austin metropolitan

Punakha Dzong in western Bhutan it's often considered the most beautiful Dzong in the country. It is also the most essential Dzong in Bhutanese history. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan from 1637 to 1907, and the first national assembly was hosted here in 1953. It is the second oldest and second-largest dzong in all of Bhutan and one of the most majestic and famous structures in the country. It took only about a year to finish the building of this Dzong, but by far the most impressive thing about this Dzong is that it was built without the use of nails, not even one. Most of Bhutan's...

Sao Tome & Principe, often just called Sao Tome a tinny island nation and the second smallest country in Africa, only after Seychelles. A country that most people would have a problem pinpointing on a map. Located in the Gulf of Guinea, crossing the Equator, western coast of Gabon and south of Nigeria; Sao Tome was uninhabited until its discovery by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. Today the population is no more than 190,000. Sao Tome received its independence from Portugal as late as 1975. It has since been one of the most peaceful countries in all of Africa. These two tiny islands that make up Sao Tome & Principe are by far the cleanest places I have visited anywhere in the world. There was no garbage along the roads outside the cities, and the rivers flowing through the...