This Photo of the Day is titled "Machu Picchu at Dawn" and comes from Gadling Flickr pool member Terra_Tripper.

Machu Picchu is located on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, South America. Built for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472), Machu Picchu is commonly referred to as the "City of the Incas" and is one of the most familiar icons of ancient Inca civilization.

Looking for more information about Machu Picchu? See Gadling's library of posts on the subject.

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as a Photo of the Day.

Sunrise at Machu Picchu is a special time as also captured by this time-lapse video.



[Photo Credit: Gadling Flickr pool member Terra_Tripper]

Mazatlan's International Carnival is a six-day, multi-event celebration overflowing with live music, folklore, dance, entertainment and traditional costumes. Held since 1898, Mazatlan's 115th version of Carnival is an all day, all night fiesta with something for everyone, the third largest in the world. But the Northern Pacific coast, beach resort town and seaport is in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where the U.S. State Department urges caution to travelers.

Saying extra caution is in order, especially late at night and in the early morning, the most recent State Department warning on Mexico also cautions U.S. citizens to defer nonessential travel to the rest of the state of Sinaloa.

Still, in the safe city of Mazatlan itself, there are several elements of Mazatlan's International Carnival not to be missed.

Kings and Queens crowned
Today, the "King of Joy" has taken the place of yesteryear's "Ugly King" of Carnival's origin to promote the positive spirit of the Mexican event. Another major event of Carnival, the coronation of the King of the Happiness, Queen of The Floral Games, Infantile Queen and Queen of Mazatlan's International Carnival 2013 happen at a feast, accompanied by a live show performed by Mexico's best schools in dance.

Ritual of the "Bad Mood Burning," the Naval Battle
A symbolic ritual accomplished by the incineration of a marionette, the Bad Mood Burning washes away all ill feelings from the Mazatlan shores. The event has its origins in the defense of the city during the attempted invasion of Mazatlan in 1864. During the popular nighttime event, Mazatlan's sky is filled with fireworks, lasers and sound.

Parades
The most highly-anticipated event of the Carnival of Mazatlan is the carriage float parade. Thousands of local residents and visitors head to the waterfront for a parade of fantasies conceived by carriage float creator Rigoberto Lewis, some of which we see in this photo gallery:

Gallery: Mazatlan Carnival Parade

We just don't get programming like this in the states anymore. A new show on BBC Two called "Wonders of Life" is shaping up to be one of the best shows on science and travel in a while. In the preview above (yes, that's Monty Python) we're privy to beautiful destinations, a fresh dose of science, outstanding filmography and most refreshingly: a modest host. It's the sort of show that could have one day been well-suited for this History Channel or Discovery. Instead, we not only have "Pawn Stars," we have "Pawn Stars" marathons. This is why I don't own a TV.

"Wonders Of Life" just aired their first episode on BBC Two, and if you're fortunate enough to get the channel you can check a schedule here.

The Christmas holiday in Spain is a classic case of too much of a good thing. Stretching from before Christmas to after Epiphany, it's a long haul of eating, drinking, socializing and getting nothing done. I have no problem with that except it goes on for way too long. My Spanish wife agrees, so we decided to escape for five days, a sort of holiday from the holidays.

She wanted to go to Tangier, Morocco. I was skeptical. We'd been to Marrakech a few years before and found it a huckster's paradise. While the tagines were tasty and the mosques marvelous, the constant pestering by touts made it a hassle. Everywhere else turned out to be too expensive, though, and so we hopped on the flight from Madrid and an hour later found ourselves in Tangier.

The difference from Marrakech was immediately noticeable. There was a chilled-out vibe that the more southern city lacked. I'd heard that the authorities had wisely cleared out the most annoying touts in order to encourage tourism. Walking around we had numerous young men offer us a tour but they took no for an answer, at least after two or three nos. In Marrakech it generally took ten or 12 nos. Tangier is also a remarkably clean city, with a fresh sea breeze coming off the bay and streets that lack the minefields of dog shit that I'm used to in Spanish cities.

There are two main neighborhoods in Tangier of interest to visitors. The Casbah is the old sultan's palace complex and stands on high ground surrounded by a wall and overlooking the bay. The medina is the old city and includes a sprawling marketplace. Beyond these lies the modern city, stretching along the bay and further inland. While pleasant enough, it lacks any real distinctiveness except for some fine old cafes.

Gallery: The Streets of Tangier

Lindblad Expeditions is kicking off 2013 with an excellent deal for travelers planning a visit to Antarctica and the surrounding region later this year. The adventure travel company, which specializes in adventure cruises to some of the most spectacular destinations on the planet, is offering free airfare for anyone who signs up for their November cruise to the frozen continent. That 24-day trip includes stops not only in the Antarctic, but also the Falkland Islands and South Georgia as well.

Travelers will depart the U.S. for Ushuaia, Argentina, on November 7 before setting sail aboard the National Geographic Explorer, a ship specifically outfitted for safe travel in the Southern Ocean. Over the course of the following three weeks, they'll spend four days visiting the Antarctic continent itself as well as two days in the Falklands and five days on South Georgia. The remainder of the itinerary is spent at sea traveling between those destinations.

While aboard the ship, passengers will be able to attend lectures given by a variety of specialists, including legendary oceanographer and Honorary President of the Explorers Club Don Walsh. A National Geographic photographer will also be aboard, capturing stunning images from the journey and travelers will even be able to take advantage of a special documentary film workshop. Given by Nat Geo photographer and filmmaker Cotton Coulson and David Wright, that workshop will provide instruction on how to make their own personal documentary of the voyage.

Anyone who registers for the November 7 departure between now and March 31 will receive complimentary airfare for the trip. Additionally, travelers who sign up for either the November 27 or December 7 departure of Lindblad's shorter 14-day White Continent itinerary will also get free airfare for either of those voyages as well.

If you've always wanted to visit Antarctica, 2013 could be the year that you make that dream come true.

[Photo Credit: Lindblad Expeditions]

Kuang Si waterfall, 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of Luang Prabang in Laos, is one lovely spot.

About a year ago, California couple Darren and Sandy Van Soye started trekking the planet on a global tour to raise awareness about world geography and make the subject more accessible to children. To make efficient use of their time and set an eco-friendly travel example, several legs of the journey have been traveled using Princess cruise ships. We caught up with the Van Soye's recently for a progress report.

"We just passed the 50,000 mile mark on our journey (20,000 miles by cruise ship)," said Darren Van Soye via email this week.

The plan was to visit 50 countries, on six continents, in 424 days, sharing the journey with more than 700 classrooms representing 50,000 students. So far, Darren and Sandy have traveled to 40 countries with another dozen or so to go before returning to the United Sates.
Beating projections, 850 classrooms in 20 countries, representing 55,000 students, are following their journey online.

Welcome back, readers! We hope you spent the last days of 2012 and the first few of 2013 in good health, great spirits and an even greater location. We rang out 2012 at one of our favorite local escapes, Four Seasons Baltimore, and spent lots of time this season reflecting on all that we experienced over the past year.

Although we're just a few days into 2013, the hotel world is already gearing up for a brilliant year. We're always looking for ways to spice up the column, so we'll welcome suggestions, tips and ideas from readers at anytime – just email us.

And now, without further ado, here's this year's first edition of "Hotel News We Noted."

Hotel Week 2013 Means Great Deals in NYC
Hotel Week NYC™ kicks off on January 4 and runs through January 20, 2013, bringing a much needed boost to New York City's economy after Hurricane Sandy reared its head. This 17-day event celebrates some of the city's most prestigious hotels at a fraction of the cost ($100, $200 and $250 per night). Now 24 properties are participating, including some of our favorites; Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC, The James New York and Hotel Chandler are just some of our favorite hotels welcoming guests. View the full list of participating hotels here.

Even More Great NYC and DC Deals
Affinia is making winter travel affordable as well. Book between January 8 and 10 at any Affinia property in DC and New York and get 25% off the best available rate. That means that stays start at just $95 in DC and $129 in New York, a great deal at any time of year.
To book, visit www.affinia.com/JAN3DY, or call 866-246-2203 and mention promotional code JAN3DY.

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike." John F. Kennedy

Bikes have long been a simple mode of transportation, getting us from point A to point B. But riding a bike doesn't just get you somewhere; the process is fun. There is joy in riding a bicycle.

When I travel I am always on the lookout for bikes and what the local bike culture is. In my hometown of Portland, Oregon, bikes are everywhere. It's a city filled with commuters, cross racers and road riders. It's a city with a strong bike culture and thanks to the work of bike advocates and groups like the Bicycle Transportation Alliance there are plenty of incentives to ride.

Coming from a place like Portland, it's easy to take my easy bike commute for granted. Other cities are not always graced with the same ease of life on two wheels; but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

My first day in Kabul, we were in the midst of afternoon traffic hour. Cars, minivans and motorcycles were everywhere. There was even the occasional goat on the side of the street. In the midst of this chaotic hustle and bustle, men on bicycles wove in and out of traffic, dodging cars and doing the kind of cycling maneuvers that are normally equated with bike messengers.

Any trip to Korea is absolutely incomplete without dipping under a steamy street-side tent to eat some mystery food, preferably late at night. Street food is extremely popular in Korea. Not in the same way as Twitter-enabled, grilled-cheese food-trucks that are growing with momentum in the U.S., but instead in a much more homey, down-to-earth way. Some foods have their gimmicks, but most of it is classic Korean food.