, Palenque, and Cancun during a 3 week long trip in Mexico. Some amazing sights, but even more amazing people. Take a peek:

My Teotihuacan Page
My Oaxaca Page
My San Cristobal Page
My Palenque Page
My Cancun Page

Cycle the Nile Expedition 2006:
Thanks to a travel grant, a group of friends and I cycled down the Nile this summer to raise funds for cancer research. Yes, I know "summer" "cycling" and "Nile" don't always go hand in hand, and technically we just did the Egypt portion of the river (1300+km). Still, it was amazing beyond all measure.

HERE's the result!

Updated Travel Page with new tips and pics: London, England.

DO WE DARE TO FACE IT?:
Invisible Children video clip

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ICEBERGS

Antarctic Icebergs

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

Hello there! Welcome to my little cavern on the internet. Even though we haven't had the chance to cross paths on our journey through the real world, I'm glad I can share some pictures and sights here on VT with you. As you would probably notice throughout my tips and pages, I'm a big fan of photography.

My biggest wish is that in addition to offering good travel tips I could bring a different perspective on much-visited/photographed sites or, simply, just to convey the -feeling- of being in a certain location. It doesn't matter if it's a photo of the vastness of Antarctica or the maze-like souks of Morocco; if looking at it somehow makes you want to go there even more, then I would be very happy.

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THE MALDIVES

The Maldives-- Heaven on Earth

Also, for those who're interested/geeky enough, here's a quick rundown of my camera equipment that has helped create the photos on my VT pages:

- Canon PowerShot A95
- Canon 350D
- Canon 24-105mm f/4 L
- Canon 70-200mm f/4 L
- Sigma 10-20mm
- B+W UV filter
- Hoya circular polarizer

ENJOY THE PAGES! FEEDBACK ALWAYS WELCOME :0)

Cheers,
Jane

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SICHUAN, CHINA

Jiuzhaigou, Si Chuan

They call it THE most beautiful place in China. It's not hard to see why.

For more shots of this area by another person, check out this guy's works.

VT Page

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TEMPLE OF ZEUS, ATHENS

Land of the Philosophers

Stretch out with a book on the hills of the Acropolis, and see if you couldn't hear the voices of the ancient past...

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INSIDE OLD TOWN HALL, PRAGUE

Prague, Czech Republic

That touristy place with the beautiful soul of an ancient man...

VT Page

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OXFORD UNIVERSITY, UK

Oxford, England

The City of Dreaming Spires

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The spectacle that comes once a day, always.

Firenze

Once in a blue moon, there comes a sunset so stupendous in its fading glory that it silences everything else. The bustling of the world around you peels away and there's nothing save you and those fiery hues of transient red.

I saw one such sunset in Florence of Italy.