Our pick for Most Magical Ruins in the Americas Greg has been marketing the UNESCO World Heritage Mayan jungle ruins of Palenque to me for years, and they unquestionably delivered…even for him...on his third visit. Of the ancient ruins I’ve seen, it definitely soars to the top of the list for the Americas for both of us, though with striking…

Continue ReadingThe Mystical Mayan Jungle Ruins of Palenque, Mexico

From Sanliurfa, we relocated another three hours east to the city of Mardin, a resplendent city of 800k equally steeped in history high on a plateau in Upper Mesopotamia. It is perched high on a plateau overlooking the Mesopotamian plains all the way to Syria. It is blanketed with elegant limestone buildings, soaring intricate minarets, and is arguably neck and neck…

Continue ReadingMesopotamian Magic in Mardin, Turkiye

Cusco can be a bit chaotic and is far from a walker's paradise, so we we always looking for reasons to get out! And what better place than some peaceful ruins? The Saqsaywaman Ruins, just 2 km north of the main square in Cusco, is the most important military fort of the Incan empire, often compared with its grandness to…

Continue ReadingDay Trips from Colonial Cusco, Peru

We had three more days in the land of Türkiye, as the Turks prefer their country name pronounced, just enough time to squeeze in a couple more jaw-dropping wonders. Türkiye was about to add to its already significant wow factor for us at Pamukkale & Ephesus.  Paumukkale, aka the Cotton Castle, is not made of salt, nor freshly fallen snow.…

Continue ReadingPamukkale & Ephesus: Cottony Clouds & Ruins of a Legend