Tag Archives: Islands

Wildlife: The Hutia & Red Crabs Of Cuba (BBC Video)

Away from the burning glare of the Caribbean sun live some unusual animals. Cuba is home to the Hutia, a small dog sized rodent as well as plenty of marauding crabs!

Hutias are moderately large cavy-like rodents of the family Capromyidae that inhabit the Caribbean Islands. Twenty species of hutia have been identified but at least a third are extinct. 

Gecarcinus ruricola is a species of terrestrial crab. It is the most terrestrial of the Caribbean land crabs, and is found from western Cuba across the Antilles as far east as Barbados. Common names for G. ruricola include the purple land crab, black land crabred land crab, and zombie crab.

Walking Tours: ‘Sliema – Island Of Malta’ (4K Video)

Sliema is a resort town on the east coast of the Mediterranean island of Malta. The waterfront features a long promenade and the 18th-century polygonal Fort Tigné in the south. To the north, St. Julian’s Tower is a 17th-century watchtower and battery. The baroque-inspired Stella Maris Church dates from the 1850s. On tiny Manoel Island is the star-shaped Fort Manoel, built by the Knights of St. John.

Ocean View HOmes: St. Martin Island (Video)

From its dramatic cliff-top location, on the northern coastline of French St. Martin in Terres Basses, villa Falaise des Oiseaux enjoys sublime water views across the ocean to the neighboring island of Anguilla on the distant horizon. Just recently completely refurbished this lovely two-bedroom home sits on nearly five acres of land in total privacy and offers a private pool, two king-size bedrooms with en-suite baths, and an open-plan living room and kitchen. A veranda running the entire length of the property enjoys incredible 180° views over the ocean and provides covered areas for outside living and dining. Steps lead down to a sun terrace with a free-form pool and comfortable lounge chairs and further areas for outside dining. Large glass sliding doors open from the veranda into an open-plan and light-filled interior space comprising a living room with natural wood and white linen furnishings and a pristine, brand new kitchen with white cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and marble countertops. The two bedrooms can be accessed from the living room or from the veranda and offer spectacular water views, relaxing neutral décor, widescreen TV’s and brand new en-suite bathrooms with glass-surround rain showers. Villa Falaise des Oiseaux offers complete privacy in a beautiful and tranquil setting and is just a 10-minute walk away from the lovely natural beach of Plum Bay. The village of Cupecoy in Dutch St. Maarten, for restaurants and grocery shopping, is just a 10-minute drive from the villa.

Aerial Views: Republic Of The Philippines (4K Video)

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 

Aerial Views: ‘Lofoten Islands In Norway’ (Video)

Lofoten is an archipelago in Norway. Its known for its dramatic scenery, with peaks like the Svolværgeita pinnacle jutting up into the sky. Himmeltindan Mountain sits on Vestvågøya Island. The nearby Lofotr Viking Museum features a Viking longhouse reconstruction. Cycle routes cover the islands, passing through fishing villages like Henningsvær, which has colorful buildings lining its waterways.

Aerial Views: ‘Kauai – Hawaiian Islands’ (Video)

Kauai is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s nicknamed “the Garden Isle” thanks to the tropical rainforest covering much of its surface. The dramatic cliffs and pinnacles of its Na Pali Coast have served as a backdrop for major Hollywood films, while 10-mile-long Waimea Canyon and the Nounou Trails traversing the Sleeping Giant mountain ridge are hiking destinations. 

Poetic Short Films: ‘NELLA MIA CITTÀ (In my city)’ – A Tribute To Venice (Video)

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Milton Kam

NELLA MIA CITTÀ (In my city) is my visual ode to Venice. The film observes the lagoon city and its residents during the relative scarcity of tourists in its streets. From the lustre of its famous spots to the anonymity of its quiet alleys, Venice feels as if ‘the future did not come,’ to borrow a line from the poem, which the film is based on.

Nella mia città is written by Anna Toscano and was taken from her book Doso la polvere, Milan, La Vita Felice, 2012

With music by Federico Toffano (cello), Liesl Odenweller (soprano), and Ivano Zanenghi (lute).

IN MY CITY by Anna Toscano

The future does not exist
the future does not come
in my city:
however long my step is
however much you have the favor of the wind
the number 2 does not go more than 22 km per hour.
How to get beyond the past
how not to look back
(at this speed)
with your neck always at three quarters:
time stops in piazzale Roma
so we live entangled
in the stories of peoples.
We stand, happy,
in a rearview mirror.

Cultural Views: ‘Sacred Islands’ Of The Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand (Video)

New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf – Tikapa Moana – is a place of spectacular beauty and home to more than 50 islands. Some barely break the high tide mark, others loom large on the horizon, many are now uninhabited. Local Māori tribes like Ngai Tai Ki Tamaki, who have been here for nearly a thousand years, revere these islands. Each and every island has a story to tell.

The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km², and lies between, in anticlockwise order, the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula, and Great Barrier Island. Most of the gulf is part of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. 

Aerial Views: ‘Sicily – Italy’

Places visited: Valley of the Temples with the Temple of Juno and the Temple of Concordia, the Cathedral of St. Agatha, the Cefalù Cathedral, the Capo Cefalù Lighthouse, the Port of Cefalù, the Etna Volcano and the beautiful old town.

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is just off the “toe” of Italy’s “boot.” Its rich history is reflected in sites like the Valley of the Temples, the well-preserved ruins of 7 monumental, Doric-style Greek temples, and in the Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina, a former royal chapel in capital city Palermo. On Sicily’s eastern edge is Mount Etna, one of Europe’s highest active volcanoes.

Tropical Views: Seychelles – Indian Ocean (4K Video)

The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It’s home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises. Mahé, a hub for visiting the other islands, is home to capital Victoria. It also has the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park and beaches, including Beau Vallon and Anse Takamaka.