Sunday, February 21, 2010

Happy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle Beach

Happy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle BeachHappy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle BeachHappy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle BeachHappy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle BeachHappy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle BeachHappy Travel : Vacation to Myrtle Beach
Many people get off the ground to plan their summer vacation, They found perfect getaways to getting a vacation at Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach is considered as one of the top 10 most visited place in the US territory that draws an annual visitors of 14 million where numerous fun activities and great accommodations await you when you visit the place. The Myrtle Beach Hotels are famous with their vast amenities that cater to the whole family. Children have their own designated resort areas while ladies can enjoy the beach service with an active club and party setting. Experience the luxurious Myrtle Beach Accommodations could offer, with an unending range of actions like frolicking under the sun, shopping, water sports, fishing, water and amusement parks, nightlife and fine dining.

Happy Travel : Cruise is a great way to spend your vacation

Cruise is a great way to spend your vacation
Cruise is a great way to spend your vacation. You can both relax and have fun on a cruise. Whether its a Alaska cruise or Caribbean cruise, it doesn't matter. You can have fun on any cruise. Some Cruises involve activities for children, so you can take your kids to the cruise and have them relaxed as well. For the kids you can take a disney cruise Many doctors agree that sea air is good for your health, and on a cruise you have lots of it. So if your health isn't great - take a Cruise!
Cruise is a great way to spend your vacation
A Mediterranean cruise is a journey to the heart of human civilization. This is possibly the only cruise with the most destinations of historical and cultural significance of all cruises. Many people will find a Mediterranean Cruise to be romantic, very educational and highly adventurous. You also have Alska and Caribbean cruises to choose from. So choose the cruise you want and go start packing. Norwegian cruise is also great - discover the great fyords of Norway cruises. Carnival cruises is a great deal if you want a good cruise company.
Cruise is a great way to spend your vacation
To choose the right cruise for you, you should see your travel agent. Many cruise trips are affordable for the average pocket. You can find great Cruise Deals and Cruise Discounts on the net. Our site provides such opportunities. Cruise deals are easy to find - just ask you agent. Many Cruise deals offer cheaper cruises on cheaper ships. You should think twice before you go on one of those. Take a safe a cruise and not a cheap cruise because its cheap.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Himeji Castle is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings

Himeji Castle is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings
Himeji serves as an excellent example of the prototypical Japanese castle, containing many of the defensive and architectural features most associated with Japanese castles
Himeji Castle was originally built in 1346. At this time, it was called Himeyama Castle. In 1331
Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō?)

Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō?) is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings. It is occasionally known as Hakurojō or Shirasagijō ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior.

It was registered as one of the first Japanese World Heritage Sites by UNESCO World Heritage Site and five structures of the castle have been designated as National Treasure in December, 1993. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, it is one of Japan's "Three Famous Castles", and is the most visited castle in Japan.

Himeji serves as an excellent example of the prototypical Japanese castle, containing many of the defensive and architectural features most associated with Japanese castles. The tall stone foundations, whitewashed walls, and layout of the buildings within the complex are standard elements of any Japanese castle, and the site also features many other examples of typical castle design, including gun emplacements and stone-dropping holes.

One of Himeji's most important defensive elements, and perhaps its most famous, is the confusing maze of paths leading to the main keep. The gates, baileys, and outer walls of the complex are organized so as to cause an approaching force to travel in a spiral pattern around the castle on their way into the keep, facing many dead ends. This allowed the intruders to be watched and fired upon from the keep during their entire approach. However, Himeji was never attacked in this manner, and so the system remains untested.

Himeji Castle was originally built in 1346. At this time, it was called Himeyama Castle. In 1331, Akamatsu Sadanori planned a castle at the base of Mount Himeji, where Akamatsu Norimura had constructed the temple of Shomyoji. After Akamatsu fell during the Kakitsu War, Yamana clan briefly took over planning of the castle; the Akamatsu family took over again following the Ōnin War.

In 1580, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took control of the badly damaged castle, and Kuroda Yoshitaka built a three-story tower. Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Himeji Castle to Ikeda Terumasa who embarked on a nine-year expansion project that brought the castle roughly to its current form. "Only the east gate of one section of the second bailey" survived from the earlier period. The current keep dates from 1601, and the last major addition, the Western Circle, was completed in 1618.

Himeji was one of the last holdouts of the tozama daimyō at the end of the Edo period. It was held by the descendants of Sakai Tadasumi until the Meiji Restoration. In 1868, the new Japanese government sent the Okayama army, under the command of a descendant of Ikeda Terumasa, to shell the castle with blank cartridges and drive its occupiers out.

When the han system was abolished in 1871, Himeji Castle was sold at auction. Its final price was 23 Japanese Yen (in those days, approximately 100,000 yen at today's rates) and in public funds. Himeji was bombed twice in 1945, at the end of World War II. Although most of the surrounding area was burned to the ground, the castle survived almost entirely unscathed, with one firebomb dropped on the top floor of the castle miraculously unexploded. Castle restoration efforts began in 1956.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a World Heritage Site since 1985






Petra (Greek "πέτρα" (petra), meaning rock; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is renowned for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a World Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was also chosen by the BBC as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die.

The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."

Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983

Machu PicchuMachu Picchu
Machu PicchuMachu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu, "Old Peak", pronounced [ˈmɑ.t͡ʃu ˈpix.t͡ʃu])
The Incas started building it around AD 1430The Incas started building it around AD 1430
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w0wbdXiwtXc/S3wFJuy5xBI/AAAAAAAAAu4/I5vbBprGF5A/s320/machu+picchu+happy+travel++5.jpgMachu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu, "Old Peak", pronounced [ˈmɑ.t͡ʃu ˈpix.t͡ʃu]) is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438-1472). Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.

The Incas started building it around AD 1430 but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction.

Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place. Machu Piccu was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World through an online and telephone poll conducted by the New7Wonders foundation.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early twentieth century.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson and Mount Columbia

The Canadian RockiesThe Canadian Rockies
Canadian RockiesCanadian Rockies by Train
The Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson and Mount ColumbiaThe Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson and Mount Columbia
Canadian Rockies Train VacationsCanadian Rockies Train Vacations
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w0wbdXiwtXc/S3thXK4KaMI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/QZK9Jt1W59U/s320/Canadian+Rockies+3.jpgThe Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA. The northern end is at the Liard River in northern British Columbia.

The Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson (3,954 metres (12,970 ft)) and Mount Columbia (3,747 metres (12,290 ft)). The Canadian Rockies are composed of shale and limestone (unlike their American cousins). Much of the range is protected by parks and a World Heritage Site

Iguazú National Park contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle

The Iguazú National ParkThe Iguazú National Park
Iguazú National ParkThe Iguazú National Park
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w0wbdXiwtXc/S3ta4d1pW7I/AAAAAAAAAt4/ZMl8Z81fxGs/s320/Iguazu+National+Park+3.jpgThe area of the park was inhabited 10,000 years ago by the hunter-gatherers of the Eldoradense culture
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w0wbdXiwtXc/S3ta4HirkcI/AAAAAAAAAtw/l4JJfMKdCok/s320/Iguazu+National+Park+2.jpgThe park was created in 1934 and it contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina
Iguazú National Park contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungleThe Iguazú National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of the province of Misiones, Argentine Mesopotamia. It has an area of 550 km2 (212 sq mi).

The park was created in 1934 and it contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle. Across the Iguazu River lies its Brazilian counterpart (Iguaçu National Park). Both sites were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in 1984 and 1986.

The area of the park was inhabited 10,000 years ago by the hunter-gatherers of the Eldoradense culture. They were displaced around 1,000 CE by the Guaraní, who brought new agricultural technologies, and were displaced in turn by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadores in the 16th century, though their legacy is still alive in this area (the name of the park and the river is Guaraní y guasu, "large water"). The first European to visit the zone was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, in 1542; Jesuit missions followed in 1609.

Cape Town is one of the most multicultural cities in the world

Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is an absolutely wonderful city for you and your kidsCape Town is an absolutely wonderful city for you and your kids
Cape Town is one of the most multicultural citiesCape Town is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa
Cape Town TravelCape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad; Xhosa: iKapa)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w0wbdXiwtXc/S3tWzBtI9SI/AAAAAAAAAtA/DAt1xhwiHHQ/s320/cape+town+1.jpgCape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad; Xhosa: iKapa) is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the largest in land area, forming part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. It is the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are situated. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is Africa's most popular destination for tourism.
Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a victualling (supply) station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and the Far East. Jan van Riebeeck's arrival on 6 April 1652 established the first permanent European settlement in South Africa. Cape Town quickly outgrew its original purpose as the first European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope, becoming the economic and cultural hub of the Cape Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the development of Johannesburg, Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa.
Cape Town is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. As of 2007 the city had an estimated population of 3.5 million. Cape Town's land area of 2,455 square kilometres (948 sq mi) is larger than other South African cities, resulting in a comparatively lower population density of 1,425 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,690 /sq mi).

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms

The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of lifeThe Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life
A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and utilised by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN has labelled it one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust has named it a state icon of Queensland.
A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as overfishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures to the reef and its ecosystem include water quality from runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and utilised by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsundays and Cairns regions. Tourism is also an important economic activity for the region. Fishing also occurs in the region, generating AU$ 1 billion per year.

The Grand Canyon (Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona

The Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon
Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6.4 to 29 km) and attains a depth of over a mile (1.83 km) (6000 feet)
Spanish: Gran Cañón
The Grand Canyon (Spanish: Gran Cañón)Spanish: Gran CañónThe Grand Canyon (Spanish: Gran Cañón)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_w0wbdXiwtXc/S3r9HPRmuhI/AAAAAAAAArw/aFIaRcxjgG8/s320/Grand+Canyon+1.jpgThe Grand Canyon (Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6.4 to 29 km) and attains a depth of over a mile (1.83 km) (6000 feet). Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago.Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to the point we see it as today.
Before European immigration, the area was inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon ("Ongtupqa" in Hopi language) a holy site and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa)

The Leaning Tower of PisaItaly Pisa the Leaning Tower
Torre pendente di PisaItaly Pisa the Leaning Tower
Torre pendente di PisaItaly Pisa the Leaning Tower
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/%7Ejcheng/images/leaning_tower.JPGItaly Pisa the Leaning Tower
The Leaning Tower of PisaItaly Pisa the Leaning Tower
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di 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.
Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest.
The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft) and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. The tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. but after the restoration works between 1990 and 2001 the tower leans at an angle of 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in) from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.

Source : wikipedia.com