Travel & Places

10 countries you probably never heard about

2010-06-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

You really have to be a geography freak to know about these countries from the list. It’s irrelevant to us how recognized they are as countries but they surely look at themselves like that. Of course a special thanks to Wikipedia for the article’s research.

10. Vanuatu, 90% of Vanuatu people household and consume fish, and 80% are living in rural, isolated villages with their own gardens and food supplies. Scuba diving is a very popular tourist attraction here. Tsunamis are not a rare thing in Vanuatu, and earthquakes have a negative affect on the country’s economy.

9. Nauru, a former German Empire colony is also known as Pleasant Island of the South Pacific. The people of Nauru are collecting rain water during monsoon rains between November and February because they are very limited on natural fresh water. The most popular sport in this country is Australian rules football, and they have football league with seven teams.

8. Tuvalu, is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. They don’t have regular military forces, and spend no money on defense. Tuvalu is the 4th smallest country in the world. The first inhabitants of the country were Polynesian people.

7. Comoros is African island nation in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar. The island is an old French colony, and today there is about 300 000 Comorians living in France. 98% of the population is Islamic.

6. Guernsey is under the responsibility of the United Kingdom but they don’t count as a part of the U.K, as well as the European Union. Guernsey is located in the English Channel on the coast of Normandy. They have complete autonomy over internal affairs, and they are discussing total independence from the British Crown.

5. Isle of Man, also known as Mann, is self-governing British Crown Dependency, with a location in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. They are not a part of the European Union. Isle of Man economy is based on offshore banking and tourism. The island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC.

4. Tokelau, is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand that consists of three islands. The name Tokelau is a Polynesian word that means “north wind”. The island has the smallest economy of any country in the world that makes them almost completely dependent on subsidies from New Zealand. 96% of the population is Christians and 57% of these are women.

3. Cook Islands, are a self-governing parliamentary democracy. With over 90 000 tourists per year, tourism is their far best industry and their leading element of the island economy, far ahead of offshore banking, marine, pearls and fruit exports. Cook Islands got named by the British navigator Captain James Cook when he arrived the islands in 1773.

2. Pitcairn Islands, officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands that are formerly a British colony, the last remaining in the Pacific. The population’s language is a mix of English and Tahitian. In recent years the church has been closed because only 8 islanders have been visiting it regularly. There is only one Café and Bar on the island, and the Government Store is selling alcohol and cigarettes. They used to have moral strict laws which prohibited dancing, smoking and consummation of alcohol.

1. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is the independent republic located between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno Karabakh is one of the most heavily mined regions of the former Soviet Union because of the 1991-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War. They are still not recognized by any state, including Armenia. 95% of the population is Armenian, and the rest are Greeks and Kurds. Their tourism are basically directed to Armenians that live in Western countries.

10 Best Casino Hotels for Vacation in the World

2010-05-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

At some point, we all want to see if Lady Luck is on our side, and there’s no better place to roll the dice than at a fantastic casino resort or hotel. The great news is that the chips are never down when you take a casino vacation, because these resorts offer more than just gambling. Where else can you find a range of upscale perks including fantastic accommodations
, superb dining establishments, sun, surf, sand, snow or spas, world-class entertainment and shopping all in one place?

So don’t leave your vacation to chance. You’ll find the odds are definitely in your favor at any one of these places. So here are some of the best Casino Hotels around the world.

Atlantic City Trump Taj Mahal

Sink into the grandeur of this casino with its Austrian crystal chandelier and guest rooms with views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. One of the largest casinos in the world with over 4.2 million square feet of enclosed space, every opportunity to double your money is here. Relax after a day of gaming in the full service spa including indoor tanning, Jacuzzis, steam bath, sauna and an indoor pool.

Detroit MGM Grand Detroit

Welcome to the Las Vegas of the Midwest. The $800 million MGM Grand Detroit Resort and Casino is modern, sleek and sophisticated, and pulls in the crowds on a regular basis. The casino boasts over 90 table games, 4,000 of the latest slot machines and video poker. This may be the younger sister of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, but its gaming space is in fact larger.

Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel & Casino

Think big, play big, win big. There’s nothing small about this hotel
and casino, but then that’s not surprising. It has a waterfalls that cover 6.6 acres. The casino itself is 171,500 square feet and is divided into four separate gaming areas. Every game you could possibly want to try your hand at is here

Shreveport Eldorado Resort Casino

If you’re going to Louisiana to chance your luck, your best bet is the 403-suite Eldorado Resort Casino, the most exclusive hotel in Shreveport. Drag yourself away from your luxury room and head over to the casino, which boasts over 1500 slot machines. The casino is also attached to a three-story atrium-style entertainment pavilion.

Queensland Conrad Jupiter’s, Australia

Situated on a tropical island on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiter’s is one of Australia’s largest hotels. Jupiter’s’ motto is “Bet with your head, not over it.” Once you’re all played out, be sure to take advantage of the hotel’s five restaurants, landscaped pool, and state-of-the-art fitness center and tennis courts.

Macau, The Venetian Macao, China

Jet off to The Venetian Macao which is large enough to hold 90 747 jumbo jets and has 3,000 suites, each a minimum of 750 square feet. Once you’ve managed to drag yourself away from your canopy bed, sunken living room and deluxe marble bathroom, head down to the casino which is largest in the world where over 550,000 square feet of gaming await you.

Monte Carlo Hotel de Paris, Monaco

Situated on the Golden Square of Place du Casino, the Hotel de Paris is the most luxurious place to stay in Monaco. Offering up to 106 rooms, 74 suites and two executive suites, this is opulence at its most decadent. There are five separate casinos in the Place du Casino, with the largest being the legendary Casino de Monte-Carlo.

Lima Delfines Hotel & Casino, Peru

Delfines Hotel & Casino is open 24/7 and boasts 214 machines and eighteen table games. Los Delfines sponsors the non-profit organization CILDE, and proudly hosts two dolphins and to top off your stay here, The Lima Golf Club, the largest golfing greens in the city—is just across the street.

San Juan The Ritz-Carlton, Puerto Rico

The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa & Casino allows you enjoy with its 416-room hotel located on eight acres of beachfront property. The true highlight of this hotel is its casino which is open 24 hours.

Costa del Sol, Hotel Casino Torrequebradam, Spain

Set on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the heart of Costa del Sol, offers everything from a grand spa and conference room to on-site entertainment and superb gaming. Casino is equipped with the widest array of leisure activities in Spain.

Night Shot of Cap Town

2010-05-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

A beautiful Face of Japan

2010-05-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

When you hear the word 'Japan', what do you think of? Does your mind fill with images of ancient temples or futuristic cities? Do you see visions of mist-shrouded hills or lightning-fast bullet trains? Do you think of suit-clad businessmen or kimono-clad geisha? Whatever image you have of Japan, it's probably accurate, because it's all there. But you may also have some misconceptions about Japan. For example, many people believe that Japan is one of the world's most expensive countries. In fact, it's cheaper to travel in Japan than in much of North America, Western Europe and parts of Oceania. Others think that Japan is impenetrable or even downright difficult. The fact is, Japan is one of the easiest countries in which to travel. It is, simply put, a place that will remind you why you started travelling in the first place.

The Greek coast A Beautiful Place on Earth

2010-05-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Greek coast has a total length of approximately 16,000 km. Half this length is found around the thousands of Greek islands. While the rest extends along the mainland. What characterize the famous Greek coasts is their unique diversity (beaches stretching over many kilometers, small bays and coves, sandy beaches with dunes, pebbly shores, coastal caves surrounded by steep rocks and with the characteristic dark sand of volcanic soils, coastal wetlands), and their clean and transparent waters that have made them renowned and extremely popular all over the world.
In 2009, 425 beaches and 8 marinas in Greece were awarded the “Blue Flag”, a figure that places the country in a top-ranking position among other European countries.

Five Most Mystical Places of the World

2010-03-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

The world around us is full of mysteries. There are things we believe in without even knowing about its existence. Science doesn’t always find an answer to all questions and that’s exactly why we still love to watch movies like “Lord of the Rings’ and read ‘Harry Potter’ numerous times. All mysterious things have a charm and the charm lies in the fact that we don’t know everything about it. From old civilizations to some of the cultural practices, mystery has been associated with every part of the world. There are innumerable places in the world which can be called mysterious for some reason or another. Let’s have a look at five of them which make it to the top.

Easter Island

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Easter Island is one of the most isolated regions in the world, Easter Island makes to the top of the list. The region is full of giant volcanic rock statues called “moai”. The people of the island were called Rapa Nui and no one knows where they came from and where they vanished. The reason for the carving remains as unknown as the islanders. There have been a lot of research in finding out the stories behind these giant structures but there hasn’t been any concrete answer to this question.

The Pyramids of Giza

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The largest and oldest of the three pyramids in Giza Necropolis, the great pyramids of Giza also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops was the tallest man made structure in world for more than 3800 years. The casing stone which originally formed the smooth surface on the great pyramid has worn off and what we actually see the core structure. Egyptian civilization is the said to be the most mysterious and advanced civilization of all times and the great pyramid only adds to the mystery.

The three largest pyramids are Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Kafhre and the Pyramid of Menkaura which are said to be the tombs dedicated for three different Egyptian king.

Stonehenge

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Located in the English country of Whltshire, Stonhenge is a one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world. What makes this place special is the circular setting of standing stones. The stone monument is believed to be erected near 2500 BC though there is no concrete proof the origin. The region lists in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

The construction of the setting is quite impressive in itself considering the labor and time that went in making it. Stonehenge is believed to be a large earthwork constructed about 5000 years ago. The tools used are said to be equivalent to the earth digging and moving.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

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This stone circle in Cumbria is an impressive pre historic monument in Britain. The stone circle is said to date back to 3200 BC and is a vision in itself. Not only is it flooded with tourists all around, it has also been a subject among archeologists. Apparently many of the stones of Castlerigg reflect features in the surrounding hills.

38 stones of different shapes and sizes form this circle. Some of the stones are as high as 5 feet. A mystery on how, when and why it was built, the Castlerigg is not a full circle and is flattened on the northeast. Inside the eastern side is a rectangular enclosure of about 10 stones. The purpose of this enclosure remains as mysterious as this whole structure.

Cenote in Mayan Civilization

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Deep within the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala, this civilization flourished when Europe was still in the Dark ages. These people were the masters of mathematics and had mapped the heavens. These warriors called Maya had fought the Spanish. The cities were built with utmost perfection without any metal tool. The stone structures found in jungle talks about the genius they were. The Mayas are a mystery in themselves as such great architecture doesn’t seem to belong to that era.

The underground world called Cenote are water bodies which will make a chill rn down your spine if you manage to walk down the narrow stairs that led to this vertical hole. Nothing in the world can be more bizarre than the sight you see when you get used to light under 20 feet.

Night Photography of New York and Las Vegas by Jason Hawkes

2010-03-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

The legendary photographer Jason Hawkes sharing at Boston.com some of his latest images of American cities seen from above at night: New York City and Las Vegas, both cities that undergo significant transformations after the sun goes down.

Jason Hawkes says: “The images of New York were shot on Nikons latest camera, the D3S, using three gyro stabilizing mounts and flown using twin star helicopters. (Eurocopter AS355). We flew from heights of just over 500 ft up to 2,500-ft with no doors on, it was very very cold. The images of Las Vegas were shot for a separate project, using a range of helicopters from a Robinson 44 toEurocopter AS355″.

Check out Hawkes’ newly-released book “London at Night”. A book of his New York at night photos is due for publication in the Autumn. Captions provided by the photographer. [JasonHawkes via Boston]One Worldwide Plaza, Eighth Avenue. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Williamsburg suspension bridge crossing the East River. Photo: JasonHawkes
View from the Financial District across to the Governors Island and Upper Bay. Verrazano-Narrows Bridge can be seen lit up in the far distance. Photo: JasonHawkes
Close up looking down onto Chrysler Building. Photo: JasonHawkes
Looking down onto Times Square. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Empire State building in blue and red on the left of the image looking up Lexington Ave. to the Chrylser Building. Photo: JasonHawkes
Central Park, Central Park Reservoir and Metropolitan Museum of Art, looking South up Madison Ave. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Statue of Liberty. Photo: JasonHawkes
The area around The MetLife Building on Park Avenue and Midtown. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Empire State Building. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Vegas Strip from above The Mirage. Photo: JasonHawkes
Excalibur, Las Vegas. Photo: JasonHawkes
The pyramid shaped Luxor Las Vegas. Photo: JasonHawkes
The sphinx at the entrance to the Luxor Las Vegas. Photo: JasonHawkes
Brooklyn Bridge, Las Vegas. Photo: JasonHawkes
The top of the the replica Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. Photo: JasonHawkes
New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Excalibur, New York and MGM Grand hotels, Las Vegas. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Venetian with gondolas, Las Vegas Hotel Casino. Photo: JasonHawkes
The Stratosphere Las Vegas. The tower has two observation decks, a revolving restaurant and three rides. Photo: JasonHawkes

Trains for children

2010-03-06T10:23:00.001-08:00

The Kishigawa train line in Japan has about 14.3km and two trains that are different from any other train: the Omoden and the Ichigo Ec, the 'Train of toys' and the 'Strawberry Train', repectively. The idea was to promote the use of this comfortable and safe means of transportation among children. And, as it seems, results have been surprising...

The concept for these two trains was in the hands of Eiji Mitooka, who made them attractive enough in the eyes of children and filled them with hundreds of toys, TV screens with cartoons and other artefacts for the young travellers. As was to be expected, the carriages are immaculately clean. Interesting detail: the station master is called Tama and is famous for being... A cat. Only in Japan!

Top 5 Most Dangerous Roads in the World

2010-03-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

1. Bolivia’s “Road of Death”

North Yungas Road is hands-down the most dangerous in the world for motorists. If other roads could be considered impassable, this one clearly endangers your life. It runs in the Bolivian Andes, 70 km from La Paz to Coroico, and plunges down almost 3,600 meters in an orgy of extremely narrow hairpin curves and 800-meter abyss near-misses.

A fatal accident happens there every couple of weeks, 100-200 people perish there every year. In 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank named the La Paz-to-Coroico route “the world’s most dangerous road.”

Among the route there are many visible reminders of accidents, wrecked carcasses of lorries and trucks lie scattered around at the bottom… (read BBC article)

(images via 1, 2)

The buses and heavy trucks navigate this road, as this is the only route available in the area. Buses crowded with locals go in any weather, and try to beat the incoming traffic to the curves.

It does not help that the fog and vapors rise up from the heavily vegetated valley below, resulting in almost constant fogs and limited visibility. Plus the tropical downpours cause parts of the road to slide down the mountain.

(images via 1, 2, 3)

Apparently some companies make business on the road’s dubious fame by selling the extreme bike tours down that road. “Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking” is one of them. (you can read one such biker’s account here.) If you are nuts enough to consider it, please be advised that you will be only adding to the road hazards, as it’s hard to spot a cyclist on the road’s hairpin curves, and your shrieks (as you fall down the abyss) will disturb the peace and quiet of the villagers nearby.

(images via MarkoP, some originals unknown)

2. Russian Siberian Road to Yakutsk

This is the official federal-government highway to Yakutsk, and it is also the only one to get there. As there are no other roads, the intrepid motorists are doomed to wallow in this dirt, or wait in week-long 100 km car line-ups (they say women even gave birth there while waiting).

This can turn into a major humanitarian disaster during rainy spells, when the usual clay covering of the road turns into impassable mud blanket, swallowing trucks and tractors alike. In the meantime the city has to partly airlift food products.

(images credit: Pasik’s Journal)

Here is an aerial shot of this road in winter:

(image via)

The “Haunted Road” in Russia

There are also rumors of seemingly quite normal 30 km stretch of Russian country road, which nevertheless gets an unexplained amount of car accidents; the locals suspect underground gas seepage which causes motorists to fall asleep…

This creepy tale is supported by the evidence of car crash statistics and the tales of survivors, who do not remember anything prior to the crash and act strangely “drugged” afterwards. Hopefully this will be properly investigated before the road claims more victims.

3. Russian-Georgian “Military” Mountain

Sukhumi “Military” road in the former Soviet Georgia, in Caucasus mountains, which truckers and wine-drunk crazy “Lada” drivers navigate with the utter abandon, typical of the local mountain people… but we could not locate any photos of it. Only this old postcard… If you have any more pics, send them in.

First sent in pic (photo by V. Krasnogolovy) -

4. Nepal, Tibet & Bangladesh Roads

Those bound for Mount Everest will know what we talk about. There are some hair-raising, hardly maintained roads in the area - which bus and truck drivers have to negotiate to get to small villages. A road in Nepal, leading from From Katmandu to Everest Base Camp:A typical India-Nepal Road:

originals unknown)

5. Most Dangerous Tourist Hiking Trail (China)

Not a car road, but the most hair-raising experience you can have on your own two legs. This is a heavy-tourist traffic area in Xian (Mt.Huashan); this link explains more about the area.

The hanging wooden planks are a real tourist hike path, which hundreds of daredevils navigate - with no safeguards in sight. Try to step on them in slippery / snowy conditions… or better not.

(images via)

And when you’re finally through with all this excitement, here is an outhouse for you (but do not make any false moves):

Cities Where Pedestrians Rule

2010-02-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

It’s difficult to escape cars. Unless you live in one of a handful of cities where public transit is widespread or you have the patience to take the bus/light rail in a city with a less than perfect network (most cities in the US fall into this category), a car is all but necessary for daily life. Even when traveling, tourists will eventually find their way into a taxi or a Hertz agency. But there are cities out there where it is possible to get by without getting into a car.
Copenhagen
Imperfect weather doesn’t stop people in Copenhagen from pedaling to work or school every day. Cycle commuters number in the hundreds of thousands (the web site Copenhagenize puts the number of daily two-wheel commutes at 500,000). That’s about 25% of all commuters. That number puts America’s bicycling-est city, Portland (where 3% of commuters bike) to shame.
Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s iconic ferries still get their pictures on the front page of travel magazines and web sites. But it is the widespread train system (MRT) that makes this one of the easiest cities to get around. The ubiquitous Octupus Card, a stored value transit card, can be used for any form of public transit, from the ferry to the train to the minibuses.

Tokyo

Tokyo is a massive city with an equally massive (and perpetually crowded) network of trains. Stories about being stuffed into subway cars like sardines aside, this is the easiest city in the world to get around solely by train.
Havana
Aacticle about Havana has the requisite photo of an antique car rolling down an unkempt street. Many of these aged vehicles double as taxis, but they are not the only means of transportation in the city. Dirt cheap buses run everywhere, as do colorful bicycle taxis.
Paris
The Paris Metro is one of Europe’s oldest urban train systems, with the first line completed in 1900. Now 131 miles of track and 380 stations make the Metro one of the world’s most expansive subways. The architecture in some of the more iconic stations and the trains themselves are as much a part of the city’s personality as the Eiffel Tower.
Mumbai
Mumbai’s train network is super-efficient and notoriously crowded. Some visitors find a trip on the train to be the worst part of their visit to India, while for others, it is the highlight. Train is one of the cheapest ways to get around, for sure. There are plans to upgrade the system, doubling its reach over the next five years.
Singapore and Seoul
Most East Asian metropolises put US cities to shame when it comes to train and subway systems. Seoul and Singapore are two more to add to the list of cities with streamlined rail travel. Seoul’s massive subway system is one of the world’s largest, while Singapore’s is one of the most well-planned and cleanest. Both cities’ trains are far enough reaching that a car is completely unnecessary.
London
London’s Underground is both the oldest and longest urban rail network in the world. Despite being a bit notorious for its delays and overcrowding, 3.4 million riders rely on it for transportation on a daily basis.
Shanghai

The US lags woefully behind European and Asian cities when it comes to public transportation. Two of the exceptions to this trend are New York, with its storied, much-used subway system and San Francisco, with the BART and Muni.
Madrid
Despite being a smaller metro area, Madrid’s Metro system is on of the most expansive in the world, covering 175 miles and set to expand further. Though it is most known for the tragic and bloody 2004 terrorist attack – the worst on European soil to date – ridership has remained high and as has public support for for further expansion.
Sao Paulo and Amsterdam
Amsterdam has long been known for its bicycle culture. 40% of all its traffic comes from bicycles. Despite the high numbers, biking in the city is quite safe, with traffic laws and roads developed with the goal of streamlining two-wheeled commutes.

Sao Paulo, on the other hand, is not an easy city to negotiate on a bicycle. In fact, the train is a prefered means of transport because it helps people avoid the insane crush of rush hour traffic that pollutes this large Brazilian city.

Amazing photos of ancient Egypt

2010-02-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern nation of Egypt...

“Gizeh Pyramids”“Nefertiti”
The civilization began around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, and it developed over the next three millennia.

“SPHINX - Karolos Trivizas”
Its history occurred in a series of stable periods, known as kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods.

After the end of the last kingdom, known as the New Kingdom, the civilization of ancient Egypt entered a period of slow, steady decline, during which Egypt was conquered by a succession of foreign powers.

“Hatshepsut’s Temple - by Ian Lloyd”
The rule of the pharaohs officially ended in 31 BC when the early Roman Empire conquered Egypt and made it a province.

“Kairo, Egypt, in the Mosque”
“Great Sphinx, Chephren Pyramid, Giza, Egypt”

“MOUNTAINS EGYPT by Leszek Glowacki”

“Entrance to the Suez Canal, Port Said - Egypt ca.1869?
“Giza, Egypt”
“Egypt, Luxor, Karnak temple of Amun”
“Ramses II at Luxor , by gouliosg”

“Egypt mummy”
“Egypt pyramids”

Innovative Design Of W Hotels

2010-02-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

W Hotels – a modern, innovative, stylish brand includes 35 hotels around the world – from the dynamic metropolitan to exotic places.

A stunning, impressive, innovative and landmark, the style of W Hotels is the best, admirable «Wow!».

Each of the W Hotels brand offers a creative mix of good design and architecture and the passion for fashion, music, art, garden party, pop culture and all that creates the real world of luxury.

W Hotels – a unique and personal view of high style modern life, as reflected in the exclusive design, fashionable restaurant ideas, glamorous nightlife and luxurious spa.

Source Via : shareordie.in

The Tree Hotel and Other Swinging Spots

2010-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

At the Soneva Kiri in Thailand we found those two swinging spots. Start at the Eco-Villa swing, then head over for a unique taste experience in the dining-pod, a woven wooden basket hung above the green tops.
If you've ever wanted to live in the trees, you'll love this tree hotel concept (below) by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter. Look closely and you'll see a cube wrapped around a tree. Which could be the most outlandish (but coolest) idea for a hotel ever.
The concept is for a cluster of cubes in a forest in Harads, in the far north of Sweden. The cubes will be made of light-weight aluminium boxes, 4×4x4m and clad in mirrored glass. Inside, windows will give guests a 360 degree view, while outside the cubes will be practically invisible. To prevent birds colliding with the structures, however, they'll attach transparent stickers to their sides. (Good to know.)
Blending in.
The treehouses will accommodate two people, a large bed, a small kitchenette and bath, a living room and a roof terrace. Access will be by rope ladder or rope bridge. The idea reminds me of the Free Spirit Spheres on Vancouver Island, which already exists. So let's hope this one comes to life.
Dass Architecture designed a tree house (below) as a small hiding place in nature with a very small room. The building is named Tree House Hotel. It's currently located in the Jardim da estral in Lisbon, and you can experience a one-night stay, complete with toilet, sinks, sofas converted to a bed and a rooftop terrace which has a view over the Jardim.

Ten Most Beautiful Skiing Locations in Europe

2010-02-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

Apart from being famous for its breathtakingly picturesque location, Europe has always been associated with Skiing. From France to Greece, you get to choose from some of the most beautiful and less explored skiing destinations in the world. Europe offers far more skiing and snowboarding trails than any other part of the world. Let’s have a look at ten skiing locations that make Europe one of the most sought after ski destination.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Nestled in Ampezzo Valley, Cortina d’Ampezzo enjoys the title of the most beautiful winter playground in the world. It is not only the most famous ski resorts in Italy but is one of the most important and sought after ski resorts in the world. Apart from offering great skiing experience, the slopes offer picturesque view to the valley. This is only place which provides clear distinction between Dolomites and rest of the Alps.

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The picture perfect location combined with exciting slopes makes this resort top destination for the up market crowd from all over the world. The beauty of these slopes has been captured in many James Bond movies as well.

Val D’Isere, France

Skiing in Val-d’Isère dates back to 1930’s after a drag lift was built on the slopes of Solaise. Being named as the most famous resort for experts, Val D’Isere can easily pass as the all round destination in whole of Europe. The resort offers a range of ski schools and has something to offer everyone from beginners to experts. It offers modern chairlift and cable cars with most modern lift system you could think of.

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No wonder the resort is one of the busiest in whole of Europe. If the ski is worth the way up, the journey will not disappoint you as well. The view on the way up to the Val D’Isere is spectacular and looks just out of Narnia series.

Igls, Austria

Located in the “Capital of the Alps”, Innsbruck, Igls offers a combination of old world charm and access to some of the world’s finest ski resorts. The charming village is surrounded by some of the best skiing in Austria. Beginners can start with the lower slopes while intermediates can try the pistes in Igls itself. For advanced skiers, there is a possibility of eight ski areas totaling 295 km all accessible by free ski buses.

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Two time host of Winter Olympic Games, Innsbruck has lot more to offer than skiing. If you’d like an adrenaline pump, a ride down the Olympic bob slight at 100 km per hour is highly recommended. Other adventures offered include ice skating, floodlit skiing, tobogganing. If you’d like to take a break from skiing, there are some rich museums and galleries to draw your attention as well.

Kandersteg, Switzerland

The village of Kandersteg could easily pass for the most picturesque centre for mountaineering. More people land in this destination for the scenic view and tranquility the village offers. Best known among beginners, it is one of the best places to learn skiing. The slopes here are easy and daunting and give learners enough space to test their techniques.

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Courchevel, France

Courchevel ski resort is built for nothing but Winter Sports. It is made up of four villages which are named after thir altitudes in meters- Courchevel 1300, Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650, Courchevel 1850. It boasts of about 370 miles of pistes and is is a part of the Trois Vallees ski area.

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Courchevel 1850 – the highest located resort district has been quite popular with the rich from all over the world. Guests arrive on their private jets and if your pockets are deep, it’s worth experiencing the air here. There is room for everyone and if you’d like to go for a ski resort just like any other part of the world, you could choose from the villages from 1650 and lower. The mountain has skiing range for both intermediates and experts.

Wengen, Switzerland

With a terrain of 112 km over 53 pistes, Wengen is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. Wengen is an ideal location if you are looking for a combination of absolutely beautiful views and classic architecture. Only accessible by road, the village has excellent slopes for intermediates.

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It also has ranges for experts but is best known among intermediates and snowboarders. More than skiing, the village rates high for the charm and tranquil alpine beauty.

Chamonix, France

Charmonix offers some of the best mountain skiing in whole of Europe. With 12 ski areas, the valley is apt for skiers at all levels. The valley offers beautiful views and draws crowd from all over the world for its excellent skiing conditions and picturesque scenery. It is located right next to the peak of Mont Blanc and offer range of recreational activities. It is the oldest ski resort in France and has great ski slopes for children and ski area for intermediates and experts as well.

Image source

Pas De la Casa, Andorra

The highest resort in Andorra, Pas de la Casa has an excellent snow record. It is placed on the border between France and Andorra. Before it got combined with Soldeu, the resort had the biggest ski area with highest lift served terrain in Andorra. Now it gas 186 km of pistes and is favored for its southern latitude.

The slopes are more suitable for intermediates than beginners and experts. Image source

Pelion Mountain, Greece

While talking about beautiful locations for skiing, Pelion Mountain is easily one of the noteworthy locations. The best part about the ski resorts here is that not many people know about it and skiing here is still not explored completely. Greece has been gaining popularity for skiing among other winter sports. Pelion Mountains offer majestic scenes and is one of the most preferred destinations for those who have discovered the ski terrains here.

Image source

Newstift, Austria

Newstift is a favorite with family and friends looking for skiing all year round. With 28 lifts, the resort offers skiers 7382 feet of vertical descent. Best suited for beginners and snowboarders, it has some regions for experts and intermediates as well. With finest skiing conditions and largest glacial ski resort, a small portion of the resort is covered by snowmaking. Image Source

13 Coolest Pools in the World

2010-02-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

Pools mean parties, exercise, relaxation, romance and the list goes on. Those who love the water know that a cool pool looks good and somehow blends with the landscape, environment, and the climate.

We browsed the net for the coolest pools you can find in the world. It will be worth it to drop by one of these places to take a dip if you are in the area.

San Alfonso Del Mar Pool

This pool in Algarrobo, Chile holds about 66 million gallons of water and built over 20 acres of land. When you see this pool, you will think you are seeing a mini-ocean. The Guinness World Book of Records gives it the title of being the largest pool in the world. The deepest point is at 115 feet and you might not want to swim here but kayaking is the in thing.

Pool at the Intercontinental Hong Kong

Aside from the comfy teak decks, romantic sunbeds, and pool concierge, the underwater music is just awesome. There are also spa pools in the roof complex overlooking the Victoria Harbor. You can also get some pool side tai chi lessons from the renowned master William Ng.

Viceroy Pool

The main pool at the Viceroy hotel in Miami, Florida stretches 205 feet, making it the longest pool in Florida. They also have a big hot tub good for 80 persons. The hot tub is the world’s largest. The design of the pool wants to reflect the Miami River flowing through the downtown of the city, and it was able to achieve that as the pool passes through the condos of Icon Brickell.

The King’s Pond at the Four Seasons Hualalai

The King’s Pond is inspired by the anchialine ponds of Hawaii. These ponds are bodies of water locked inland but have connections to the ocean via subterranean natural pipes. The man-made King’s Pond sculpted from two centuries old volcanic rock feeds from the ocean and natural springs. By the way it is also an aquarium, a big 1.8 million gallon one which houses 60 species of fish and eagle rays. Yes you get to swim with them!

Nemo 33 in Brussels

This pool in Belgium is the deepest recreational pool in the world at 108 feet. It is one of the most famous diving facility because of its funky and playful design. It is a dive pit that features flat platforms, big windows for visitors, and even underwater caves for divers to explore.

The Tank, Las Vegas

The Tank is a one of a kind $30 million pool in the heart of the Sin City. You can swim with 16 kinds of sharks, stingrays, and about 300 varieties of fish. Okay, you cannot really swim, swim with them but there is a three-storey slide which will shoot through the 200,000 gallon tank in 8 seconds.

Pool at the Grace Hotel, New York City

Some of the hottest events in the New York Times Square happen in this indoor pool. The lighting sets up the mood and the night gets wild when party goers make most of the 40 foot bar connected to the pool. There is a projector for movies, stadium seats, and a big shared sauna close to the DJ’s booth. Aside from the cool pool, celebrity sightings are very frequent.

Crocosaurus Cove, Australia

At this pool in Darwin, Australia, visitors can get into the “cage of death”. It is a two person acrylic cage dropped from a monorail and gives you access to come face to face with 18 foot crocodiles. There is also another section of the pool where people can watch the crocs from afar. If you can not take being in the water with the big creatures there is also a pool where you can view baby crocodiles.

Hotel Valley Ho

The pool at the Hotel Valley Ho in Arizona not only boasts of a retro martini glass design but also a colorful history when famous stars like Rock Hudson, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable frequent the place.

Grand Wailea Canyon Activity Pool in Hawaii

This is the only pool in the world where people can be lifted to ground level with water elevator. It is a big wet play ground. The 25,700 square foot destination has free form pools connected by a manmade rushing river that carries people at lazy river flows to white water crazy speeds. There are also slides to enjoy, scuba pool, and a Tarzan pool where you can swing from rope to rope.

Amangiri Pool in Utah

This new luxury resort in the heart of the desert canyons opened in October 2009 has a pool built around a large rock formation. It has a negative edge design so all you will see while swimming is the big rock, water, reflections, and the sky.

W Hotels Fort Lauderdale

Where in the world will you see a glass-encased staircase. If you are going down you can see the people in the swimming pool and they can also gawk at you. The excellent interior and exterior concepts are by Clodagh.

Hayman Island Resort Australia

The Hayman Island Resort features a saltwater pool with a central fresh water pool. Yes, it is a big pool within a bigger pool the seven times the size of an Olympic pool. The resort is just near the Great Barrier Reef and it is the one of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Zambezi Queen – A five-star floating boutique hotel with green credentials

2010-02-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Eco Factor: Fuel-efficient river boat uses solar energy for hot water.

The Zambezi Queen is a new 15-foot-long river boat that has been designed to provide all modern amenities to the passengers with minimum impact on the environment. The boat offers a luxurious new way to explore the Chobe River in Botswana, which runs through the Chobe National Park.

The luxurious boat is both luxurious and green as it is equipped with solar water heater and uses jet propulsion instead of conventional propellers for better fuel economy. Moreover, the boat doesn’t have any air-conditioners to save on precious energy. All of its 14 suites are appointed with private balconies, modern colonial-style décor and plenty of mosquito netting.

Honest Restaurant

2010-01-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

The World's Largest Cruise Ship ‘Oasis of the Seas’

2010-01-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

The world's largest cruise ship ‘Oasis of the Seas’ made her first transatlantic flight on 30 October 2009 when she departed from Finland for the United States. The length of the liner is 361 meters, width - 66 meters, displacement tonnage - 225 tons, and is equipped with 17 decks. Her 2704 cabins can accommodate 6360 passengers and crew of 2100 people.The liner Oasis of the Seas was built and commissioned by Royal Caribbean International's shipyards STX Finland. In size she is 5 times more than the famous "Titanic". On board the liner Oasis of the Seas are fitness centers, SPA, theater, jazz club, incredible size swimming pool and much more. For entertainment, Oasis of the Seas provides a skating rink, a small golf course, outdoor amphitheater with 750 seats, an indoor theater for 1300 people, 4 swimming pools with a 10-meter towers and springboards, volleyball and basketball courts and a playground.

First Sand Hotel

2010-01-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

The world’s first sand-hotel is open for business on Weymouth beach, Dorset, in England. The 1000 tone-of-sand structure was built in a week by a team of 4 sand-sculptors and is only expected to last until it rains…which, as you probably know, happens quite often in Britain. The sand hotel has no roof, so you have a clear view of the star-filled night sky, no toilets and is not recommended for those that hate getting sand between their toes. The price is 21$ per night.

Fountain Show in Los Vegas

2010-01-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

This show takes place near Bellaghio casino in Los Vegas every fifteen minutes.

Garbage City: An Unbelievable Real-Life Urban Wasteland

2010-01-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

No, it is not just trash talk or slang for some city slum – this place really is known as Garbage City with good reason: its denizens live in a surreal urban landscape with waste stuffed in every spare corner, stacked on the sidewalks and surrounding every structure – captured above by photographer Bas Princen.

More amazing than the trash-strewn architecture and garbage-stuffed city streets is the strange fact that this place is fully occupied and abuzz with activity. People live, work, eat and sleep within this object graveyard outside the city center of Cairo, Egypt. Spaces not occupied by people are given over to livestock (fed with trash scraps) and guerrilla urban gardens.

Officially known as Manshiyat Naser, this district has shops and apartments like any other, but its residents earn their keep by specializing in collecting, sorting and recycling specific types of trashed materials. A group of children can be found sifting for plastic bottles while an organized team of women scours the remnants for cans or glass. Other items are burned locally as fuel.

While it might not meet any health standards on Earth, the unique urban phenomena is arguably sustainable in a certain sense – even ‘green’ in a some ways. Â Working in the area does provide some basic necessities for its inhabitants, though water, sewage and (perhaps ironically) even official garbage collection services are not available to those living within its trash-cluttered walls.

via Dornob. Read more: Garbage City: An Unbelievable Real-Life Urban Wasteland | Designs & Ideas on Dornob

The Largest Fish and Seafood Market in the World

2010-01-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

Photograph by river seal

The Tsukiji Fish Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It’s also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors.

Tsukiji moves about five million pounds (2,268,000 kilograms) of seafood every day—seven times as much as Paris’s Rungis, the world’s second largest wholesale market, and 11 times the volume of New York City’s Fulton Fish Market, the largest fish market in North America. In dollar terms, that comes to about $28 million USD worth of fish per day.

There are two distinct sections of the market as a whole. The inner market (jonai shijo) is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place. It is also where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls.

The outer market (jogai shijo) is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood. There are also plenty of restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier.

Photograph by Foodieguide

The market opens most mornings except Sundays and holidays at 3:00 am, with the arrival of the products by ship, truck and plane from all over the world. It imports from 60 countries on six continents. The market is the busiest between 5:30 and 8:00 am, and the activity declines significantly afterward. Many shops start to close around 11:00 am, and the market closes for cleaning around 1:00 pm.

Auctions start around 5:20 am. Bidding can only be done by licensed participants such as, intermediate wholesalers who operate stalls in the marketplace and other licensed buyers who are agents for restaurants, food processing companies, and large retailers. The auctions usually end around 7:00 am. Afterward, the purchased fish is either loaded onto trucks to be shipped to the next destination or on small carts and moved to the many shops inside the market.
Photograph by x-girl

The present system of wholesale market in Japan has two features:
1. Local governments found and manage their central wholesale markets
2. Prices are fixed on the basis of auction regardless of volume of transaction

This is a unique system in the world; the law restricts transactions in the markets to maintain impartiality.
Before central wholesale markets were established, most prices had been negotiated in secret between sellers and buyers. This led to unfair transactions and placed producers and consumers under disadvantages.

Photograph by Jad 23

There are 88 central wholesale markets in 56 cities in Japan.
- 54 markets for fish
- 5 markets for fruits and vegetables
- 19 markets for flowers
- 10 markets for meat

Photograph by Chris 73

Pictures above and below is the Oroshi Hocho. A long knife with a blade length of 150 cm (60 inches) in addition to a 30 cm (12 inch) handle. It can fillet a tuna in a single cut, although usually two to three people are needed to handle the knife and the tuna. The flexible blade is curved to the shape of the spine to minimize the amount of meat remaining on the tuna chassis. The hancho hocho is the shorter blade with a length of around 100 cm (39 inches) in addition to the handle.

Photograph by Derek Mawhinney
Photograph by Yelena YK

During the first auction of 2010, a tuna was sold for 16.28 million yen ($175,000 USD), the highest price paid in Japan in nine years. The bluefin tuna weighed 232 kg - nearly four times as much as the average Japanese man. It was caught off the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu, in waters famed for high quality fish.

The tuna was bought jointly by one of the city’s most upmarket restaurants, and an entrepreneur from Hong Kong who runs a chain of sushi bars. Last year a similar fish made less than 10 million yen. (source: BBC)

Photograph by Yelena YK

Sources
- http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji_fish_market
- http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/tokyo-fish-market-japan-photos/#31498_600×450.jpg
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oroshi_hocho
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8440758.stm

Photograph by Eric Boyles
Photograph by AndyHiggins

Ideas From : http://twistedsifter.com/category/prop-strut/

Crescent Moon Lake

2010-01-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

It's said to look like the lips of a beautiful seductress. Or a slice of cantaloupe. But most agree it resembles a crescent moon that's fallen from the sky. It's none of these things of course, but Crescent Lake near Dunhuang, China, is a natural wonder.

Surrounded by Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Spring has been gurgling up through the sand dunes of the Gobi Desert for thousands of years. Sand blows around it but has never managed to smother it, though the size of the lake has shrunk over the years.

Not surprisingly it's a destination for sand sliding and dune surfing, as well as 4x4 and camel riding.

Creative Subways Around the World

2010-01-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Bringing inspiration and creativity to the masses, public art installations can be found from quiet rural villages to large cities that never sleep. But sometimes, some of the most interesting works of art and design in public spaces are hidden, and in some cases, underground. Prague Station above is a pretty good example.

In cosmopolitan cities around the world, the subway systems that run underground offer some of the most interesting art and architecture, available only to those opting for ticket on public transportation.

New York.

An extensive network that shuttles commuters around the busy city, New York’s subway system is an iconic one. An online subway art guide makes it easy to track down specific works as well as look up which artist helped bring a creative eye to your favorite subway station.

Stockholm

Located in one of the world’s most design conscious cities, it’s no surprise that the Stockholm is a shining example of how taking public transportation can be a beautiful and uplifting experience. Over 90 of the city’s 100 stations feature work by almost 140 different artists, and is often referred to as the “world’s longest art exhibit.” If you don’t have plans to visit the Nordic capital anytime soon, there’s an excellent photography project to document all of Stockholm’s subway stations, which you can check out here.

Paris

Opened in 1900 Le Métro is possibly one of the world’s most famous subway systems. At many of the subway stops, the visual experience begins upon entry, marked with the classic Art Nouveau inspired entryways. Throughout the system there are several notable stops, particularly the stop for the Louvre which makes the traveler feel the subway stop is almost part of the famed museum itself. At the Abesses station in the heart of the Monmartre district, visitors are greeted with colorful murals that cover the walls all the way down a spiral staircase that leads to the underground station. Unfortunately, in recent years, much of the murals have been covered in graffiti.

Munich

Younger than other subway systems (it began running in 1972), Munich’s U-Bahn still has a distinct sense of flair and style. The architecture in many of the stations is progressive and certainly pushes the envelope, bringing in bright colors and strong, modern lines. The station at Sankt-Quirin-Platz has a particular draw to it thanks to its combination of natural and urban elements.

Lisbon

Warm colors and a relaxed attitude that are synonymous with the southern part of the European continent are truly reflected in Lisbon’s Metro. Traveling in Portugal’s capital is a feast for the eyes, where all of the city’s metro stops incorporate works of contemporary art. Stations feature a variety of Portugese artists, paying homage to the finest in the country’s creativity and providing a playful space that’s fun to travel in.

Santiago

Boasting South America’s most extensive and modern metro system – it carries over 2 million people every day – it’s no surprise that Santiago’s subway stations have a compelling look to them. In particular, Estación Simón Bolívar is worth a look, with its LED lit railings and long escalators that look nearly never-ending. The stop for Universidad de Chile features a giant mural that represents the history of the country; other stations offer everything from modern art to landscapes to multimedia installations, providing something to please every eye.

Dubai

Pretty cool Video here -Dubai Metro at 474 miles per hour in HD.

Dubai’s metro only opening in September 2009, but it’s already receiving acclaim. Not only do the trains go incredibly fast – this video clocks it at 474 miles per hour – but as with most structure in Dubai, the subway’s architecture is extravagant and edgy. Travel along these rails and you’ll almost feel like you’ve arrived somewhere far in the future.

Tokyo

Shinjuku Subway Art

Tokyo reflections by cheungvogl

Prague – line a station

Bund sightseeing tunnel

Blueprint for the 2012 London Olympic venues

2010-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

London 2012 Olympic Games main stadium blueprints. That is one of Europe’s largest engineering programme from the London Olympic Delivery Authority (Olympic Delivery Authority) planning, in April 2008 to commence in 2012 and put into use.

According to the London Olympics official Tessa Jowell said that this project will be built in east London, London is one of the poorest areas. The main stadium area will reach 600 acres (250 hectares), the Library established a total of 80,000 seats

The World's Best Places to Live

2009-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Finland was recently named the best place in the world to live, thanks largely to great air and water quality, low rates of infant diseases, and protection from water pollution and natural disasters. What else is great about Finland? Well, for starters, Finland ...

* Boasts the Northern Lights
* Hosts the Sauna World Championships
* Offers sleddog vacations
* Is home to the Ice Hotel

Plus, it's gorgeous.

Cathedral bridge

celand also made the list of the world's best places to live. Despite it's name, Iceland is not made entirely of ice. In fact, Iceland offers:

* Opportunities to surf
* Excursions to the Icelandic Phallological Museum
* Some of the most gorgeous valleys in the world
* Scuba diving

Iceland has all this, plus ... it's stunningly beautiful.

At the Blue lagoon, Iceland

Across Reykjavik
Norway made the cut, too. Despite it's reputation as being expensive, Norway has:

* Amazing views
* Amazing coasts
* The amazing Hurtigruten
* Some of the world's most amazing islands

Don't believe us? Check out this amazing gallery.

Norway
Magnificent reflection
Ahhhh ... Sweden. There are so many reasons to love this nation:

* It's home to one of the world's top tech cities.
* You can see the world's longest art gallery here.
* It'll soon have an ABBA museum!
* They even have Swedish tacos.

Yup ... it wouldn't be hard to live here.

Red sunset and an ancor
Stockholm, Sweden
Austria rounds out the list of the five most liveable countries. However, just because it came in at number five -- and just because it has controversial urinals -- don't dismiss this nation. Austria is the proud home of:

* The world's largest ice caves
* One of the world's most elegant Easter festivals
* Entire villages you can RENT!
* One of the world's most unusual spas

Of course, the nation is lovely to look at, too.

It was a long conversation but at the end he didn't want to sell the house
Austria

The Creepiest Places Where You Spent the Nigh

2009-12-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here’s some unforgettable places that blasted chills down my spine. Haunted, sinister, evil or just plain weird, for those that dream about traveling the world, welcome to your nightmare. It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe in ghosts, there are some places in which none of us would want to spend a night. Paranormal activity is an really a very international affair, and ghosts and apparitions intermingle with the living everywhere day and night.

Margam Castle located near Port Talbot, South Wales

For over a hundred years, rumors of hauntings have plagued this ominous, uninhabited castle. Screams can often be heard from outside and sometimes a strange, cold mist seems to bleed through the walls. It is a disturbing chill that seeps to your very bones. Many years ago, the beautiful woman who once owned the castle died suddenly and without explanation. Some people said it was a murder, yet others were convinced she ended her own life. Do you have the nerve to spend a night in this Haunted House? Margam Castle is a Tudor Gothic castle that was built in the mid-1800’s. It has many spectacular features, such as the beautiful winding staircase and an old cistercian Abbey; the castle is located near Port Talbot, South Wales. Because of the history of this castle no one has inhabited this place for over a hundred years! Guests have the option to spend the night until 7AM. If guests wish to stay the whole night they will have to bring their own sleeping bags as there are no beds to sleep in.

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Fall River, Massachusetts

The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast is located in the home where murders occurred. Visitors can tour the home and murder scenes, and guests may spend the night in the house. In 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby, were brutally murdered by someone wielding an axe. Although ultimately acquitted of the crime, Borden’s youngest daughter, Lizzie, never regained her precrime innocence, and many folks in Fall River (and around the country) remained convinced that she got away with murder. Today, the house in which the Bordens lived and died is a city landmark, a museum, and a bed and breakfast. Although Lizzie Borden was acquitted, no one else was ever arrested or tried, and she has remained notorious in American folklore. Dispute over the identity of the killer or killers continues to this day.

Manchac Swamp Louisiana

The Manchac Swamp, also known as the “haunted swamp,” near New Orleans is a Southern Gothic fan’s dream. An imprisoned voodoo queen is said to have cast a curse on these watery surroundings around the turn of the last century, resulting in the disappearance of three hamlets in a hurricane in 1915. This swamp is a wilderness jewel. Sims’s photographs and John Kemp’s text have made timeless the people and place of Manchac Swamp. The Manchac Swamp Bridge is a bridge in the US state of Louisiana. With a total length of 22.80 miles (36.69 km) it is the third longest bridge in the world by total length (see List of bridges by length). The bridge carries Interstate 55 over the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana, and represents one-third of the highway’s approximately 66 miles in Louisiana. Torchlit nighttime boat tours are offered by the Old River Plantation Adventure. But beware: As anyone who has spent a night in the wild can tell you, nature can be anything but gentle, and the staring red-eyed alligators can give you a real fright as they watch your boat cruise slowly by.

Monastery Ostrog Montenegro

Monastery Ostrog, a miracle build by nature and human interactions, carved almost in its entirety in a vertical mountain cliff, is today the pearl of Montenegrin spiritualism that is annually visited by more then a hundred thousand pilgrims from around the world and of all religions. This destination which will take your breath away will fill your soul with elevated feelings of love towards God. It is open to all people at any time of day or night. Just the travel to the Upper monastery is a sacred journey. Believers are expected to walk barefooted from the Lower to the Upper monastery but many can be seen making the assent on their knees. From the monastery one must take holy water, oil, incense anaphora or a small package of icons, or a cross weaved of wheat. With the items, people that could not make the journey can be touched. In front of the relics of this saint many come for spiritual and physical healing, and cases of miracles are well documented even today. There is now the opportunity to spend the night at the monastery with an adjacent building that was created in the same style. Only a bed, blanket and pillow are available in the humble rooms, but the secret advice of the priest is also available.

Bran Castle, Bran, Romania

Bran Castle situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Brasov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, on DN73. Commonly known as “Dracula’s Castle” (although it is one among several locations linked to the Dracula legend, including Poienari Castle and Hunyad Castle), it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In 1897 Bram Stoker wrote a terrifying story about Count Dracula. A century after, there are still people who believe in it. Even researchers are trying to find out the truth about Dracula. All are trying to clear the mystery: was there or wasn’t there a vampire in Transylvania? How many of these fabulous stories are legends and how many say the truth? Here is the legend about Dracula. His castle is supposed to be Bran’s Castle since its narrow corridors constitute a mysterious labyrinth of ghostly nooks and secret chambers easy to hide a “vampire”. According to an official of the Bran Castle administration, there will be made certain changes in the castle. A projection hall with the images of the National Film Archives about the history of the royal family and the castle will be arranged. Also, a room dedicated to the costumes of the royal families and a dining-room will be arranged. Further more, in the Round Tower of the castle a luxurious apartment will be made for the tourists that want to spend the night over Bran Castle.

An Arabian Desert Experience

2009-12-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

An Arabian Desert Experience – Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

The true taste of romance and magic in the Arabian Desert:

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa offers exclusivity and luxury to connoisseurs of comfort who seek the true taste of romance and magic in the Arabian Desert. Boasting unobstructed panoramic views of the Hajar Mountains and the surrounding sand dunes, the resort is designed to reflect a Bedouin encampment in a protected reserve where you can experience the authentic culture and heritage of Arabia and protected wildlife and flora during complimentary daily activities from archery, camel safaris and 4-wheel dune driving. For pure relaxation the Timeless Spa offers signature treatments featuring local products, with traditional Rasool rooms and cold plunge pool.

Al Maha’s cuisine is exotic and enticing:

Dining at Al Maha is about options in an atmosphere of relaxed informality. Styles range from Mediterranean to Arabic, in settings which can be intimate or informal. All meals are inclusive and guests can enjoy a sundowner on the terrace or a relaxing drink in The Bar. The finest international chefs ensure guests enjoy the very highest culinary standards, wherever they choose to dine – from the relaxed informality of Al Diwaan Restaurant and its alfresco veranda, to the intimacy of a romantic meal on the private deck of a guest suite. With a variety of options from the Middle East and Mediterranean and with special theme menus featuring Indian, Sri Lankan and Japanese dishes, Al Maha’s cuisine is exotic and enticing.

Offering spectacular views of the desert, Al Maha’s bar deck is a wonderful place for sundowners. Inside, the bar is richly decorated with beautiful artwork and antiques. The Lounge and its veranda are places for meeting, reading or simply watching the indigenous animals gather at the nearby waterhole. Should guests wish to enjoy an informal snack or meal in these relaxing surroundings, it can easily be arranged.

Al Maha’s Jamilah Spa & Leisure Centre:

Surrounded by indigenous flora and cascading water features and offering panoramic views of the desert and the distant Hajar Mountains, Al Maha’s Jamilah Spa & Leisure Centre boasts state-of-the-art LifeFitness equipment, a sauna, steam room, interior Jacuzzi and ice-cold plunge pool. Complete body massage treatments are available in a choice of single or double massage rooms that connect with hydrotherapy and Rasool therapy rooms. Relaxation can also be found outside, in the pool which overlooks the infinite desert horizon.

On-site activities:

Guests are entitled to two complimentary on-site activities per day during their stay at Al Maha, weather permitting. Traditional desert pursuits, such as falconry, camel treks, horse-riding and archery, recall a former way of life. For sheer excitement, an outing in a rugged four-wheel drive vehicle cannot be beaten. In contrast, guided nature walks offer a quieter and more informative way to experience the desert.

Beautiful Italy destinations

2009-12-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

Italy is blessed with its natural beauty. Old cities like Venice, a name which later became synonymous to architectural excellence, Rome and Sicily all adds up to its natural splendor. Italy is one of the biggest producers of wine. Traveling a destination like Italy is certain to provide lot of entertainment and pleasure which you will endeavor for all your life. Travel Planners has collected a few natural clips of this country. You might as well run for to book a holiday ticket after you view these images. So beautiful it is. Do evaluate it yourselves.

The Valle dei Templi is an archaeological site in Agrigento, Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy. The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. Much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783-1863), who was the Duke of Serradifalco from 1809 through 1812.

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. “The Five Lands” comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world. It’s housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi, a palazzo in Florence, Italy.

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign (81–96). The name “Amphitheatrum Flavium” derives from both Vespasian’s and Titus’s family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

The Sassi di Matera are prehistoric cave dwellings in the Italian city of Matera, Basilicata. Situated in the old town, they are composed of the Sasso Caveoso and the later Sasso Barisano.

Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD.

The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy (Province of Salerno), extending from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east.

Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.

Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy. At approximately 44 hectares (110 acres) (0.44 km²), and with a population of just over 800, it is the smallest country in the world by both population and area

Saint Mark’s Basilica the cathedral church of Venice, is the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies on Piazza San Marco (in the San Marco sestiere or district) adjacent and connected to the Doge’s Palace. Originally it was the “chapel” of the Venetian rulers, and not the city’s cathedral. Since 1807 it has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building was known by the nickname Chiesa d’Oro

The Roman Forum sometimes known by its original Latin name, is located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill of the city of Rome, Italy. It is the central area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed. Citizens referred to the location as the “Forum Magnum” or just the “Forum”.

The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses and private water taxis, but many tourists visit it by gondola. At one end the canal leads into the lagoon near Santa Lucia railway station and the other end leads into Saint Mark Basin: in between it makes a large S-shape through the central districts (”sestieri”) of Venice. It is 3,800 m long, 30-90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply The Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa’s Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church (Duomo) of Florence, Italy, begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival facade by Emilio De Fabris.

The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city.

Assisi is a town and comune of Italy in province of Perugia, in the Umbria region and on the western flank of Monte Subasio.

It was the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare (Chiara d’Offreducci), the founder of the Poor Clares. Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows of the 19th century was also born in Assisi.

Mount Vesuviusis a stratovolcano east of Naples, Italy. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting. The two other volcanoes in Italy, (Etna and Stromboli) are located on islands.

Chianti Wine Route

The Frasassi Caves are a remarkable karst cave system in the municipality of Genga, Italy, in the province of Ancona, Marche. They are among the most famous show caves in Italy.

Alberobello is a small town and comune in the province of Bari, in Puglia, Italy. It has about 11,000 inhabitants and is famous for its unique trulli constructions. The Trulli of Alberobello are part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1996.

Luxurious Hotels In New York For Xmas Vacation

2009-12-15T04:54:00.000-08:00

Marriott at the Brooklyn BridgeNew York City is the most populated city in the United States and even as a region New York is very popular among travelers. This is the number one destination in the Untied States for foreign visitors as it is the cultural, financial, entertainment, industrial, fashion and commercial center of the United States. However the key to enjoy your entire Big Apple tenure is to consult guides that offer compact knowledge regarding New York Hotels. Of course there is very long list but we have selected some and we believe that are worth your stay in New York. These desirable New York Hotels offer various amenities and services only for your comfort.

Mandarin Oriental, Dallas
Millenium Hilton Hotel New York
The New York Palace
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park
The Plaza hotel New York
The Peninsula New York
Best Western Seaport Inn Downtown
Exchange Hotel New York
Loews Regency Hotel New York

Hong Kong Photos – 10 Superb Skyscrapers Of Hong Kong

2009-12-15T03:45:00.001-08:00

Langham Place – Hong KongHong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world, and this adds to its charm and colorful culture. Here you will find a dichotomous way of life – its society is largely modern and capitalistic, but its people still maintain Chinese traditions. It is indeed one of the world’s most dynamic cities, and it looks likes it will live up to this reputation for a very long time. Walking through the Hong Kong you will find a view of some of the most beautiful and modern architectures. Let’s take a look at some really incredible skyscrapers of Hong Kong.

International Commerce Centre - Hong Kong
Nina Tower – Hong Kong
Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower – Hong Kong
Bank of China Tower
Two International Finance Centre (2IFC) – Hong Kong
Lippo Plaza – Hong Kong
Cheung Kong Center – Hong Kong
The Center – Hong Kong

Dollar Cafe World’s most expensive wallpapers

2009-12-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

Cities Decorated For Christmas Celebrations

2009-12-14T04:28:00.000-08:00

The grand opening of world’s largest Christmas Tree “ Salute Crowned” in Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio de Janeiro.

Glowing Christmas Lights around Diagonal Avenue, Barcelona

Early Christmas decorations in the streets of Vienna, Austria.

Artificial Christmas tree in Reforma Avenue, Mexico City which is 111 meters in height.

People busy in shopping in two main shopping streets Oxford streets and Regent Street, London.

People gathered around children’s Museum which is been decorated with lights in San Jose, Calif.

The official opening of “The Magic Christmas” show at Disneyland Paris.

Decorated streets of Sofia, Bulgaria.

The traditional Christmas market in Frankfurt, which will be opened until Dec 22.

Kid taking a snap of interior of Christmas tree at a shopping centre in Singapore.

The spire is decorated with a red cloth to look like a candle at Christmas markets in Slots, Germany.

Christmas decorations around the streets of Beirut, Lebanon.

77th Annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller Centre which is lit up in New York on Dec 2.

The decorated Parliament building in Tbilisi on Dec 6.

Housed in New Oreland are decorated with Christmas lights.

Illuminating Christmas lights along the Champs Elysees in Paris.

People sitting on the banks of the decorated Medellin River in Medellin, Spain.

Spectators waiting for the start of 77th Annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Centre in New York on Dec 2.

People watching the official opening of Christmas tree in front of Royal Palace in Warsaw on Dec 5th.

The lights in the form of Christmas tree decorated with slopes of Mount Indzhino in Gubbio in the district of Perugia in Italy on December 7th.

Christmas tree in front of White House in Washington DC on Dec 8th.

Its Christmas time, the festival is coming very close. The streets in different countries are been glowing with illuminating bright lights on the eve of Christmas holidays. You can see verity of Christmas trees and colorful lights which are lit up around the shopping streets.

7 wonders of the world You visit in Xmas

2009-12-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

100 million people are agre that this 7 places, which deserve name “wonders of a world”:

The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures – the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.

Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

The Roman Colosseum (70 – 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy

This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum’s original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.

The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India

This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 – 1644 A.D.) China

The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.

Petra (9 B.C. – 40 A.D.), Jordan

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru

In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu (”old mountain”). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained ‘lost’ for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Five Christmas Islands

2009-12-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

If you want to go to Christmas Island for a holiday, you are spoilt for choice. There are several islands going by that name, and by dint of majority, Australia wins the crown as the true Christmas country hands down.

There are five places around the globe that share that name, of which one is an exception, while the others share some characteristics. Let’s start off with the exception.

Christmas Island, Nova Scotia

Christmas Island is not an Island, but a community in Cape Breton. Its name is not derived from the feast day, but from the family name of a native who presumably took his name from the feast. Christmas Island hosts a Gaelic music festival every year in August, and its post office receives letters from stamp

collectors from around the world for its Christmas Island post stamp.

Christmas Island, Kiribati

Today called Kiritimati (pronounce the ‘ti’ as ‘s’ to get the sound right), a direct transliteration of the English Christmas into the local Gilbertese language, the island is part of the Republic of Kiribati. Christmas Island was discovered (by European standards) on Christmas Eve 1777 by Thomas Cook, and hence got its name. Before that it had formed part of the Polynesian trade route for centuries. Today, the entire island is a wildlife sanctuary. The world’s largest coral atoll is also the place that first celebrates New Year.
Little Christmas Island, Tasmania

Little Christmas Island is a small island off the east coast of Tasmania. It forms part of the Schouten Islands, named after the Dutch navigator who rounded the Cape Horn (which he named after his birthplace of Hoorn) in 1616. Little Christmas Island is a Nature Reserve under that name since 2008. Part of its attraction is the abundance of Little Penguins.
Christmas Island, Tasmania

Christmas Island in the Bass Strait is part of the New Year Islands of which the largest, King Island, was discovered in 1798. The island is again a nature reserve. Tasmania holds the distinction of having 19 national parks which cover 40 percent of the territory. All but two of these nature reserve parks are open to the public.
The Territory of Christmas Island, Australia

The Australian territory is the one we normally think of when hearing Christmas Island. Geographically, the volcanic Island in the Indian Ocean lies much nearer to the Indonesian island of Java than to Australia. Together with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands it constitutes the Australian Indian Ocean Territories. William Mynors named the island when he arrived there on Christmas Day 1643, but he and his men were too craven to disembark. In 1688, the pirates of the Cygnet under William Dampier were the first to go on land and find it uninhabited.
The highest elevation on the island is Murray Hill (no, nothing to do with Tennis or Wimbledon), named after the explorer and geologist John Murray. And when phosphate and lime were discovered, the Island was finally annexed by the British Crown in 1888. Originally administrated by the Crown Colony of Singapore, it was transferred to Australia in 1957.
What seemed like a good idea at the time has turned out to become a permanent embarrassment. The Australian government had to deal with streams of refugees from the late 1980s onwards and has led to legislation that seems, coming from a nation dominated by Europeans, to be racist. Had the same legislation been passed by Singapore, nobody would bat an eye. The law states that Christmas Island is not part of Australia proper (so to speak), and that any refugees arriving there may be shipped back to wherever they came from.
Christmas Island is another nature paradise. The migration of the red land crabs is usually named as one of the wonders of the natural world. The crabs suffer from the invasion of a foreign belligerent ant, against which no measures taken so far have proven effective. Two thirds of the island is a nature reserve. Though several local species have gone extinct since the advent of settlers in the 19th century, the islands fauna and flora are still rich and of immense value to science.

Roopkund The Mysterious Skeleton Lake

2009-12-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Roopkund is one of the most enticing and fascinating places of the world. Situated in the isolated corners of the greatest mountains of Himalayas at a height of about 5029 meters equalizing at about 16500 feet, it is a creation that nature has brought about in quite an interesting manner. People tend to locate it in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Roopkund has an inscrutability and vagueness that has decepted multiple generations of fortune tellers.

Roopkund is better off known as “The skeleton lake” due to the presence of an enormous grave that holds about 300 to 600 skeletons. This discovery has revolutionized the world of ancient history ever since 1942, when a park ranger came across this mass deposition of bones. It probably is an in-accessible frozen lake that requires about four day travel to reach from the nearest locality. Recently, it has become an important spot for the visitors as they learn and conjecture this advent of science.

Frozen Roopkund

Through carbon dating tests, it has been experimentally estimated that these skeletons belong to anytime between 12^th and 15^th century. It is primarily believed that the deaths were caused by some kind of natural disaster like a blizzard, landslide or any bacterial disease. However, this topic still remains controversial among the residents, anthropologists and paleontologists of modern times.

Some went ahead to mystify the deaths with fictional possibilities and creating folklores out of it. Others suggested multiple causalities of the skeletons being those of wandering Tibetan traders who had lost their way, royal pilgrims, people committing ritualistic suicides, vanquished army etc.

More recently in 2004, a team of European and Indian scientists sent by The National Geographic Channel visited Roopkund to carry on with the probe. Their research has unearthed interesting hints and information. Part of their findings includes anthropological treasures like well-preserved corpses, jewelry, bones and skulls belonging to the dead.

Skeletons at Roopkund Lake

By conducting DNA tests on these bodies the experts have found that the dead belonged to two different teams. One team is marked by the shorter stature of the skeletons while the other is significantly taller. The first group is thought to be of local artisans while those belonging to the second group were possibly members of the same clan, like porters.

A fresh set of radio carbon dating was carried out on the bodies to reveal that the previous dating had come up with incorrect chronological data. The dead are ascribed a new 9th century date. The scientists of London and Hyderabad examined the skulls closely to find out fractures, which they deem to be the result of an abrupt hailstorm. The hails were unusually large in volume – about the size of a tennis ball each!

Shivling (6540m) view from Tapovan plateau, Himalaya, India.

the way back from Roopkund

No wonder that anyone exposed to such a calamity in a mercilessly open Garhwal Himalayan plain were doomed to be perished. The raw air and icy hail blasts contributed to their holocaust. It is speculated that more than one landslide has struck Roopkund ever since the massacre. This has served in burying some of the bodies inside the lake – the ones that are still found intact, preserved under ice.

Sadhu doing Aarti with Lamp at Roopkund

Even if the dating and possible causes behind such tragic death have been hinted at, the mystery continues about a different aspect of the Skeleton Lake. It still puzzles experts to think about where these people were going. Roopkund was never a historically significant region and no traces of any trade routes have been found to Tibet nor could it possibly be a site for pilgrimage to attract large groups of people.

However, the documentary ‘Skeleton Lake’ made by the National Geographic Channel has countered this assumption. The film claimed that Roopkund was the venue for the Garhwali religious festival called ‘Nanda Jaat yatra’ held in every 12 years. A procession consisting of a newborn four-horned ram considered the familiar of a Goddess starts from the nearest village and heads towards Roopkund.

Coming back to the Skeleton Lake riddle, probably the skeletons were those of the devotees participating in such a mass procession centuries ago. The folklores say that a certain king had participated in this religious ‘yatra’ with his company of female dancers. This had offended the Goddess Nanda and she vented her rage by bringing down the snowstorm at the hapless revelers.

Such accounts might sound mere fairytales, but it is quite possible that at least the taller bodies were of royalty and the short statured bodies scattered everywhere along Roopkund were of local porters – all killed by a destructive hailstorm. Whatever may be the reason of their death – no one still knows what lead so many people to take such an arduous journey so many years ago.

Moscow from the Bird’s Sight

2009-11-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

Burj Dubai, Tallest Skyscraper First Look Inside

2009-11-29T09:16:00.000-08:00

Towering high above the Dubai skyline, Burj Dubai, the world's tallest man-made construction, edges closer to completion (2010). These stunning aerial and exclusive interior images provide a glimpse into the lavish creation which has cost an estimated UD$1 billion to build, with a further three billion budgeted for the entire complex.

Reports have suggested that Giorgio Armani himself will oversee all aspects of content, design and style, including interiors and amenities. And the fashion guru will be incorporating the his exclusive label's designs into the furnishings. The water system will supply 250,000 gallons each day and the tower's external surface is the size of 17 football fields. The building will have the worlds fastest elevators at speeds of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s).

The Burj Dubai has been designed to be the centre of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, 9 hotels, 6 acres of parkland, 19 residential towers, and the 12 hectare Burj Dubai Lake. Check out the exclusive images from Burj Dubai.

World’s Most Incredible Hotel Swimming Pools

2009-11-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

Intercontinental Hotel: Hong Kong
For me, the hot, sweaty days of summer have always been synonymous with the smell of chlorine. Rising temperatures force me to flock to a community or backyard pool to seek a little relief from the sun. Unfortunately, these swimming spots can get a bit stale, not to mention overcrowded. But a few hotels and resorts have designed the most innovative, incredible swimming pools in the world to give swimmers and sunbathers a welcome respite from the usual chlorine chaos. From relaxing to adventurous (swimming next to sharks?), these pools are anything but ordinary.

Burj Al Arab: Dubai

Golden Nugget Las Vegas
That's a 200,000 gallon shark tank in the middle.

Crown Towers Hotel: Taipa Island Macau

Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, Palms Hotel Las Vegas

San Alfonso del Mar, Chile

Beautiful City Tour : Budapest-Hungary

2009-11-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

That Budapest - one of the most beautiful cities in the world – has developed where it is, is not down to some historical accident. Take a look at Gellért Hill, right next to the River Danube as it flows majestically through the centre of the modern city. It was precisely the combination of the relative ease of crossing the River here and the natural protection the hill offered against invasion that decided the earliest settlers it was the ideal place to build a town. The Eravisci, a tribe of highly cultured Celts, had already settled at Gellért Hill in the third and fourth centuries B.C. They worked with iron, decorated their earthenware pots and even minted their own coins. Later, the Romans built a settlement at today’s Óbuda. They called it Aquincum and it was an important station along the limes which ran alongside the River Danube.

The advantages of settling here were equally obvious at the time of the Magyar Conquest. The new settlers built a centre on both sides of the River. Interestingly, both parts came collectively to be known as Pest. Some researchers say that the word is of Slavic origin, meaning stove or kiln, and refers to the natural warm springs found on and near Gellért Hill. The Royal Charter dating from 1232 appears to back this up. The name Buda came somewhat later, during the reign of King Béla IV. When Hungary was invaded and devastated by the Mongols (1241-1242), King Béla ordered new castles and fortresses to be built all around the country. He provided a good example, for he built the first Royal Palace in Buda on what from that time on become known as Castle Hill. It was also he who, in a gold-sealed letter of 1244, conferred privileges on the towns that enabled them to develop agriculture and trade. Buda became the royal seat around the turn of the fifteenth century under the rule of Sigismund of Luxembourg, and the Royal Palace grew ever larger until its zenith was reached under King Matthias (ruled 1458-1490). Pest also prospered at this time, and Matthias raised it to equal rank with Buda. In between the two, contemporary records show that Margaret Island was home not only to several monasteries but also to a castle built by the crusaders. Following the dire Hungarian defeat at the Battle of Mohács (1526) the Turks sacked and burned Buda. Pest and Óbuda, too, suffered dreadfully as a result of the century-and-a-half of Turkish rule that followed. The Turks did, however, build baths fed by the hot springs. Their cupolas appear on contemporary engravings, and of course some of them are still extant today – the most visible legacy of that period.

Buda was freed from Turkish rule on 2nd September, 1686, and so began the next period of development. Many places outside the capital gained the right to hold markets, and there were social developments as well. A printing press was established in Buda by 1724, and in 1777 Empress Maria Theresa had the country’s only scientific university moved here from Nagyszombat (today Trnava in Slovakia), bringing with it an influx of learned tutors and youthful students. Emperor Joseph II later switched it from Buda to Pest, a move which promoted a big growth in Hungarian-language literature and in due course theatre, because up until that time the dominant language of culture in Buda had been German. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Kisfaludy Társaság, and the National Theatre together played a pivotal rôle in the social development of the city. This was also the age when newspapers started, among them the ground-breaking Pesti Hírlap founded by Lajos Kossuth.

Dubai Airport

2009-11-10T22:02:00.000-08:00

Living on the Edge: 5 Clifftop Towns

2009-11-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Ronda (Spain): divided by a 100-meter deep canyon
Located in a very mountainous area about 750 metres (2,500 ft) above mean sea level, Ronda is a clifftop town in the spanish province of Malaga. "El Tajo", a 100-meter deep canyon, separates the old town form the new one, leaving some of the buildings and houses right on the edge of abyss. Going from one side to the other is possible, as the canyon is spanned by three bridges, each built in a different historical age: Roman, Moorish and 18th Century.

Bonifacio (Corsica): 70 meters (230 ft) over the Mediterranean Sea

At the southern tip of the island of Corsica, Bonifacio is the largest commune of the island. This fragile looking citadel sits precariously at 70 meters (230 ft) over the white limestone cliffs, eaten away by the wind and waves of the Mediterranean Sea. A naval haven throughout the century, Bonifacio is now a small marina for expensive yachts from around the world.

Castellfolit de la Roca (Spain): situated on a 50 meters (164 ft) high basalt crag

A municipality in Catalonia, Spain, Castellfollit de la Roca is bordered by the confluence of the Fluvià and Toronell rivers, between which the town's basalt cliff rises. The basalt crag where the town is situated is over 50 meters high and almost a kilometre long. It was formed by the overlaying of two lava flows and it is one of the smallest towns in the province.

Santorini (Greece): a 300 meter (984 ft) high paradise

Located about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland, the archipelago of Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. Its spectacular physical beauty, along with a dynamic nightlife, have made the island one of Europe's tourist hotspots. The Minoan eruption, which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization, left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (70 miles) to the south, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami. The giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, mesures about 12 km by 7 km (8 mi by 4 mi) and is surrounded by 300 m (984 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides.

Manarola (Italy): Italy's most precariously placed town

Located in Liguria, Manarola is certainly one of Italy's most precariously placed towns. It’s hard to say just how old this village is, but ancient Roman texts have been found which celebrated the wines produced there. Today, you can still enjoy strolls through the vineyards, a walk on the Via dell’Amore (Path of Love) and its brightly colored buildings just near the edge.

Airport in Gibraltar

2009-11-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

This airport is interesting fact that its runway intersects road into Spain. When aircraft taxis to the runway, highway from both sides overlaps by barriers, stopping the flow of transport.

Gibraltar Airport is the civilian airport that serves the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on the Iberian Peninsula. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence for use by the Royal Air Force as RAF Gibraltar. Civilian operators use the airport; currently the only scheduled flights operate to the United Kingdom and Spain. Passengers depart and arrive through the civilian operated terminal.