USA – Gay Games: Swimming & Sports

About 800 swimmers from dozens of countries spent Gay Games VII week in competition at the University of Chicago Ratner aquatic complex. Many of the swimmers’s home cities were evident from the logos on their swim suits. GlobalGayz owner Richard Ammon won several medals. (photos #47 and 48) Other nearby sports during the week were

USA – Gay Games: Chicago Tour

Random views of Chicago city and gay Boystown. Chicago was the host city for Gay Games VII . It is a city full of architectural wonder and scenic beauty along Lake Michigan. The gay district (Boystown) along Halsey Street was decked out in rainbow flags as thousands of visitors enjoyed the cafes and restuarants and shops. The Gay Games were also a financial success.

Mekong River Cruise from Laos to Thailand

The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. It is the world’s 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi). From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about 425 kilometers (264 mi) north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province. The current population of the city is about 103,000. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name.

Vientiane 1

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong River valley. After a period of more than 50 years as a French protectorate, Laos gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 but the protesting between factions continued for several

Vientiane 2

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong River valley. After a period of more than 50 years as a French protectorate, Laos gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 but the protesting between factions continued for several

Chaing Rai City

Chaing Rai is the capitalof Chaing Rai province, Thailand’s most northern territory. It was once notorious as the center of the Golden Trangle (conjoining Thailand, Laos, Burma) where illegal drug trading flourished. Today the trade (most of it) is gone replaced by tourists. It’s a modest commercial hub with temples, street markets and curbside kitchens

Jomthien Beach in Pattaya

Jomthien Beach (or Jomtien Beach) is located about 2 kilometers south of Pattaya. This beach area has become popular for swimming, water sports and residential living because it has a long scenic coastline and there is less boating activity in the area than at Pattaya Beach. There are many good hotels, bungalows, guest houses and

Copan Ruins and Museum

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in western Honduras. It was the Mayan capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region. Copán had an occupational history that spanned more than two thousand

Town of Copan Ruinas

Copan Ruinas town is a charming quiet place with a dozen streets lined with shops and hotels to accommodate a modest tourist trade on their way to famous Copan Ruins, which are about 1 km away. Colorful buildings, cobblestone sreets and friendly faces; there are numerous entertainments  in addition to the ruins including a large

San Jose City

San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, the city is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation. Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San José is one

Bus Ride to Ometepe Island

Ometepe is the name of two small connected islands in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. These islands were formed by the peaks of two volcanoes and connected by a short isthmus. This area is part of the Greater Nicoya subregion, one of the richest archaeological zones in Central America.

Coco Beach on the Pacific

Playa del Coco Costa Rica is one of the most easily accessible beaches in Guanacaste, located 22 miles west from Liberia, with exceptionally good street connections. This area consists of a stunning horseshoe-shaped bay with very steep hills and cliffs. Its main attractions are the tourist facilities and the sun, which shines longer and more

Arenal Lake and Volcano

Arenal Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Arenal, is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures at least 1,633 metres (5,358 ft). It is conically shaped with a crater spanning 140

Monteverde Highlands

Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. It is about a four-hour drive up into the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. It is considered a major tourist destination in Costa Rica, primarily visited by ecotourists drawn by the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde and

Trip to Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) is a large endorheic lake (one that does not flow to the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. While Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest lake in Central America, its bottom has not been completely sounded. Estimates of its maximum depth range up to 340 meters. The lake is shaped

Flores Island Town

Flores is a town in Petén, Guatemala. The town proper is an island on Lago Petén Itzá, connected to land by a causeway, on the other side of which lie the twin towns Santa Elena and San Benito. All three are often referred to as Flores. It is a quiet and peaceful place, and probably

Colonial Granada City

Granada is a department in western Nicaragua and also the department’s seat. With an estimated population of 110,326 (2003), it is Nicaragua’s fourth most populous city and capital of the Granada Department. Granada is historically one of Nicaragua’s most important cities both economically and politically. It is situated on the northwestern shore of Lake Nicaragua.

Managua City and Gay Organizations

Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality  by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in 1852. Prior to its inception as the

Antigua Photo Gallery 2010

Antigua is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1773, the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of the town, which led to the third change

Tegucigalpa City and Gay Sites

Tegucigalpa (population 1.25 million) is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country’s largest city. The defining event in recent Honduran history, and that of Tegucigalpa also, is Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the country in 1998. Mitch reportedly set the country back 50 years. Tegus is still recovering from the massive flooding of

Guatemala City Life and People

Guatemala City (population 942,348; Metro area 2,945,080) is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic. The city also functions as the main port of entry into the country, with an international airport and most major highways originating or leading to the city. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops,