Top Three Places in My List

Hello Hiveians!

I'm on my 8th day of my 30-Day Blogging Challenge which was an amazing concept by @tegoshei. As I've said in my previous entries, I'm really surprised that I've reached this far. I guess it's really possible to produce content daily for one month if you put your heart into it regardless of schedule. But it's still too early to say since we are still on the first day of the 2nd week. Let's just push through with this challenge one day at a time.

Today's topic is about the top three (3) places you wanted to visit. While it's closer to the content I produce on a normal day, this challenge is extremely difficult because I have to narrow down the list to three when I really wanted to visit all the places in the world. That's how frustrated I am when it comes to travel. So far, I've been travelling locally and had booked for my first international travel when this pandemic happened so just imagine my frustration.

I decided that the places in this list will be the most difficult for me to travel given my current situation. This will be an inspiration for me to strive hard and live every single day with a hope that one day, I might be able to visit these places. I mean I could just say Europe or New Zealand to be included in this list, but that would be in the list of everyone who wants to join this challenge. I wanted to list the places that I might not even be able to visit in this lifetime.

With all the consideration in mind, here are the top three (3) places I wanted to visit:

Ever since I get a hold of an old National Geographic magazine, I have always been a fan of vast wilderness with little to no sign of human intervention. I've read about Mongolia in general when a Filipino journalist featured the country in an online newspaper sometime in 2017. I was mesmerized by the photos he shared. Considering my current situation, I know how difficult it is for me to visit the country, but I will not stop hoping and dreaming.

I chose Altai Mountains, but I'm okay to any part of the country. May it be in a vast grassland, semiarid plains, or in the Gobi Desert. All of those places are in my dreams that if I can't visit them in this life, I will keep on trying in the next life.

Mongolia is not your typical tourist destination and I know it requires meticulous and extensive planning or else, you'll be trapped in the middle of a desert without the contact in the outside world. I wanted to experience the nomadic culture or their way of life. Aside from nature and culture, Mongolia is also historically rich country. I want to step in the land where the Khans lived.

I always watch my favorite travel vloggers on YouTube and one of their featured place was Salar de Uyuni or Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia. Having to spend the night under the stars which is reflected by the shallow lake during rainy season is a fairytale for me. I just want to lie in the salt while I wander in my thoughts under the stars.

As someone who easily gets fascinated with the geology and formation of the world's most famous natural landmarks, Salar de Uyuni is already under my radar for a long time. The largest salt flat in the world which is also the located in high altitudes becomes the largest mirror in the world after the rain. The thin layer of water covers the salt flat and coupled with very clear skies, it's out of this world. It is also the world's largest reserve of lithium, which is a major component in rechargeable batteries.

If you're a fan of Star Wars, you'll know that Planet Crait in Return of the Jedi was filmed in Salar de Uyuni.

Two reasons for visiting Iceland: geology and aurora borealis. Iceland is one of the very few places in the world where volcanoes are still very active and its formation can be observed up close. Aurora borealis - who doesn't want to see those dancing nothern lights? What's more fascinating is the science of its formation. It's also an evidence that we are always protected by the earth's magnetic field from the harmful solar wind.

The ice caves of Vatnajökull National Park are ethereal. That's it. To be under its blue glow is an ultimate happiness.

Iceland is always on the top of my list in terms of travel destinations and would probably the first country that I'll visit among the three. I always said that if I can visit Iceland, I will be contented in life and I'll probably settle down after that.

I noticed that there's one thing in common in these three places - vast and pristine wilderness. I imagined that if I'll be in one of these places, I will drop dead in awe. I just imagined the beauty of nature, extending as far as the eye can see.

I want to be in Batanes when I'm about to make a decision that's so crucial to me. I don't know what that crucial decision will be be, but I hope I already have the means to travel to Batanes when the time comes. Going to other countries in Southeast Asia is much cheaper than visiting Batanes.

I don't care if I'll get stranded for a week, but I really want to go to Itbayat, Batanes. Most tourists would settle in Basco and then that's it. Only a few hardcore tourists have gone to Itbayat due to unpredictability of the weather. I want to experience the thrill of going there.

Kim Ybañez

_{Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.}

_{If you like his content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. You can also reblog if you want to. Also, don't forget to follow him to be updated with his latest posts.}