![]() Spearfisher, Papua New Guinea Volcanic cloud courtesy of the Rabaul caldera. I woke early and wandered onto the beach, spying a Papuan fishing with a spear with the smoke of the distant volcano in the background. ![]() Charging elephant, Zambia Up close and personal with the largest living terrestrial animal We had encountered a herd of elephants in Zambia. Acting on foolish impulse, I stood up in the Landrover and snapped this portrait of a protective mother elephant charging. Immediately after, the driver slammed the vehicle in reverse, saving us from being stomped. ![]() Blue Rhino, Sabi Sabi, South Africa Without drastic action, rhinos could be extinct in the wild within the next 10 years. ![]() Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe "Mosi oa-Tunya" ("the smoke that thunders") ![]() Ambergris Caye, Belize Gateway to the planet's second largest coral reef system. ![]() Paddle Fishing, Huahine, French Polynesia The villagers are fishing because they ate all the gold fish in the resort pond. ![]() Elephants Herding, Botswana "Aw, Mom, I just had a bath yesterday." ![]() Blue Gondolas, Venice Step off a train into the 13th Century. ![]() Snake Charmer, Delhi The main thing is to use a telephoto lens. ![]() Clontarf Castle, Dublin Built in 1172, later demolished and then rebuilt. ![]() The Head Room, Le Louvre, Paris The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Department displays pieces from the Neolithic to the 6th century. Politically incorrect caption: Where to get a little head in Paris. ![]() The Thousand Mile Wall, China Often billed as the only man-made object visible from space, generally it isn't. ![]() Ratu Udre Udre, a local tribal chieftain, holds the Guinness World Record for cannibalism, having eaten 872 people in the 19th century. ![]() Pompei, Italy The remains, buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, provide a vivid picture of ancient Roman society and life. ![]() Eiffel Tower, Paris Designed for the 1899 Universal Exposition, it was not intended to be a permanent landmark, but proved handy during WWI. ![]() Toledo, Spain Once the capital of Spain, the winding streets within the old city walls are a living museum of Spanish history. ![]() Nene, Hawaii Island Branta sandvicensis, the world's rarest goose, endemic to the Hawaiian Islands ![]() Interlaken, Switzerland Ignore the sign. Take the train. The high was zero degrees. ![]() Queensland, Australia Kangaroos are the only large animals that move by hopping. They cannot move backwards. ![]() Tail section, Queensland, Australia Supposedly, a relic of the first Qantas flight. ![]() Singapore The second most densely populated country in the world, after Monaco ![]() Qianqing Gong Palace of Heavenly Peace, Beijing ![]() Forum Romanum Once a market place, the forum became the economic, political, and religious center of the Roman Empire. ![]() Oakley Court, Windsor, England The restored mansion was the set for the original "Dracula" movie, as well as the "Rocky Horror Picture Show." ![]() Mtebele dancers, Victoria Falls A dance such as a ritual of spirit possession may last twelve hours, or even days. ![]() Sydney Opera House Bennelong Point was first developed as Governor Macquarie Fort and later used as a tram shed. ![]() Old mosque near Delhi, India ![]() Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal The site was occupied by the Romans, Visigoths and Moors before being transformed into the Royal Palace in the 14th century. ![]() Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, Hawaii No harm could come to those who reached the boundaries of the Place of Refuge. ![]() Santorini Part of the Cyclades island group, Santorini sits in the Aegean Sea, halfway between Athens and Crete. ![]() Sampans, Hong Kong The term sam pan is Hokkien for "three planks," referring to the hull design. ![]() Amsterdam At 10 AM the beer gardens are already filling up, and lovers are strolling. ![]() The Acropolis, Athens The first stone was laid in 447 BC to create a monument to the goddess Athena. ![]() Bora Bora The rugged volcanic, mountainous island surrounded by spectacular coral reefs is deservedly known as the Crown Jewel of the South Pacific. ![]() Buckingham Palace, London Originally called Buckingham House, the building was constructed for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. ![]() Changing the Guard, Buckingham Palace The ceremony originally took place at the Palace of Whitehall until 1689. |