James' World 2

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The Drakensberg is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 meters (6,562 to 11,424 feet) within the border region of South Africa and Lesotho.

A map of South Africa shows the central plateau edged by the Great Escarpment and its relationship to the Cape Fold Mountains to the south. The portion of the Great Escarpment shown in red is known as the Drakensberg.

The Drakensberg escarpment stretches for more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from the Eastern Cape Province in the South, then successively forms, in order from south to north, the border between Lesotho and the Eastern Cape and the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal Province. Thereafter it forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, and next as the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Province. The escarpment winds north from there, through Mpumalanga, where it includes features such as the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, and God’s Window. It then extends farther north to Hoedspruit in southeastern Limpopo where it is known as ‘Klein Drankensberg’ by the Afrikaner. From Hoedspruit, it extends west to Tzaneen, also in Limpopo Province, where it is known as the Wolkberg Mountains and Iron Crown Mountain. At 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level, the Wolkberg is the highest elevation in Limpopo. The escarpment extends west again and at Mokopane it is known as the Strydpoort Mountains.

The Afrikaans name Drakensberge comes from the name the earliest Dutch settlers gave to the escarpment, namely Drakensbergen, or Dragons’ Mountains. The highest portion of the Great Escarpment is known in Zulu as uKhahlamba and as Maluti in Sotho (“Barrier of up-pointed spears”). Wikipedia

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An image from Drakensberg South Africa

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Brisbane sited on the Meanjin is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia. Brisbane’s metropolitan area has a population of around 2.6 million, and it lies at the center of the South East Queensland metropolitan region, which encompasses a population of around 3.8 million. The Brisbane central business district is situated within a peninsula of the Brisbane River about 15 km (9 mi) from its mouth at Moreton Bay, a bay of the Coral Sea. The metropolitan area extends in all directions along the hilly floodplain of the Brisbane River Valley between Moreton Bay and the Taylor and D’Aguilar mountain ranges. It sprawls across several of Australia’s most populous local government areas (LGAs) — most centrally the City of Brisbane, the most populous LGA in the nation.

The city is named for the Brisbane River on which it stands, which is in turn named for Sir Thomas Brisbane, the governor of New South Wales at the time of the city’s founding. The Moreton Bay penal settlement was founded in 1824 at Redcliffe as a place for secondary offenders from the Sydney colony and soon moved to North Quay in 1825. Christian missionaries established Zion Hill in 1838, and by 1842 the region opened to free settlement. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland separated from New South Wales in 1859, and by the late 19th century had grown into a major port city and center of immigration. During World War II, Brisbane played a central role in the Allied campaign and served as the southwest Pacific headquarters for United States Army General Douglas MacArthur.

Brisbane is classified as a global city (Beta +), and is an advanced center of research and innovation in the Asia-Pacific. The city is promoted as Australia’s capital of technology, with strengths in mining research and green energy, medicine and biotechnology, cryptocurrency and digital industries, and robotics. A transportation hub, Brisbane is served by a large suburban rail network and popular bus and ferry networks, as well as Australia’s largest and busiest airport, and the third-largest seaport. The financial district is centered on Eagle Street.

A diverse city with 32.2% of its metropolitan population being foreign-born, the city consistently ranks as one of the world’s most liveable cities. Noted for its rich culture and history, the city is home to numerous museums and galleries, events and festivals, theatre and music, city art and public monuments, and historic buildings. Brisbane is known for its distinct Queenslander architecture, its spring Jacaranda blossoms, and its outdoor dining and cuisine culture. Brisbane has hosted major events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo 88, and the 2014 G20 summit, and will host the 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Wikipedia

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An image from Brisbane, Australia

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The magnificent Phraya Nakhon Cave is one of the most mystical and mysterious landmarks of Thailand but only a few travelers get a chance to take a picture of it. The reason is simple: this gold and green pavilion is hidden inside a hard-to-reach cave and only a handful of dedicated visitors will do the effort to visit it. Those who do are rewarded with a stunning vision that looks like it’s straight out of an Indiana Jones movie.

Phraya Nakhon Cave is located in the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, a 45 minutes drive south of Hua Hin. First step to reach the cave is to drive to the small village of Bang Pu located by the beach, and from there decide if you’d rather rent a boat to take you around the cape to Laem Sala beach, or walk a 30 minutes trek above the hill leading to the same Laem Sala beach. Since the boat ride only costs 150 to 200 baht per person and considering that you still will have to climb 430 m of uneven and steep steps we recommend you save your energy and take this short ride to the cave.

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An image from Phraya Nakhon Cave Thailand

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