Category Archives: International Features

Explore the islands of Hong Kong, wildlife safaris, hot air ballooning in Arizona, Mexico’s marvellous beaches, Great Barrier Reef diving, Caribbean cuisine, Guyana’s Rupununi rainforest, Byzantine monasteries in Meteora and temples of Korea. A few of the exotic video experiences in the months ahead. (Photo: Heidelberg Marketing GmbH)

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Argentina: The Welsh Settlers

Posted on February 6, 2013 by On Top Of The World


In 1865, 150 Welsh immigrants escaping from poverty, politics and the prohibition of the Welsh tongue in their schools, sailed into Puerto Madryn in Patagonia. They arrived to find an equally harsh existence with long cold winters and such poor soil they could not farm. Then one of the women settlers devised an irrigation system that changed their lives. Before long they had the best wheat in Argentina. In Gaiman, we meet Marta Rees a descendant of those immigrants and whose family established the first Welsh tearoom in Patagonia. For more information see International Features episode #42.

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Argentina: The Land of Glaciers

Posted on February 6, 2013 by On Top Of The World


The land of glaciers is a world of natural beauty comprising 34 glaciers and declared a National Heritage site by UNESCO. El Parque Nacional Los Glaciares covers over 600,000 hectares of eternal snow and ice and has been advancing over the area since the beginning of history. The Perito Moreno Glacier is an imposing river of ice which descends from the continental ice-fields to Canal de los Tempanos. This living glacier is a rarity amongst the glaciers of the world and is slowly advancing at a pace of 100 metres per year. For more information see International Features episode # 41.

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Argentina: Patagonia

Posted on February 6, 2013 by On Top Of The World


En route to the glaciers, we travelled the road between Rio Gallegos and Calafate. This route is often overlooked by travellers because of its inhospitable landscape. “There’s nothing there” we were told. But on a close inspection, this region of Patagonia revealed a fascinating world. We spotted patches of Mate Guanaco and a small herd of wild Guanacos, the indigenous animal for which the plant is named. We also found a small nature reserve providing a resting and breeding ground for blue-beaked ducks, pink flamingos, ibis and hawks; and en route to the glaciers, condors kept us company. For more information see International Features episode # 40.

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Argentina: Tierra del Fuego

Posted on February 5, 2013 by On Top Of The World


Primarily consisting of one large island, Isla Grande, and many smaller ones, mostly uninhabited, Tierra del Fuego is bounded by the Strait of Magellan in the North and the Drake Passage to the South. We learn how the ‘Land of Fire’ got its name and that Magellan may not have been the first explorer to discover the Strait. Based in Ushuaia, our explorations reveal more of the history of the island and its original inhabitants and we visit an eared seal colony, Cormorant Island, and a national park that shares its boundary with Chile. For more information see International Features episode 39.

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Argentina: The Andes Road

Posted on February 5, 2013 by On Top Of The World


The North West is rich in history and has the most abrupt changes of climate and landscape in the country. The Andes road extended from Lima to Buenos Aires and on our journey we travelled from Salta to Jujuy and Humahuaca. Climbing up to 9,000 feet we pass the striking Hill of the Seven Colours, stop to explore the Rio Grande, the Quebrada, visit the old adobe church of Santa Rosa in the Purmamarca, and the Posta de Hornillos, one of a chain of inns that was built during Viceregal times. It was also an opportunity to meet people who are descended from the earliest civilizations and who have made these remote areas of the Andes their home. For more information see International Features episode #38.

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Argentina: The Penguin Highway

Posted on February 5, 2013 by On Top Of The World


One of the most famous penguin highways in the world can be found at Punta Tombo in the region of Chubut. Every September Magallanes penguins come here to nest. When it’s time to migrate in April the older birds will head for the Antarctic while the younger ones head for Brazil. With help from local conservationists we learn of the penguins’ mating habits, their parenting skills, and the on-going work to identify the birds, determine their habits and protect them from oil spills. For more information: International Features episode 37.

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Pittsburgh, USA: The Art of Andy Warhol

Posted on January 14, 2013 by On Top Of The World


Andy Warhol’s name is synonymous with the Pop Art scene of the 60s. His paintings of consumer products and celebrities like Liz, Marilyn and Elvis made his name as much a household word as the Campbell soup cans and Brillo boxes he captured on canvas. In his native Pittsburgh, the Andy Warhol Museum is one of the most comprehensive single artist museums in the world. For more information check out episode #26 in the International Features.

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New England, USA: Winter in the Berkshires

Posted on December 26, 2012 by On Top Of The World


Walking along Stockbridge High Street is like stepping back in time when The Berkshires in Massachusetts was home to the celebrated artist Norman Rockwell. As we explore the villages that make up the region we visit: the Museum that displays Rockwell’s work documenting the simplicity of his life and times in New England; Gilded Cottages once homes to the wealthy; spend time on the ski hills at Jiminy Peak; and take in the Hancock Shaker Village. Finally we travel to the outskirts of the Berkshires to Old Sturbridge Village Park — an interactive museum that gives insight to the early 19th century. For more information check out episode #36 in international features.

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The Netherlands – Arnhem

Posted on December 13, 2012 by On Top Of The World


Located on a branch of the River Rhine just 25 miles from the German border, Arnhem is another side to Holland, a lively city surrounded by nature. The Netherlands Open-Air Museum introduced us to the history of the local people. We took a free white bike and cycled around De Hoge Veluwe, Holland’s largest national park and stopped in at the Kröller-Müller Museum. A short local train ride took us to the Royal Paleis Het Loo with its magnificent baroque garden, and later we dined at the Castle Doorwerth near Wolfheze. All within easy reach of Arnhem. For more information check out episode 35 in the International Features category.

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The Netherlands – Amsterdam

Posted on December 13, 2012 by On Top Of The World


Amsterdam, the capital of Holland, may have a strong youth culture, but our explorations reveal a medieval city centre, a famous harbor and an historic canal district that has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Golden Century brought enormous wealth to the city and in the 1600s canals were hand-dug bisecting the River Amstel and acting as inner highways enabling East India merchants to move goods and oriental spices from ships in the harbor to their warehouses. Combined with trams, pedestrian walkways and cycling paths, these canals now form the transportation heartbeat of the City. Alongside locals with their bicycles we are ferried into different parts of Amsterdam to discover the City’s history, museums, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. For more information check out episode 34 in the International Features category.

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