Cape Town, South Africa

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Turn around: there’s a surprise vista behind you.

Cape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad [ˈkɑːpstɐt]; Xhosa: iKapa) is the second-most populated city in South Africa after Johannesburg,^[4] and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The city is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, as well as for such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is also Africa’s most popular tourist destination.^{[5][not in citation given]}

Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a victualling (supply) station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and the Far East. Jan van Riebeeck‘s arrival on 6 April 1652 established the first permanent European settlement in South Africa. Cape Town quickly outgrew its original purpose as the first European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope, becoming the economic and cultural hub of the Cape Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the development of Johannesburg, Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa. Today it is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. As of 2011 the metropolitan region had an estimated population of 3.74 million.^[3]

Source: Wikipedia

Homer, Alaska

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HOMER— It’s a humble name for a little town that is anything but ordinary. Named for Homer Pennock, a con man who arrived in 1896 and lured others to the Homer area with promises of gold, the community of Homer evolved from a coal mining town to a center for fishing, farming, ranching, and homesteading and finally to the vibrant regional economic center we see today.

Located near the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is variously described as “where the land ends and the sea begins,” “the cosmic hamlet by the sea,” an arts community, and a fishing community. Common to almost any description is an acknowledgement that Homer is situated in one of the most beautiful places in the world, with spectacular views of Kachemak Bay, the Kenai Mountains, and several volcanic peaks across Cook Inlet including Mt. Augustine, Mt. Iliamna, and Mt. Redoubt.

Read more on Homer’s official website

Tiberias, Israel

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A wide hilltop vista with the Sea of Galilee in the background on the right

Tiberias (/taɪˈbɪəriəs/; Hebrew: טְבֶרְיָה, Tverya, Tiveria  (audio) (help·info); Arabic: طبرية‎, Ṭabariyyah; Greek:Τιβεριάς Tiberiás, Modern Greek:Τιβεριάδα Tiveriáda ) is a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Kinneret), Lower Galilee, Israel. Established in 20 CE, it was named in honour of the emperor Tiberius.^[2]

Tiberias has been venerated in Judaism since the middle of the 2nd century CE^[3] and since the 16th century has been considered one of Judaism‘s Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed.^[4] In the 2nd-10th centuries, Tiberias was the largest Jewish city in the Galilee and the political and religious hub of the Jews of Palestine. It has historically been known for its hot springs, believed to cure skin and other ailments, for thousands of years.^[5]

Source: Wikipedia

Mallorca, Spain

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Majorca or Mallorca (Spanish: Mallorca [maˈʎorka])^[1] is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest island in the Balearic Islands archipelago, in Spain.

The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca (in the municipality of Palma). The anthem of Majorca is La Balanguera.

Like the other Balearic Islands of Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany, Ireland, Poland, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The name derives from Latin insula maior, “larger island”; later Maiorica, “the larger one” in comparison to Minorca, “the smaller one”.

Source: Wikipedia

Miyako-jima, Japan

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A mystical spot on the tiny island of Miyakojima, in Okinawa Japan.

Miyako-jima (宮古島^?, Miyako: Myaaku (ミャーク^?); Okinawan: Naaku (ナーク^?)) is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Miyako-jima is administered as part of the City of Miyakojima, which includes not only Miyako-jima, but also five other populated islands.^[1]

Miyako-jima lies approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) southwest of Okinawa Island and 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Taipei, Taiwan.^[1] With an area of 158.70 square kilometres (61.27 sq mi), Miyako is the fourth-largest island in Okinawa Prefecture.^[2] The island is triangular in shape and is composed of Ryukyuan limestone.^[1] Miyako-jima is subject to drought and is frequently struck by typhoons.^[1]

Miyako-jima is well known for its beauty, particularly the Eastern Cape (東平安名岬 Higashi-hennazaki^?), which is considered by many as one of the most beautiful spots in Japan. Other notable locations include Maehama beach, the German Cultural Center, Painagama Beach, and the sights on Irabu-jima. There are two islands close by which are connected by bridges to Miyako-jima Ikemajima (池間島 Ikema-jima^?) and Kurimajima (来間島 Kurima-jima^?). The Miyako language, one of several Ryukyuan languages, is spoken here.

There is a unique festival called Paantu (パーントゥ), which occurs in the ninth month of the old (lunar) calendar. Three men dressed in grasses and mud go about smearing it everywhere. They carry sticks in one hand and a simple but scary mask in the other. Those people who have been dirtied by the Pantu will have a year of protection. Owners of new homes will also invite Pantu to give a ‘blessing’ to their homes.

Miyako has its own version of soba. Otori is a custom of drinking Awamori, a distilled beverage native to Okinawa Japan. It is performed by people sitting (usually around a table). One offers a toast, drinks from a small glass, and then offers some to each person at the table making a round, and usually going to the right. When the toaster makes his way back to his spot the person who passed the Otori before pours him another glass. He then announces “TSUNAGIMASU” and drinks his second glass. After a brief interval, it is then the turn of the next person to pass the Otori, which continues until the celebration is ended.

Source: Wikipedia