R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 65

Chichen Itza — Bas Reliefs, Glyphs, and Stone Heads

Today we’ll look at some of the more detailed stonework available for view at Chichen Itza, beginning with the intricate Mayan bas-reliefs throughout much of the façades. But don’t ask me the significance, as I have no idea. Nevertheless, they are fascinating to photograph, and they’re all over the place:

Chichen Itza bas-relief

This one appears to depict an eagle on the right, and some sort of reptile opposite:

Chichen Itza bas-relief

Here it appears we have another bird, and pe...

Fun Photo Friday — Chichen Itza Favorites Part 1

Beware the Guard Iguana! Temple Graffiti the Hard Way — One chisel at a time Impressive Masonry Work Entrance to the Great Ballcourt

Same Ship; Different Destination — Reaching Chichen Itza

Quite the change from the Azores, eh? Brilliance of the Seas left São Miguel Island on 9 September 2018. You’ll recall that we started this trip well before that, with a flight to Dublin in 27 August, where we stayed for several days. We then departed Amsterdam, boarded Brilliance of the Seas, and set sail for a circumnavigation of Ireland, including a return to Dublin. We left behind Ireland, and landed on São Miguel Island. From there Brilliance completed a transatlantic crossing winding u...

The New Space Force Uniform Unveiled

The first thought to cross my mind after seeing the new uniform for Space Force:

“Klaatu Barada Nikto, Captian!”

São Miguel Island, Azores — Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado

Still in Sete Cidades for the beginning of today’s article, but not for long. And today we say goodbye to São Miguel Island and the Azores. For after the Azores, Brilliance of the Seas headed across the pond to Tampa, Florida, whereupon we would stay aboard for another adventure further south and 1,200 years into the past. But for now, let us continue to explore Sete Cidades, particularly the wonderful Church of St. Nicholas (Igreja de São Nicolau):

Church of St. Nicholas, Sete Cidades, S...

Constitution and Citizenship Day vs. Justice of 6Jan Rally

Just a few words I felt that I needed to get off my outraged chest:

Fun Photo Friday — São Miguel Island Random Favorites 2

Time for the second of two Fun Photo Friday random collections of São Miguel Island favorites. Next week I have one more area to show here, which will be Monday’s article. After that, for Wednesday and beyond, I’ll be taking you to our next destination, for we stayed on the Brilliance of the Seas for a follow-on cruise to Cozumel. And in Cozumel we took a trip to visit some ancient Mayan ruins. That’s right. Beginning next Wednesday we’ll be exploring Chichén Itzá. Meanwhile, today’s photo g...

São Miguel Island, Azores — Lagoa das Sete Cidades

Lagoa das Sete Cidades

In the above photo you can once again see the two distinct twin lakes. Green Lagoon (Lagoa Verde) lies to the left, and Blue Lagoon (Lagoa Azul) to the larger lake to the left. But I came here for the real scenic beauty, and here she is:

Ursula posing at the lake overlook

There is much of interest to photograph in this twin lake, and I found the Blue Lagoon the more fascinating of the two:

Blue Lagoon

I think part of this had to do with that interesting peni...

São Miguel Island, Azores — Aquaducts and Crater Lakes

No. That’s not Ursula and me in the photo above. That’s some friends we met on the cruise, and they had neglected to take their camera. As such, I volunteered to take some photos and email them the results. The location for this shot is the Coal Peak Viewpoint (Miradouro do Pico do Carvão). And the views from way up here are quite nice:

Coal Peak Viewpoint

And in case you’re wondering where this is, we’re on the western portion of São Miguel Island headed west toward the town of Sete C...

Fun Photo Friday — São Miguel Island Random Favorites 2

Time of Part 2 of our random images of São Miguel Island. Below is today’s picture gallery/slide show. As always, just click on any image to enlarge it, and engage the slide show presentation.