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The versatility of amazon rainforest life is astounding. It is much more grand, but nevertheless much in the same way astounding as capturing the little details on tape or digital medium and sharing the recording with the world. What is in the recording one might ask? Well, maybe the infinite versatility and creativity of the universe, that recombines and structures over thousands, millions and billions of years. Us, humans, can only marvel at such sort of time spans, but hopefully we too can share something as eternal as the idea of being itself. That something may quite be the ability to comprehend, if even partially, and be amazed by the processes and the results of universal creation.

It seems that ecosystems like jungle and forest, for example, are commonplace, ordinary formations. Living around them, we often take them for granted, not realizing how complex, intricate and even sensitive their ecosystems are. Speaking of ecosystems, it is quite wonderful that species as simple as frogs really do cover in various populations most of the Earth’s surface, except for areas of extreme cold (Antarctic/Arctic), as well as areas of extreme hot (Sahara). Surprisingly, frogs are incredibly efficient at converting their food sources to own mass. Hence, these species serve a key role in food chains all over the world. As such, things as conventional to our imagination and as wide-spread as frogs play a vital part in supporting the ecological balance all over the world, from temperate forests to amazon jungle. In this installment of Amazon Jungle Rainforest Sounds we take a closer look at the calls of two tree-climbing frogs, the Rusty Tree Frog and the Basin Tree Frog, all set to the backdrop ambience of virgin Ecuadorian jungle around the Tiputini Biodiveristy Station. To loop this recording for yoga, relaxation and meditation purposes use the TubeReplay Service. Original recording courtesy of Mikel R. Nieto.

Today we take a short glimpse at one of the coolest cities in the UK, Southampton. A major port throughout all of its history, Southampton retains its important role to this day. Referred to as the ‘Gateway to The Empire’ in the past, the city today is engaged in shipbuilding, commercial freight handling, as well as serves as a departure point for countless cruise ships. As seen in the video above, it is a vibrant, yet quietly charming city with an estimated population of over two hundred thousand people. As many other towns, Southampton has an nickname too. It is locally known as ‘So’town’ or ‘Soton’, while its residents may commonly be referred to as ‘Sotonians’. Southampton is famous for building a great number of ships and vessels, including the world-renowned Titanic that embarked on its journey precisely from Southampton. Southampton together with Portsmouth and surrounding towns is often considered to form a single metropolitan area known as Solent City. With a population of 1.5 million, Solent City is one of the most densely inhabited urban areas in the UK.

If you feel like experimenting with your travel destinations, Japan might be a natural choice. So, if you don’t want sandy beaches and palm trees, if you would like to immerse yourself in a modern and urbanized culture that is unlike any other, try Kyoto, for example. Formerly, the imperial capital of Japan for as long as 1000 year, Kyoto’s been known to the Western World during the times that preceded modernity as Meaco or Keishi. One of this place’s informal names historically is ‘The City of One Thousand Shrines’. Indeed, today Kyoto doubles that estimate, bumping the number of Buddhist temples up to 1600, as well as the number of Shinto shrines up to 400. In fact, Kyoto’s ancient temples and shrines are declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Aside from the city’s religious life, it is also a great spot for delicious and unique cuisine. You might also be delighted to find out that Kyoto is a center of Japanese television and film industries, with many of the samurai action movies shot on location in Kyoto.

Vacationing in Southeast Asia it only makes sense to include the footage of Singapore, where you’d arrive at, on your trip to Philippines. Originally, one of the Four Asian Tigers, Singapore is a technological and urban miracle, taking place on a tiny, in comparison, bit of land. No wonder Singapore serves as a local hub for all things from finance to transportation. So, traveling to Philippines through Singapore makes sense, as does including the footage in the resulting edit of the travel movie. While the counties do bear drastic differences, there’s still a whole lot of similarities between them. In line with that, Philippines is a newly industrialized economy with a population exceeding 100 million at the moment. A population of a country that is steadily changing. Jobs in industrial, service and tourism sectors are slowly but surely outnumbering the jobs in more traditional sectors, such as agriculture. In turn, Philippines really does have what to offer even a seasoned tourist, from 2000 year old Banaue Rice Terraces to historic town of Vigan, from Chocolate Hills to Tubbataha Reef and exquisite White Beach of the Island of Boracay.

Teruel is one of the most remote Spanish municipalities, with its capital city being the only one that does not yet have a direct railway link to the country’s capital, Madrid. This fact somewhat speaks for itself and the nature of experiences one can engage in Teruel. The city of Monroyo within Teruel is inhabited by about 400 people. As such, the region posses a certain unique charm, as if suspended in time. The video above it captures the sense of rich ethereal beauty of the place that may well not be the center of modern communication or entertainment, yet can still provide a fulfilling traveling experience to those lusting for travels. Wonder what do we mean by that? Just check out the video above and see for yourself!

One of the most interesting cities of the continental US is Chicago. With some 9.5 million inhabitants it is the third largest in the country after New York and Los Angeles. Also known as the ‘Windy City’, the name ‘Chicago’ is a French rendition of the Native American word ‘shikaakwa’, meaning a place where wild garlic grows in abundance. It is especially cool that Chicago sees considerable contributions to almost all types of art, from film and novel to jazz, soul and blues. Noteworthy is the fact that Chicago is the birthplace of modern house music, as well. So, what is Chicago like? Take a peak at the city from a different perspective, a bird’s eye view through the video above.

In this installment of amazon rainforest jungle sound series we marvel at the chant of a pauraque. Pauraque is a species of birds one is likely to find in the jungle. As is the case with our particular recording, the chant of the pauraque is recorded to the backdrop of an ambient soundscape of virgin amazon rainforest. While pauraque is not an endangered species, one can’t help but wonder how awesome it would be to actually listen to these bird chants set amidst the forest ambiences close to our own homes. Part of the reason why we do travel? Probably. You can use this recording as a sleeping aid, for yoga or meditation by looping it with the TubeReplay service. Original sounscape courtesy of Mikel R. Nieto.

Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the Galapagos archipelago with an area of roughly 400 square miles. At the same time, Santa Cruz is the most densely populated one. The largest town on archipelago Puerto Ayora (population 12,000), is situated here, on the island of Santa Cruz. Most of the people on the island are occupied in agriculture, while a fraction of the population is scattered in small villages across the island. The Santa Cruz or the Holy Cross Island itself is a large dormant volcano that has last erupted an estimated 1.5 million years ago. It’s needless to remind that Galapagos archipelago and Santa Cruz Island in particular boast a wonderfully diverse and balanced ecosystem and are an international nature and marine reserve. As such, just a short walk away from the center of Puerto Ayora lies Tortuga Bay, where one may witness such exotic sights as the gigantic galapagos tortoise and the galapagos crab, as well as marine iguana and white tip reef sharks.

Coastal Norway is a place unlike any other. Modern scientific estimates show that Norwegian fjords that protrude into the ocean are making the coastline stretch some 63,000 miles, which is more than two times the circumference of Earth. Go out into the sea and you could find that the depth of the sea floor drops some astonishing 4,000 feet in just a couple of hundred yards. The natural beauty of the land here remains as untouched as it stood thousands of years ago before the ancient explorers and vikings. There are no roads here and if you visit this magical place, you will learn that the best way to travel here is by a ferry, which swiftly runs from one northern city to another.

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The ancient city of Petra, located in Jordan, is an astonishing historical and architectural monument that truly deserves a designation of a ‘man-made wonder’. Petra is identified by ancient historians as the capital of the Nabataeans. Interestingly enough, the rise of the desert city of Petra is associated with flash floods, which are characteristic of the area. It is precisely the ability of Nabataeans to control these floods that allowed the city to rise and prosper. The actual control over the flood water was carried out through the use of water passages, dams and cisterns. The city even saw economic gain from the subsequent sale of water, which, of course, is a rather scarce resource in the desert throughout the year. In its gracious and unexpected manifestation, Petra is described by UNESCO as ‘one of the most precious properties of man’s cultural heritage’.

Netherlands is unlike any other country. It is old, it is low relative to the sea level, highly developed, democratic, tolerant and very enjoyable. Netherlands is a unitary state, which is run as both, a constitutional monarchy, as well as one of the oldest democracies in Europe. Despite its small area, Netherlands is one of the largest exporters of agricultural products in the world, while the country’s main port, Roterdam, is the largest in Europe. The name ‘Netherlands’ literally means low land. About 50% of the area of Netherlands does not exceed 1 meter in height above the sea level. At the same time, 17% of the country’s total area is actually below the level of the sea, having been reclaimed from by the clever use of dams. There’s a lot to tell about Netherlands, but there’s nothing like seeing it in person. So if you planning a trip to Europe, make sure to pay Netherlands a visit.

Malta, a beautiful Middeterreanean country, rich in history and tradition all related to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem or Knights Hospitaller, as well as ancient megalithic monuments, located on the island. Formerly a forepost of Meddieval crusades and conquest, nowadays Malta is a quiet and peaceful place. A major tourist attraction and Europe’s second southernmost capital, Malta’s capital Valletta is predominantly Baroque in architecture. Most of its houses, administrative buildings, churches and fortifications were built by Knights Hospitaller in the 16th century. Described as the city of palaces, Valetta is known to have been built by gentlemen and for gentlemen. The city of Valletta is a place of inspiring beauty and rich history, just like Malta and is definitely worth visiting!

https://www.freesound.org/people/MikelRNieto/sounds/250066/

If you’re looking to travel to the Caribbean and want to enjoy an absolutely safe and predictable travel environment, while immersing yourself into the unrivaled natural beauty of the tropical jungle, U.S. Virgin Islands may just be right for You. There’s just something special about a tropical holiday. For once it is truly exotic. It also holds a certain peculiar feel to it that is inaccessible anywhere else. That feeling is about coming into contact with nature in its rawest form, witnessing the variety of life, as well as the shear breadth and power of elements like the ocean. While doing so one can still be enjoying the most crucial benefits of modern life. Overall, the above video says it all, so just watch it and ask yourself ‘Why not travel to St. John, St. Croix or St. Thomas?’.

Sometimes we take travel too seriously and that’s when it is most awesome to meet active travelers like Levi and his friends, in the above video. In all honesty, people like these are an inspiration and a living testimony to the fact that travel does not necessarily have to be such a controlled and predictable experience. That maybe, just maybe a little bit adrenaline and physical exercise on our travels wouldn’t hurt, but enhance our experience. You would just have to try it to know for sure, but something tells us, its well worth it.