<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Reto Travel Portfolio RSS Feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[Travel portfolio of Reto]]></description><link>https://reto.com</link><generator>GatsbyJS</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 13 Aug 2022 21:53:19 GMT</lastBuildDate><item><title><![CDATA[Venice of the North - Amsterdam]]></title><description><![CDATA[Although it is an established fact that Amsterdam is a bicycle friendly city, I am always surprised when visiting, how well the Dutch have integrated cycling into their charming cities and lifestyles.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/venice-of-the-north-amsterdam</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/venice-of-the-north-amsterdam</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brussels - the comic city]]></title><description><![CDATA[By celebrating their Franco-Belgian comic characters, Brussels has a unique vibe by showing comic strips on otherwise empty spaces within the city centre.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/brussels-the-comic-city</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/brussels-the-comic-city</guid><pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[High speed train to Luxembourg]]></title><description><![CDATA[Taking a high speed train from Switzerland to Luxembourg was part of my first travel baby steps after two pandemic winters.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/highspeed-train-to-luxembourg</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/highspeed-train-to-luxembourg</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wadi Rum Desert]]></title><description><![CDATA[The desert of Wadi Rum is one of the main tourist sights in Jordan. It gained popularity through the 1962 movie 'Lawrence of Arabia'.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/wadi-rum-desert</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/wadi-rum-desert</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Everest Base Camp Trek]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mount Everest (8'848m) is the highest mountain on earth, named after British land surveyor George Everest since 1856.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/everest-base-camp-trek</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/everest-base-camp-trek</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Antarctic Research Stations]]></title><description><![CDATA[Science research in the Antarctic is ideal for carrying out experiments because of its remoteness and thinly populated environment.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/antarctic-research-stations</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/antarctic-research-stations</guid><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia]]></title><description><![CDATA[The amazing rock-hewn churches are scattered in several clusters over an area of 50'000 square kilometers in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/rock-hewn-churches-in-ethiopia</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/rock-hewn-churches-in-ethiopia</guid><pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cocora Valley Wax Palm]]></title><description><![CDATA[The national tree of Colombia - the Quindío wax palm is the tallest recorded monocot in the world. It grows in the humid montane forests of the Cocora Valley in Colombia.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/cocora-valley-wax-palm</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/cocora-valley-wax-palm</guid><pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rapa Nui]]></title><description><![CDATA[Rapa Nui (or Easter Island) is a small island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. This Chilean territory is a UNESCO world heritage site due to the thousands of monumental statues.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/rapa-nui</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/rapa-nui</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[South American Altiplano]]></title><description><![CDATA[For the most part, the Altiplano is located in the Bolivian Andes - It is one of the most extensive areas of high plateau on Earth.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/south-american-altiplano</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/south-american-altiplano</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Alpstein hike]]></title><description><![CDATA[The trail from Ebenalp to Seealpsee has some of the finest views in Switzerland.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/alpstein-hike</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/alpstein-hike</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Abkhazia's Abandoned Buildings]]></title><description><![CDATA[Abkhazia features a lot of abandoned buildings exposing the past glamour of better times]]></description><link>https://reto.com/abandoned-buildings-abkhazia</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/abandoned-buildings-abkhazia</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Graffiti in Palestine]]></title><description><![CDATA[International artists flock to this area to paint on the walls in Palestine as an act of beautification.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/graffiti-in-palestine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/graffiti-in-palestine</guid><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Off the beaten track in Changshu]]></title><description><![CDATA[This small city (by Chinese standards) is neither featured in the Lonely Planet nor the Guide du Routard guidebooks. Getting there is therefore a bit of a challenge.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/off-the-beaten-track-in-changshu</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/off-the-beaten-track-in-changshu</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Charming Suzhou]]></title><description><![CDATA[Right now, I am in Suszhou, a very touristic and beautiful city one hour west from Shanghai. Temperatures here reach a staggering 37°C every day and it is also very humid.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/charming-suzhou</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/charming-suzhou</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Chongqing and the Yangzi river]]></title><description><![CDATA[33 Million people are living in the municipality of Chongqing. That is an awful lot of people. No wonder that this place is - by some - considered as being the biggest city in the world (at least population wise).]]></description><link>https://reto.com/chongqing-and-the-yangzi-river</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/chongqing-and-the-yangzi-river</guid><pubDate>Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Urumqi and Lake Kanas]]></title><description><![CDATA[The city of Urumqi was a surprisingly nice stay, given the fact that the only reason to come here was an administrative stop for extending my Chinese visa.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/urumqi-and-lake-kanas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/urumqi-and-lake-kanas</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Olympic torch relay in Urumqi]]></title><description><![CDATA[Attending the Olympic torch relay in Urumqi didn't go as planned.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/olympic-torch-relay-in-urumqi</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/olympic-torch-relay-in-urumqi</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Turpan and the flaming mountains]]></title><description><![CDATA[Turpan is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/turpan-and-the-flaming-mountains</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/turpan-and-the-flaming-mountains</guid><pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The end of the wall in Jiayuguan]]></title><description><![CDATA[There must be a beginning (or an end?) of the Great Chinese Wall. Don't look further and welcome to Jiayuguan.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/the-end-of-the-wall-in-jiayuguan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/the-end-of-the-wall-in-jiayuguan</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Archaeological nerds in Dunhuang]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the important archaeological sites in China are the Mogao Caves.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/archaeological-nerds-in-dunhuang</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/archaeological-nerds-in-dunhuang</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lanzhou, the transportation hub]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lanzhou is a major hub connecting China's East to the Western provinces, as well as the South to the North.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/lanzhou-the-transportation-hub</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/lanzhou-the-transportation-hub</guid><pubDate>Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Being a celebrity in Tianshui]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tianshui was a transit stop where I decided to spend two nights. Being the only non-Chinese guy in a city of 400'000 people was a neck turner for most locals.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/being-a-celebrity-in-tianshui</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/being-a-celebrity-in-tianshui</guid><pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Climbing the Hua Shan mountain near Xian]]></title><description><![CDATA[Located about an hour from Xi'an, Hua Shan is considered to be one of the world's most dangerous places to hike.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/climbing-the-hua-shan-mountain-near-xian</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/climbing-the-hua-shan-mountain-near-xian</guid><pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Last train to Pingyao]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pingyao is located about 12 hours by train from Beijing. It has a beautiful old town that is protected from the ever growing traffic by city walls and gates.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/last-train-to-pingyao</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/last-train-to-pingyao</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A new Beijing experience]]></title><description><![CDATA[The train between Ulan-Bator in Mongolia and Beijing in China contains possibly the most scenic leg on the whole Trans-Mongolian train journey.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/a-new-beijing-experience</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/a-new-beijing-experience</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring the Gobi Desert]]></title><description><![CDATA[Despite its name, the Gobi Desert features grassland, steppe, canyons, dunes and mountain ranges. And it is an important region for archeologists and paleontologists.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/eploring-the-gobi-desert</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/eploring-the-gobi-desert</guid><pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vodka at Lake Baikal]]></title><description><![CDATA[Irkutsk is one of the main hubs for tourists in Siberia. There's enough infrastructure to stock up on food and head either east (Vladivostok), south (Mongolia) or west (Moscow).]]></description><link>https://reto.com/vodka-at-lake-baikal</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/vodka-at-lake-baikal</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Two centimeters cold in Siberia]]></title><description><![CDATA[What a weather change this is. Back in Almaty, I was boarding the train during a warm, early summer wind breeze. Upon arrival in Novosibirsk, freezing temperatures welcomed me.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/two-centimeters-cold-in-siberia</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/two-centimeters-cold-in-siberia</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Slow train to Almaty]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sadly, my stay in Uzbekistan came to an end and I planned to make my way from Khiva to Tortkul station where I did board the train coming from Nukus (city in the western Uzbek desert). ]]></description><link>https://reto.com/slow-train-to-almaty</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/slow-train-to-almaty</guid><pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Taxi to Khiva]]></title><description><![CDATA[Khiva is a beautiful old city with archaeological evidence that indicates the first settlement around the 6th century.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/taxi-khiva</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/taxi-khiva</guid><pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Eldorado in Bukhara]]></title><description><![CDATA[The city of Bukhara is located on the Silk Road and has long served as a center of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/eldorado-in-bukhara</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/eldorado-in-bukhara</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Along the Golden Road to Samarkand]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells, When shadows pass gigantic on the sand, And softly through the silence beat the bells. Along the Golden Road to Samarkand. (James Elroy Flecker)]]></description><link>https://reto.com/along-the-golden-road-to-samarkand</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/along-the-golden-road-to-samarkand</guid><pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Immersed in the scents of Tashkent]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tashkent, the Uzbek’s capital, is an oasis of fresh air, green trees and a unique smell of wet grass after the light rainfalls.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/immersed-in-the-scents-of-tashkent</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/immersed-in-the-scents-of-tashkent</guid><pubDate>Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tashkent Express]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Tashkent Express is a spectactular multi-day journey from Moscow to the Central Asian countries.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/tashkent-express</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/tashkent-express</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Observations of a pink dog]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sleeping with ten people in the same room doesn’t bother me. Let's emphasize the word 'me' – because I do perform the art of snoring when being drunk or simply when being very, very tired.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/observations-of-a-pink-dog</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/observations-of-a-pink-dog</guid><pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Of band-aids and money]]></title><description><![CDATA[Optimizing my backpack constantly and discovering Moscow. A fantastic city with plenty of things to discover.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/of-band-aids-and-money</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/of-band-aids-and-money</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Stress-Blogging in Moscow]]></title><description><![CDATA[My Russian is steadily improving, and I am quite proud of if. Today, I formed my first Russian sentence without the help of my trusty phrase book. I asked for “one liter of sparkling water” in the shop. And I actually got what I ordered. Fantastic! Little things like these make my day.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/stress-blogging-in-moscow</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/stress-blogging-in-moscow</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Da Swidanja Basel]]></title><description><![CDATA[Saying goodbye when leaving for such a long trip is not easy.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/da-swidanja-basel</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/da-swidanja-basel</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Recipe of the day: Mixed cans]]></title><description><![CDATA[Just before the final kitchen cleanup, everything must go. Everything.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/recipe-of-the-day-mixed-cans</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/recipe-of-the-day-mixed-cans</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Leaving things behind]]></title><description><![CDATA[It is now eight days since documenting visa week. So this week was the cleanup week in my old flat.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/leaving-things-behind</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/leaving-things-behind</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Рето в Берн (Reto in Berne)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Obtaining the necessary visas for the first few countries of the trip is a logistical challenge, especially when having to accomodate trips to the various embassies in between the regular day job.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/reto-in-berne</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/reto-in-berne</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Visa, Exchange Rates and Global SIM cards...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Preparing for the trip also means to get a grip on the exchange rates and the expected budget - at least for the first few countries.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/visa-exchange-rates-and-global-sim-cards</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/visa-exchange-rates-and-global-sim-cards</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Should I take the laptop - yes or no?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The question whether to take a laptop computer on a round-the-world-trip will be answered by anyone you ask in a different way.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/should-i-take-the-laptop-yes-or-no</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/should-i-take-the-laptop-yes-or-no</guid><pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's this round the world trip thing about anyway?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Selling stuff to empty my flat and for some welcome extra money for the round-the-world trip.]]></description><link>https://reto.com/whats-this-round-the-world-trip-thing-about-anyway</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://reto.com/whats-this-round-the-world-trip-thing-about-anyway</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>