Travelling in times of COVID is not an easy task. There are many countries that do not allow the entry of foreign tourists, and countries that do not allow their inhabitants to leave, so, although Easter is something of an oasis of freedom in the middle of the year, this year we will enjoy it without leaving Spain. You probably think the same as us: We want to travel, and we want to travel no matter what.
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Put these places on a bucket list that you can surely start ticking off very soon. Letting your imagination run wild is easy for some, for others there is Google Earth, the ideal tool for travelling anywhere in the world, wherever you are.
GOOGLE EARTH
Google Earth Online is a computer program that allows you to dive into the seas, fly over mountains and explore lesser-known places on the planet. This tool is gradually becoming an ideal option for discovering the world. In addition, Google Earth now offers guided tours (virtually) by NASA, BBC Earth or National Geographic.
Google Earth Pro is a more versatile and complete option than Google Earth online, as it is designed so that you can use it from your desktop. This version offers the most complete set of geospatial data available, including high-resolution images, 3D routes through cities, spectacular panoramic views of streets, historical images or important points of interest.
A while ago Google renewed the process to download Google Earth Pro making it easier. To get this tool, you simply have to go to the Google Earth website, and in the top right corner there is an option to open Earth in Chrome. To install the Pro version, you need to press the button Google Earth Pro for desktop. Both are free.
THE 10 BEST DESTINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO DURING EASTER 2021 WITH GOOGLE EARTH
Julian Rocks (Cape Byron Marine Park)
Located at the easternmost point of the continent in Australia, an impressive rock formation 2 kilometres from Byron Bay, converted into a reserve, is home to more than 500 species of fish from tropical and temperate waters.
The small group of islands jutting out of the water, shaped like a heart, has a fascinating myth behind it. The original name given to these islands is Nguthungulli, meaning “Father of the World”, who, as the creator of land and water, animals and plants, played a central role in this tale. For the Australian Aborigines, these rocks were created by a jealous husband who threw a spear at the canoe in which his wife and her lover were travelling. The canoe broke apart and began to sink, leaving only the bow and the stem above the water. These two ends became what we call Julian Rocks today.
For diving enthusiasts, this is one of the best places to practice it. Just below the surface, whirlpools are created in which tropical waters and very cold water coexist, hosting more than 500 marine species, among which you can see leopard sharks, loggerhead turtles, dolphins and manta rays. In addition, another wonder that can be seen under these waters are the coral reefs.
You can immerse yourself in the history of the rocks, species and diving of Julian Rocks using this link : https://bit.ly/3rj1xSs
Jerusalem
Fancy a real Easter experience? There is no holier place than Jerusalem. Although the streets are the same all year round, the way the faithful - and tourists - look at each other varies at this time of year.
They are filled with solemnity, silence and the sounds heard between the worn stones of the Old City at the height of the most emotional celebration of Christianity. Living the experience of visiting the places where the religion was born is something unique.
If you can't go in person, let Google Earth help you walk through the streets of the historic center of the city, visit the Wailing Wall and imagine what the Stations of the Cross would be like, commemorating the last hours of Jesus Christ. for these scenarios.
A picture is worth a thousand words; use this link: https://cutt.ly/XxFOgyd
Desert Breath
We can translate it as Breath either desert breath. It is a creation of DAST Arteam, a team formed by sculptor Danae Stratou, industrial designer Alexandra Stratou and architect Stella Constatinide. The artists took almost two years to complete the work, (1995 - 1997). The work covers an area of 100,000 square meters.
The purpose of the work was to create the concept of infinity, the reliefs in positive and negative with the immensity of the desert that surrounds it in the background; the same that, with the help of the breezes and the wind, will gradually wear it down and erase it. The passage of time will turn this representation of infinity into a memory of something that once seemed implacable and eternal. Take a look at it now while you still can! Use this link: https://cutt.ly/exFAqo0
Angkor
These wonderful temples located in the city of Siem Reap, which are part of the heart and pride of Cambodia, were built at the request of King Suryavarman II between the 9th and 13th centuries, in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu, at a time when Europe I saw the cathedrals of Chartres and Notre Dame rise to the sky.
This area, a combination of spirituality, symbolism and symmetry, is visited mainly by backpackers and collectors of world wonders, who cannot miss the chance to see the light that filters through these sacred monuments, dyeing them golden. It is not surprising to know that they are considered one of the 20 most amazing destinations in the world.
Use this link: https://cutt.ly/4xFKISd
Horse-drawn sleigh across the Mongolian steppe
A horse-drawn sleigh ride in northern Mongolia, near the border with Siberia, on Lake Khovsgol, the deepest freshwater lake in the Asian country (262 meters) that covers 136 kilometers, doesn't sound bad either, does it?
This prodigious natural space is spectacular in winter, as its immense surface is covered by a thick layer of ice creating a background of frozen blue water. The good thing about travelling with Google Earth is that you won't notice how the cold penetrates your bones. The waters of this lake reach temperatures that can reach 40º below zero. This untamed place, despite the extreme conditions, has been the scene of the ice festival every year, in which Mongolian wrestling and archery tournaments are held. You can observe this wonderful place from the warmth of your home: Use this link: https://cutt.ly/rxF8RDF
He Barringer Crater:
Do you fancy seeing the result of a meteorite impact on Earth dating back 50,000 years? Forget that travelling in times of COVID is unthinkable and virtually visit this thousand-metre-deep groove located in the city of Flagstaff, in northern Arizona, (United States).
The Canyon Diablo meteorite, which caused this crater, was composed of iron and nickel, weighed 300,000 tons and traveled at 43,200 kilometers per hour. The rocks at the impact site reached temperatures of over 3,000 degrees Celsius in just ten billionths of a second. If you want to travel back in time and see with your own eyes the result of this great impact, use this link: https://cutt.ly/9xF2XVO
Kigosi Game Reserve, Tanzania
This National Park is located in the northeastern interior of Tanzania. The Kigosi Game Reserve is one of the largest reserves in East Africa as it has both floodplain and wetland ecosystems.
The inaccessibility of this reserve contributed to the concentration of rare waterfowl, and this place is one of the few areas in Tanzania where you can see animals such as the Situtanga, which is a species of antelope adapted to life in wetlands, or the Waterbuck buffalo. Here is the spectacular view of a herd of buffalo running through this wonderful reserve. Use this link: https://cutt.ly/nxFMUed
Machu Picchu
Surely you have heard of this mythical Inca place from Peru. Its name means old mountain and it was built in the mid-15th century. It is believed to have been one of the residences of the ninth Inca of Tahuantinsuyu, Pachacútec, although there are also the remains of a sanctuary. It is located in a rocky premonitory between Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. It is located on the eastern slope of the Andes, and is part of the upper Amazon basin, which has a very varied flora and fauna and gives even more visual value to the sanctuary.
The sanctuary of Machu Picchu was the most amazing architectural work of the Inca Empire. Its walls, terraces and gigantic ramps seem to have been carved into the rock escarpments, giving the impression of being part of it. Travellers head to Aguas Calientes to begin the Inca trail that Hiram Bingham, the Yale professor, popularised at the beginning of the 20th century.
Use this link and feel your lungs fill with pure air from a distance: https://cutt.ly/UxFGemq
New York
Now imagine sitting in the front seat of your car, with an incredible view of Manhattan at sunset and waiting for a movie to start at the drive-in, or going up to one of the impressive observatories in the Big Apple, looking out the window, contemplating the beautiful skyline of the city on a warm night and allowing your skin and soul to shiver.
If you fancy travelling to a big city and want to daydream, imagine what it's like to stroll through the crowded streets of New York, eat a hot dog on a bench in Central Park, and a legendary bagel afterwards, take a taxi just because it's always fashionable in the city, or so we think, or identify the famous corners and spots that have so often characterised mythical scenes in cinema, open Google Earth, play Frank Sinatra's “New York, New York” in your headphones, drink a Cosmopolitan on the sofa paying homage to New Yorkers and oruse this link: https://cutt.ly/ixF3LkP
Tokyo
Japan is famous around the world for its cherry blossom season. When spring dawns, thousands of trees across Japan turn red, pink and white, brightening up the land.
The explosion of colour between March and April is so captivating, and the natural spectacle that takes place is so abysmal, that the Japanese have given a name to the delicacy of cherry blossom in Japan: sakura. If you've been wanting to visit another major metropolis, now is the perfect time to start a digital trip to Tokyo and watch the cherry blossoms here; use this link: https://cutt.ly/zx0PZs6
Traveling, seeing the world and learning about other cultures is, and always will be, regardless of the conditions in which we do it, an enriching experience for the mind and spirit. Traveling with Google Earth is like reading through images.
You learn, you imagine and you get excited about the landscapes and all those places you don't know. Discovering that the world is not so close to our reach and that there are a thousand hidden corners that we will probably never get to know is sometimes impressive. But there is no limit for those who decide to set foot in all the places on Earth, even if now we have to wait a little.
