Back from Cape Town

Back from Cape Town
April 2, 2016 - Indianapolis, Indiana

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/Serengeti_-_Stefan_Swanepoel_.jpg

Back from South Africa! You want to know about the biome that I was in! The biome I was in like the Serengeti, I actually went to it (since I was close by). Here's a few things about it. It's basically a desert. There are lots of large animals. Animals like gazelles, zebras (which are awesome), buffalos, etc. Did you know there are 70 different types  of large mammals. Pretty cool, right?

You know how I said there was a Zebra.

Well, while we were traveling around, a zebra started following us. So I started riding it (because it let me) and then tried taking it back to South Africa with me. The hotel wouldn't let me bring it into the hotel, so I had to let it go. Pretty sad day. But that brings me to my other point. We were walking, and the Zebra started eating some weeds. The tour guide told us that those weeds aren't indigenous to the region, weeds like Prickly Acacia, Rubbervine and Mesquite. Interesting stuff

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanna

Cape Town is my next destination

Cape Town is my next destination

December 31 - Indianapolis, Indiana

First, Happy New Year. I'll be going to Cape Town to start off the new year, which is part of the Savanna biome. Here's the climate report!

http://www.luxurytravel.com/img/weather/LUX_climate_chart_cape_town.gif

As you can see, the weather good. Warm for this time of year, minimal rain, lots of sun. So I am excited!

Packing list: 

• Sunglasses
• Water bottle
• How to speak Zebra (I heard I can find them in the Serengeti)
• My Nikon
• Money for a phone (my iPhone won't work, so I'll have to buy one that is more disposable)

Back from Dubai

Back from Dubai
December 25, 2015 - Indianapolis, Indiana

Back from Dubai! It was expensive. That's the first thing I'll say about it. But it was sooooo nice, and luxurious. But onto the Subtropical Desert The biome I was in like the desert, basically. I went driving in the desert in a rented land rover, it was awesome. Here's a few things about what I learned. Typical plants that grow in the subtropics area are mango trees, litchi, avocados and citrus plants. These have adapted to the drier enviornment, so the dryness of the desert is actually ideal. There weren't many animals out there.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Libya_4985_Tadrart_Acacus_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg

Although plants did exist (according to the travel guide), there weren't any in the sand dunes. Probably due to the lack of good soil and water. However, back in Dubai, there were quite a few plants. Speaking about Dubai, the entire time I was there, it didn't rain. It was so weird considering that back home it would be raining every other day. There is so much of the world I still have to see, it's amazing how different two places can be. 

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_climate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropics

To the Subtropical Desert!

To the Savanna! 

August 20, 2015 - Indianapolis, Indiana

Did you know that Dubai was part of the Subtropical Desert? I had absolutely no idea, but now I'm staying there for my trip to the Subtropical Desert. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Dubaicollage.jpg

I'll be back December 21, but good thing that the temperature is alright! Here's a graph!

http://www.luxurytravel.com/img/weather/LUX_climate_chart_dubai.gif

It's pretty dry, and HOT! Also, the sun is out a lot. So, for those things, here's what I'm taking

• Sunglasses
• Water bottle (thinking about a camelbak, a lot of people seem to have those)
• My iPhone (maps and weather and stuff)
• My camera
• A lot of money (It's dubai, I'll need it)

Back from Turkey

Back from Turkey Post

August 18, 2015 - Indianapolis, Indiana

So, I went to the Temperate Grassland Desert. The climate was as I expected it to be. As I expected there to be, there were perennial grasslands and forbs. Since the temperate is high and the rainfall was minimal, I saw there a lot of grasses that had adapted to that type of environment, it was very informative. We trekked on the steppes that are in the Eurasian grasslands. It was quite a sight to see, but kind of boring, flatness for as far as I could see.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Steppe_of_western_Kazakhstan_in_the_early_spring.jpg

There was quite a bit of life, but most of the animals were far apart. There were bisons, horses, molerats, polerates, etc. With all these animals, and seeing them in the open of the large expanse of land, was amazing.  As with all my previous "I've returned blogs" I'm going to talk about how we, as humans, are terrible.We have used these lands to overgraze to bring up livestock. We have clear cut land and set fires to large expanses of grass.  

Sources:

https://php.radford.edu/~swoodwar/biomes/?page_id=173

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassland

Temperate Grassland Desert

To the Temperate Grassland Desert

April 3, 2015 - Indianapolis, Indiana

For my trip to the Temperate Grassland Desert, I'll be staying in Istanbul. The weather is good, but theres quite a bit of rain. Here, why don't you guys check it out. 

It's pretty hot, as you can see. There is also lots of rain, see here's what I plan on taking.

• Sunglasses and a hat (typical summer stuff)
• My iphone
• A water bottle to stay hydrated
• My nikon
• Loose/light clothing (due to heat)

Je suis de retour de Paris

I'm back from Paris

April 2, 2015

So, I got home yesterday. Paris was...lovely. That's really the only word that can describe it. Lovely. After all the typical Paris stuff, you know, the eiffel tower, the Louvre, etc. I headed for the reason I came. The Temperate Deciduous Forest! It was, in the plainest sense, a forest. But it was great, nonetheless. Oaks, Maples, Beechs, and Elms all in on forest. Every colored leaf you can imagine. Most birds had traveled south at this time, so unfortunately there wasn't much life (other than trees and insects, of course).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/KingsForestParkF.JPG

My past 4 trips have made me extremely aware of my affects on our world. To get energy, we cut the temperate deciduous forest. Then we burn the wood, and release carbon into the environment. And because we cut down the trees, there are less plants to take the carbon out via photosynthesis. I found out less than 1/4 of the original forest remains. That was a real eye opener. Some of the trees are being put into danger, like the beautiful elms I saw. I hope we, as humans, can stop this.

Source : 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_Deciduous_Forest

TO THE FOREST!

I'm going to the Temperate Deciduous Forest!

Decmber 31, 2014 - Indianapolis, Indiana

So, I'm staying in Paris! I'll be in Paris during early winter - mid spring! This is going to be beautiful! Also, I'll be right in the heart of the Temperate Deciduous Forest! I can cross my 3rd biome off, and right on schedule. Paris's is an alright temperature around this time.

http://www.luxurytravel.com/img/weather/LUX_climate_chart_paris.gif

Quite a bit of rain though, but the temperatures are better than they were in Moscow.

I'm leaving TOMORROW! So of course, I'm packed. Here's what I have.

• My iPhone (I have a translator and map application)
• A beret (gotta go stereotypical french)
• A raincoat and jacket, I'll need them both
• My nikon (of course)
• Other clothes

I'm so excited! See you guys in a few months!

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_Deciduous_Forest

The Taiga was amazing!

From the Taiga

December 21, 2013 - Indianapolis, Indiana

4 more months have passed! Around 4 months ago, I arrived in Moscow, Russia. From there, I traveled all around the Taiga, from the eastern parts of Russia to the tip of Scandinavia. The trip was absolutely beautiful. I arrived in August, so one of the first things I did was go on a hike. 29% of the world's forests are in Taiga regions, so it seemed appropriate. I came upon a river, and we went canoeing in that. It was fantastic. I also went back to that region during Winter, when all the snow had fallen. That was a sight to see.  Anyways, I got to see a ton of cool animals. The Taiga is home to dozens upon dozens of different animals. I saw beavers, squirrels, a few bears, a WOLF . It was amazing and scary at the same time.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Helvetinj%C3%A4rvi.JPG

I know the animals sound cool, but it was the whole atmosphere that made the trip what it was. There were mainly 2 kinds of trees, Maple, Elm and Oak. Given the time of the year, the leaves were changing color (and the second time, the tree peaks were snow laden). Our tour guide said we could pick some of the some berries right off the plants and eat them, they were sooooooo good! But you know what was sad, our tour guide said for decades they've been clear cutting these forests. In a few more decades, they might not be here anymore. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

Sources :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiga

To The Taiga!

August 15, 2014 - Indianapolis, Indiana

So, I'm going to be making my way to the Taiga in a week. ONE week. I'll make my home base Moscow.

Moscow is pretty great. Rich heritage, lots of stuff to do, and pretty central to the area I want to explore.

http://www.expatarrivals.com/sites/default/files/images/Moscow-Weather.png

The weather isn't too bad. The temperatures will get a little low though, but it's Moscow, so it'll look nice.

I packed early this time! Here's what I packed, any suggestions?

Packing List

• More cold weather stuff (I'm going in winter, so I'll need it)
• My camera as well as a new lens that I bought.
• A backlit watch that is non-solar powered (The sun is only up for 6 hours a day during Winter)
• Regular clothes, including a few sweaters
• Snow-proof shoes (the kind that doesn't get wet and annoying after being in snow, snow stays on the ground for a long time in the winter in the tiaga)

Sources : 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiaga

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow

I'm Back!

August 15, 2014 - Indianapolis, Indiana

Wow, it's already been 4 months. My trip to the Polar Ice Cap was AMAZING! I spent around 2 weeks making it to the North Pole, and then I lived around there for a month. It was freezing, but insanely fun. For the most part, there was no plant life. We did see some animals however. We saw some penguins (my book came in handy) and some polar bears. It was mainly covered in ice, but we did pass along the "shore" of some water. That's where we saw the polar bears (they were catching fish, typical...). More on the ice, you know how when you go to something like Google Maps and scroll to the top, you see this big block of white, it's much more amazing in person. A beautiful white ground for as far as the eye can see. I'm so glad I was able to experience that in my lifetime.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Ursus_maritimus_mother_with_cub.jpg

I was at the North Pole during the summer. That means I got to experience a 24 hour day. Yeah, that's right. The sun was up for 24 hours straight. Although, it made sleeping hard. It makes you appreciate the darkness of night. Also, it never stopped snowing. I guess that might be my own fault though. I was there in summer, which (weird to us) is the time when it snows the most.

Sources :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_climate

The Polar Ice Cap (Planning)

April 1, 2014 - Indianapolis, Indiana

So, I'm going to be making my way to the polar ice cap in 2 weeks. I can't express how excited I am with words. My main city that I'll be staying in is Nuuk (It's the capital of Greenland). 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Nuuk_city_below_Sermitsiaq.JPG

Yeah, I know. It's really barren, but I won't actually be there too long. The weather isn't anything to write home about (but it's the polar ice cap, so nothing to complain about either)

I plan on going further north from there (maybe even the North Pole), and around the area. 

Ok, I'll admit something. I haven't started packing yet. That's probably bad considering I'm leaving in 13 days, but it's alright because I already have a list (so I just need to order it from Amazon).

Packing List

• Coats (lots of them, it's freezing)
• A scarf and hat 
• My camera (Nikon D7100)
• Snow shoes (I'll need them on my trip the north pole)
• A book on penguins (I'll need to know when I reach the North Pole)

Sources : 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuuk

Where I Want To Go

I plan on traveling around the world. One of my main goals is to see every biome on the planet. To do this, I think it would be best to start now, as there are many biomes (you can see them in the map). Here's the order I'm going to travel them in.

1. Polar Ice Cap (April 14, 2014 - August 14, 2014)
2. Taiga (August 21, 2014 - December 21, 2014)
3. Temperate Deciduous Forest (January 1, 2015 - April 1, 2015)
4. Temperate Grassland Desert (April 14, 2014 - August 14, 2015)
5. Savanna (August 21, 2015 - December 21, 2015)
6. Subtropical Desert (January 1, 2016 - April 1, 2016)
7. Tropical Rain forest (April 14, 2016 - August 14, 2016)
8. Temperate Rain Forest (August 21, 2016 - December 21, 2016)
9. Woodland (January 1, 2017 - April 1, 2017)

Hopefully, if I can stick to my schedule, I'll be able to travel the world in 3 years.


Sources : http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/biomemap.htm