The World Is Yours - New York, Pamplona & Galapagos Islands

Are you ready for a great adventure? Today, on The World is Yours, three incredible destinations await us. We'll travel to New York, where we'll see some of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world. We'll embark on a scenic bicycle tour of Manhattan, taking in the sights and sounds of the city, finishing the trip at the amazing Statue of Liberty. Next, we'll visit Pamplona, Spain, where we'll stroll through its vibrant cobblestone streets to visit its famous landmarks. Then, we'll run with the bulls. And we'll end our adventure in the Galapagos Islands, full of interesting and unique animal life. All this and more. The world is waiting, and the world is yours. Here we are in New York, the most populated city in the United States, with more than 8.4 million New Yorkers living in an urban area of 31 square miles. It even has the second highest urban concentration in North America, behind only Mexico City. You may not know this, but New York was actually the capital of the United States from 1789 to 1790. One of the most amazing things about this metropolis is its impressive architecture and its gigantic skyscrapers, many of which were the tallest in the world for decades. Let's start with the most famous of them all, the iconic Empire State Building. The Empire State Building was built in 1931, and for 40 years, was the highest building in the world, at 1,250 feet high and with 102 floors. This amazing skyscraper is recognizable across the world and is, without a doubt, the most visited building in all of New York. The name Empire State comes from the nickname for New York at the time, when it was considered the center of the new American Empire. Next up, it's the Chrysler Building. After the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building is New York's most well-known skyscraper. The Chrysler Building is a monument of what is called Art Deco-style architecture, which, in its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, represented glamour and luxury, and featured expensive materials and fine craftsmanship. The Chrysler Building was inaugurated on May 27, 1930, and, while slightly smaller than the Empire State Building, still stands like a giant, with 77 floors at a height of 1,050 feet. The tallest building in New York City is One World Trade Center, which stands at an impressive 1,776 feet. Also known as Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center is the main building at the new World Trade Center Complex. This complex includes several buildings that are located at the previous site of the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the attacks of September 11, 2001. For this reason, Freedom Tower and the World Trade Center Complex have great symbolism for New Yorkers and for America as a whole. For example, One World Trade Center was constructed to be 1,776 feet high to signify July 4, 1776, the date of American independence. A terrace was also built at exactly 1,368 feet high to commemorate the height that the Twin Towers once stood. Now, let's jump on some bikes and tour the streets of Manhattan. Manhattan offers a program called the City Bike Program, which stations bicycles for rent at various locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can pick up a bicycle, ride it for as long as you like, and return it at any other city bike station in the city. How cool is that? What better way to take in New York City than by bicycle? One of the best places to ride is Central Park. Coasting along the paths and taking in the beautiful scenery of the park and the city around it. Now, we hit the streets, joining the immense amount of yellow taxis that characterize this city. Below the surface, there are 26 subway lines with 468 stations that connect the entire city. We'll cruise down Broadway Avenue, en route to the bustling action of Times Square, where we'll take in the flood of colors, lights, aromas, and sounds. There are very few places busier than Times Square. While we're here, we can also see the 40 theaters that make up the world-famous Broadway Circuit. If you've worked up an appetite after this tour, New York has an assortment of culinary choices as varied as its people. There are so many options that you can taste food from every country around the world on any block. But let's find New York's most typical dishes. There are hundreds of local shops where you can get a taste of the famous New York breakfast bagels, where you can choose from the traditional style with cream cheese and salmon, to new and exciting combinations. If you're in for an adventure, and who isn't, you can also get a whole pancake stacked drizzled with delicious chocolate syrup. At lunchtime, you just have to take a walk through the Big Apple streets, where you'll find many places where you can get anything, from a typical hot dog or hamburger, to the classic New York pizza. However, if you have a sweet tooth and love desserts, you cannot leave New York City before you get a taste of its celebrated New York cheesecake. Let's continue our tour of this amazing city. Now, it's time to visit the Brooklyn Bridge, one of New York's historical landmarks. It's almost a mile long, and you can easily cross it on foot. Then, we'll ride across the Brooklyn Bridge, an historic symbol of New York and a key part of the city, as it crosses the East River, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. And we can't end this trip without a ride down Fifth Avenue, also known as Millionaire's Avenue. Like all the city's avenues, Fifth Avenue crosses New York from north to south. Fifth Avenue is one of the most famous streets and high-end shopping districts in New York, and in the world, on par with the Champs-Élysées in Paris or the Ginza in Tokyo. In addition to all the stores, this famous avenue is home to landmarks, such as St. Patrick's Cathedral and the New York Public Library. There are so many important landmarks, beautiful buildings, and interesting districts to see and explore, from the Flatiron Building, the first skyscraper in New York, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to Rockefeller Center, to Chinatown. But, there may be no more famous and iconic landmark than our final stop, the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a gift to America from France in 1886, to commemorate the United States' Declaration of Independence, and to represent a symbol of friendship between the two nations. Lady Liberty, as she is commonly known, is the creation of the French sculptor, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, and the engineer, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. Yes, the same Eiffel who designed the Eiffel Tower. To visit the Statue of Liberty, we'll take a boat from Lower Manhattan out to Liberty Island. There are two options for entering the Statue of Liberty, visiting the base or the crown. If you want to visit the base, prep your legs, because there are 215 steps to climb. If you want to visit the crown, well, prep your legs for that too, because you'll go up 354 steps on a very narrow staircase. But wow, is it worth the trip? The Statue of Liberty is undoubtedly one of the most iconic monuments in New York, the United States, and the world. Up next, we'll explore Pamplona, Spain. But first, let's test your world knowledge. Who is the patron saint of Pamplona, Spain? A. St. James the Great B. Saint Fermin C. Saint Bartolomeo D. Saint Saturnine The answer coming up when we return to The World is Yours. Let's find out the answer to our question. Who is the patron saint of Pamplona, Spain? A. St. James the Great B. Saint Fermin C. Saint Bartolomeo D. Saint Saturnine If you answered D. Saint Saturnine, you're right. The patron saint of Pamplona is not Saint Fermin, as you might have thought because of the name of Pamplona's famous patron saint's day celebration, but Saint Saturnine. Saint Fermin is the patron saint of the entire community of Navarre. Pamplona is the capital of Navarre and is the largest and most remarkable city in this Spanish province. In addition, it is home to one of the biggest festivals in the world, Saint Fermin, where the famous Running of the Bulls takes place. Pamplona is a modern, bustling city with numerous gardens and a well-preserved historical center. It has beautiful landscapes with very classic villages, which give visitors an opportunity to experience a very authentic side of Spain. On our tour of Pamplona, we'll discover that it has a lot to offer, such as its charming Old Town, the Basilica of Loyola, and the famous Saint Fermin enclosures, where brave souls dare to run with the bulls. The cobbled streets of Casco Viejo, or the Old Town, are filled with pedestrians who make their way through the historic heart of the city, which features medieval churches and palaces, among other attractions. La Plaza del Castillo is the hub of Casco Viejo, and it is here where Ernest Hemingway used to sit and have a cup of coffee, while working on his book, Fiesta. Pamplona is world-renowned because of its many significant cultural influences. Jai alai, the most recognized international style of the Basque poloto sport. This exciting sport combines the spectacle of athletic competition with artistic expressions, such as dance. Pamplona's distinctive cuisine has achieved a high reputation from its ancient origins. For its variety of recipes, the richness and quality of its ingredients, and the perfect balance between elements of northern Spain's cuisine mixed with delicate French influences. Here is the Basilica Saint Ignacio de Loyola. A basilica is a kind of building, generally a Catholic church, shaped like a rectangle, with a central nave, aisles, and a slightly raised platform. In 1922, the construction of the present church began, and it remains an important landmark of the city. Pamplona is home to one of the biggest festivals in the world, Saint Fermin. The Saint Fermin Festival begins on July 6th and lasts an entire week. During this week, more than one million visitors and tourists descend upon the city, making it one of the most crowded festivals in the world. One of the most famous events of this festival is the running of the bulls. Each morning during the festival, hundreds of people gather to run from six bulls that chase them through the narrow streets of the Casco Viejo. The bulls are released into the streets from the Saint Fermin's enclosures, and chase after the hundreds of participants for nearly 1,000 yards, about the length of 10 American football fields. The course winds through the streets of the old city, and the bulls usually reach an average speed of about 15 miles per hour. That's no joke! Spectators line the streets, behind fences, typically wearing white, with red handkerchiefs around their necks, as they watch these people run for safety. These runs, as you can imagine, can be extremely dangerous, due to the large volume of people running in the narrow streets, and, well, because there are six enormous bulls running right behind them. Despite that, the running of the bulls is an integral part of the long and storied tradition of the Saint Fermin Festival. We'll be right back, but first, let's test your world knowledge. Where do marine iguanas live? A. In India B. In Madagascar C. In the Galapagos Islands D. In Madeira The answer coming up when we return to The World is Yours! Are you ready for more adventure? First, let's find out the answer to our question. Where do marine iguanas live? A. In India B. In Madagascar C. In the Galapagos Islands D. In Madeira If you said C. The Galapagos Islands, you're right! The Galapagos Islands are a small group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, located 600 miles due west off the coast of Ecuador. There are 13 large islands, 6 medium islands, and another 215 small islets. The Galapagos Islands are known for their numerous endemic species, which means species of plants and animals that exist only in this one place, like the gigantic long-necked land tortoises, or dragon-like marine iguanas that dive in the ocean for food, or the blue-footed booby, flightless cormorant, painted locust, or the Galapagos fur seal, amongst others. It was research done here by famed naturalist Charles Darwin that led him to establish his revolutionary theory of evolution through natural selection. This group of islands is also called the Enchanted Islands, a name that it received in the 16th century, apparently by Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, because of the many different plants and animals. Today, the Galapagos is home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a biological research station operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation, where scientists work to study and protect the unique species of the islands. For more than 50 years, scientists here at the station have helped recover the iconic Galapagos giant tortoise from the brink of extinction, and have worked with the community to eradicate invasive species that were introduced by humans, such as rats, goats, and pigs. These animals, not naturally found on the Galapagos Islands, have endangered many of the important animal and plant species of this unique and delicate region. The scientific station includes an exhibition hall which features the giant tortoise route, its giant turtle breeding center. Also on display at the exhibition hall are the bones of a tropical whale that measure almost 43 feet, showcasing the great diversity of marine life of the Galapagos Reserve. Display panels enlighten the visitor about ongoing projects at the station, and give information about the science and conservation efforts to gain more knowledge about the Galapagos Islands and its flora and fauna. There are extensive collections in the station, where you can see various kinds of marine animal bones and samples, plant samples, seeds, and lots of cool information on how scientific collections are maintained. You can also use microscopes to examine coral samples, algae, and other specimens. When you're finished, why not take a picture next to, or even inside, a giant tortoise shell? The station is surrounded by beautiful gardens full of native birds, reptiles, and insects. There's also a public library where visitors can find more in-depth information about the work done at the center and the islands, and a statue of Charles Darwin himself, when he was 26, standing proudly between the science buildings. A visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station offers a place to learn and value the amazing work of this community of scientists, as they protect and support the truly special plants and animals that exist on the Galapagos Islands. Puerto Ayora, located on the island of Santa Cruz, is the main and most populated town of the province. With a population of around 12,000, it is the most inhabited of the islands. The two biggest banks of the Galapagos are in this town, as well as schools, hotels, restaurants, and shops of all kinds. Puerto Ayora has a lot to offer. Delicious international cuisine, sandy beaches, great hiking and mountain climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and jeep excursions through the highlands. With any activity, you'll be sure to find lots of spectacular views. The warm tropical climate also means you can kayak, scuba dive, and snorkel. Hit the waves for some surfing, or take a trip on a glass-bottom boat to get some truly awesome views of all the colors and life under the surface. Before we go, let's test your world knowledge. What is the name of the line that divides the planet into two hemispheres? A. The Perimeter B. The Equator C. The North Pole D. The Continental Divide The answer coming up when we return to The World is Yours! We're back! Did you guess the answer to our question? What is the name of the line that divides the planet into two hemispheres? A. The Perimeter B. The Equator C. The North Pole D. The Continental Divide If you guessed B, the Equator, you're right! The Equator divides the planet into two halves called hemispheres, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Do you know the name for the line which divides the Eastern and Western Hemispheres? It's called the Prime Meridian. The Equator is particularly relevant to our adventure today, because it runs right through Ecuador. And remember, Ecuador is the country which includes the Galapagos Islands. Let's continue our Galapagos adventure here on Santa Cruz Island, one of the largest islands of the Galapagos, and situated right in the center of all the islands. Especially impressive and a must for all Galapagos visitors is the highest part of Santa Cruz in the center of the island. The island itself is a huge dormant volcano. Dormant means inactive. Thankfully for us! It's estimated that the last eruptions occurred over a million years ago, but they left their mark. The Los Jemelos craters are sinkholes left by the volcanic activity, shifting of the tectonic plates of the Earth, and erosion over time. There are also lava tunnels, some over a mile long, which were formed when the lava was cooling, the last time it flowed. You can actually walk through them! Yes, these dark and mystical tunnels can be explored using a torch or flashlight. This remarkable scenery ends our trip for today. Well, our adventure took us from New York to Pamplona, Spain, and ended our unforgettable trip with an amazing tour of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. There are many more adventures to come. Until next time, the world is waiting, and the world is yours!