Riding the Death Railway in Thailand from Kanchanaburi, home of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. The name comes from the amount of POW’s that died during the construction of the railway over 70 years ago, there are almost 5,000 tombstones in the cemetery at Kanchanaburi alone.
It is said that each railway sleeper used on the track equals the death of one person during its construction. It is predicted that around 90,000 people died during the construction of the railway. The above picture is taken at one of the most perilous points.
This post is in reply to the daily post photo challenge On the way.
Looking over Tromsø there is a view point where you can see the city and the surrounding landscape. The top of the mountain is easily accessible by way of a Norwegian priced cable car that runs every half an hour. Even though it is slightly expensive the view is well worth it.
Above is a panorama I took using my phone, perfectly connected. I am not even sure how it works but some how it does. Below is a panorama I made by printing the photographs and connecting them myself. Even though it is flawed I enjoy the process and the final image.
Driving in Norway took so much longer as we had to stop every five minutes to take photographs of the impressive scenery. Not sure who this guy is meant to be but I like to think if troll hunters where real this is what they would look like.
I have been living in Northern Finland for the last six months and now the snow has finally cleared it was time to make a trip. The five hour drive north to Tromsø, Norway. It was the beginning of May but that didn’t stop it from snowing the night before.
I had seen much of the Finnish landscape while driving from Helsinki last year and it can easily be summarised, lakes and trees. And lots of them. But then I was told about the landscape around Kilpisjärvi and how beautiful it was. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this as typical Finnish scenery as it was pretty much Norway or Sweden being that close to their borders, but it was beautiful none the less.
Kilpisjärvi, Finland
It was surprising how quickly the landscape changed once we crossed the border into Norway. Finland had been grey and dull but 10 km after the border the clouds cleared and made way for clear blue skies. The hills grew from rocky outcrops and became magnificent mountains. The weather was warmer, the snow on the ground was gone and only lay on the mountain sides. It was obvious, Norway was better.
Game of thrones is on a lot of people’s radar at the moment. It has helped changed the face of TV but it has also changed the way we travel. Since appearing on the show destinations such as Ireland and Croatia have become top places to visit. And the tourism industry is starting capitalize with themed tours and activities.
Books and films play a large part in modern culture. When a certain medium hits the global audience it can then affect other areas including tourism. These affects could be anything from more visitors to areas of particular importance to the increase in employment. This is a fairly new tourism phenomenon that is increasing rapidly as books and films are brought to a larger audience, acting as an advert for destinations.
Lord of the Rings changed tourism in New Zealand. Due to the success of the movies and fans of the books there has been a surge in what is now called Tolkien Tourism, which is when people visit areas associated with the films, the book or Tolkien’s life. New Zealand has seen a reported 50% increase in tourism since the release of peter Jackson’s trilogy in 2001. I have never been to New Zealand but after seeing Lord of the Rings it has definitely made its way onto places to visit in the future.
With the increase in these areas and the demand for new services relating to this phenomenon there will continue to be a large market and people reaching new and interesting areas. The success that New Zealand has seen will not be the first, currently Iceland is experience in the same thing as it has been picked as a filming location for many recent science fiction films.
The future for these destinations looks great as they are able to negotiate for better benefits and attract tourists. The latest Avatar sequels are due to be filmed in New Zealand over the next few years. The studio has made a $400 million deal with the New Zealand government involving the filming and production of the movies, this will lead to an increase in employment and possibly a further increase in tourism as people see the movies.
Films and TV have changed the way we make our travel choices. Where have you visited since your saw it on the big screen?
Game of Thrones fans may recognize this as Meereen.
Our Shadows Will Remain 