Nature, travel and vacation

Forest swastika - a gigantic Nazi swastika made of larch trees

2009-11-04T17:56:00.000+01:00

The forest swastika was a patch of larch trees covering 3,600 m2 (4,300 sq yd) area of pine forest near Zernikow, Uckermark district, Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany, carefully arranged to look like a swastika. It was probably planted near the height of Hitler's power, in the 1930s.

It is unclear why the trees were planted and arranged thus. It has been suggested that it was laid out in 1937 by locals to prove their loyalty after a businessman in the area was denounced and sent to a concentration camp by the Nazi Party for listening to the BBC. Another theory is that a zealous forester convinced local Hitler Youth members to plant the trees in commemoration of Adolf Hitler's birthday. One source maintains it was planted by a warden, either out of support for the Hitler regime, or due to an order from state officials.

For a few weeks every year in the autumn and in the spring, the colour of the larch leaves would change, contrasting with the deep green of the pine forest. The short duration of the effect combined with the fact that the image could only be discerned from the air and the relative scarcity of privately owned aeroplanes in the area meant that the swastika went largely unnoticed after the fall of the Nazi Party. During the subsequent Communist period, Communist authorities reportedly knew of its existence but made no effort to remove it. However, in 1992, the reunified German government ordered aerial surveys of all state-owned land. The photographs were examined by forestry students, who immediately noticed the design.

The Brandenburg state authorities, concerned about damage to the region's image and the possibility that the area would become a pilgrimage site for Nazi supporters, attempted to destroy the design by removing 43 of the 100 larch trees in 1995. However, the figure remained discernible with the remaining 57 trees as well as some tree which had regrown, and in 2000 German tabloids published further aerial photographs showing the prominence of the swastika. By this time, ownership of around half the land on which the trees sat had been sold into private hands, but permission was gained to fell a further 25 trees on the government-owned area on December 1, 2000, and the image was largely obscured.

credited to wikipedia

A town that's been on fire since 1962

2009-11-02T17:04:00.000+01:00

Centralia is a borough and ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has dwindled from over 1,000 residents in 1981 to 12 in 2005 and 9 in 2007, as a result of a mine fire burning beneath the borough since 1962. Centralia is now the least-populous municipality in Pennsylvania, with four fewer residents than the borough of S.N.P.J.

Centralia is part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Johnathan Faust opened Bull's Head Tavern in 1841 in what was then Roaring Creek Township. In 1854, Alexander W. Rea, a civil and mining engineer for the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company, moved to the site and laid out streets and lots for development. The town was known as Centreville until 1865. There was another Centreville in Schuylkill County, however, and the Post Office would not allow a second one, so Rea named his village Centralia.

Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community. Coal mining continued in Centralia until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. Bootleg mining continued until 1982. Strip and open-pit mining is still active in the area, and there is an underground mine employing about 40 employees three miles to the west.

The borough was also a hotbed of Molly Maguires activity during the 1860s and 1870s. The borough's founder, Alexander Rea, was one of the victims of the secret order when he was murdered just outside of the borough on October 17, 1868. Three individuals were convicted of the crime and hanged in the county seat of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania on March 25, 1878. Several other murders and arsons also occurred during this period.

The borough was served by two railroads, the Philadelphia and Reading and the Lehigh Valley, with the Lehigh Valley being the principal carrier. Rail service ended in 1966. The borough operated its own school district with elementary schools and a high school within its precincts. There were also two Catholic parochial schools in the borough. The borough once had seven churches, five hotels, twenty-seven saloons, two theatres, a bank, post office, and fourteen general and grocery stores. During most of the borough's history, when coal mining activity was being conducted, the town had a population in excess of 2,000 residents. Another 500 to 600 residents lived in unincorporated areas immediately adjacent to Centralia.

It is not known for certain how the fire that made Centralia essentially unlivable was ignited. One theory asserts that in May 1962, Centralia Borough Council hired five members of the volunteer fire company to clean up the town landfill, located in an abandoned strip mine pit next to the Odd Fellows Cemetery. This had been done prior to Memorial Day in previous years, when the landfill was in a different location. The firefighters, as they had in the past, set the dump on fire, and let it burn for a time. Unlike in previous years, however, the fire was not extinguished.

Other evidence supports this theory, as stated in Joan Quigley's 2007 missive, such as the fact that one of two trash haulers (Curly Stasulevich or Sam Devine) dumped hot ash and/or coal discard from coal burners into the open trash pit. The borough, by law, was responsible for installing a fire-resistant clay barrier between each layer but had fallen behind. This action allowed the hot coals to penetrate the vein of coal underneath the pit and subsequent subterranean fire. Quigley cites "interviews with volunteer firemen, the former fire chief, borough officials, and several eyewitnesses, as well as contemporaneous borough council minutes" as her sources for this explanation of the fire. Another theory of note is the Bast Theory. It states that the fire was burning long before the alleged trash dump fire. However, due to overwhelmingly contrary evidence, few hold this position and give it little credibility.

The fire remained burning underground and spread through a hole in the rock pit into the abandoned coal mines beneath Centralia. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the byproducts of the fire, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and lack of healthy oxygen levels.

In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas-station owner and then mayor, John Coddington, inserted a stick into one of his underground tanks to check the fuel level. When he withdrew it, it seemed hot, so he lowered a thermometer down on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature of the gasoline in the tank was 172 °F (77.8 °C). Statewide attention to the fire began to increase, culminating in 1981 when 12-year-old resident Todd Domboski fell into a subsidence four feet wide by 150 feet (46 m) deep that suddenly opened beneath his feet in a backyard.

In 1984, Congress allocated more than $42 million for relocation efforts. Most of the residents accepted buyout offers and moved to the nearby communities of Mount Carmel and Ashland. A few families opted to stay despite warnings from state officials.

In 1992, Pennsylvania claimed eminent domain on all properties in the borough, condemning all the buildings within. A subsequent legal effort by residents to have the decision reversed failed. In 2002, the United States Postal Service revoked Centralia's ZIP Code, 17927.

Today

Very few homes remain standing in Centralia; most of the abandoned buildings have been demolished by humans or nature. At a casual glance the area now appears to be a field with many paved streets running through it. Some areas are being filled with new-growth forest. Most of Centralia's roads and sidewalks are overgrown with brush, although some areas appear to be mowed. The remaining church in the borough, St. Mary's, holds weekly services on Sunday and is unaffected by the fire. The town's four cemeteries are maintained in good condition and now have a far greater population than the town, including one on the hilltop that has smoke rising around and out of it.

The only indications of the fire, which underlies some 400 acres (1.6 km²), spreading along four fronts, are low round metal steam vents in the south of the borough, and several signs warning of underground fire, unstable ground, and carbon monoxide. Additional smoke and steam can be seen coming from an abandoned portion of Pennsylvania Route 61, the area just behind the hilltop cemetery, and other cracks in the ground scattered about the area. Route 61 was repaired several times until its final closing. The current route was a detour around the damaged portion during the repairs and became a permanent route in the mid-1990s; mounds of dirt were placed at both ends of the former route, effectively blocking the road. Pedestrian traffic is still possible due to a small opening about two feet wide at the north side of the road, but this is muddy and not accessible to the disabled. The underground fire is still burning and will continue to do so for a predicted 250 more years.

Prior to its demolition in September 2007, the last remaining house on Locust Avenue was notable for the five chimney-like support buttresses along each of two opposite sides of the house, where the house was previously supported by a row of adjacent buildings before it was demolished. Another house with similar buttresses is visible from the northern side of the cemetery, just north of the burning, partially subsumed hillside.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not renew the relocation contract at the end of 2005, and the fate of the remaining residents is uncertain.

It is expected that many former residents will return in 2016 to open a time capsule buried in 1966 next to the veterans' memorial.

credited to wikipedia

America's 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

2009-10-29T06:40:00.000+01:00

Like your life and limbs intact? Then you'd better get skilled before visiting these trails.

Horseshoe Canyon, Utah

Horseshoe Canyon, formerly known as Barrier Canyon, is in a remote area west of the Green River and north of the Canyonlands National Park Maze District in Utah, USA. It is known for its collection of Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art, including both pictographs and petroglyphs, which was first recognized as a unique style here. A portion of Horseshoe Canyon containing The Great Gallery is part of a detached unit of Canyonlands National Park. The Horseshoe Canyon Unit was added to the park in 1971 in an attempt to preserve and protect the rock art found along much of its length.

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ

The trail originates on the south rim of Grand Canyon and descends 4380 feet in elevation to the Colorado River. It has an average grade of 10% along its entire length. At trail's end, the River Trail continues another 2 miles to the Bright Angel Campground and Phantom Ranch. These two trails combined are the most common method used to access Phantom Ranch by hikers and mules.

There are two trails that cross or join this trail. The first being the Tonto Trail at Indian Gardens which leads towards the Monument Use Area to the west (the east leads to the South Kaibab Trail 4.7 miles (7.6 km) from the junction), and the River Trail which officially begins when the Bright Angel Trail reaches the Colorado River at the River Resthouse, although some consider that the Bright Angel Trail officially ends after crossing the Colorado River at the Silver Bridge.

Pikes Peak, Colorado

Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. It is named for Zebulon Pike, an explorer who led an expedition to the southern Colorado area in 1806. At 14,115 feet (4,302 m)[1], it is one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners. Drivers race up the mountain in a famous annual race called the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The peak is also the annual site of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent foot races on the Barr Trail. An upper portion of Pikes Peak is a federally designated National Historic Landmark.

Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m). It is famous for its dangerously erratic weather, holding the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, at 231 mph (372 km/h) on the afternoon of April 12, 1934. It was known as Agiocochook, or "home of the Great Spirit", before European settlers arrived.

The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, in Coos County, New Hampshire. It is the third highest state high point in the eastern U.S. and the most prominent peak in the Eastern United States.

While nearly the whole mountain is in the White Mountain National Forest, an area of 59 acres (0.24 km2) surrounding and including the summit is occupied by Mount Washington State Park.

Mount Rainier, Washington

Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) in Pierce County, Washington, located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It towers over the Cascade Range as the most prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and Cascade Volcanic Arc at 14,411 feet (4,392 m).

The mountain and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Rainier National Park. With 26 major glaciers and 35 square miles (91 km2) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The summit is topped by two volcanic craters, each over 1,000 feet (300 m) in diameter with the larger east crater overlapping the west crater. Geothermal heat from the volcano keeps areas of both crater rims free of snow and ice, and has formed the world's largest volcanic glacier cave network within the ice-filled craters. A small crater lake about 130 by 30 feet (40 m × 9.1 m) in size and 16 feet (5 m) deep, the highest in North America with a surface elevation of 14,203 feet (4,329 m), occupies the lowest portion of the west crater below more than 100 feet (30 m) of ice and is accessible only via the caves.

Mount Rainier has a topographic prominence of 13,211 feet (4,027 m), greater than that of K2 (13,189 feet (4,020 m)). On clear days it dominates the southeastern horizon in most of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area to such an extent that residents sometimes refer to it simply as "the Mountain." On days of exceptional clarity, it can also be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia.

Huckleberry Mountain, MT

The Hike In Glacier National Park, you could spit and hit a grizzly. Well, almost–the park features the highest bear density in the Lower 48. One recent study counted 563 individuals, and researchers suspect the actual population may be even higher. That's .35 bears per square mile–or one bear within a one-mile radius of every backcountry campsite. Come summer and fall, aptly named Huckleberry Mountain becomes a magnet for hungry grizzlies, which are commonly found foraging the plump, purple fruit that ripens along the Apgar/Huckleberry Lookout Trail. "Large numbers of bears congregate there when there's a bumper crop," says supervisory ranger Gary Moses. In high huckleberry season, rangers often close the trail to dayhiking–but backpackers may still complete overnight trips in the area.

Kalalau Trail, Hawaii

The Kalalau Trail is a trail along the Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The trail is very strenuous and runs approximately 11 miles (18 km) along the island's north shore from Keʻe Beach to the Kalalau Valley. An experienced, very fit hiker can complete the trail in about a day, but most people require two days and will camp along the trail.

The trail is located in the Nā Pali Coast State Park and access is controlled in the cause of conservation. A limited number of permits are issued for camping in Kalalau Valley every year. In spite of the efforts of the state of Hawaiʻi, many people hike the trail without paying money to the State Park office.

The trail starts on the north shore of the island, where the main highway ends at Keʻe Beach. The first two miles (3 km) of the trail are moderately strenuous and open to the public. This portion of the trail leads to Hanakapiai stream and beach. The trail beyond Hanakapiʻai is open only to those with camping permits.

The trail continues for approximately four miles to Hanakoa Valley, which is a hanging valley with no beach access. After Hanakoa, the trail turns more toward the dry side of the island. About five miles (8 km) later is Kalalau Valley, a large, flat-bottomed valley almost a mile across.

Buckskin Gulch, Utah

The Buckskin Gulch in southern Utah is one of the main tributaries of the Paria River, which is itself a major tributary of the Colorado River. It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the southwest United States and may very well be the longest in the world. As such it is one of the premier destinations for slot canyon hikers, and receives a high amount of foot traffic. At over 13 miles (21 km) in length it is often visited in conjunction with the longer Paria Canyon, although some prefer to make a long day trip out of the hike. With a distance of 20 miles (32 km), hiking this canyon in one day is do-able but not easy. Wire Pass, a short tributary to the Buckskin, is an ideal alternative for a short day hike that still takes hikers through the narrow, curving features that are the hallmark of slot canyons.

Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee-North Carolina

The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the Smokey Mountains, and the name is commonly shortened to the Smokies. The Great Smokies are best known as the home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which protects most of the range. The park was established in 1934, and with over 9 million visits per year, it is the most-visited national park in the United States.

Half Dome, California

Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located in northeastern Mariposa County, California, at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley — possibly Yosemite's most familiar sight. The granite crest rises more than 4,737 ft (1,444 m) above the valley floor.

credited to wikipedia, backpacker.com and flickr users: wildintel, duroc2006

Top 10: Luxury Islands

2009-10-22T16:11:00.000+02:00

While city breaks, country retreats and resort getaways are all well and good, nothing beats the decadence of an island escape. Just ask Sir Richard Branson, who snapped up his own private island just to get away from the maddening crowds. With tropical palms swaying in the breeze and turquoise waters lapping at crisp white sand, luxury islands are a favorite vacation for the rich, famous and fabulous. Follow our lead and check out the world’s top 10 luxury islands; trust us, they’re out of this world.

No.10 - Cousine Island - Seychelles

Part luxury resort, part nature reserve, Cousine Island is one of the most visually stunning remote islands in the world, and it's just 62 acres in size. One of the 115 islands that make up the Seychelles, this tropical isle is like something out of Robinson Crusoe and can only be reached by helicopter. The five-star Cousine Island Resort and Spa is the perfect place to stay on the island for travelers looking for high-end creature comforts, while the stillness and natural beauty that surrounds it affords all-important peace and quiet so desperately sought by city slickers. Brimming with lush vegetation and all kinds of birds and turtles, Cousine Island is like the Garden of Eden of the modern-day world.

No.9 - Necker Island - British Virgin Islands

Second home to Sir Richard Branson, Necker Island is the Virgin entrepreneur’s very own private island in the heart of the British Virgin Islands. Spread across 74 glorious acres of tropical forest and fine sand beaches, this luxury island was snapped up by Branson in the late '70s and transformed into a glamorous, first-class island retreat for no less than $10 million. For $47,000 a day, well-heeled guests can have free reign of the island, which includes a Balinese-style villa with 10 bedrooms, two private beaches, a number of swimming pools, tennis courts, a personal chef, water sports, and amenities galore. Decked out with luxurious Brazilian hardwoods, antiques and authentic Balinese furniture and fabrics, it’s no wonder the likes of the late Princess Diana, Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey have stayed here. Fortunately for us, Branson is a man who likes to share -- and who can blame him?

No.8 - Mnemba Island - Indian Ocean

Although it’s a mere 2.8 miles off the eastern tip of Zanzibar, Mnemba Island is about as far from civilization as you’re ever likely to feel. Every vista here looks like a shot from a honeymoon brochure, with 10 romantic beachside lodges each with their own verandas overlooking the sea, untouched white beaches, shimmering blue waters, and the type of glowing sunsets only ever seen in the movies. The island is just one mile in circumference, with a conservation barrier that protects the coral reefs, giant turtles, ghost crabs, and tropical fish that surround it. It’s no wonder it was voted one of the top three most romantic islands in the world by trusty Condé Nast. Walk barefoot along the shore in your linen trousers, indulge in fresh fruit for breakfast and fresh lobster for dinner, enjoy a spot of windsurfing, deep-sea fishing or kayaking, and sink into crisp linen sheets all in one day at Mnemba Island.

No.7 - Cocoa Island - Maldives

The perfectly named Cocoa Island has it all: silky white sand underfoot, a lagoon that couldn’t be bluer if it tried, and a specifically built five-star resort that, for once, matches the pictures in the travel brochure. Set over water, 33 villas are available for guests to check into, while facilities include beautifully manicured gardens, shimmering swimming pools, an on-site spa, yoga pavilion, water-sport center, and an elegant restaurant offering lip-smackingly good Thai food. The actual island itself is about as eco-friendly as it gets, with a strict green policy that ensures its pristine natural environment remains pristine. Think Castaway, but with romantic teak decking.

No.6 - Barbados - Caribbean

While it may be one of the most prominent luxury islands out there, Barbados still hasn’t lost its exclusive appeal. Hundreds of celebrities still flock there each and every January, hoping to catch a ray or two of glorious winter sunshine. The 166-square-mile island is completely flat, meaning luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants are aplenty along its stunning, white-sand coastline. Highly recommended is the Sandy Lane - Luxury Golf & Spa Resort at St James, the island’s most prestigious place to stay and much-publicized wedding venue to Tiger Woods a few years back.

No.5 - Bermuda - North Atlantic Ocean

While sailors may get mysteriously gobbled up trying to get to the island, Bermuda does offer old-world luxury for those who make it ashore. The second-oldest British settlement in the New World, Bermuda’s aesthetic is a mix of colonial-style architecture and paradisiacal settings -- a heady mix that has attracted the filthy-rich for years. The Fairmont Southampton is the best place to stay; from there you’ll be able to enjoy Bermuda’s iconic pink-sand beaches, smudged amber sunsets and lush green gardens. While away your day beneath a crisp white umbrella at the hotel’s private beach club, enjoy a game of tennis (very popular on the island), or indulge in the finest cuisine at The Newport Room, the only AAA five-diamond restaurant in the entire Caribbean/Atlantic. Breathtaking stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.

No.4 - Palm Island - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Made up of 32 jaw-droppingly beautiful islands, it would be easy to miss Palm Island in the cluttered archipelago that makes up Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Nevertheless, once you’ve found it and taken the mile-long boat trip from Union Island, you’ll never want to leave; 135 acres of tropical paradise await you, with a private resort catering to your every whim no matter how frivolous. Casuarina Beach runs along the entire length of the western coastline, and is quite a sight to behold. Crystal clear waters swoosh against its sand beaches, coconut trees shimmy on its coast and general gorgeousness abound. The resort itself is small but perfectly formed, with just 40 guest rooms to maintain exclusivity, a Michelin-star restaurant serving up the best international fare, and a bar in which you and your loved one can grab an umbrella-free sun-downer at dusk. Wish you were here? We certainly do.

No.3 - Turtle Island - Fiji

Although Lost is actually filmed in Hawaii, it’s supposed to be set in Fiji -- meaning that a real Fijian island is going to be even more beautiful than the sets on the TV show. Turtle Island lives up to that promise, with more than 500,000 trees planted over 30 years by its entrepreneurial owner, Richard Evanson, dozens of private beaches and a stunning resort comprising 14 eco-friendly villas -- it’s no wonder The Blue Lagoon, the 1970s film starring Brooke Shields, was filmed here. If this place doesn’t take your breath away, then we’re afraid nothing will. And this is the place to honeymoon if you’re serious about your marriage.

No.2 - Mustique - West Indies

There’s a very good reason rock stars and royal family members jet across the globe to vacation on the private island of Mustique. Spreading across 1,400 acres of tropical paradise, Mustique is located in the southern Caribbean and is owned and operated by the Mustique Company (made up of the island’s privileged homeowners). Upholding its exclusivity and protecting its natural beauty, the firm allows only a select group of people to stay on the island, with visitors ranging from Prince William to Mick Jagger. While there, designer-clad guests can frolic in the aquamarine surf, sprawl on its pristine white beaches or party the night away at Basil’s Bar, a favorite haunt of the jet-set vacationers.

No.1 - Musha Cay - Exuma Cays

You’ll have to be friendly with famous magician and owner David Copperfield to pay a visit, but once you’ve touched down in Musha Cay with your Louis Vuitton bags in tow you’ll never want to leave. Comprising four private islands, 85 miles southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas, the mini-archipelago offers some of the best diving on the planet, with transparent waters and miles of jaw-dropping coral reef. There are five houses in which to hunker down for the night, with every conceivable luxury found inside, and more than 30 staff members to cater to your every whim. Copperfield also claims to have found the Fountain of Youth on the island, but even if you don’t find it while you’re here, you’ll still return home looking 20 years younger.

credited to askmen.com

World's Most Stunning City Skylines

2009-10-15T07:55:00.000+02:00

What makes a skyline great? It has to be more than merely memorable, it must have some exceptional characteristics: It not only should be instantly recognizable but, from the traveler’s perspective particularly, it should be an enticing view of great buildings and monuments. If it’s really special, you want to be a part of it.

Chicago

From modern skyscrapers like the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower—the world’s tallest high-rise building for more than 23 years ending in 1997—to earlier icons such as the 1895 Reliance Tower and 463-foot-tall Chicago Tribune Tower, completed in 1925, Chicago boasts a skyline of monumental proportions. Says Andres Lepik, “As far as great American skylines go, for me it’s mostly New York and Chicago.”

Sydney

More people recognize the glorious Sydney Opera House than have probably ever been to an opera. A protected park behind the iconic structure serves to frame the modern skyline behind it, and there’s the expansive blue of Sydney Harbor in the foreground. “Sydney has one of world’s most fascinating skylines,” according to Andres Lepik, author of Skyscrapers. Star architect Renzo Piano added the 44-story Aurora Place to Sydney’s downtown mix in 1996.

Dubai

It was clear with the erection of the 1,053-foot-tall Burj al Arab Hotel in 1999 that the sheikdom of Dubai was bent on stealing the global skyline spotlight. Lest there be any doubt, consider that this year Dubai will be home to the tallest skyscraper in the world: the 1,900-foot Burj Dubai tower. It already soars above the rather dismally named Business Bay district. Though Andres Lepik, author of Skycrapers and architecture curator at MoMA, says he wouldn’t call Dubai’s skyline beautiful because “it’s grown too fast, without a general idea of what they’re trying to achieve,” Dubai makes it on this list by dint of sheer boldness. In the pipeline: Zaha Hadid’s “Dancing Towers,” the Da Vinci Rotating Tower and 0-14 Tower.

Seattle

Seattle’s location between Puget Sound and Lake Washington lends an impressive backdrop to its central skyline, of which the Space Needle has been the most recognizable feature since its completion in 1962. Though it isn’t the city’s tallest structure—that distinction goes to the 76-story Columbia Center—it often appears so because of its position on a hill some four-fifths of a mile northwest of most of the skyscrapers downtown. With Mount Rainier in the distance, Seattle’s skyline comes with a romantic frontier feel.

Paris

It’s an absence of skyscrapers that defines the French capital’s skyline (with no usable surfaces, the Eiffel Tower doesn’t count). Thanks to its concentration of historic slate gray-roofed six and seven-story buildings, many of which date from the mid-19th century and before, Paris has a remarkably uniform skyline for a city of its size. Lending romance to the cityscape are the familiar historic monuments such as Notre-Dame, the domes of Sacre-Coeur and the Sorbonne and the grandiose roof of the Palais Garnier opera house.

London

London’s Parliament and Big Ben “were skyscrapers in their time,” say architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat. “And today London has some amazing modern buildings, such as The London Eye and the Norman Foster-designed ‘Gherkin’ building, which looks like a giant pickle. So you have these contemporary pieces punctuated against the fabric of an old city that make it recognizable and also very romantic.”

Houston

“Houston has the Transco Tower and also Pennzoil Place, two towers that kiss,” say New York architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, “and all three are Philip Johnson buildings.” They add, “the bizarre thing about Houston is that you can have a 50-story building next to a one-story building, for an entire city block, so you have these sort of large holes that exist between the towers.”

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has one of America’s great unsung skylines. The reason? According to architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, it’s because Pittsburgh is “right at the intersection of three fairly large rivers, and you approach it through a mountain, so you arrive completely deprived of a view, through a tunnel. And then you’re on a bridge looking at the city. It’s very beautifully proportioned the way it starts fairly low at the river and then climbs to the U.S. Steel building, which is the tallest there.”

Hong Kong

Whether you’re gazing at Hong Kong’s brash skyline from Victoria Peak or across the harbor from the Kowloon side, you’ll be taking in one of the most spectacular urban landscapes in the world. Says Andres Lepik, author of Skyscrapers, “Hong Kong decided in the ‘80s to redesign the image of the city. In the run-up to Hong Kong’s reversion to China, it was decided to give the city a strong image to command world attention and make it an attraction. It started with Norman Foster’s Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters, then I.M. Pei’s Bank of China building, which was a reaction to that one.”

Toronto

The Canadian metropolis on the shore of Lake Ontario is recognizable around the world thanks to the presence of the CN Tower, which soars 1,815 feet above the city. (As a freestanding structure, the only thing taller in the world today is the Burj Dubai). It has neither office nor living space, but there is a restaurant with a killer view near the top. With more than 2,000 towers that exceed 300 feet, verticality is a distinguishing feature of the varied Toronto skyline. Canada’s largest aggregate of skyscrapers is located in downtown’s Financial District.

San Francisco

“San Francisco can be easily recognized by the the mountainous topography and the Transamerica Pyramid,” say Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, partners in Stamberg Aferiat Architecture in New York. Its skycrapers are nowhere near as numerous or tall as Manhattan’s, but in light of the waterfront setting, famous bridges and interplay of old and new, the City by the Bay is easily one of the world’s most photogenic.

Frankfurt

They call it “Mainhattan,” a reference to the River Main and the high-rises of Frankfurt’s city center. “You can hardly talk about skylines in Europe except maybe for Frankfurt, which started in the ‘80s and ‘90s to develop a skyline,” says Andres Lepik, author of Skycrapers and architecture curator at MoMA in New York. “It was a political act to allow high-rise buildings in the center, for the economic and business image of the city,” he adds. Landmark towers in the German financial powerhouse include the pyramid-capped Messeturm and the Norman Foster-designed Commerzbank building.

New York

Take iconic skyscrapers from the 1920s and ‘30s such as the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building and American Radiator Building, add plenty of sleek new ones, and splay them all out on a long narrow island, and you’ve got the world’s most famous skyline. Says Paul Aferiat of Stamberg Aferiat Architecture, “the agglomeration of New York skyscrapers has as its centerpiece the Empire State Building, which is such an iconic romantic building, and through the accidents of economics and zoning, it stands alone.” Manhattan’s skyscrapers are clustered around lower Manhattan, Midtown and Midtown South.

credited to forbestravel.com

Autumn in Germany

2009-10-10T10:37:00.000+02:00

Germany culture is rich in traditions all the year round. Each season features main events in German daily life, cultural background and holidays which keep traditions of Germans for centuries. Autumn is featured by numerous holidays, mostly devoted to harvesting and German music heritage. Harvesting is the most significant event in autumn in Germany, therefore, it created a vast variety of traditions and celebrations. But most of them are aimed to celebrate the only thing which is most important for people – good and rich harvest – which feeds the whole nation during winter. [on first picture - The Herrenbach artificial lake]

Beutelsbach - Region Stuttgart

Somewhere between Fröndenberg and Ardey

Saxony - Hannover

Bavaria

Düsseldorf

Eifel

Hesse

North Rhine-Westphalia

Unknown Location

credited to germanculture.com.ua and flickr users: batiks, publik-oberberg, DasMatze, dreamysoul, hagens_world, iprinke, tobi0406, heimatiater, 4bernd, peterknoop, tudorka, axel-d, munichboy20, kimbar

Verdon Gorge - France

2009-10-09T10:13:00.000+02:00

The Verdon Gorge , in south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), is a river canyon that is considered by many to be Europe's most beautiful. It is the world's second largest gorge, at about 25 kilometers in length and up to 700 meters deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named after its startling turquoise-green colour, one of the canyon's most distinguishing characteristics. The most impressive part lies between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, where the river has cut a ravine up to 700 metres down through the limestone mass. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon river flows into the artificial lake of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon.

Because of its proximity to the French Riviera, the canyon is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks or hike. The limestone walls, which are several hundreds of meters high, attract many rock climbers. It is considered an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing. There are routes encompassing cracks, pillars and seemingly endless walls. The climbing is generally of a technical nature, and there are over 1,500 routes, ranging from 20m to over 400m.

The Verdon Gorge is renowned as forming the most beautiful canyon in Europe, and attracts numerous tourists, especially during the summer period. It is easily accessible on its right bank from the North (via route D952 from Castellane to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie), and on its left bank from the South (via routes D71, D90 and D995 from Aiguines to Castellane).

The southern route offers views of the Col d'Illoire, the summits of Plein Voir, le Pavillon (1624 m), la cime de Barbin (1560 m) and le Mourre de Chanier (1930 m), and the Saint-Croix reservoir. The "Sentier de l'Imbut" hike begins from this side of the gorge. When the road passes through the Tunnel du Fayet, there are openings cut into the tunnel to afford a view. The road then crosses the Artuby River over a bridge known either as Pont de l'Artuby or Pont de Chaulière; soon after, at the relais de Balcon, the Artuby flows into the Verdon. This area is also known as the "Mescla," meaning "mixture" in Provençal.

On the D90 in the direction of Trigance, another bridge spans the Jabron river (another tributary of the Verdon) and then the Pont des Soleils. Just below Rougon there is the Couloir Samson (Samson's Corridor), the entrance to the part of the fluvial landscape designated as "gorge." From there one can hike along the Verdon and take the famous "Sentier Martel." La Palud-sur-Verdon, a village with museum and tourist bureau, is nearby; the "route des Crêtes" (Crest Route, linking various panoramic viewpoints) proceeds from here. The Sentier Martel also is accessible from this route, beginning at the French Alpine Club or "châlet de La Maline." This path covers over 100 km of not always easy roads.

The Verdon Gorge is an appreciated destination for rock climbers, since they include more than 1,500 climbing routes on good limestone rock. The Verdon and her Gorge is also a favoured destination for fishermen, particularly for fly fishing. Hiking, Canoeing, paragliding, rafting, climbing and of course Canyoning are some of the numerous sports practiced in the region.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: loutraje, pl_photo, glosters, muora_lycia, schseb, kunstturner, felixgein, elcantar, andrequylaine2, koen_photos

10 Most Fascinating Tombs in the World

2009-10-07T14:42:00.000+02:00

Throughout the history of human civilization, different cultures mourn and treat the dead differently. Some, like Tibetan Buddhists, have no use for burials as they dispose the dead by feeding corpses to vultures or by burning them in funeral pyres. Most cultures, however, show their respect by burying the dead, sometimes in complex and ornate tombs, crypts, and catacombs.

This article takes a look at ten of the most fascinating final resting places around the world, from the largest prehistoric burial mound in Europe to the the tombs of pharaohs to the most beautiful mausoleum in the world:

Newgrange (Ireland)

Newgrange is a passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Louth. It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, and indeed the most famous of all Irish prehistoric sites. Newgrange was built in such a way that at dawn on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, a narrow beam of sunlight for a very short time illuminates the floor of the chamber at the end of the long passageway.

Newgrange was originally built between c. 5500 and 2900 BC, which means that it is over 5,000 years old. According to Carbon-14 dates, it is more than 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and predates Stonehenge by about 1,000 years.

The Newgrange mound is 76m (250ft) across and 12m (40ft) high, and covers 0.4 hectares (one acre). Within the mound, a long passage, stretching approximately one third of the length of the mound, leads to a cruciform (cross-shaped) chamber. The passage itself is over 18m (60ft) long. The burial chamber has a corbelled roof which rises steeply upwards to a height of nearly 6m (20 ft). A tribute to its builders, the roof has remained essentially intact and waterproof for over 5,000 years.

Tana Toraja (Indonesia)

Tana Toraja Regency is a regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, home of Toraja ethnic group people. The local government seat is in Makale, where the center of Toraja culture is in Rantepao. But now, Tana Toraja has been divided to two regencies that consist of Tana Toraja with capital is Makale and Toraja Utara with capital is Rantepao.

Tana Toraja boundary was determined by the Dutch East Indies government in 1909. In 1926, Tana Toraja was under the administration of Bugis state, Luwu. The regentschap (or regency) status was given on October 8, 1946, the last regency given by the Dutch. Since 1984, Tana Toraja has been named as the second tourist destination after Bali by the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia. Since then, hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors have visited this regency. In addition, numerous Western anthropologists have come to Tana Toraja to study the indigenous culture and people of Toraja.

Westminster Abbey (United Kingdom)

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546–1556, and is a Royal Peculiar.

Westminster Abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, as established by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1560, which created it as the Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster and a Royal Peculiar under the personal jurisdiction of the Sovereign. The members of the Chapter are the Dean and four residentiary Canons, together with the Receiver General and Chapter Clerk. One of the Canons is also Rector of St Margaret’s Church Westminster Abbey (who currently also holds the post of Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons). In addition to the Dean and Canons there are at present two full time minor canons, one precentor the other succentor. The office of Priest Vicar was created in the 1970's for those who assist the minor canons. Together with the Clergy and Receiver General and Chapter Clerk various Lay Officers constitute the College, including the Organist and Master of the Choristers, the Registrar, the Auditor, the Legal Secretary, the Surveyor of the Fabric, the Head Master of the Choir School, the Keeper of the Muniments and the Clerk of the Works, as well as twelve Lay Vicars and ten of the choristers and the High Steward and High Bailiff. There are also forty Queen’s Scholars who are pupils at Westminster School (the School has its own Governing Body). Those most directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial matters are the two Minor Canons and the Organist and Master of the Choristers ...

Giza Necropolis (Egypt)

The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids, along with the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx. It is located some 8 km (5 mi) inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cairo city centre. One of the monuments, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Great Pyramids consist of the Great Pyramid of Giza (known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops), the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) a few hundred meters to the south-west, and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinos) a few hundred meters further south-west. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex, facing east. Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. Along with these major monuments are a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as "queens" pyramids, causeways and valley pyramids. Also associated with these royal monuments are the tombs of high officials and much later burials and monuments (from the New Kingdom onwards), signifying the reverence to those buried in the necropolis.

Of the four major monuments, only Menkaure's Pyramid is seen today without any of its original polished limestone casing, with Khafre's Pyramid retaining a prominent display of casing stones at its apex, while Khufu's Pyramid maintains a more limited collection at its base. Khafre's Pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu Pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction – it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume. The most active phase of construction here was in the 23rd century BC. It was popularised in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the only one of the ancient Wonders still in existence.

Due largely to 19th-century images, the pyramids of Giza are generally thought of by foreigners as lying in a remote, desert location, even though they are located in what is now part of the most populous city in Africa . In fact, urban development reaches right up to the perimeter of the antiquities site. The ancient sites in the Memphis area, including those at Giza, together with those at Saqqara, Dahshur, Abu Ruwaysh, and Abusir, were collectively declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The Giza pyramids have been recorded in the Giza Plateau Mapping Project run by Ancient Egypt Research Associates, directed by Dr. Mark Lehner. In addition, Lehner's team undertook radiocarbon dating on material recovered from the exterior of the Great Pyramid. AERA's 2009 field season was recorded in a blog.

Valley of the Kings (Egypt)

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs situated) and West Valley.

With the 2006 discovery of a new chamber (KV63), and the 2008 discovery of 2 further tomb entrances, the valley is known to contain 63 tombs and chambers (ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers), and was the principal burial place of the major royal figures of the Egyptian New Kingdom, together with those of a number of privileged nobles. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity, but they still give an idea of the opulence and power of the rulers of this time.

The area has been a focus of concentrated archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the eighteenth century, and its tombs and burials continue to stimulate research and interest. In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs), and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site, along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis. Exploration, excavation and conservation continues in the valley, and a new tourist centre has recently been opened.

Catacombs of Paris (France)

The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are a famous underground ossuary in Paris, France. Its entrance is located near the Denfert-Rochereau station of the Paris Métro. Organized in a renovated section of the city's vast network of subterranean tunnels and caverns towards the end of the 18th century, it became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1867. Following an incident of vandalism, they were closed to the public for an indefinite amount of time in September, 2009.

The official name for the catacombs is l'Ossuaire Municipal. This cemetery covers a portion of Paris' former mines near the Left Bank's Place Denfert-Rochereau, in a location that was just outside the city gates before Paris expanded in 1860. Although this cemetery covers only a small section of underground tunnels comprising "les carrières de Paris" ("the quarries of Paris"), Parisians today popularly refer to the entire network as "the catacombs".

Terracotta Army (China)

The Terracotta Army are the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include strong warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

Capuchin catacombs of Palermo (Italy)

The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo are burial catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical record.

Palermo's Capuchin monastery outgrew its original cemetery in the 16th century and monks begun to excavate crypts below it. In 1599 they mummified one of their number, recently-dead brother Silvestro of Gubbio, and placed him into the catacombs.

The bodies were dehydrated on the racks of ceramic pipes in the catacombs and sometimes later washed with vinegar. Some of the bodies were embalmed and others enclosed in sealed glass cabinets. Monks were preserved with their everyday clothing and sometimes with ropes they had worn as a penance.

Originally the catacombs were intended only for the dead friars. However, in the following centuries it became a status symbol to be entombed into the capuchin catacombs. In their wills, local luminaries would ask to be preserved in certain clothes, or even to have their clothes changed at regular intervals. Priests wore their clerical vestments, others were clothed according to the contemporary fashion. Relatives would visit to pray for the deceased and also to maintain the body in presentable condition. The catacombs were maintained through the donations of the relatives of the deceased. Each new body was placed in a temporary niche and later placed into a more permanent place. As long as the contributions continued, the body remained in its proper place but when the relatives did not send money any more, the body was put aside on a shelf until they continued to pay.

Sedlec Ossuary (Czech Republic)

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, many of whom have had their bones artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel.

Henry, the abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Sedlec, was sent to the Holy Land by King Otakar II of Bohemia in 1278. When he returned, he brought with him a small amount of earth he had removed from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the abbey cemetery. The word of this pious act soon spread and the cemetery in Sedlec became a desirable burial site throughout Central Europe. During the Black Death in the mid 14th century, and after the Hussite Wars in the early 15th century, many thousands of people were buried there and the cemetery had to be greatly enlarged.

Around 1400 a Gothic church was built in the center of the cemetery with a vaulted upper level and a lower chapel to be used as an ossuary for the mass graves unearthed during construction, or simply slated for demolition to make room for new burials. After 1511 the task of exhuming skeletons and stacking their bones in the chapel was, according to legend, given to a half-blind monk of the order.

Between 1703 and 1710 a new entrance was constructed to support the front wall, which was leaning outward, and the upper chapel was rebuilt. This work, in the Czech Baroque style, was designed by Jan Santini Aichel.

In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps into order. The macabre result of his effort speaks for itself. Four enormous bell-shaped mounds occupy the corners of the chapel. An enormous chandelier of bones, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vaults. Other works include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a large Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms, and the signature of Rint, also executed in bone, on the wall near the entrance.

Taj Mahal (India)

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: phitar

Spectacular Fall Foliage Cruises

2009-10-05T17:01:00.000+02:00

New England: Ed Hamilton & Co

For sophisticated sea dogs, elegant staterooms and crystal chandeliers aboard a five-star cruise might be the height of luxury; for others, there's nothing so luxurious as the freedom to set sail when and how you please. Ed Hamilton & Co. has specialized in luxury yacht charters for more than 30 years, with crewed boats plying the Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Martha's Vineyard. Based in the coastal town of Wiscasset, the company has its finger on the pulse of the New England charter scene. With most boats setting sail from the Northeast as the summer winds down, Hamilton & Co. will know which boats and which crews are still afloat in the area come autumn.

British Columbia: Cruise West

British Columbia might not offer the dramatic colors of its East Coast counterpart, but leaf-peepers in western Canada will be rewarded with stunning scenery around the San Juan and Gulf Islands. The hills are painted gold with the turning leaves of the region’s native alpine larch and cottonwoods, while animal encounters with majestic moose and bighorn sheep beckon in the surrounding wilderness. Cruise West’s intimate, award-winning cruise ships include expert guides for onshore explorations, as well as stops at quaint seaports like Port Townsend and Friday Harbor.

Sonoma Valley: Lindblad expeditions

With California’s wine country clogged with traffic during the fall harvest, a wine cruise offers the perfect chance to escape the crowds and sample some of the Sonoma Valley’s finest flavors afloat—all while taking in the fall foliage. Lindblad Expeditions offers adventurous cruises that include kayak and Zodiac tours of Sonoma’s scenic waterways, hikes through miles of rolling vineyards, and a gourmet coup de grace from executive chef, Gary Jenanyan. Leaving the car at home gives you an added excuse to tipple, with tours including exclusive tastings at two of Sonoma’s boutique wineries.

Mississippi River: Dubuque river rides

For foliage fans and history buffs alike, nothing quite conjures the spirit of an all-American adventure like a float down the mighty Mississippi. Channel your inner Huck Finn as you take in the cascading colors along the river’s scenic bluffs aboard the Spirit of Dubuque. The boat is a pitch-perfect replica of the century-old steamships that once crowded America’s most famous waterway, paddlewheels churning up a sea of foam. Sitting beneath the canopy on its open-air deck, you’ll have the perfect vantage point to admire the fall colors onshore.

New England: Crystal cruises

The opulent Crystal Symphony is a throwback to the glory days of luxury cruising, and it's ideal for the aspiring Astors who want some extra flair with their fall colors. Elegantly appointed staterooms, luxuriant lounges and fine dining add a dash of decadence to the foliage—perfect if you prefer to do your leaf-peeping from the privacy of your own verandah. Unwind in the full-service spa, try your luck in the casino, admire the views from the handsome teak promenade. There's nothing modest about the 940-passenger ship, which weighs in at a hefty 50,000 tons, but personalized touches like butler service and customized excursions make for an intimate experience.

Hudson River: American Canadian Caribdeann Line

The Empire State's stunning foliage flanks the historic Hudson River, as the iconic New York City skyline quickly gives way to a scenic landscape aflame with reds, oranges and golds. The friendly, family-run American Canadian Caribbean Line specializes in intimate cruises along the river, stopping in picturesque towns en route to the Erie Canal and the majestic St. Lawrence River. Explore the coastlines of the Thousand Islands before hitting the Old World outpost of Quebec City. While the ACCL boats are modest by the standards of today's mega-yachts, the relaxed vibe is perfect for family foliage getaways.

Rocky Mountains: Waterton cruise

Waves of gold sweep across northern Montana each fall, with the abundant maples, larch and aspen typically hitting their peak colors in early October. To explore by boat, hop aboard the venerable M.V. International for a scenic tour of the Rocky Mountain landscape. Built in Goat Haunt, Mont.—the northern gateway to Glacier National Park—the International has been plying area waterways for 80 years. During its historic run, the wood-hulled ship has shuttled more than 1.5 million passengers past the picturesque peaks, with cruises hugging the colorful coasts of Waterton Glacier International Peace Park. After the cruise, disembark in Goat Haunt for a bit of rugged exploration.

Chesapeake Bay: American Cruise Lines

Set sail from Baltimore to explore the eye-popping colors around "Charm City" and the Chesapeake Bay, where some of the best leaf-peeping in the Mid-Atlantic takes center stage. Aboard the fleet of American Cruise Lines, you'll explore the Lilliputian ports of the James River and the Intracoastal Waterway—most of which are inaccessible to larger cruise ships. Stops in Jamestown and Williamsburg are steeped in the country's colonial heritage, while St. Michael's and Annapolis bring the region's maritime history to light. While the riverbank foliage provides plenty of pleasant scenery, it's the evocative glimpses of the past—lonely lighthouses perched atop rugged outcrops; schooners and skipjacks bobbing in picturesque harbors—that are invariably the highlight.

Pacific Northwest: American Safari Cruises

Along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the hills display vibrant deep golds and ruby reds—an enticing reason to leaf-peep in the Pacific Northwest. With American Safari Cruises, a small-ship specialist that plies the region's rivers, you'll get an intimate glimpse of the foliage aboard one of the company's luxury yachts. The emphasis is on active exploration—expect to kayak the Columbia River Gorge, or hike along trails pioneered by Lewis & Clark. Gourmet chefs might make it hard to leave the boat behind, but with Washington's wine season hitting its stride with the foliage, onshore tastings offer their own temptations.

credited to forbestraveler.com

“Duga”, the Steel Giant Near Chernobyl

2009-09-28T16:27:00.000+02:00

The Russian Woodpecker was a notorious Soviet signal that could be heard on the shortwave radio bands worldwide between July 1976 and December 1989. It sounded like a sharp, repetitive tapping noise, at 10 Hz, giving rise to the "Woodpecker" name. The random frequency hops disrupted legitimate broadcast, amateur radio, and utility transmissions and resulted in thousands of complaints by many countries worldwide.

The signal was long believed to be that of an over-the-horizon radar (OTH) system. This theory was publicly confirmed after the fall of the Soviet Union, and is now known to be the Duga-3 system, part of the Soviet ABM early-warning network. This was something that NATO military intelligence was well aware of all along, having photographed it and giving it the NATO reporting name Steel Yard.

The Soviets had been working on early warning radars for their anti-ballistic missile systems through the 1960s, but most of these had been line-of-sight systems that were useful for raid analysis and interception only. None of these systems had the capability to provide early-warning of a launch, which would give the defenses time to study the attack and plan a response. At the time the Soviet early-warning satellite network was not well developed, so work started on over-the-horizon radar systems for this associated role in the late 1960s.

The first experimental system, Duga-1, was built outside Mykolaiv in the Ukraine, successfully detecting rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 2,500 kilometers. This was followed by the prototype Duga-2, built on the same site, which was able to track launches from the far east and submarines in the Pacific Ocean as the missiles flew towards Novaya Zemlya. Both of these radars were aimed east and were fairly low power, but with the concept proven work began on an operational system. The new Duga-3 systems used a transmitter and receiver separated by about 60 km.

Starting in 1976 a new and powerful radio signal was detected worldwide, and quickly dubbed the Woodpecker by amateur radio operators. Transmission power on some woodpecker transmitters was estimated to be as high as 10 MW EIRP. As well as disrupting shortwave amateur radio and broadcasting it could sometimes be heard over telephone circuits due to the strength of the signals. This led to a thriving industry of "Woodpecker filters" and noise blankers.

One idea amateur radio operators used to combat this interference was to attempt to "jam" the signal by transmitting synchronized unmodulated continuous wave signals, at the same pulse rate as the offending signal. This idea was considered, but abandoned as impractical. Simple CW pulses didn't appear to have any effect. However, playing back recordings of the woodpecker transmissions sometimes caused the woodpecker transmissions to shift frequency leading to speculation that the receiving stations were able to differentiate between the "signature" waveform of the woodpecker transmissions and a simple pulsed carrier.

Triangulation quickly revealed the signals came from Ukraine. Confusion due to small differences in the reports being made from various military sources led to the site being alternatively located near Kiev, Minsk, Chernobyl, Gomel or Chernihiv. All of these reports were describing the same deployment, with the transmitter only a few kilometers southwest of Chernobyl (south of Minsk, northwest of Kiev) and the receiver about 50 km northwest of Chernobyl (just west of Chernihiv, south of Gomel). Unknown to most observers, NATO was well aware of the new radar installation, which they referred to as Steel Yard.

Even from the earliest reports it was suspected they were tests of an over-the-horizon radar., and this remained the most popular theory during the cold war. Several other theories were floated as well, including everything from jamming western broadcasts to submarine communications. The broadcast jamming theory was debunked early on when a monitoring survey showed that Radio Moscow and other pro-Soviet stations were just as badly affected by woodpecker interference as Western stations. More speculative explanations were also offered, claiming it was a system for weather control or even an attempt at mass subconscious mind control.

As more information about the signal became available, its purpose as a radar signal became increasingly obvious. In particular, its signal contained a clearly recognizable structure in each pulse, which was eventually identified as a 31-bit pseudo-random binary sequence, with a bit-width of 100 μs resulting in a 3.1 ms pulse. This sequence is usable for a 100 μs chirped pulse amplification system, giving a resolution of 15 km (10 mi) (the distance light travels in 50 μs). When a second Woodpecker appeared, this one located in eastern Russia but also pointed toward the US and covering blank spots in the first system's pattern, this conclusion became inescapable.

In 1988, the Federal Communications Commission conducted a study on the Woodpecker signal. Data analysis showed an inter-pulse period of about 90 ms, a frequency range of 7 to 19 MHz, a bandwidth of 0.02 to 0.8 MHz, and typical transmission time of 7 minutes.

Starting in the late 1980s, even as the FCC was publishing studies of the signal, the signals became less frequent, and in 1989 disappeared altogether. Although the reasons for the eventual shutdown of the Duga-3 systems have not been made public, the changing strategic balance with the fall of the cold war in the late 1980s likely had a major part to play. Another factor was the success of the US-KS early-warning satellites, which entered preliminary service in the early 1980s, and by this time had grown into a complete network. The satellite system provides immediate, direct and highly secure warnings, whereas any radar-based system is subject to jamming, and the effectiveness of OTH systems is also subject to atmospheric conditions.

According to some reports, the Komsomolsk-na-Amure installation in Siberia was taken off combat alert duty in November 1989, and some of its equipment was subsequently scrapped. Google Maps photography of the area shows that the antenna has been removed. The original Duga-3 site lies within the 30 kilometer Zone of Alienation around the Chernobyl power plant. It appears to have been permanently deactivated, since their continued maintenance did not figure in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine over the active early warning radars at Mukachevo and Sevastopol. The antenna still stands, however, and has been used by amateurs as a transmission tower (using their own antennas) and has been extensively photographed.

credited to wikipedia and englishrussia.com

10 Most Amazing Temples in the World

2009-09-24T05:11:00.000+02:00

More than a quarter of all people in the world belong to Eastern religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism. These people worship in temples, which are architecturally as diverse as the religions are different from each other. From the ancient ruins of Ankor Wat to the distinctly modern Wat Rong Khun, there are hundreds if not thousands of amazing temples in the world. Here they are, in no particular order:

Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of a 3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley, is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche , the second Buddha, flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress, and then meditated in a cave which now exists within the monastery walls.

The monastery, formally called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692 and reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the monastery is restricted to practicing Buddhists on religious retreats and is off-limits to ordinary tourists.

Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand is unlike any Buddhist temples in the world. The all-white, highly ornate structure gilded in mosaic mirrors that seem to shine magically, is done in a distinctly contemporary style. It is the brainchild of renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.

Actually, the temple is still under construction. Chalermchai expects it will take another 90 years to complete, making it the Buddhist temple equivalent of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain!

Prambanan

Prambanan is a Hindu temple in Central Java, Indonesia. The temple was built in 850 CE, and is composed of 8 main shrines and 250 surrounding smaller ones.

Nearly all the walls of the temple are covered in exquisite bas relief carvings, which narrate stories of Vishnu’s incarnations, adventures of Hanuman the Monkey King, the Ramayana epic and other legends.

Though not the biggest temple in Indonesia , Prambanan makes up in beauty and grace for what it lacks in size.

Shwedagon Pagoda

No one knows exactly when the Shwedagon Paya (or Pagoda) in Myanmar was built - legend has it that it is 2,500 years old though archaeologists estimate that it was built between the 6th and 10th century.

Now, when people say "golden temple" they usually mean that the structure is golden in color. But when it comes to the Shwedagon Pagoda, golden literally means covered in gold! In the 15th century, a queen of the Mon people donated her weight in gold to the temple. This tradition continues until today, where pilgrims often save for years to buy small packets of gold leafs to stick to the temple walls.

As if all that gold wasn’t enough, the spire of the stupa or dome is covered with over 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies (there’s even a 76 carat diamond at the very tip!). And oh, the temple housed one of the holiest relics in Buddhism: eight strands of Buddha’s hair.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple in Beijing, the capital of China. The temple was constructed in 14th century by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (who also built the Forbidden City) as his personal temple, where he would pray for good harvest and to atone for the sins of his people.

The Temple’s architecture is quite interesting: everything in the temple, which represents Heaven, is circular whereas the ground levels, which represent the Earth, are square.

Chion-in Temple

Chion-in Temple was built in 1234 CE to honor the founder of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, a priest named Honen, who fasted to death in the very spot. At one point in time, the complex had 21 buildings but due to earthquakes and fire, the oldest surviving building is from the 17th century.

Visitors to the Chion-in Temple must first pass through the largest gate in Japan: the two-story San-mon Gate. The temple bell is also a record setter: it weighs 74 tons and needs 17 monks to ring it during the New Year celebrations.

Another interesting feature of the Chion-in Temple is the "singing" floor of the Assembly Hall. Called a uguisu-bari or nightingale floor, the wooden planks were designed to creak at every footstep to alert the monks of intruders!

Borobudur

In the 19th century, Dutch occupiers of Indonesia found a massive ancient ruin deep in the jungles of Java. What they discovered was the complex of Borobudur, a gigantic structure built with nearly 2 million cubic feet (55,000 m³) of stones. The temple has nearly 2,700 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Until today, no one knows for sure when and why it was built, nor the reason for its complete abandonment hundreds of years ago. Some scholars believe that Borobudur is actually a giant textbook of Buddhism, as its bas reliefs tell the story of the life of Buddha and the principles of his teachings. To "read," a pilgrim must make his way through nine platforms and walk a distance of over 2 miles.

Golden Temple

The Harmandir Sahib (meaning The Abode of God) or simply the Golden Temple in Punjab, India is the most sacred shrine of Sikhism. For the Sikhs, the Golden Temple symbolizes infinite freedom and spiritual independence.

The site of the Temple began with a small lake that was so peaceful that even Buddha came there to meditate. Thousands of years later, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism also lived and meditate by the lake.

Construction of the Golden Temple began in the 1500s, when the fourth Guru of Sikhism enlarged the lake that became Amritsar or Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, around which the temple and the city grew. The Temple itself is decorated with marble sculptures, gilded in gold, and covered in precious stones.

Vishnu Temple of Srirangam

The Temple of Srirangam (Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple), in the Indian city of Tiruchirapalli (or Trichy), is the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.

The temple is dedicated to Vishnu, one of three Gods in Hinduism. Legend has it that a long time ago, a sage rested and put down a statue of Vishnu reclining on a great serpent. When he was ready to resume his journey, he discovered that the statue couldn’t be moved, so a small temple was built over it. Over centuries, the temple "grew" as larger ones were built over the existing buildings.

The temple complex is massive: it encompasses an area of over 150 acres (63 hectares) with seven concentric walls, the outermost being about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long! The walls demarcate enclosures within enclosures, each more sacred than the next, with the inner-most enclosure is forbidden to non-Hindus.

The Temple of Srirangam is famous for its gopurams or entrances beneath colorful pyramids. The temple has 21 gopurams total, with the largest one having 15 stories and is nearly 200 feet (60 m) tall.

Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Bayon

Last but definitely not least is the largest temple in history and the inspiration to countless novels and action movies of Hollywood: Ankor Wat.

Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century in what is now Cambodia. The world famous temple was first a Hindu one, dedicated to Vishnu. In the 14th or 15th century, as Buddhism swept across Asia, it became a Buddhist temple.

The Western world’s got a glimpse of Angkor Wat when a 16th century Portuguese monk visited the temple and eloquently described it as "of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of." His words still rang true today.

Tourists visiting Angkor Wat usually also visit the nearby ruins of Angkor Thom and Bayon , two fantastic temples that serve as the ancient capital of Khmer empire.

credited to wikipedia, docstoc.com and flickr users: wufgaeng, trekdiary, utzivan, LannaInfoMedia, faiyus, tianyake, dominiqueb, marcohk, colourlines, nightshade_valerian, cor_lems, sftrajan, jjjjjjj, balihotels-tours, punjabiassassin, mrsikhnet, geetesh, rameshtr, rehancool81, thaths, leochimaera

Rwenzori Mountains Africa

2009-09-22T08:04:00.000+02:00

The Rwenzori Mountains, previously called the Ruwenzori Range (the spelling having been changed in about 1980 to conform more closely with the local name) is a small but spectacular mountain range of central Africa, often referred to as Mt. Rwenzori, located on the border between Uganda and the DRC, with heights of up to 5,109 m (16,761 ft). The highest Rwenzoris are permanently snow-capped, and they, along with Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya are the only such in Africa. The Rwenzoris are often identified with the "Mountains of the Moon" mentioned by Ptolemy, but the descriptions are too vague to make this definite.

The mountains formed about three million years ago in the late Pliocene as a result of an uplifted block of crystalline rocks such as: gneiss, amphibolite granite and quartzite, "pushed up by tremendous forces originating deep within the earth’s crust". This uplift divided the paleolake Obweruka and created two of the present-day African Great Lakes: Albert and Edward and George on the flanks of the Albertine (western) Rift of the East African Rift, the African part of the Great Rift Valley.

The range is about 120 km (75 mi) long and 65 km (40 mi) wide. It consists of six massifs separated by deep gorges: Mount Stanley (5,109m), Mount Speke (4,890m), Mount Baker (4,843m), Mount Emin (4,798m), Mount Gessi (4,715m) and Mount Luigi di Savoia (4,627m). Mount Stanley is the largest and has several subsidiary summits, with Margherita Peak being the highest point. The rock is metamorphic, and the mountains are believed to have been tilted and squeezed upwards by plate movement. They are in an extremely humid area, and frequently enveloped in clouds.

The Rwenzori range is the home of the Konjo and Amba peoples. In the early 1900s, these two tribes were added to the Toro Kingdom by the colonial powers. The Konjo and Amba agitated for separation from Toro beginning in the 1950s, a movement that became an armed secessionist movement, known as Rwenzururu, by the mid-1960s. The insurgency ended through a negotiated settlement in 1982, though the Rwenzururu Kingdom was acknowledged by the government in 2008.

The first modern European sighting of the Rwenzori was by the expedition of Henry Morton Stanley in 1889 (the aforementioned clouds are considered to explain why two decades of previous explorers had not seen them). On June 7, the expedition's second-in-command and its military commander, William Grant Stairs, climbed to 10,677 feet, the first known non-African ever to climb in the range. The first ascent to the summit was made by the Duke of the Abruzzi in 1906.

The Rwenzori are known for their vegetation, ranging from tropical rainforest through alpine meadows to snow; and for their animal population, including forest elephants, several primate species and many endemic birds. The range supports its own species and varieties of Giant groundsel and Giant lobelia and even has a six metre high heather covered in moss that lives on one of its peaks. Most of the range is now a World Heritage Site and is covered jointly by The Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda and the Parc National des Virunga in Congo.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: markhorrell, sylweczka, best_of_rob, hablia, makgobokgobo, hulivili

10 of the Most Expensive Private Islands in the World

2009-09-16T15:08:00.000+02:00

Have millions on bank account and simply dont know what to buy?? Car.... already have lots of them.... villa, castle? Already have? Airplane? Hummm... no... Well, why not buy your own ISLAND?

10. $28 million – Bird Cay, Bahamas

A 250 acre tropical estate in the Bahamas, it’s just 30 minutes by air from Nassau. The island itself has numerous sandy beaches, spectacular views of the ocean and landscaped trails accompanied by many varieties of exquisite tropical flora. The main residence on the island is an historic two storey building, complete with swimming pool. There is also a guest house further down the beach, as well as five waterfront cottages that line the shore.

9. $28 million – Agria Trias, Athens, Greece

The island of Agria Trias/Aghia Triada is a relatively short distance from Athens, the capital. It is densely populated with everything you’d expect from the region: a variety of fruit trees, pistachio and olive trees included. The island comes complete with numerous structures, which includes the main living accommodation, beach houses, a staff house and even a church.

8. $35 million – Cerralvo Island, Mexico

Situated near La Paz, Mexico, the island itself is home to many steep bluffs on one side, whilst still having pleasant sandy beaches on the other. Due to the fact that most sea life has to travel past the island in order to migrate (and also thanks to the incredibly water visibility), it is a prime spot for big game fishing and relaxation.

7. $35 million – Hog Cay, Bahamas

Hog Cay is another island for sale in the Bahamas (they have a lot of island there). For your money here, you’ll get 681 of lush, tropical paradise with a two storey main building with incredible sea views. The island also comes with its own 2,500 foot airstrip, for when you need to travel by one of your private jets, of which you’ll no doubt have several.

6. $39 million – Charles Island, Bahamas

Charles Island is again in the Bahamas and is, as you can see, closely situated to any services supplied and provided by nearby Spanish Wells. The island is also fully equipped with electricity, telephone and water utilities and is thus totally prepared for any type of development that a potential buyer might foresee in the island’s future.

5. $40 million – Motu Tane, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Essentially not a true addition to the list, as Motu Tane is technically only available for rent these days. It used to be on sale for $40 million; however, you and your friends can now spend copious amounts of money to be able to have your own private island for a minimum of three days. Their rates start at $30,000 per night for the first 8 people, but then increase from there. With just one resort (consisting of a multitude of bungalows equipped with the latest in comfort technology: plasma TVs, sunken lava bathtubs, exquisite dining facilities) that is rented to only one group of people at any particular time, the luxurious island is the ideal place for privacy.

4. $45 million –Hans Lollik Islands, US Virgin Islands

A prime spot for real estate development, these islands are situated a mere 8,000 feet away from St. Thomas island and offers beaches, stunning vistas, forests and ideal fishing spots. The perfect waters are also ideal for anyone with a keen interest in swimming, diving or snorkeling.

3. $65 million – Caye Chapel Resort, Belize

No longer on sale, as the “Resort” in the title might have given away, this island sold for $65 million a few years ago and is now home to an incredible luxury island resort. Twelve miles from Belize, the resort boasts an amazing 18-hole golf course, a yachting marina, airstrip, bar, restaurant and conference facilities, swimming pools and of course many, many beaches. Holiday-goers will be housed in luxury villas furnished with all the latest and greatest amenities and the resort also offers a wide range of activities to participate in: fishing, kayaking, boating, spa treatments, volleyball and basketball and many others. Activities for those willing to travel off the island include visiting the local Mayan ruins, river tours and much of what Belize has to offer.

2. $100 million – Ronde Island, Grenada

Located in that most famous of tropical paradises, the Caribbean, Ronde Island was recently the king of all private islands with its hefty price tag, but has since been knocked from the top spot. For your cash, you’ll be purchasing a 2000 acre slice of paradise, practically a country in itself. The lush scenery is truly a marvel to behold, with water visibility of up to 100 feet, plentiful sea life, stalactite and quartz crystal-decorated swim-through caves.

1. 240 million Euros ($310 million) – Lisbon Island, Portugal

Often touted as being as much as $350 million, it’s actually probably closer to $310 million these days. The island is virtually on the doorstep of Lisbon itself and is a massive 3000 acres. There has been talk of turning the island into a luxury golf course, complete with residential units, as the island is a prime spot for potential development and is unusual in the fact that is remains undeveloped whilst being so close to a heavily populated area such as Lisbon. The island will most likely be purchased by multiple investors with an eye to develop it into whatever they see fit.

credited to tripbase.com, privateislandsmag.com

El Caminito del Rey (The King's walkway)

2009-09-14T10:04:00.001+02:00

El Caminito del Rey (English: The King's little pathway) is a walkway or via ferrata, now fallen into disrepair, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Álora in Málaga, Spain. The name is often shortened to Camino del Rey.

In 1901 it became obvious that workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls needed a walkway to cross between the falls, to provide for transport of materials, and for the inspection and maintenance of the channel. Construction of the walkway took four years and it was finished in 1905.

In 1921 King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway for the inauguration of the dam Conde del Guadalhorce and it became known by its present name.

The walkway has now gone many years without maintenance, and is in a highly deteriorated and dangerous state. It is one meter (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and is over 300 meters (984 feet) above the river. Nearly all of the path has no handrail. Some parts of the concrete walkway have completely collapsed and all that is remaining is the steel beam originally in place to hold it up and the wire that follows most of the path. One can latch onto a safety-wire to keep from falling, though it can't hold much weight. Several people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years; after four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, many adventurous tourists still find their way onto the walkway to explore it.

The regional government of Andalusia budgeted in 2006 for a restoration plan estimated at € 7 million.

credited to wikipedia, youtube user danielahnen and flickr users: yanfuano, diecerll, simonwaterhouse, gabirulo, kamandula, herr_akx, fuen446, majot, gauteh, toograytogrind, samdredge

Extreme weather - When Nature gets Angry [PIC]

2009-09-11T14:48:00.000+02:00

Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather.

credited to ziza.es

Top 10 Most Romantic Places to Propose

2009-09-10T13:50:00.000+02:00

For many people it's not only the most important, but also the most beautiful question in life: The marriage proposal. In addition to classically dropping on one knee and an eloquent proposal, the actual place where the proposal is to happen can also be quite helpful in getting the answer you want.

Towers, squares, mountains, castles, bridges and islands: where do you ask the love of your life the question of all questions? The atmosphere should definitely be romantic, that much is obvious. Yet which place is the right one?

The Top Ten Most Romantic Places to Propose have been selected by TripAdvisor, the world's largest online travelling community. The selections were based on votes and comments made by travellers as well as editors.

1. The Eiffel Tower, Paris

A proposal on top of the Eiffel Tower with the spectacular view of the city along the Seine definitely fulfils any imagination that Paris is indeed the city of love. The nearby Trocadero Park with a view of the Eiffel Tower from the ground offers a wonderful alternative for couples with a fear of heights. One TripAdvisor traveller suggests: "Propose on top of the Eiffel Tower very early in the morning and enjoy the view without the hassle of all the tourists."

2. The London Eye, London

The London Eye is perfect for those wanting to get as close to heaven as possible. It is the second largest Ferris wheel in the world. For those very special moments for two, private cabins and champagne are available upon request. "The London Eye is definitely a romantic spot for a proposal. You really do have a wonderful view of London from there," said a traveller.

3. Oia, Santorini

With a great view over the Aegean Sea from the edge of the volcano crater in Oia on Santorini you can really enjoy the sunsets. The narrow passages in between the white houses to the cliffs are famous for the magnificent panorama. Like a traveller said: "Oia is a very romantic town and therefore the perfect place for a marriage proposal."

4. Alhambra, Granada

This spot was often described my Moorish poets as being a diamond in the rough. Alhambra, Granada, in the old days a fortress and palace, is very suitable for romance. Lovers can take long walks through the splendid gardens with cypress trees lining the walkway. "All of the gardens in Alhambra are definitely fantastic spots for romantic moments," a TripAdvisor traveller said.

5. The Channels in Venice

A classic among the romantic spots. Where better to find the courage to ask the question of all questions than during a gondola ride underneath Venetian bridges and through the channels? Those who hire an amateur tenor singer as their gondola driver are perfectly prepared for the special moment. A traveller suggests: "Choose one of the many singing gondoliers and ask him to sing something romantic during your proposal. Also keep a bottle of champagne and some flowers ready, in case she says yes."

6. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria

Neuschwanstein Castle is recommended for those who want to propose with royal surroundings. The fairytale castle belonged to 19th century Bavarian King Ludwig II. With a carriage pulled by a horse up the hill to the castle you feel like you've stepped back a few centuries in time. According to one traveller: "Neuschwanstein Castle is by far the most mythical building I have ever seen in my life."

7. Monte Pilatus, Lucerne

Keeping your toes warm is definitely something to worry about up here. The most comfortable way to get to the top of Monte Pilatus is with the steepest rail tracks in the world. From there you've got the fantastic panoramic view of more than 70 mountain peaks and five lakes. "The really adventurous ride with the rail – better to not look down – really gives you a feeling for the majesty of the alps. What a great location for the proposal to the better half," said a traveller.

8. The Trevi Fountain, Rome

The Trevi Fountain provides a large and hopefully applauding audience for the less shy couples. Throw a coin into the fountain – but not the ring! – And everyone, so the legend, returns to Rome; yet hopefully not alone. A TripAdvisor traveller remembers: "When a young man proposed to his girlfriend at the Trevi Fountain everyone around starting cheering and congratulating."

9. Charles Bridge, Prague

The 13th century Carls Bridge in Prague is another romantic spot as it offers an incredible view over Prague's rooftops. Night time offers the best time for couples wanting to be alone on this spectacular bridge with many statues and three bridge towers. "I know many people whose romance began at night on the Carls Bridge. It's very romantic," said a traveller.

10. Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

Piazzale Michelangelo overlooks the entire city of Florence, the river Arno and the golden bridge Ponte Vecchio. The most ideal time to drop to one knee is at dusk, when the masses of people have disappeared and the city glows magically in the rays of the evening sun. One traveller thinks that Piazzale Michelangelo "is the place of all places".

credited to welt.de and flickr users: jver64, secretblue, cor_lems, arturdebat, rita_crane, briannegus, mmfajcas34, brunomendezphotography, stevacek, ouh_pinaise

Torres del Paine National Park

2009-09-08T06:40:00.000+02:00

Torres del Paine National Park is a Chilean National Park encompassing a mountains, glacier, lake, and river-rich area in southern Chile. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park is located 112 km north of Puerto Natales and 312 km north of Punta Arenas. Bernardo O'Higgins National Park is its neighbour to the west, while Los Glaciares National Park is located to the north in Argentine territory.

Lady Florence Dixie, in her book published in 1880, gives one of the first descriptions of the area and refers to the three towers as Cleopatra's Needles. She and her party were the first tourists to visit what is nowadays called Torres del Paine National Park.

Several European scientists and explorers visited the area in the following decades, including Otto Nordenskiöld, Carl Skottsberg and Alberto María de Agostini.

Gunther Plüschow was the first person to fly over the Paine massif.

The park was established in 1959 as Parque Nacional de Turismo Lago Grey (Grey Lake National Tourism Park) and it was given its present name in 1970. The park was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978

The national park (598.593,02 acres) is a popular hiking destination in Chile. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Views are breathtaking. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular "W" route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8–9 days. It is a national park and thus hikers are not allowed to stray from the paths. Camping is only allowed at specified campsites and wood fires are prohibited throughout the park.

Visiting the park is recommended between late december and late february, during the southern summer. Not only is the weather more hospitable, but daylight hours are very long given the extreme southern latitude. Outside of this time frame, the weather becomes too extreme for the majority of the public, and daylight dwindles to only a few hours a day. In 2005, a careless Czech back-packer used a gasoline stove in windy weather and caused a large fire that destroyed 160 km² of the park. Replanting, with assistance from the Czech Republic, was set to begin in September 2005. Due to their feelings of accountablity for the blaze, the Czech Republic is concerned on restoration works of the affected area.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: madrarua, richard.mcmanus., sheltonmuller, ole, micguti, matutech, alan1954, www.santossaul.com, chri_sti_an, ulysalis, p212121, willposh, armandolobos, vtveen, zmoyapics, mshandro, sascha.nitze, axelkoehne

‘When Nature Gets Angry’ - The Worst Natural Disasters Caused By Wind

2009-09-02T07:07:00.000+02:00

This is a visualized report about the worst wind disasters in the world, the Power of Wind and the disastrous destruction a major wind storm can cause.

Wind disasters have an affect on the world’s billions of people and more than often, when disaster strikes, it hits the poorest of the poor.

You are in a city or town hit by a cyclone, typhoon or hurricane. The first breeze – the ones that make the trees bend – arrives quite slowly but increases in intensity either in a matter of hours or days.

In the sophisticated western world, warnings and forecasts are published early and all affected will know what is to be expected and can make precautious arrangements, yet in remoter, poor and rural areas in Asia lets say, there are no such communication facilities and residents are left to their own devices.

…and then the full force of nature strikes home to devastating affect. Full scaled Hurricanes, Typhoons, Cyclones ravage across your land and takes everything with it which is in its way.

At the greatest risk are humans which are poor, and more than often live in a country with corrupt, dishonest or ineffective government.

The odds are quite high that you already do so. This is because more than half the world lives in cities. By 2010, 73% of the world’s urban dwellers will be in the developing world and many of them will be in unregulated housing. There are a billion people already living in shanty towns and slums, and this figure is rising by 25 million a year.

If the walls collapse and the roof falls in, they are more likely to do so in your slum tenement, or at your children’s school, or in the shabby sweatshop where you hope to make a dollar a day.

Vanuatu, the coral island paradise in the Pacific for example, has the dubious honour of being home to the greatest number of potential fatalities in a tropical cyclone, as a proportion of population, with St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean not far behind. Both groups of islands lie in the paths of tropical storms. And both are poor.

The number of people in Japan at risk from typhoons is more or less the same number as those at risk in the Philippines. However, fatalities in the Philippines are 17 times more likely than in Japan. It pays, in every sense, not to be poor.

Natural disasters hurt the rich, too. The world’s most costly natural disasters have been in the United States and Japan. But both countries have huge, resilient economies, and their citizens have insurance policies, jobs to go to, money in the bank, good roads, helpful communities and governments with a clear idea of how to respond. Individuals suffer, but communities recover.

Natural disasters exact a terrible and enduring toll on the poorest countries. People who escape with their lives may lose everything else in a flood or cyclone: family, house, crops, livestock, tools, bedding, stores, friends, roads, schools – and the nearest medical clinic. They may also live under a government that can do nothing, or will do nothing, to help.

And because of population and economic growth, greenhouse gases increase, so the frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards is also likely to grow.

Here is a summary of the world’s biggest wind disasters in human history. It is by far not complete but should give you an impressive overview about the power of wind.

CYCLONES

Cyclones are large revolving tropical storms caused by winds blowing around a central area of low atmospheric pressure. In the southern hemisphere these tropical storms are called cyclones and rotate in a clockwise direction, while in the northern hemisphere cyclones are called hurricanes or typhoons and rotate in an anti-clockwise direction.

Cyclones develop over warm waters in the tropical regions of the oceans where areas of very low pressure are created by air being heated by the sun. This causes the air to rise very rapidly and becomes saturated with moisture that condenses into large thunderclouds.

Cool air rushes in to fill the void and is bent inwards and spirals upwards with a great force caused by the coriolis effect of the earth spinning on its axis. The result of all this is - the winds begin to rotate faster and form a large rotating weather system, in some cases up to several thousand km in diameter.

1970 Bhola cyclone

Winds: 130mph

Pressure: 966mb

Fatalities: 300,000–500,000 (Deadliest tropical cyclone of all time)

Damage: $480 million (2008 USD)

Areas affected: India, East Pakistan

The Bhola Cyclone hit the coasts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1970. It was expected by local people as a small-scale storm turned out to be the deadliest tropical cyclone in living history. On November 8, the Cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal and headed north. It intensified to such a degree that when it hit the coast on November 12, top winds were raging at a staggering 185 km/h. More than 500,000 people lost their lives and entire villages were wiped out. Hundreds and thousands of acres of crops were devastated. In the severely affected areas of Thana, more than 45% of the population was drowned. The impact on the victims intensified as the instability of the government caused delays in bringing swift relief and aid.

The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India’s West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times. Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. This cyclone was the sixth cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, and also the season’s strongest, reaching a strength equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

The cyclone formed over the central Bay of Bengal on November 8 and travelled north, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on November 12, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan that night. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected Thana, Tazumuddin, over 45% of the population of 167,000 was killed by the storm.

The Pakistani government was severely criticized for its handling of the relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and in the international media. The opposition Awami League gained a landslide victory in the province, and continuing unrest between East Pakistan and the central government triggered the Bangladesh Liberation War, which concluded with the creation of the state of Bangladesh.

Hurricanes

A hurricane is an intense, rotating oceanic weather system that possesses maximum sustained winds exceeding 119 km/hr (74 mph). It forms and intensifies over tropical oceanic regions.

Hurricanes are generally smaller than storms in mid-latitudes, typically about 500 km (311 miles) in diameter. At the ocean’s surface, the air spirals inward in a counter clockwise direction. This cyclonic circulation becomes weaker with height, eventually turning into clockwise (anticyclonic) outflow near the top of the storm.

Hurricane Nora (1966)

The name Nora has been used for four tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and ten tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific.

The exact death toll will never be known, but it is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 people lost their lives

A tropical wave organized into a tropical depression on November 7 to the south of Mexico. It moved to the northwest and strengthened into Tropical Storm Nora the next day. On November 9, Nora became the first hurricane to form in November in the northern East Pacific basin since satellite observations began in 1966. It peaked as a Category 2 hurricane on November 10. A large trough moved in from the west and formed a low.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Nora from the Pacific, which had lasted for two days in the South China Sea, moved west over the Malay Peninsula on November 5th. The remnants of this system contributed to the development of a new depression in the central Bay of Bengal on the morning of November 8th. The depression intensified as it moved slowly northward, and the India Meteorological Department upgraded it to a cyclonic storm the next day. The storm became nearly stationary that evening near 14.5°N, 87°E, but began to accelerate to the north on November 10th.

The cyclone intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on November 11th and began to turn towards the northeast as it approached the head of the bay. A clear eye formed in the storm, and it reached its peak later that day with sustained winds of 115mph and a central pressure of 966mb, equivalent to that of a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

The cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of November 12th, around the same time as the local high tide. Once over land, the system began to weaken but was still considered a cyclonic storm on November 13th when it was about 65 miles south-southeast of Agartala. The storm then rapidly weakened into a remnant area of low pressure over southern Assam that evening. The 1970 cyclone is nonetheless the deadliest tropical cyclone on record and is one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

The exact death toll will never be known, but it is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 people lost their lives. A comparable number of people died as a result of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, but because of uncertainty in the number of deaths in all three disasters, it may never be known which one was the deadliest.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina started as a tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean in August of 2005. As it grew stronger it became a category 5 hurricane with wind speeds up to 160 miles per hour. Hurricane Katrina hit land in the morning of August 29th hitting Louisiana and Mississippi the hardest. People were warned to leave their homes for safety, but there were people who didn’t believe it would be that bad. Then when it did come they didn’t have anything to do, except wait for help. Many people died. There were lots of broken hearts after Katrina. Now people are building homes for those who lost theirs in Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina, however, was a major international story. It struck the vulnerable US Gulf Coast in August 2005 and brings the still-rising death count to over 1,000, which is serious but not remarkable for a major disaster.

But together with extensive urban flooding that was a secondary effect, damage estimates from insurance costs alone are at $30 billion, with total rebuilding likely to exceed Kobe. This is easily the most expensive disaster ever to hit the US, eclipsing Andrew in 1992. Interestingly both hurricanes landed twice, first in Florida, then in Louisiana. From Andrew the death toll was ‘only’ 26, but the property damage added up to (what was then) a staggering $25 billion

Hurricane Katrina formed as Tropical Depression Twelve over the south eastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005 as the result of an interaction of a tropical wave and the remains of Tropical Depression Ten.

The system was upgraded to tropical storm status on the morning of August 24 and at this point, the storm was given the name Katrina. The tropical storm continued to move towards Florida, and became a hurricane only two hours before it made landfall between Hallandale Beach and Aventura, Florida on the morning of August 25.

The storm weakened over land, but it regained hurricane status about one hour after entering the Gulf of Mexico.

Tornados

A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of up to 300 mph. They can destroy large buildings, uproot trees and hurl vehicles hundreds of yards. They can also drive straw into trees. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide to 50 miles long.

The Great Tri-state Tornado

Widely considered the most devastating and powerful tornado in American history, the Great Tri-State Tornado ripped through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. In its 219-mile-long wake it left four completely destroyed towns, and 2,000 injured.

540 people died in southern Illinois in the following towns: Gorham (37), Murphysboro (234), DeSoto (69), and West Frankfort (148). In addition, 52 people died on farms and small settlements in southern Illinois.

The counties of Jackson, Franklin, Hamilton, and White were affected within southern Illinois. The tornado developed during an afternoon thunderstorm near Ellington.

The Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado

The Daulatpur-Saturia, Bangladesh Tornado was an extremely destructive tornado that occurred in the Manikganj District, Bangladesh on April 26, 1989, and was the costliest and deadliest tornado in recorded Bangladesh history.

There is a great deal of uncertainty about the death toll, but typical estimates indicate that it killed around 1,300 people, which would make it the deadliest tornado in recorded world history. The tornado affected the cities of Daulatpur and Saturia the most, moving east through Daulatpur and eventually northeast and into Saturia. Previously, the area that the tornado hit had been in a state of drought for six months, possibly affecting the possibility of tornadic conditions.

The tornado struck at around 6:30 pm local time and moved east from the Daulatpur area into the areas of Saturia and Manikganj Sadar—a region that had been suffering from a severe drought. The storm spanned a path that was about 10 miles (16 km) long and about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. Though confined to a relatively small geographic region (like most other tornadoes) and brief in duration, it completely destroyed all buildings within an area of roughly 2.5 square miles (6 square km). Towns lay in ruins, and tens of thousands of residents were left homeless. In addition, thousands of trees were uprooted and blown away. Though the deadliest, the Saturia–Manikganj Sadar tornado was only one of numerous devastating storms to hit Bangladesh in recent history. On April 17, 1973, another tornado in the Manikganj region had killed at least 681 people.

Typhoons

A typhoon is a violent cyclone that occurs in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Typhoons feature heavy rains and winds that maintain speeds equal to or greater than 74 miles (119 kilometres) per hour. Similar storms that occur in other parts of the world are called tropical cyclones or hurricanes. The word typhoon comes from the Chinese term tai-fung, meaning great wind.

Typhoon seasons include the entirety of the calendar year. Most storms tend to form between May and November, although they can occur at other times of the year as well.

Typhoon Damrey aka Labuyo

Category 2 typhoon

Duration September 21 – September 27

Intensity 150 km/h (90 mph) (10-min), 955 hPa (mbar)

Due to its proximity to the Philippines, PAGASA assigned it the name Labuyo and began issuing advisories on a disturbed area of tropical weather to the east of the islands on September 19.

Damrey forced more than 170,000 people to flee their homes.

On September 20 it was classified as Tropical Depression 17W by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. On September 21, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Damrey.

It strengthened into a typhoon on September 24. Damrey is a Cambodian word for elephant.

Typhoon Damrey (Labuyo) made landfall at Wanning, in China’s Hainan province at 2000 UTC, September 25 (0400 September 26 local time) with maximum sustained winds up to 180 km/h.

This made Damrey the strongest typhoon to strike Hainan since Typhoon Marge in September 1973.

At least 16 people are believed to have died in China, and the entire province of Hainan suffered power outages. Damrey then went on to impact Vietnam before losing tropical characteristics while a Tropical Storm. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center ceased advisories with the final one at 0900 UTC September 27 with the system 90 nautical miles (170 km) south-southwest of Hanoi, Vietnam.

Typhoon Nina (1975)

Super Typhoon Nina Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS)

Formed July 30, 1975

Dissipated August 6, 1975

Highest winds 250 km/h (155 mph) (1-minute sustained)

Lowest pressure 904 hPa (mbar)

Fatalities 175,000-200,000 direct

Damage ≥ $1.2 billion (1975 USD) ≥ $5 billion (2009 USD)

Areas affected China, Taiwan

Super Typhoon Nina was a short-lived but intense 1975 super typhoon that caused major damage and deaths in China, mainly from the collapse of the Banqiao Dam. Over 100,000 people died because of the resulting floods, making it one of the deadliest tropical cyclones recorded in history. The collapse of the dam due to heavy floods also caused a string of smaller dams to collapse, adding more damage by the typhoon.

Nina was only a tropical storm at landfall on mainland China, yet caused much more destruction near the Huai River. Setting the highest rainfall record of 1062mm/24h in Mainland China, the Banqiao Dam received a 1-in-2000 year flood conditions and collapsed the same way a string of smaller dams collapsed. In all, 62 dams failed during the disaster, causing large temporary lakes and $1.2 billion (1975 USD, $4+ billion 2005 USD) in damage.

The death toll for Typhoon Nina will most likely never be known for sure; official body counts are scarce. However, it can be safely assumed that tens of thousands of residents perished in the cataclysm and likely over 100,000 more from an epidemic resulting from the floodwaters. Nonetheless, Nina was the 2nd deadliest typhoon in recorded history in the West Pacific, behind an unnamed typhoon that hit Haiphong, Vietnam in 1881.

Nina was also the 6th deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded worldwide and was also the deadliest named cyclone ever recorded, but the exact death toll from Cyclone Nargis in 2008 is not known, and likely never will be.

credited to mywindpowersystem.com

The Most beautiful road in America: Beartooth Scenic Highway

2009-08-25T18:59:00.003+02:00

The late Charles Kuralt, travel correspondent for CBS News, referred to the Beartooth Highway (US 212) as “the most beautiful road in America.” Most travelers who have driven its 67 miles and admired the spectacular vistas of rugged mountains and sweeping alpine tundra would agree with his ranking.

Completed in 1936, the highway runs through Montana and Wyoming, and meanders through Custer, Shoshone, and Gallatin National Forests until it reaches the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Through a series of switchbacks the road quickly rises into a world of giants—twenty of the surrounding peaks exceed 12,000 feet. Glaciers decorate most of the higher mountains, and colorful wildflowers adorn the velvety green alpine meadows.

The road reaches its highest point at the top of Beartooth Pass (10,974 feet in elevation), where expansive views showcase miles of wilderness. Near the pass, West Summit Overlook reveals the western slope’s striking blue jewelry of lakes. While driving, travelers may spot one of the jagged rock formations resembling a bear’s tooth that give the highway its namesake. Or a real grizzly bear may wander into sight as it searches for forage.

The scenery viewed from a car is breathtaking--and also inviting. I parked along the Beartooth Plateau and took a short hike on the alpine tundra to a nearby ridge. I passed an array of wildflowers, including my favorite: the delicate sky pilot. While resting on a rock, I heard the unmistakable call of a pika and watched with delight as it scurried across the boulders.

Recreational opportunities abound in the Beartooth, with miles of hiking and horsebackriding trails, plentiful fishing streams, and numerous campgrounds. In the winter, heavy snowcover renders the road impassable, but the gateway communities of Red Lodge and Cooke City provide skiing and snowmobiling access.

On your next trip to Yellowstone, be sure to include time for an excursion on the Beartooth Highway—no visit to the first national park would be complete without driving on America’s most beautiful road.

Watch a video of the breathtaking views of the Beartooth Highway below:

credited to examiner.com and youtube

Top 10 'most disappointing' tourist spot

2009-08-25T13:14:00.000+02:00

The Eiffel Tower is "frustratingly overcrowded and overpriced" while Stonehenge is "just a load of old rocks" according to a report which has named the top ten most disappointing tourist spots.

The Louvre's Mona Lisa and New York's Times Square also have difficulty enticing tourists to rush back, the survey reveals.

Even Egypt's great pyramids, one of the seven wonders of the world, made the list of underwhelming and overrated attractions, because of the oppressive heat and the persistent hawkers.

But top of the list was Paris's famous tower, which almost a quarter of the 1,000 plus British tourists questioned dubbed a flop.

Felice Hardy of Virgin Travel Insurance, which commissioned the survey, said holidaymakers looking for unexpected delights should opt for less mainstream destinations.

"It's easy to be swayed by brochures that opt for the mainstream and focus on cliched tourist sights around the world, but many of them are overcrowded and disappointing," she said.

Those looking to avoid the crowds but witness something spectacular could do worse than seek out the only recently unearthed fortress of Kuelap in northern Peru, a just rival to crowded Machu Picchu in the south.

The far-flung, jungle-clad temples of Cambodia are another option waiting to be discovered, as is the Javan temple of Borobudur, where you might get to enjoy some cultural exchanges as one of the few international tourists appreciating the Buddhist reliefs.

Walking the trails at the Taroko Gorge in Taiwan is highly recommended for more active travellers as is traversing China's beautiful Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The sights voted most disappointing around the world were:

1) The Eiffel Tower

2) The Louvre (Mona Lisa)

3) Times Square

4) Las Ramblas, Spain

5) Statue of Liberty

6) Spanish Steps, Rome

7) The White House

8) The Pyramids, Egypt

9) The Brandenburg Gate, Germany

10) The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The sights voted most disappointing in the UK were:

1) Stonehenge

2) The Angel of the North

3) Blackpool Tower

4) Lands' End

5) The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain

6) The London Eye

7) Brighton Pier

8) Buckingham Palace

9) The White Cliffs of Dover

10) Big Ben

credited to telegraph.co.uk and flickr users: adrianoaurelio, scofo76, kenbmiller, rrcyclone, slavophile, nvinacco, tanja555, judgedredd76, tom_4, lulupine, veryhappyhack, quantum, schuberts, archicat7, sudeeplahiri, mtl_shag, djof, tedesco57, eoinosullivan

10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World

2009-08-23T08:27:00.000+02:00

There are probably hundreds of majestic and magnificent trees in the world - of these, some are particularly special:

10. Lone Cypress in Monterey

Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress, Macrocarpa; syn. Callitropsis macrocarpa (Hartw.) D.P.Little) is a species of cypress endemic to the central coast of California. In the wild, the species is confined to two small populations, near Monterey and Carmel. These two small populations represent what was once a very large forest on the west coast. The surviving trees from this forest are as old as 2000 years. These small Cypress forest groves are protected, within Point Lobos State Reserve and Del Monte Forest. The natural habitat is noted for its cool, humid summers, almost constantly bathed by sea fog.

9. Circus Trees

Axel Erlandson (1884-1964) was an American farmer who opened a horticultural attraction in 1947 featuring his uniquely shaped trees. The attraction was eventually named "The Tree Circus."

8. Giant Sequoias: General Sherman

General Sherman is the name of a Giant Sequoia with a height of 275 feet (83.8 metres). As of 2002, the volume of its trunk measured about 1487 cubic meters, making it the largest non-clonal tree by volume. The tree is located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in the United States, east of Visalia, California. The tree is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.

7. Coast Redwood: Hyperion and Drive-Thru Trees

Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include Coast Redwood and California Redwood (it is one of three species of trees known as redwoods, but "redwood" per se normally refers to this species). It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living for up to 2,200 years, and this species includes the tallest trees on Earth, reaching up to 115.5 m (379.1 ft) in height and 8 m (26 ft) diameter at breast height. It is native to coastal California and the southwestern corner of Oregon within the United States.

6. Chapel-Oak of Allouville-Bellefosse

The Chêne-Chapelle (Chapel-Oak) of Allouville-Bellefosse is the most famous tree in France - actually, it’s more than just a tree: it’s a building and a religious monument all in one. In 1669, l’Abbe du Detroit and du Cerceau decided to build a chapel in (at that time) a 500 years old or so oak (Quercus robur) tree made hollow by a lightning bolt. The priests built a small altar to the Virgin Mary. Later on, a second chapel and a staircase were added. Now, parts of the tree are dead, the crown keeps becoming smaller and smaller every year, and parts of the tree’s bark, which fell off due to old age, are covered by protective oak shingles. Poles and cables support the aging tree, which in fact, may not live much longer. As a symbol, however, it seems that the Chapel-Oak of Allouville-Bellefosse may live on forever.

5. Quaking Aspen: Pando (The Trembling Giant)

Pando (or The Trembling Giant) is a clonal colony of a single male Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) located in the U.S. state of Utah, all determined to be part of a single living organism by identical genetic markers and one massive underground root system, although whether it is the oldest living tree is disputed, as it depends of one's definition of an individual tree. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000 tonnes (6,615 tons), making it the heaviest known organism. The root system of Pando is claimed by some to be among the oldest known living organisms in existence at 80,000 years of age, though the method used to produce this estimate (an estimate on when climatic conditions were last suitable for seedling germination) is not supported by current evidence of germination.

4. Montezuma Cypress: The Tule Tree

El Árbol del Tule (Spanish for "the Tule Tree") is a tree located in the church grounds in the town center of Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, approximately 9 km east of the city of Oaxaca on the road to Mitla. It is a Montezuma Cypress (Taxodium mucronatum), or Ahuehuete (meaning "deep water") in Nahuatl. It has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world. In 2005, its trunk had a circumference of 36.2 m, equating to diameter of 11.62 m, a slight increase from a measurement of 11.42 m in 1982. However, the trunk is heavily buttressed, giving a higher diameter reading than the true cross-sectional of the trunk represents; when this is taken into account, the diameter of the 'smoothed out' trunk is 9.38 m. This is still slightly larger than the next most stout tree known, a Giant Sequoia 8.98 m diameter. The height is difficult to measure due to the very broad crown; the 2005 measurement, made by laser, is 35.4 m, shorter than previous measurements of 41–43 m. According to the signboard by the tree (see gallery, below), it has a total volume of 816,829 m³ and a weight of 636.107 tonnes; these figures are however not independently verified, and given the same signboard's claim of a girth of 58 m, must be treated with suspicion. It is so large that it was originally thought to be multiple trees, but DNA tests have proven that it is only one tree. This does not rule out another hypothesis, which states that it comprises multiple trunks from a single individual. The age is unknown, with estimates ranging between 1,200 and 3,000 years, and even one claim of 6,000 years; the best scientific estimate based on growth rates is 1,433-1,600 years. Local Zapotec legend holds that it was planted about 1,400 years ago by Pechocha, a priest of Ehecatl, the Aztec storm-god, in broad agreement with the scientific estimate; its location on a sacred site (later taken over by the Roman Catholic Church) would also support this.

3. Banyan Tree: Sri Maha Bodhi Tree

The Banyan tree is named after "banians" or Hindu traders who carry out their business under the tree. Even if you have never heard of a Banyan tree (it was the tree used by Robinson Crusoe for his treehouse), you’d still recognize it. The shape of the giant tree is unmistakable: it has a majestic canopy with aerial roots running from the branches to the ground. Planted in 288 BC, it is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world, with a definitive planting date!

2. Bristlecone Pine: Methuselah and Prometheus, the Oldest Trees in the World

The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years. The oldest single living organisms known are bristlecone pines, though some plants such as creosote bush or aspen form clonal colonies that may be many times older. Recently, Swedish researchers discovered a self-cloning spruce in Dalarna that has been dated to just under 10,000 years old. The existing growth in clonal colonies sprang as shoots from older growth so there is an unbroken chain of life that sometimes dates back several tens of thousands of years. However, the original ancient growth in these colonies is long dead. The oldest bristlecone pines are single plants that have been alive for a little less than 5,000 years. These very old trees are of great importance in dendrochronology or tree-ring dating. The oldest (acknowledged) living organism known is a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed "Methuselah" (after Methuselah, the longest-lived person in the Bible). Methuselah is located in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California, however its precise location is undisclosed by the U.S. Forest Service to protect the tree from vandalism. The age of Methuselah was measured by core samples in 1957 to be 4,789 years old. In the Snake Range of eastern Nevada Donald R. Currey, a student of the University of North Carolina, was taking core samples of bristlecones in 1964. He discovered that "Prometheus" in a cirque below Wheeler Peak was over 4,000 years old. His coring tool broke, so the U.S. Forest service granted permission to cut down "Prometheus". 4,844 rings were counted on a cross-section of the tree, making "Prometheus" at least 4,844 years old, the oldest non-clonal living thing known to man. The other two species, Pinus balfouriana and Pinus aristata are also long-lived, though not to the extreme extent of P. longaeva; specimens of both have been measured or estimated to be up to 3,000 years old. It is rumored that a specimen older than "Methuselah" has been discovered, but this has not been widely publicized.

1. Baobab

Baobab is the common name of a genus containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (having six species), mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island. Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The species reach heights of 5 to 30 metres (16 to 98 ft) and trunk diameters of 7 to 11 metres (23 to 36 ft). An African Baobab specimen in Limpopo Province, South Africa, often considered the largest example alive, has a circumference of 47 metres (150 ft) and an average diameter of 15 metres (49 ft). Some baobabs are reputed to be many thousands of years old, which is difficult to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings, though radiocarbon dating may be able to provide age data. The Malagasy species are important components of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. Within that biome, A. madagascariensis and A. rubrostipa occur specifically in the Anjajavy Forest, sometimes growing out of the tsingy limestone itself. Beginning in 2008, there has been increasing interest for developing baobab as a nutrient-rich raw material for consumer products.

Bonus : The Lonely Tree of Ténéré

The Tree of Ténéré or L’Abre du Ténéré was the world’s most isolated tree - the solitary acacia, which grew in the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa, was the only tree within more than 250 miles (400 km) around. The tree was the last surviving member of a group of acacias that grew when the desert wasn’t as dry. When scientists dug a hole near the tree, they found its roots went down as deep as 120 feet (36 m) below to the water table! Apparently, being the only tree in that part of the wide-open desert (remember: there wasn’t another tree for 250 miles around), wasn’t enough to stop a drunk Libyan truck driver from driving his truck into it, knocking it down and killing it! Now, a metal sculpture was placed in its spot to commemorate the Lonely Tree of Ténéré.

credited to wikipedia

Dramatic cliff images from Europe

2009-08-21T22:29:00.014+02:00

Incredible and majestic cliffs tower along European coast from the cold northern edges of the continent to the warm and sunny shores of the South. Looking up at the steep cliffs always makes me realize how small I am. With the powerful ocean behind me and the adamant rocks in front of me I feel full of respect and admiration for the stunning nature of our globe.

See below the most dramatic images of cliffs in nine European countries from the north to the south.

1. Scotland

Skye or the Isle of Skye, is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills. Although it has been suggested that the Gaelic name describes this shape there is no definitive agreement as to its origins.

2. Ireland

Moher Cliffs

The cliffs rise 120 meters (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away. The cliffs boast one of Ireland's most spectacular views. On a clear day the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara.

Mirror Wall

Ailladie is an area on the coast of The Burren in County Clare, Ireland, which is one of Ireland's most highly-regarded rock-climbing locations. It is also a popular location for beach-angling competitions, and, with its cliffs and view of Aran, is a popular photography stop for tourist coaches travelling through west Clare. It is situated between the villages of Fanore to the north, and Doolin to the south.

Slieve League

Located on the coast of County Donegal, Ireland, Slieve League, at 601 metres, has Ireland's second highest sea cliffs, after Croaghaun on Achill Island, and Europe's sixth-highest. Less famous than the Cliffs of Moher, in County Clare, Slieve League reaches almost three times higher than Clare's famous attraction.

3. Wales

4. England

White Clifs of Dover

The white cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to 106 metres high, owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk (pure white calcium carbonate) accentuated by streaks of black flint. The cliffs spread east and west from the town of Dover in the county of Kent, an ancient and still important English port.

5. Norway

6. France

Étreta

Étretat is best known for its cliffs, including a famous natural arch. These cliffs and the associated resort beach attracted artists including Eugène Boudin, Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet, and were featured prominently in the 1909 Arsène Lupin novel The Hollow Needle by Maurice Leblanc.

7. Portugal

Madeira

Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago in the mid Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands. Madeira is an archipelago with volcanic origins from a Hot Spot, so is not geographically part of a specific continent, but Madeira belongs and has belonged ethnically, culturally, economically and politically to Europe for 600 years despite being closer to Africa. Madeira is part of Portugal, so it is part of the European Union, as an Outermost Region.

Vicentine Coast
Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park is a natural park in Portugal. It is one of the 30 areas which are officially under protection in the country.

8. Greece

Porto Katsiki

Porto Katsiki on the Ioanian Sea island of Lefkada (Levkas in Greek, Venetian: Santa Maura, French: Leucade) is one of the most famous beaches in Greece and Europe in general. Translation to English means "Port of the Goat", due to the fact that before only a goat could reach this area.

9. Croatia

Island Kolocep

The island of Koločep is one of the three inhabited Elaphiti Islands situated near the city of Dubrovnik. Kolocep is the southernmost inhabited island in Croatia.

credited to opentravel.com and flickr users: cigronetpetit, smuddlepuddle, logicalrealist, michaelgslattery, jule_berlin, krishnamelkote, coreyfishes, snowcat, garibaldi, terraazul, myxi, oranges and lemon's

Food City: Dubai’s Self-Sufficient Ecotopia

2009-08-20T20:37:00.003+02:00

This past February, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce authorized the development of a “free zone” dubbed Food City. GCLA, a green landscape architect firm, proposed a master plan for the city sector to turn it into an incredible off-the-grid, self-sufficient metropolis. GCLA’s future-forward urban quarter incorporates an extensive list of sustainable urban planning ideas, including vertically stacked landscape surfaces, artificial roof landscapes, renewable energy systems, aquatic farms, and thermal conditioning.

GCLA has described their proposal for Food City as the “the marriage of landscapes and urbanism“. Their project integrates a variety of proposals to decrease overall energy use — concentrated solar collectors, towers covered in thin-film photovoltaic cells, piezoelectric pads in pedestrian areas, and methane harvesting through sewage percolation tanks.

GCLA also proposes water conservation measures critical to off-the-grid survival in water-starved Dubai, like atmospheric water harvesting, solar desalination through concentrated solar collectors, grey water recycling, and application of hydroponic sand to minimize water loss. Essentially, GCLA’s vision is an amalgamation of nearly every urban sustainability initiative in the past few years. It’s certainly utopian, but it may ultimately prove necessary.

credited to inhabitat.com

Arches National Park

2009-08-05T21:00:00.000+02:00

Arches National Park is a U.S. national park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.

The park is located near Moab, Utah, and is 119 square miles (310 km2) in size. Its highest elevation is 5,653 feet (1,723 m) at Elephant Butte, and its lowest elevation is 4,085 feet (1,245 m) at the visitor center. Since 1970, forty-three arches have toppled because of erosion. The park receives 10 inches (250 mm) of rain a year on average.

The area, administered by the National Park Service, was originally designated as a national monument on April 12, 1929. It was redesignated a national park on November 12, 1971. More than 833,000 people visited in 2006.

Climbing of named arches within the park has long been banned by park regulations. However, following a successful free climb of Delicate Arch in May 2006, the wording of the regulations was deemed unenforceable by the park attorney. In response, the park revised its regulations as follows:

"All rock climbing or similar activities on any arch or natural bridge named on the United States Geological Survey 7.5 minute topographical maps covering Arches National Park are prohibited."

Climbing of other features in the park is allowed, but regulated. The revised regulations also prohibit slacklining parkwide. Approved recreational activities include auto touring, backpacking, biking, camping, and hiking, some of which require permits. There are also guided commercial tours and ranger programs.

credited to wikipedia

Amazing Green Roof Art School in Singapore

2009-08-04T06:41:00.002+02:00

If art school was in our future we might opt to study under, or on top of, the amazing green roof at the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. This 5 story facility sweeps a wooded corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses.

The glass façade provides a high performance building envelope that reduces solar gain and heat load while allowing the benefits of natural views and daylight into creative spaces. The glass walls provide a visual exchange between indoors and out allowing students and teachers to experience the building, the surrounding landscape and the interior plaza as fluid spaces. Diffused natural daylight is abundant throughout studios and classrooms, filtered through the surrounding foliage.

The curving green roofs distinguish the building from among the other structures on campus but the line between landscape and building is blurred. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.

Finishes are intentionally raw to act as a backdrop for the art, media and design projects. Concrete walls and columns, cement-sand screeded floors, timber railings and a neutral palette define the interior spaces which vary in shape and size. This amazing design seems to offer a new experience at every elevation or perspective fulfilling the intent that a school for art should inspire creativity.

credited to inhabitat.com