Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil...

Continuing with the theme of virtual travel, we now visit Northern South America via the isthmus of Panama (an isthmus is a narrow strip of land, connecting two larger areas of land).

Panama is the connecting piece between Central America and Northern South America, famous for the Panama Canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its capital is Panama City. The Spanish used Panama as a launch base to explore and conquer Peru.

The maximum size of ship that can go through the Panama Canal is known as Panamax, many modern ships are too big and are known as post-Panamax vessels.

 The isthmus of Panama (formerly the Isthmus of Darien, an isthmus being a narrow strip of land that connects two larger pieces of land) plugs into Colombia.

Travelling East from Colombia we reach Venezuela (capital Caracas), comprising Highlands, jungle, lakes and a Northern shore facing the Caribbean Sea (named after an Amerindian tribe known as the Caribe). South of Colombia is Ecuador and Peru, South of Venezuela is Brazil. Caracas, Venezuela, has become one of Latin America's economic centres owing to the oil-rich nature of Venezuela.

From the Blue-Waters of Western Australia to Tasmania

We start our journey in the beautiful blue waters of Perth, Western Australia. Australia has about six large regions: Western Australia (which contains Perth), Northern Territory in the North (containing Darwin), South Australia (Adelaide), Queensland (North East), NSW, Victoria (the most densely populated state, named after Queen Victoria and containing Melbourne in SW). Off the Victoria coast is Tasmania, an island and state, whose capital is Hobart (originally founded as a penal colony). It was named after Lord Hobart, the British Colonial Secretary. The Australian flag is blue with the Union Jack in the top left and stars representing the different states. Middlesborough man Captain James Cook is inextricably linked to the history of Australia, being the first European to land on its Eastern shores.

Who were the Plantagenets?

The Plantagenets (aka First House of Anjou) was a house of royals founded by Henry II in the 12th Century. He was the first to use the title "King of England" as opposed to "King of the English" and was born in Le Mans, France (North-Western France). The old town of Le Mans is also known as Cite Plantagenet.

San Francisco Drama

Execution of Justice (1999) is a film about the assassination of George Moscone, Mayor of San Francisco, and Harvey Milk in November 1978. It is based on a play by Emily Mann. The role of Dan White is played by Tim Daly, an Irish-American actor from NYC. The film alludes to the development of Pier 39, a "second Fisherman's Wharf" in San Francisco. After Moscone's assassination, Dianne Feinstein took over as Mayor of San Francisco.

The Sioux Indians and the Dakota Territory

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) is a story of the Native American Sioux tribe and is set just after the Sioux victory over General Custer at Little Big Horn. The three main characters are Sioux doctor Charles Eastman (real name Ohiyesa), Lakota chief Sitting Bull and Senator Henry Dawes, architect of policies on Indian affairs.

Bonnie Prince Charlie (and the NPG)

Grandson of James II, referred to as Charles III by his supporters, and "The Young Pretender" by his detractors. He was born in Italy, and spent his childhood in Roma and Bologna. The Duke of Cumberland caught up with Charles at the battle of Culloden, the last battle fought on British soil.

Bologna is home to the Hotel Royal Carlton on the Via Montebello.

A picture of BPC is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery, 2 St Martin's Place (WC2), a road that runs North from Trafalgar Square. A left turn as you move north and you are into Orange Street, which connects with Haymarket (home of the Theatre Royal Haymarket). The present TRH was designed by architect John Nash in 1821, when the Prince Regent was improving London (a Prince Regent is a prince who acts in stead of a monarch who is unable to rule e.g. George IV (1811-1820) during the incapacity of George III). It was the Prince Regent who commissioned the building of the Royal Pavillion in Brighton.

Haymarket is a one-way street, that goes Southbound, from Piccadilly to Pall Mall (on side Pall Mall East, the other side Pall Mall (West)). The first right is Jermyn Street that connects Haymarket to (Lower) Regent Street and is famous for shirtmakers. Regent Street is a one-way street that goes Northbound from Pall Mall to Piccadilly Circus. However, going North on LRS you cannot make a left-turn into Piccadilly, instead you should go along Pall Mall (another one-way systems). St James Square, off Pall Mall, is one of London's most exclusive addresses. St James' is the collective name for Pall Mall, Haymarket, Jermyn Street and St James' Square.

Captain Planet and other Great Cartoons

"Captain Planet" was a cartoon created in 1990 by Robert Larkin III, with Ted Turner and media innovator Barbara Pyle. "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet". Together they battle the eco-villains who are looting and polluting the earth. Another great cartoon series was the "Mysterious Cities of Gold" which premiered in Japan in 1982 (co-produced by Studio Pierrot, hq'ed in Mitaka City, Japan, about 20 mins from Shinjuku station (the busiest train station in the world) and also home of Ghibli Museum) and ran for 39 episodes. Set in 1532, it is the journey of Spanish boy Esteban, searching for his father and the lost cities of gold. He is accompanied by Zia, Tao and Mendoza (a Spaniard, navigator of the Spanish fleet). It is based on the 1966 book "The King's Fifth" by Scott O'Dell. Scott published his first book at age 26 called "Representative Photoplays Analysed". "What first step shall I take into the maze of the Minotaur", says Esteban in Chapter 1 of The King's Fifth. To learn more about the animators of MCOG, we must learn more about Japan. Shinjuku is an inland ward of Tokyo (one of 23 special wards). Nishi-Shinjuku is the skyscraper district of Shinjuku (see the pictures of skyscrapers with Mount Fuji in the background, one of the impressive skyscrapers is the Mitsui building, built 1974). The main campus of Waseda University is located in Shinjuku. It is home of one of the oldest karate clubs in Japan formed in 1931, one of the graduates was Shigeru Egami, founder of Shotokai style of karate, who stressed flowing, continuous movement and development of perfect kime, focusing all energy at one point). West of Shinjuku is the (also inland) Nakano ward (it was just a village in 1897). Minato ward faces the sea to the East. It is home to the Shinto Atago Shrine built in 1603 (a lot of climbing, one of the highest points in Tokyo!) Choshi City is to the east of Tokyo and is famous for the Inubosaki lighthouse that faces the Pacific Ocean (the largest ocean in the World, whose name was given by Magellan, and means "peaceful sea") Learn more about the surrounding Chiba area here.