Taipei is the capital of Taiwan. 

It has a bad rap for not being visually pleasing. I would beg to differ. Once you look past the seemingly endless cookie-cutter residential low-rises from the mid 20th century, the city is full of gems.

Taipei 101 stands 1667 feet tall above the city and serves as an omnipresent. Lost? Just look up.

What Taipei lacks in skyscrapers and modern buildings, it makes up for right on ground level. The city is full of beautifully ornate temples as well as wonderfully diverse food temples -- or as they are actually called, the night markets. Thousands of people pack these nightly bazaars to enjoy the vast and varied local cuisine. 

It's not much on a map. Yosemite Valley just appears to be just a gap in the vast Sierra Nevada mountain chain. You start to feel something special driving up CA-140 through the Merced River canyon, as if you're leaving the world behind. Once you cross through the NPS gates and into Yosemite Valley itself, you realize you were right. Colossal rock structures like El Capitan and Half Dome adorned with gushing waterfalls and towering redwoods and sequoias. I can't help but find myself wondering -- is this place real or a dream?

Paris is magical. Even in the peak of tourist season, on some of the hottest days of year -- there is so much energy and life to the city. In fact, there is much energy that I'm not sure how the Parisians keep up with their surroundings. Everyone is outside and everyone is fascinating. Quite a city, I can't wait to go back.

Luxembourg is a small but distinct country, tucked in the valleys and gorges between France, Belgium and Germany. The language is Luxembourgish -- which is a confused mix of French and German ... which consequently describes nicely how this country feels. The lush green slopes, ancient castles and multitudes of wildflowers seem perfect for a fairy-tale setting. Even though you can fairly easily explore this country in two or three days, that certainly doesn't mean there isn't much to see.

Big and bustling -- London is an impressively well-coordinated city. Walking around the city is like strolling through centuries of royal history. Perfectly maintained and perfectly orderly, it's easy to wonder if Central London is a real place or a virtual reality SimCity spin off.

Pictures from London are available for sale here: https://nsettephoto.shootproof.com/gallery/13209465/

Teotihuacan