A Trip Around The Globe
Today, we'll be taking one more epic trip around the globe and taking a look at a few of my favorite destinations and some final pictures that I began in 2021 but only finished up recently. I've spent the first few months this year working on completely new custom made terrain mods, custom made BATs, lot editor textures (which you'll be seeing in the pictures below), FSHs, and more to compliment existing custom content - I hope to bring a handful of the planet's most amazing scenes to life.
The trip begins in Paris - the capital and largest city of France has been one of the world's most important cities for centuries. This timeless city is known for its fashion, food, literature, entertainment, and culture. In addition, it's widely known as being an important international business and commerce center - making it a truly global city. Paris also boasts some of the world's finest architecture and much of the city was renovated in the mid 1800s by architect Georges-Eugène Haussmann. We'll be getting off at the famed Gare du Nord - first built back in 1846, this famous train station has been rebuilt time and time again to expand it's capacity. Today, it's the world's busiest train station outside of Japan and connects Paris with a number of other cities across France.
After taking a few days to enjoy the many wonders that dot the south of France, we catch a boat for one more of France's most stunning destinations - Corsica. It's been part of France since 1768, but retains a distinct Italian culture - and this mountainous Mediterranean island presents a mix of stylish coastal towns, dense forest and craggy peaks. Nearly half the island falls within a park whose hiking trails include the challenging GR 20 - and its beaches range from busy Palombaggia to remote Saleccia and Rondinara, as seen below. It's more secluded than most of the other beaches on the island - but for those making the effort to get here, you'll be greatly rewarded with pristine sand, crystal clear water, and an unspoiled pine forest surrounding it all.
The Mediterranean is home to countless stunning beaches and natural wonders that you could spend a lifetime discovering - but the trip now continues on northwards to explore a few of Europe's most beautiful cities. Cologne's historic old town is filled with narrow cobbled alleys and traditional houses that tell the story of the city. Nearby is the towering 515 ft tall Cologne Cathedral which stood as the world's tallest structure from 1880-1884. We spend part of the morning checking out the stunning interior - filled with timeless historical artifacts, it's certainly a must-visit for both locals and tourists alike in the city.
Our trip now takes us into the heart of Asia - home to the world's tallest mountain, 29,029 ft tall Mount Everest (Everest seen in the middle - the world's 4th tallest, Lhotse, can be seen directly below it), located on the Tibet/Nepal border. First climbed in 1953 by Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary - some 5,600+ have made the ascent ever since. Despite relatively low fatality rates compared to other 8,000m+ mountains - make no mistake, this is still one of the deadliest mountains in the world - especially in a ferocious winter snowstorm, as seen below.
Aside from having some of the world's most incredible natural wonders, Asia also boasts some of the world's most iconic and largest cities as well. The bustling global city of Tokyo is now home to nearly 40 million people in the modern day - but it looked quite a bit different in the early 1900s, as shown in the mosaic below. The recently rebuilt Kabuki-za was one of the city's most beautiful structures - designed by Tashichi Kashiwagi, it served as the city's principal theatre for the traditional Kabuki drama and was one of Tokyo's most popular spots for entertainment. The early 1900s also saw some of the first cars on Tokyo's streets - and the introduction of mass transit in the late 19th century with streetcars, train lines, subways, and buses made transportation as convenient as ever and forever changed the ways the city's residents lived and worked. These changes along with an improved economy during the Meiji era helped to bring huge population growth to Tokyo - and the city's population more than doubled from 1900 to 1920.
Tokyo's metropolitan area is also home to another one of Japan's largest and most famed cities - Yokohama. Since it's founding in 1889, it's rapidly grown and expanded since it's early days as a small port city and is now known for an impressive array of modern skyscrapers that dot it's world-class harbor and seaport. Here, we see a scene of Yokohama fully lit-up at midnight with the iconic Yokohama Landmark Tower in full display - completed in 1993, it stands some 972 feet tall and is one of Japan's tallest skyscrapers.
Our tour of Eastern Asia continues on with a trip to Hong Kong - this global financial hub and port city boasts one of the world's most recognizable skylines. This city was originally under British rule for 99 years - but in 1997 it returned to China and now is a special administrative region (SAR). Today, the skyline continues to grow even further - and the 1,227 foot tall Central Plaza in the city's Wan Chai district is one of Hong Kong's most iconic skyscrapers. It originally opened in 1992 and overtook the Bank of China Tower as the city's tallest until 2003 - and the tower's observation deck offers some amazing views which we make sure to check out.
After taking in a few of Asia's most stunning sights, our journey now takes us half way across the globe to the continent of Africa for the next leg of our trip. After a few weeks of backpacking and criss-crossing our way across the southern Sahara Desert, we finally reach our end destination of Djenné, Mali. Every Monday, the entire region takes part in market day - truly a sight to behold. Just under the shadow of the magnificent Great Mosque, the streets come alive with countless shoppers and market vendors, giving them the much needed opportunity to trade camels or goods.
Our journey now takes us further into Africa's densely forested interior - home of many one of a kind wonders and natural landmarks. The amazing plateau of Mount Lico rises high above the sparsely populated interior jungles of rural Mozambique - and it's been almost completely been left alone by man for thousands of years. The result has been a truly unique world of flora and fauna seen nowhere else on Earth.
The trip continues on across the Indian Ocean - and after a lengthy cruise, we arrive in Australia and catch a plane to check out a few of the country's most iconic cities. Sydney - also known as the "Harbour City" is home to several of the continent's most instantly recognizable landmarks like the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Built in 1973 - its unique white seashell shape truly sets this skyline apart from the rest.
After exploring Sydney, our trip of Australia's eastern coast continues on northwards with a visit to the popular coastal city of Gold Coast. Although its a city that's renowned for its beautiful beaches and waterfront, its impressive skyline has gained a reputation in recent years as well - especially with the completion of the 1,060 ft tall Q1 in 2005. Q1 is one of Australia's tallest buildings and the second-tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere - and it offers some truly extraordinary views from its 750 ft tall SkyPoint observation deck - and we make sure to stop for some breathtaking vistas before we leave.
After exploring a few of Australia's most amazing cities, we hop aboard another cruise liner - this time, setting sail across the Pacific Ocean. Our journey picks back up in Argentina, and we'll begin our trip here with a trip across the Pampas - a fertile lowland plain that covers more than 300,000 square miles across the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba. This grassland biome is divided into two distinct zones: the dry and humid pampas. In the west, the dry pampas is largely barren with brackish streams, windswept plateaus, and sandy deserts. The humid zone in the east occupies a smaller area that includes part of Buenos Aires province - and is much more temperate, supporting large scale agriculture and the largest city in the country, the Buenos Aires. The gaucho is a symbol of these lands - for centuries, these brave horsemen have become admired and renowned for their skilled cattle herding and making a living off the land. Here we see a typical autumn scene from the Pampas alongside the worlds longest highway - the Pan-American Highway.
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The next destination along our trip lies in Brazil and happens to be one of the continent's most iconic and instantly recognizable landmarks - Rio de Janeiro's Cristo Redentor. Standing atop of the majestic Corcovado Mountain, it's a must visit for any tourist, especially at sunrise. Completed in 1931, its arms were placed in an open stance, symbolizing peace.
After taking in the many amazing sights of Rio de Janeiro, we catch a small Cessna and head northwest through the heart of Brazil - taking in the mighty jungle from above. While much of the forest in Suriname, Guyana, and near the Brazilian border is still in tact - unfortunately once pristine sections in the Rondônia and Acre States have dealt with deforestation in recent years with large sections of the rainforest being replaced by the signature "fishbone" pattern for as far as the eye can see. Although the overall rate of deforestation has dropped in recent years, it can't change the fact that nearly 20 percent of the forest has been destroyed over the last 40 years alone. The need for cattle ranching and crops means that many will do just about anything for more land, including slashing and burning whole sections in one go - and here we see a sad sight along of our journey of a recently destroyed section of jungle.
Our trip through the region concludes with a look at one of world's most incredible wonders - the Incan Citadel of Machu Picchu. This legendary site was believed to have been built back in 1450 CE, around the height of the Incan empire. For the next 100 years or so, it remained a sacred religious site for Incan leaders - and it's also believed to have been a royal estate for some of the most important rulers of the time. Despite its grandeur, this ancient city couldn't last forever - in the mid 1500s, the city was mysteriously abandoned, right around the time Spanish conquistadors made their way into the area. While there's no evidence the two ever interacted - its certainly possible that a smallpox outbreak could have wiped out the entire city. For nearly 400 years, the entire site laid in ruin, with nature overtaking its walls - until American archeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the site in 1911, with renovations soon underway. It may be tough to find on a map and even tougher to reach on foot - but for those who make a trip, its a once in a lifetime destination.
We spend the next couple of weeks backpacking across the region, taking in some truly incredible sights and scenes - and even catching a ride on another Cessna for an aerial view over some beautiful natural landmarks. Cloaked in heavy rain clouds, Mount Roraima on the Brazil/Venezuela/Guyana border is truly breathtaking with its imposing sheer cliffs and is one of the continent's most majestic mountains. Countless waterfalls plunge off of its tiered slopes - a sign that we're in the middle of rainy season.
The final leg of our trip around the globe is a visit to the United States - and there's no better place to start than in the iconic city of Los Angeles. The United States' second largest city is filled with towering skyscrapers and famous landmarks in it's dense downtown area such as the 1,018 ft tall U.S. Bank Tower and 860 ft tall Aon Center. Here we see an aerial mosaic of downtown Los Angeles and some of the surrounding neighborhoods on a smoggy afternoon.
After exploring the American West coast, we next take a few weeks exploring the heartland of the country on a lengthy expedition - exploring the many unique sights and scenes along the way. After stops in the state capitals of Boise, Helena, Bismarck, St. Paul, and Madison - and the large metropolitan areas of Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia - we've finally arrived on the East Coast, home of America's largest city - New York. We'll be taking a trip back in time to further discover the Big Apple - and the early 1960s were truly one of a kind. From the colorful checker taxis roaming the streets and iconic landmarks and hotels living out their last days like the Savoy Hotel before a wave of urban renewal in the late 60s and 70s revamped the city - it was quite the unique era for the city.
We head north from NYC across the Canadian border to make our penultimate stop in the historic capital city of Quebec, Quebec City. Founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, it's one of the oldest cities in all of Canada - and is in fact is the only North American fortified city north of Mexico whose walls still exist today. Here we see a scene from the city's past - back in the 1650s, the city was starting to grow rapidly as an important center of trade and fur trapping in the region. Today, it's still known for it's cobblestone streets and old brick buildings - and we take a few days to enjoy the city, stopping by at many of it's renown boutiques and bistros.
The trip continues southwards along America's eastern seaboard until we reach the final destination in our trip around the globe - Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The visitor complex provides one of the closest public viewings of rocket launches with live launch commentary from space experts - and it's an experience we won't forget anytime soon as we take in one of the SpaceX shuttles taking off and reaching for the stars.
-korver
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