holiday seasons travel

Ancient Observatory In Jaipur, India

2012-06-23T02:05:00.003-07:00

The old observatory "Jantar Minar" was found by the rajah of Jaipur. Some very ancient instruments for the sun and stars observation remained here. With their help astronomers can even predict eclipses.

The way to the observatory.

Tolstoy's street.

The ticket costs 250 rupees ( 5,5 dollars).

The sundial (Misra Yantra) was the first tool for time identification.

A shadow falls on the parapet and shows the current time.

Every instrument or building here has its own destination.

The memorable plate about the observatory foundation.

This is another instrument for time identification. It consists of a right-angled triangle and two arcs.

As big they are as accurate time is.

At night the North Star crowns these stairs.

But after the years of existence these constructions sank and their calculations became not so accurate.

The Ram Yantra is made for the identification of the zenithal distance and sun height.

These stone triangle walls are the end of the degrees scale.

With the help of that instrument ancient astronomers learnt about stars moving.

Jay Prakash Yantra is considered to be one of the most accurate instruments in the whole observatory.

All the rest instruments were constructed by using Prakash.

It helped to observe sun movements and zodiaс constellations.

This place has a special mysterious charm of the antiquity. And no one could even imagine that all these buildings were made without engines or computes that we use nowadays.

German Museum of Technology Berlin

2012-06-23T02:02:00.003-07:00

The German Technical Museum is the youngest museum of Berlin. It is located in the bulding of the former railway station Anhalt. The museum is divided into main zones - devoted to aeronautics, shipbuilding, railway transport and -TV and - photo industry. Each department, in its turn, reveals many related sections: chemical industry, heavy industry, transport, computer technologies, automatization etc.

Legendary scooter

Vespa

A very interesting exhibit in the department of sea transport - a miniature submarine of Hitler's Germany carrying two torpedoes and controlled by one person.

Huaxi, China's richest village, builds itself a skyscraper

2012-06-23T01:59:00.003-07:00

Huaxi is a validation of the Marxist-Leninist dream; a centrally-planned utopia where collectivism has made everyone not just equal, but rich as well. Each family is given its own "modern European-style villa" as well as free medical care, education and daily staples such as rice, cooking oil and fruit and vegetables from the village's organic farms and greenhouses.

Huaxi is said to be China's richest village with 60 companies owned by the citizens. With an annual revenue of $8bn from manufacturing, the eastern Chinese town is now investing in tourism. Huaxi recently opened a luxury hotel which is in one of the world's highest towers.

China's richest village, celebrates its 50th anniversary with the inauguration of a massive 328-meters (1,076 feet) high skyscraper that screams for attention from its lowly skyline.

Huaxi Richest Village China

It Happens Only In Africa

2012-06-23T01:55:00.002-07:00

Africa is the world’s second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth’s total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people (as of 2009, see table) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the World’s human population.

The Lodalen Valley, Lake Lovatnet. Loen, Stryn, Norway

2012-06-23T01:48:00.001-07:00

Lovatnet is a lake in the municipality of Stryn in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of the village of Loen and about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Olden. The lake lies just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southwest of the mountain Skåla. The water from the lake flows down from the mountains; especially from the Jostedalsbreen and Tindefjellbreen glaciers. It then flows out through the Loelva river into the Nordfjord.

Get married in Verona, the World's most famous city for Love

2012-06-18T23:47:00.002-07:00

The Italian town of Verona is one of the most aristocratic, beautiful, full with interesting sight-seeings towns in Europe. Verona, this splendid city: monumental, elegant and romantic attracts many visitors from all over the world every day. The River Adige runs through it at a leisure pace, creating two great loops which reflect the city`s magnificent monuments and seem to embrace and jealously guard its extraordinary historical,cultural and artistic heritage.

Because of its geographical position Verona is often called “the gateway of Italy”. The town is beautiful with its monuments, squares, churches and all nice places that present the history and art through the centuries.

The Roman city, the medieval city and the city of the Della Scala family-these are the periods which marked the main stages of its urban development-are perfectly

blended together because they exist side by side in complete harmony and together create an historic center of enormous distinction.

There are monuments whose ruins make present-day Verona one of the richest cities in Italy as regards vestiges of the past. It is sufficient to cite the example of the splendid and famous Arena of Verona, the ancient Amphitheater of the Imperial age. The gates, the bridges, the arches are very important for the tourists. When we talk about the town of Verona everybody mentions Arena di Verona and the Romeo and Juliet`s love story. It is actually true that the town is world famous with both of them but the town has many other places which are interesting for you during your stay here.

The fame of Verona is closely linked to the majestic Arena where every year important cultural events take place, the most prestigious being the opera season, which finds, in the Roman Amphitheater, an outstanding natural backdrop and a setting which proves particularly suitable for the performance of works with large sets. Many people come here to take part in these events.

The city is known throughout the world as the setting for the star-crossed love affair of Romeo and Juliet the characters in Shakespeare`s tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”. The memory and the image of the balcony onto which Juliet stepped out to talk to her beloved Romeo, the tomb on which their bittersweet affair was finally burnt out, the tormenting reminder of a beautiful yet tragic love story will linger on above all. A story and a tradition which have given Verona the name “city of love”.

One of the most beautiful gardens in Italy is Guisti Garden which is harmoniously designed. It has a square plan subdivided into two parts: the lower one takes the form of a typical Italian garden in which, amidst the verdant hedges and the brilliant colors of the flowers, statues and fountains alternate. The upper part is characterized by rows of cypresses and other trees. The garden also has a maze whose paths are lined by box hedges. The architecture of the Palazzo del Giardino Giusti is in the classical style.

The Palazzo Pompei building has a monumental appearance: wide arched windows on the ground floor and an airy open gallery on the upper floor. It houses the Natural Science Museum which has a vast record of prehistoric flora and fauna as well as a remarkable collection of minerals and fossils.

If you are keen on art, it is good for you to visit the Castelvecchio Municipal Museum which houses one of the most interesting collections of Italian and European art. The museum includes various sectors: sculpture, paintings, antique weapons, ceramics, goldsmith`s work and others. There are many beautiful paintings in the museum:Madonna of the Quail by Pisanello. Nativity with Saint Jerome and Saint John the Baptist by Liberale da Verona. Madonna of the Passion by Carlo Crivelli and others.

The painting Madonna of the Rosary by Stefano da Verona is very beautiful. It depicts the Madonna and Child framed by exquisitely fashioned rose shoots amidst which bands of adoring Angels can also be glimpsed.

Not far from the Museum is the Castelvecchio Bridge, impressive and spectacular made in the form of a quadrangular tower. Rebuilt after the Second World War it gives the opportunity to have a panoramic view of the River Adige.

Venice: Italy's City on Water: Beyond Gondolas

2012-06-18T23:45:00.002-07:00

Venice, better known as the city of gondolas and canals, is located in the east of Northern Italy. The city consists of 118 small islands and 170 canals. Islands are linked to each other by 400 bridges. In this structure, it differs from all other cities around the globe. Due to this, public transportation is provided by gondolas which are peculiar to Venice. Most of the time, you can see nobody walking on the foot and driving cars.

Venice is also known as the capital of romance. Many people dream of a wedding party or honeymoon in Venice owing to its marvellous nature and serenity. However, in summer, serenity may be broken down with the sings of gondoliers. Most people prefer to listen those songs while visiting city. However, hiring a gondola may be expensive for middle classes.

Venice has been favourite places of visitors for more than centuries. Not only its nature but also its history attracts many tourists. Its history dates back to Middle ages when sailor Venetians dominate the seas and battled against brutal pirates.

During the centuries, Venice has been also the capital of trading. Venetians improved the number systematic and trading arithmetic after they had learnt the fundementals of them by Arabians and Turks.

Even though the city has a beautiful nature, the population decreased drastically from 300 thousands to 72 thousands since the best bread and butter oppurtunity is tourism for many. The rate of youngs in overall population is very low. However, city is visited by average 70 thousands of tourists daily in summer season.

HISTORY AND USAGE

The gondola is propelled by an oarsman (the gondolier) who stands facing the bow and rows with a forward stroke, followed by a compensating backward stroke. Contrary to popular belief the gondola is never poled like a punt as the waters of Venice are too deep. Until about two hundred years ago, gondolas often were fitted with a “felze,” a small open cabin, to protect the passengers from sun or rain. A sumptuary law of Venice required that gondolas should be painted black, and they are customarily so painted now.

It is estimated that there were several thousand gondolas during the 18th century. There are a several hundred today, most of which are for hire by tourists, while a few are in private ownership and use.

The construction of the gondola continued to evolve until the mid-20th century, when the city government prohibited any further modifications. The oar or rèmo is held in an oar lock known as a fòrcola. The forcola is of a complicated shape, allowing several positions of the oar for slow forward rowing, powerful forward rowing, turning, slowing down, rowing backwards, and stopping. The ornament on the front of the boat is called the fèrro (meaning iron) and can be made from brass, stainless steel, or aluminium. It serves as decoration and as counterweight for the gondolier standing near the stern.
Gondolas parking
Gondola passing under a bridge

Gondolas are hand made using 8 different types of wood (fir, oak, cherry, walnut, elm, mahogany, larch and lime) and are composed of 280 pieces. The oars are made of beech wood. The left side of the gondola is made longer than the right side. This asymmetry causes the gondola to resist the tendency to turn toward the left at the forward stroke.

Miami Travel: "Where the Sun Reigns"

2012-06-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

Miami is a global city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the seventh-largest metro area in the United States with over 5.4 million residents. The Miami Urbanized Area was the fifth most populous urbanized area in the U.S. in the 2000 census with a population of 4,919,036. The United Nations estimated that in 2007, Miami had become the fourth largest urbanized area in the country, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

The Miami area was first inhabited for more than one thousand years by the Tequesta Indians, but was later claimed for Spain in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. A Spanish mission was constructed one year later in 1567. In 1836, Fort Dallas was built, and the Miami area subsequently became a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War.

Miami is partitioned into many different sections, roughly into North, South, West and Downtown. The heart of the city is Downtown Miami and is technically on the eastern side of the city. This area includes Brickell, Virginia Key, Watson Island, and the Port of Miami. Downtown is South Florida’s central business district, and home of many major banks, financial headquarters, cultural and tourist attractions, and high-rise residential towers.

The southern side of Miami includes Coral Way and Coconut Grove. Coral Way is a historic residential neighborhood built in 1922 connecting Downtown with Coral Gables, and is home to many old homes and tree-lined streets. Coconut Grove was established in 1825 and is the location of Miami’s City Hall in Dinner Key, the Coconut Grove Playhouse, CocoWalk, many nightclubs, bars, restaurants and bohemian shops, and as such, is very popular with local college students. It is a historic neighborhood with many parks and gardens such as Villa Vizcaya, The Kampong, The Barnacle Historic State Park, and home of the Coconut Grove Convention Center, many of the country’s most prestigious private schools, and numerous historic homes and estates.

The western side of Miami includes Little Havana, West Flagler, and Flagami, and is home to many of the city’s traditionally immigrant neighborhoods. Although at one time a mostly Jewish neighborhood, today western Miami is home to immigrants from mostly Central America and Cuba, while the west central neighborhood of Allapattah is a multicultural community of many ethnicities.

Miami is home to many entertainment venues, theaters, museums, parks and performing arts centers. The newest addition to the Miami arts scene is the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the second-largest performing arts center in the United States after the Lincoln Center in New York City, and is the home of the Florida Grand Opera. In it, is the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the center’s largest venue, the Knight Concert Hall, the Carnival Studio Theater and the Peacock Rehearsal Studio. The center attracts many large scale operas, ballets, concerts, and musicals from around the world and is Florida’s grandest performing arts center. Other performing arts venues in Miami include the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Colony Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, New World Symphony House, Actor’s Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Jackie Gleason Theatre, Manuel Artime Theater, Ring Theatre, Playground Theatre, Wertheim Performing Arts Center, the Fair Expo Center and the Bayfront Park Amphitheater for outdoor music events.

The city is home to numerous museums as well, many of which are in Downtown. These include the Bass Museum, Frost Art Museum, Historical Museum of Southern Florida, Jewish Museum of Florida, Lowe Art Museum, Miami Art Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Miami Science Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Wolfsonian-FIU Museum and the Miami Cultural Center, home of the Main Miami Library. Other popular cultural destinations in the area include Jungle Island, Miami MetroZoo, Miami Seaquarium, and parks and gardens in and around the city; there are over 80 parks in Miami. The largest and most popular parks are Bayfront Park and Bicentennial Park, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Tropical Park, Watson Island, Morningside Park and Key Biscayne.

Unusual Street Installations

2012-06-18T23:39:00.001-07:00

Mark Jenkins (b. 1970 in Fairfax, Virginia ) is an American artist most widely known for the street installations he creates using packing tape. His work has been featured in various newspapers and magazines including Time Out: New York, The Washington Post, The Independent, the book Hidden Track: How Visual Culture is Going Places, and on the street art blog Wooster Collective. He has shown indoors in galleries in the U.S., Europe and Brazil and is represented by Lazarides Gallery in London. He maintains the Website tapesculpture.org and teaches his tape casting process in workshops in the cities he visits.

He currently lives in Washington, DC.

Chinese New Year – China Travel discovery

2012-06-18T23:36:00.003-07:00

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as Chúx?. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Taiwanese, Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year’s themed stamps in domestic and international rates.

Although the Chinese calendar traditionally did not use continuously numbered years, its years are now often numbered from the reign of Huangdi outside China. But at least three different years numbered 1 are now used by various writers, causing the year beginning in 2008 to be 4706, 4705, or 4645.

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or “Year” in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year and believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. Once, people saw the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red, they then understood that the Nian was afraid of color red. Hence, every time when New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and spring scroll on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten the Nian and from then on, the Nian never came to the village again and was eventually converted by Hongjunlaozu, a Taoist in the old time, and became his mount.

The Wonder Land of Socotra, Yemen

2012-06-18T23:34:00.001-07:00

Socotra or Soqotra is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa some 190 nautical miles (220 mi/350 km) south of the Arabian peninsula, belonging to the Republic of Yemen. It has long been a part of the ‘Adan Governorate, but in 2004 it became attached to the Hadhramaut Governorate, which is much closer to the island than ‘Adan (although the closest governorate would be Al Mahrah).

The name of the island is believed to come from Sanskrit ‘dvipa sakhadara’, which can be translated with ‘Island of Bliss’.

Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin. The archipelago was once part of the supercontinent of Gondwana and detached during the Middle Pliocene (ca 6 million years ago), in the same set of rifting events that opened the Gulf of Aden to its northwest.

The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra, the three smaller islands of Abd al Kuri, Samhah, and Darsa, and small rock outcrops like Ka’l Fir’awn and Sabuniyah that are uninhabitable by humans but important for birds.

The main island has three geographical terrains: the narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau permeated with karstic caves, and the Haghier Mountains. The mountains rise to 5,000 feet (1,525 m). The island is a little over 80 miles (130 km) long east to west and typically 18-22 miles (30-35 km) north to south.

The climate is generally tropical desert, with rainfall being light, seasonal (winter) and more abundant at the higher ground in the interior than along the coastal lowlands. The monsoon season brings strong winds and high seas.

Socotra is considered the “jewel” of biodiversity in the Arabian sea. The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora. Surveys have revealed that more than a third of the 800 or so plant species of Socotra are found nowhere else. Botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered island flora in the world. The archipelago is a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation and a possible center for ecotourism.

One of the most striking of Socotra’s plants is the dragon’s blood tree, which is a strange-looking, umbrella-shaped tree. Its red sap was the dragon’s blood of the ancients, sought after as a medicine and a dye. Another unusual plant is Dorstenia gigas.

The island group also has a fairly rich bird fauna, including a few types of endemic birds, such as the Socotra Starling Onychognathus frater, the Socotra Sunbird Nectarinia balfouri, Socotra Sparrow Passer insularis and Socotra Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus.

As with many isolated island systems, bats are the only mammals native to Socotra. In contrast, the marine biodiversity around Socotra is rich, characterized by a unique mixture of species that have originated in farflung biogeographic regions: the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, Arabia, East Africa and the wider Indo-Pacific.

The island was recognised by the UNESCO as a world natural heritage site in July 2008. The European Union has supported such a move, calling on both UNESCO and International Organization of Protecting Environment to classify the island archipelago among the environmental heritages.

The Jesus statue - Brazil

2012-06-18T23:33:00.001-07:00

Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer (‘Cristo Redentor’) atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese: O Cristo Redentor) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue stands 38 metres (120 ft) tall weighs 700 short tons (635 tonnes), and is located at the peak of the 700 metres (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is the tallest of its kind in the world. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.

On 7th July 2007, Christ the Redeemer was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a list compiled by the Swiss-based The New Open World Corporation. In Brazil there was a campaign Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ) which had the support of private companies. Additionally, leading corporate sponsors including Banco Bradesco and Rede Globo spent millions of dollars in the effort to have the statue voted into the top seven.

A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.

The idea for erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid 1850s, when Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss requested financing from Princess Isabel to build a large religious monument. Princess Isabel did not think much of the idea and it was completely dismissed in 1889, when Brazil became a Republic, with laws mandating the separation of church and state. The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The group organised an event called Semana do Monumento (“Monument Week”) to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the “Statue of the Christ” included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms was chosen.

Local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue; it was sculpted by Paul Landowski, a French monument sculptor of Polish origin. A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowski’s submissions and the decision was made to build the structure out of reinforced concrete (designed by Albert Caquot) instead of steel, more suitable for the cross-shaped statue. The outer layers are soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use. Construction took nine years, from 1922 to 1931. The monument was opened on October 12, 1931. The cost of the monument was $250,000. The statue was meant to be lit by a battery of floodlights triggered remotely by shortwave radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, stationed 5,700 miles (9,200 km) away in Rome, but poor weather affected the signal and it had to be lit by workers in Rio.

The statue was struck by lightning during a violent electrical storm on Sunday, February 10, 2008. The storm caused havoc in Rio, falling trees in several neighborhoods, but the statue was left unscathed because soapstone, the material forming the outer layers of the statue, is an insulator.

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge

2012-06-18T23:30:00.001-07:00

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay onto the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1937, and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and California. Since its completion, the span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. It still has the second longest suspension bridge main span in the United States, after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. In 2007, it was ranked fifth on the List of America’s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects. A bridge is a structure built to span agorge, valley, road, railroad track, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. Designs of bridges will vary depending on the function of the bridge and the nature of the terrain where the bridge is to be constructed.

Before the bridge was built, the only practical short route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat across a section of San Francisco Bay. Ferry service began as early as 1820, with regularly scheduled service beginning in the 1840s for purposes of transporting water to San Francisco.The Sausalito Land and Ferry Company service launched in 1868, which eventually became the Golden Gate Ferry Company, a Southern Pacific Railroad subsidiary, the largest ferry operation in the world by the late 1920s. Once for railroad passengers and customers only, Southern Pacific’s automobile ferries became very profitable and important to the regional economy. The ferry crossing between the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco and Sausalito in Marin County took approximately 20 minutes and cost US$1.00 per vehicle, a price later reduced to compete with the new bridge.The trip from the Ferry Building took 27 minutes.

Many wanted to build a bridge to connect San Francisco to Marin County. San Francisco was the largest American city still served primarily by ferry boats. Because it did not have a permanent link with communities around the bay, the city’s growth rate was below the national average.Many experts said that a bridge couldn’t be built across the 6,700 ft (2,042 m) strait. It had strong, swirling tides and currents, with water 335 ft (102 m) in depth at the center of the channel, and almost constant winds of 60 mph (97 km/h). Experts said that ferocious winds and blinding fogs would prevent construction and operation.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction began on 5 January 1933. The project cost more than $35 million.

Strauss remained head of the project, overseeing day-to-day construction and making some groundbreaking contributions. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, he had placed a brick from his alma mater’s demolished McMicken Hall in the south anchorage before the concrete was poured. He innovated the use of movable safety netting beneath the construction site, which saved the lives of many otherwise-unprotected steelworkers. Of eleven men killed from falls during construction, ten were killed (when the bridge was near completion) when the net failed under the stress of a scaffold that had fallen. Nineteen others who were saved by the net over the course of construction became proud members of the (informal) Halfway to Hell Club.

The project was finished by April 1937.

OPENING FESTIVITIES

The bridge opening celebration began on 27 May 1937 and lasted for one week. The day before vehicle traffic was allowed, 200,000 people crossed by foot and roller skate. On opening day, Mayor Angelo Rossi and other officials rode the ferry to Marin, then crossed the bridge in a motorcade past three ceremonial “barriers”, the last a blockade of beauty queens who required Joseph Strauss to present the bridge to the Highway District before allowing him to pass. An official song, “There’s a Silver Moon on the Golden Gate”, was chosen to commemorate the event. Strauss wrote a poem that is now on the Golden Gate Bridge entitled “The Mighty Task is Done”. The next day, President Roosevelt pushed a button in Washington, DC signaling the official start of vehicle traffic over the Bridge at noon. When the celebration got out of hand, the SFPD had a small riot in the uptown Polk Gulch area. Weeks of civil and cultural activities called “the Fiesta” followed. A statue of Strauss was moved in 1955 to a site near the bridge.

Stilt houses in the Alpine region

2012-06-18T23:27:00.003-07:00

Stilt houses or pile dwellings are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water.

In the Neolithic and Bronze Age, stilt houses were common in the Alpine region. Remains have been found at the Mondsee and Attersee lakes in Upper Austria, for example. Early archaeologists like Ferdinand Keller thought they formed artificial islands, much like the Scottish Crannogs, but today it is clear that the majority of settlements were located on the shores of lakes and were only inundated later on. Reconstructed stilt houses are shown in open air museums in Unteruhldingen and Zürich (Pfahlbauland). A single Scandinavian pile dwelling, the Alvastra stilt houses, has been excavated in Sweden.

Today, stilt houses are still common in parts of South East Asia, Papua New Guinea and West Africa. In the Alps, similar buildings, known as raccards, are still in use as granaries. Stilted graneries are also a common feature in West Africa, e.g. in the Malinke language regions of Mali and Guinea.

Stilt houses are also common in the western hemisphere, and appear to have been an indigenous creation by the Amerindians in pre-Columbian times. They are especially widespread along the banks of the tropical river valleys of South America (Palafito), notably the Amazon and Orinoco river systems. Stilt houses were such a prevalent feature along the shores of Lake Maracaibo that Amerigo Vespucci was inspired to name the region “Venezuela” (little Venice).

House on the water… you just jump through the windows and voila: nice morning shower. Of course, you can jump through the door but window will really save you some time.

However, don’t drink too much: you might miss the bed

Kelong – built primarily for fishing, but often doubling up as offshore dwellings in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Nipa hut - the primary house-type prevalent in the Philippines
Pang uk - a special kind of house found in Tai O, Lantau, Hong Kong, mainly built by Tankas.
Papua New Guinea stilt house – a kind of stilt house constructed by Motuans, commonly found in the southern coastal area of PNG.
Thai stilt house - a kind of house often built on freshwater, e.g. a lotus pond.
Vietnamese stilt house – similar to the Thai ones, despite having a front door with a smaller height due to religious reasons.
Palafito – Found throughout South America since Pre-Columbian times.

A lake dwelling is a house or other structure built over shallow waters, such as a lake or marsh, supported on piles or artificial mounds of earth or wood. Prehistoric lake dwellers lived on all continents save Australia and Antarctica; notable among these were the Neolithic inhabitants of what is now the European Alps. Living examples are the lake settlements of the Ganvie region of Benin (in West Africa) and in the Inle Lake region of Myanmar (in Southeast Asia).

Luxury holidays in Portugal

2012-06-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Today we'll wander along the streets of Lisbon where the past blends with the present and ancient remains are still possible to be discovered.

This is the monument to the Marquis of Pombal, the prime minister responsible for the rebuilding of Lisbon following the Great Earthquake in 1755, showing him standing on a column with his hand on a lion (symbol of power) and his eyes directed to the downtown area that he rebuilt.

An unusual city block with a variety of tiny streets and picturesque buildings.

A poster on the walls of the buildings in the block.

It's Cabaret Maxime.

Maxime used to be a luxury cabaret, with clients from upper-class Portuguese families to the King of Spain. Later on, it became an underground brothel, but in 2006 it was revamped and turned into a bar and concert venue with a regular program. It has maintained the style and decor that made it famous.

The Praça dos Restauradores (Restorer's Square) is located on the south end of Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue), right beside the Rossio railway station (also an architectural masterpiece not to be missed!). This is a busy area of Lisbon and also the place to find the recently renovated Orion Eden, once a theatre and today a hotel that has kept the wonderful original facade.

Rossio is the liveliest square in the city, where people stop to sit and relax, or for a drink at the several atmospheric cafes with outdoor sitting.
On either side of the square are two baroque fountains, and in the center is a monument measuring 27 meters in height. It consists of a pedestal with marble allegories of Justice, Wisdom, Strength, and Moderation, qualities attributed to Dom Pedro IV, whose statue stands on top of the monument.

The floor renders the effect of running waves producing a fascinating view.

On Sundays an exposition is available. They sell different kinds of food here.

Local rock band is giving a concert under the open sky.

A standard yellow tram.

After the bridge Ponte 25 de Abril is passed by, an industrial area starts which is still decorated with some visual pearls like this.

The Municipal Square is a small peaceful place. The City Hall building is a neoclassical palace with an elegant exterior featuring sculptures on the triangular tympanum supported by four paired columns. Outside the building is an interesting pillory with a spiral column built of a single block in the 18th century, and crowned with a gilt metal sphere.

Red bug sculpture.

The Castle of Saint Jorge is located atop the highest hill in the historic center of the city. The castle is one of the main historical and touristic sites of Lisbon.

The castle consists of an external yard and an internal palace.

The yard embraces the internal citadel protected by the second level of walls.

The view of Praca do Comercio.

The view of Ponte 25 de Abril.

Santa Justa Elevator is an Eiffel Tower-like landmark overlooking the city.

The internal citadel is surrounded by the trench and the second wall. A bridge connects the wall and the external part.

The castle comprises numerous semi-destructed rooms.

This is Alfama, one of the most typical quarters of Lisbon. In Alfama, it is still possible to see Roman and Arab remains, two of the most dominant civilizations in Lisbon's past.

Visit to the Celestial Empire

2012-06-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Sitting at the window in a plane is a good idea as you see. Another proof how wonderful our planet is, how many beautiful pieces like these it consists of.

This is how China looks from above, to be more precise, its smallest part, from the height of 1000-10000 meters.
The route of flying:
1. Moscow - Beijing
2. Beijing - Xian
3. Xian - Chengdu
4. Chengdu - Lhasa
5. Xining - Beijing
6. Beijing - Moscow

Tibetan Plateau has been shot too, but its highest part though, the Huang He river and other natural, geological and dwelling objects are on the photos.

The Hung He river is also called the Yellow river due to abundance of alluvia making the river yellowish. They are also the reason why the sea where the river flows into is called Yellow. The basin of the Huang He is considered to be the place of the Chinese ethnos formation.

To various data the length of the river is from 4670 km to 5464 km, its basin's area - from 745 thousand km² to 771 thousand km².

The Earth is so wonderful and still unknown and life is not enough to know it...

History of Ancient Delphi

2012-06-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

On the slope of Parnassus mountain, not far from the Gulf of Corinth in Greece, there are ruins of an ancient city Delphi. First of all it is known for Delphian games that used to be held here. They were second popular after Olympic ones. According to legend it is Delphi that was considered to be the center of the world created by Zeus. It's the motherland of Apollo, and the place where the hub of the universe is situated.

April in Greece is a wonderful time - everything is in bloom, ease and serenity are in the air. It's not even hard to climb mountains.

Parnas

Lower part of the city

The upper part of the city. According to the legend - the hub of the universe is somewhere here.

Awesome views begin here.

Stone gallery has been well restored.

In the beginning of April there are not only flowers here but berries too.

General view of the ruins.

Amphitheater where musical competitions used to be held.

Stadium in the upper part of the city.

It's very beautiful here, probably as many centuries ago.

The ghost city of Cyprus

2012-06-18T23:05:00.002-07:00

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (or simply Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus) is a proclaimed in 1983, partially recognized state, occupying the northern third of Cyprus. Its population is approximately 200.000 people and the area is 3.355 sq. km. Northern Cyprus is separated from the rest part of Cyprus with a buffer zone. The line dividing the island into two sectors (the so-called "Green Line") is protected by the troops of the Armed Forces of the United Nations.

The picture depicts the administrative division of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (red), the Republic of Cyprus (blue), the UK military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (dark blue) and the buffer security zone (light blue).

The environs of Kyrenia. The monument to Attila Operations (the entry of Turkish troops into Cyprus in 1974).

The monument is installed on the coast, a few miles far from Kyrenia.

And on the opposite side are only mountains and clouds...

Here you can often see the flags of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus demonstrating the ownership of these territories.

The nature of these places is very beautiful.

The north of Cyprus has magnificent beaches.

The architecture is quite monotonous. A mixture of the buildings of southern Cyprus and the Turkish style.

Many restaurants and cafes.

These are the residential areas of Famagusta city. The adjacent to them quarter is called Varosha and otherwise known as a "ghost city". Let us tell you why.

In 1970 Famagusta was a major tourist destination in Cyprus. In view of the increasing number of tourists there were built many new hotels and tourist sites (the greater part of them appeared in Varosha). From 1970 to 1974 the city was at the peak of its popularity. It was visited by many famous personages of that time. such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot.

But on July 20, 1974 the Turkish army invaded Cyprus (in response to the political upheaval in the country), and on August 15 of the same year occupied Famagusta. As a result, the country was split into two parts: Greek and Turkish. Living in Varosha Greeks were evacuated and since then have been prohibited to return (as well as whatever journalists). In this way, the quarter was frozen in time, with shops filled with clothes being fashionable 35 years ago, and empty but fully equipped hotels.

Since no repairs had been made over the long time, all buildings gradually became destroyed. The metal rusted, and numerous trees and other plants filled the streets...

It is surrounded only by such a fence with prohibiting billboards hanging on it.

The beach of Famagusta is the best in Cyprus - with fine sand and clear water. But, as you see, the beach is not crowded.

Photographing is forbidden here. The guards in the towers control all your movements.

Though, in some places the fence is low, and nobody is around. But we don't advise you to get there as, firstly, the territory of Varosha is still mined here and there and, secondly, the soldiers guarding the "city" are very determined. Seeing the offender, they won't probably comply with political correctness and diplomacy. Consequences can be extremely serious.

Varosha creates a sombre impression. The spirit of hopelessness hovers in the air and spreads all over Famagusta. The complete opposite of Kyrenia...

To change the mood, let's visit the main attraction of Famagusta, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas.

It's the main cathedral of the medieval city of Famagusta located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It was built on the model of Reims Cathedral by Cypriot kings of the dynasty of Lusignan in the 14th century. The tourist brochures call it "the Cypriot Reims".

The cathedral was consecrated in 1328. Considerable damage to the building was caused by frequent earthquakes. In 1954 it was renamed the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque in honor of the captain who commanded the siege of Famagusta in 1571.

In the Garden: Banana Trees Grow

2012-06-16T05:31:00.001-07:00

Some countries, like Dominican Republic, has a good weather conditions to grow bananas in a garden. When we are talking about ideal temperatures for growing bananas, than the night temperature would be about 20 C (67 F) and the day temperature would be about (27 C) 80 F. High humidity of 50% and higher is required too. If you are not in luck for such weather conditions, you can grow banana in your house. Do not forget to give it a lot of sun all day long and a big container. Usually a living room is the best place because this location is mostly heated. And if you take care about your banana, your banana tree will thank you with a banana fruit. Probably not so big, but taste great.

Portugal Vacations, Tourism and Portugal Travel

2012-06-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

Today we'll wander along the streets of Lisbon where the past blends with the present and ancient remains are still possible to be discovered.

An unusual city block with a variety of tiny streets and picturesque buildings.

A poster on the walls of the buildings in the block.

It's Cabaret Maxime.

The floor renders the effect of running waves producing a fascinating view.

On Sundays an exposition is available. They sell different kinds of food here.

Local rock band is giving a concert under the open sky.

A standard yellow tram.

After the bridge Ponte 25 de Abril is passed by, an industrial area starts which is still decorated with some visual pearls like this.

Red bug sculpture.

The Castle of Saint Jorge is located atop the highest hill in the historic center of the city. The castle is one of the main historical and touristic sites of Lisbon.

The castle consists of an external yard and an internal palace.

The yard embraces the internal citadel protected by the second level of walls.

The view of Praca do Comercio.

The view of Ponte 25 de Abril.

Santa Justa Elevator is an Eiffel Tower-like landmark overlooking the city.

The internal citadel is surrounded by the trench and the second wall. A bridge connects the wall and the external part.

The castle comprises numerous semi-destructed rooms.

This is Alfama, one of the most typical quarters of Lisbon. In Alfama, it is still possible to see Roman and Arab remains, two of the most dominant civilizations in Lisbon's past.

Tulips As the Flower Symbol of the Netherlands

2012-06-16T05:13:00.002-07:00

Tulips are probably the most famous flowers in the Netherlands and in many cases a great teaser for the tourists. Flowers parades are held from spring to autumn in the whole Netherlands. Bollenstreek Flower Parade is the biggest parade from them all and is usually held at the end of April. Not tulips only can be seen in the gardens. The first flower in the spring is a crocus, then daffodil, narcissi and hyacinth.
If you got taste for a tulip tour than the most famous tour is from Amsterdam to Keukenhof where is the world’s largest bulb-flower garden with opening season in second half of March.

From the Scottish Parliament Down to the Beach at Gullane

2012-06-16T05:12:00.000-07:00

Scotland has unique nature conditions and cities are built with a respect to the nature. The good example is the city of Edinburgh. The Scottish Parliament building is located in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh and is designed by architect Enric Miralles. Since the Scotland Act in 1998, the Scottish Parliament had primary legislation in issues of education, health, agriculture and justice, the rest is passed to Parliament of the United Kingdom.
When we go forward to the east coast of Scotland (20 miles) to the town of Gullane, we will find wonderful beach with sand dunes, the Gullane Beach. If you like golf game, many high-quality golf clubs and championships take place here. Worth to see this town anyway.

The Most Famous Tarns

2012-06-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

A tarn is a lake formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier and is located at the top of a mountain. The most famous tarns are Upper Thornton Lake in North Cascades National Park and Andrews Tarn at the base of Andrews Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park in the USA. Štrbské pleso is the most famous tarn in Slovakia and Ve?ké Hincovo pleso tarn, the deepest tarn in Slovakia, both located in High Tatras mountain.

Deforestation in the Amazon

2012-06-16T05:03:00.002-07:00

The Amazon rain forest is disappearing at an alarming rate.
Previously the forest covered 14% of earth’s surface and now it is only about 6%. By this speed the forest will disappear within 40 years.

The main reasons for deforestation are logging of tropical hardwoods for exportation (like teak and mahagony, timber, ply wood), cattle grazing, farming, road building, hydroelectric dams, mining.
Another problem is damage due to reduced rainfall caused by global warming.

The World Wildlife Fund states that the point of no return, from which recovery will be impossible, is only 15 to 25 years away.

Turkey Autumn Spring

2012-06-16T05:00:00.003-07:00

Why the title of the post is that odd? Because it all looks like autumn, though shot in March...

In the center of attention today - some historical object of Turkey named Kzikos.

The weather is just like autumn. Drizzling. Big pelicans and black ducks are rowing on the lake.

An empty village, it seems nobody lives here except ducks.

Looks like an olive garden.

The trees got a weird form under impact of strong winds.

Tiled roofs always look cute.

Tiling is expensive, but it doesn't seem that people who live here are rich.

People are hospitable, invite you for tea.

No Turkey without mosques.

Does it look like spring??

Nice place to inspire for poetry...

No fuss and stress in living here.

Back to the village

Going to make cakes...

Women get embarrassed seeing a camera.

Men are not shy at all.