LP Pathfinders: what have you Instagrammed this month? [December]

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNmsjT3BUw1/
Destination: Moraine Lake, Banff NP, Canada
Context: Moraine Lake is probably one of the most picturesque mountain lakes on the planet. The colourful canoes made it even more picture-perfect.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN7SriMlVnz/

Destination: 
Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile
Context: Easily the most popular place in Chilean Patagonia, the Torres del Paine National Park still has moments of undiscovered beauty hidden along the busy trails. This peak, whose name I never figured out, was covered with swirling and atmospheric clouds for the half hour I sat and staring at it. Off the trail down from glacier gray but not one of the main sites of the park, most of the hikers that walked past barely bothered to glance up as they went.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOI70glFvoZ/

Destination: 
Langmusi, Sichuan, China
Context: On a hilltop above the cross-border town of Langmusi and its two opposing monasteries, two monks sit in between classes watching life go by on the valley floor below.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOLYdBAFgUK/

Destination: 
Langmusi, Sichuan, China
Context: As the sun goes down in the mountains behind the two large Buddhist monasteries in Langmusi, a lone monk returns home from the forest that climbs into the hilltops beyond the town.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOYx69sAF1h/?taken-by=lenatravelmonkey

Destination: Brooklyn Bridge, New York, USA
Context: This year I visited USA for the first time ever! Brooklyn Bridge by far was my most favorite sight in the city. It is both very iconic and very spectacular. Our New Yorker friends took us for a walk on the bridge, where you can take great pictures and also buy some souvenirs.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNcgkjcgiD_/?taken-by=skyetravels

Destination: Cutty Sark, Greenwich Village, London, UK

Context: I ran across the Cutty Sark while exploring the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Village. I had no idea it was considered the most famous ship in the world, nor that it was fastest of its kind. The exhibition inside isn't large, but seeing the ship against the London backdrop at sunset was gorgeous!

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNhfi6TgMRz/?taken-by=skyetravels

Destination: Stonehenge, UK

Context: While most of the photos of Stonehenge are taken from the bridge on the north side, showing the most complete section of the standing stones, this shot from the west was my favorite angle. This is also where I had the most goosebumps and felt the magic in the air.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNthdHLA8Ww/?taken-by=skyetravels

Destination: Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Context: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the third largest mosque in the world, has the second largest chandelier, and the largest single-piece handmade carpet. This is the courtyard, which has the largest marble mosaic.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN4x-9EgeKy/

Destination: Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE

Context: Even looking back at this photo, I still get a sense of unreality looking at how tall this building is. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at 2,722 feet, over half a mile high. Originally called the Burj Dubai, it was renamed the Burj Khalifa when the Sheikh Khalifa of Abu Dhabi had to send financial aid to the struggling project.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN7L-JOgiiI/?taken-by=skyetravels

Destination: Desert Safari, Dubai, UAE

Context: I guess this doesn't really show anything about the desert safari itself, as the camp at the bottom of the photo is too dark to see. But the sunset was spectacular, and thus it was my favorite shot of the night.