Xi’an, located in central China’s Shaanxi Province, served as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and was the capital of 13 imperial dynasties. Its long history is most famously represented by the Terracotta Army, an underground army of life-sized warriors discovered in 1974. Each figure has distinct facial features, hairstyles, and armor, designed to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.

The snorkeling is extraordinary in the reefs of Cano Island. Cano has its roots in pre-Columbian trading and is also a former burial ground for coastal Indians.

Farther from a continental landfall than any other group of islands on earth, the twelve Marquesas jut out of the open Pacific just south of the equator, shrouded in a constant cloud cover.

The bay’s environment supports a variety of Antarctic wildlife. Gentoo penguins breed around the shoreline, while skuas and other seabirds can be seen near the colony. Weddell seals and Antarctic fur seals may also occur in the area, particularly around beaches and sea ice. Mount Flora and the surrounding slopes provide a striking backdrop, with exposed rock contrasting against snowfields and glaciers.

Yuma is a city in southwestern Arizona near the Colorado River, close to the borders with California and Mexico. Its location in the lower Colorado River Valley has made it an important crossing point, agricultural center, and transportation hub in the desert Southwest. The surrounding landscape is characterized by low desert plains, irrigated farmland, sand dunes, and rugged mountains.