The City of Kathmandu (Nepal)

Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha, is an independent country located between Tibet and China. For hundreds of years Nepal had been a monarchy. In 2008, it was declared as the Federal Republic of Nepal. The tallest mountain in the world – Everest, also called Chomolungma, is located there. The mountain range of the Himalayas is crossing the country having eight of the highest peaks in the world. 

For thousands of years, the country was closed for foreigners, for which the explorations of the area started to be carried out from the 19th century. As the birthplace of Buddhism, Nepal is home to thousands of temples. Because of its diverse geography and picturesque landscape, Nepal attracts thousands of tourists and mountaineers. 

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. The name of the city derives from the Kasthamandap temple, one of the popular tourist attractions in Nepal. According to a manuscript the city was called Kasthamandap meaning ‘wooden shelter.’ Till nowadays Buddhist priests refer the city with its old name. Kathmandu was a trade route between India and Tibet. This made the architecture of the city as a fusion of different cultures, hence adopted to the local one.
It is the largest urban area in the territory of Nepal and one of the least expensive cities in the world. The population of the city is more than 970,000 inhabitants (according the recent consensus of 2011), and it covers an area of 50 square kilometers. The city is located in the Kathmandu valley, in the middle of Nepal. 

Kathmandu is the economic center of the country, representing the tourism gateway of Nepal. After the end of the political unrest in the country, tourism became one of the main industries in the country. With the flourishing of the tourism, Nepal became a member of a number of international tourism associations. Starting from 1950, a developed system of five and four star hotels emerged in Kathmandu. Accordingly, the considerable part of the Nepal industry is the tourism; it is listed in the 10 most visited countries in the world, and the first most visited in Asia. 

An inscription found in the valley of Kathmandu indicates that  the city has a history of two thousand years. Religion is the considerable part of the everyday life of the residents. The majority of them follows Buddhism and Hinduism, though other religions find their place, shaping the cultural and religious diversity of  Kathmandu. The residents speak Nepali, and the educated population speaks English.

The so called sister cities of Kathmandu – Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, together with Kathmandu (including tourist attractions in the three cities) are included in the Unesco Heritage List. 

Pyramids of the Latin American Civilizations

Pyramids of the Latin American Civilizations America is not as famous as Egypt for its Pyramids of Giza, though it is worthy to mention America’s significance as a home to thousands of ancient pyramids. In many city-states, Olmec, Aztec and Maya civilizations built up pyramids dedicated to their deities. The top of those pyramids was considered for building temples, which were the center of social life. Numerous religious rituals were carried out in those temples, including human sacrifice. 

Among the well known American pyramids are the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon in central Mexico, the Pyramid of Castillo in Yucatan, the Great Pyramid in Tenochtitlan, the Inca’s temple in Peru and the Pyramid located in Cholula. Mesoamericans started building pyramids as early as the 1000 BC. The pyramids were made of earth, which was later covered with stone from the outside. The tops of pyramids were built flat for building temples to their deities. The earliest of these pyramids was built between 1000 BC and 400 BC, located in Mexico. Pyramids were rebuilt each time when a new ruler came to power. By this act, the ruler was guaranteed a better relationship with the deities. 

According to the early theory by historians, those pyramids were not considered for burial, but they were home for deities. As opposite to this theory,recent excavation revealed that these very temples were home to many tombs. Another investigation unearthed that the pyramids had a defensive role for the city-state inhabitants. Between the fifth and sixth centuries the Teotihuacans were a majority in the Mesoamerican societies. Their same name capital, located in the northeastern part of the current Mexico City, had a population of around 200,000 people. The Pyramid of Sun belongs to the Teotihuacans, which is the most famous pyramid in Latin America. 

Mayas are famous for their temple-pyramids. These pyramids were the center of Maya stone cities. The popular Maya pyramid is located in Palmeque, Mexico. It is referred to as the Temple of Inscriptions, a magnificent masterpiece of Maya stone carving. The temple is home to King Hanab Pakal, who reigned in the seventh century. Another Maya monument is located in Tikal, Guatemala. It is considered to be the tallest Maya pyramid built in the eight century AD. As any other Mesoamerican civilization, the Aztecs were warriors in nature. Accordingly, on the symbol of conquest there is depicted a temple in fire, with the conqueror destroying it.
During the 12th and 16th centuries they built pyramids dedicated to their deities. The famous Aztec monument is located in Tenochtitlan, the great Aztec capital. There are stairs, taking up from each side of the four faced pyramids. It has a height of over 60 meters. The temple erected on the top of the pyramid, is dedicated to great Aztec gods; gods of sun and war, rain and fertility. 

The list of the pyramids of the Latin American Civilization is not limited to those mentioned above. To get to know more about the wonders of those mysterious civilizations, keep reading the upcoming posts.

The Terracotta Army Museum

The Terracotta Army Museum  is located in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. It’s a mausoleum dedicated to the first Chinese Emperor Qinshihuang. The thirteen year old Emperor was the founder of the united Chinese Empire back in the third century BC. The area covers over 56 square kilometers where thousands of terracotta soldiers, horses and chariots alongside with other bronze tools find their place within a rectangular enclosure.

The construction of the mausoleum started over 246 BC and till now the grave mound has a height of fifty one meter. The life-size figures were supposed to protect the young Emperor in his afterlife. According to historical records, thousands of workers came to construct a gigantic underground city until the death of the Emperor. The tomb is the largest one in the territory of China. As the tomb to the first Emperor, it houses a great number of funeral objects. 

The mausoleum was discovered in 1974 by the locals, who were digging the ground to make a well. This was an archeological treasure so that many archeologists hurried to the area to enhance excavations. The excavations revealed that the artifacts belonged to the Qin Dynasty, which reigned from 211 BC to 206 BC. Already in 1975 the state initiated the construction of a museum on the spot. After the construction was finished, the museum has become one of the ‘musts’ to be visited by everyone who cross China. 

The terra cotta figures, standing in range like army warriors, represent the royal army by giving a complete imagination of how the imperial army  looked like. The way they are range gives one the image of a standing army going to fight. The life-size figures are sculpted with a careful hand, and it seems like no details was missed to depict the imperial soldier uniform and accessories. The whole site of the museum was well preserved with mausoleum constructions, burial sites, which gives us a full idea about the burial ritual system of the time.    

The mausoleum is protected by the state by being listed on sites protected by the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics. In the year of 2009 from the Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, it emerged to be the Qinshihuang Mausoleum Museum by the Cultural Heritage Bureau, Shaanxi Province. By this, the bureau took the responsibility of the daily maintenance, as well as the management, expeditions and scientific studies of the site. By the law of 2010, the Shaanxi government launched a preservation plan of the museum, to keep it safe from the urban infringements of  Lintong.   

The Wonderful City of Fez (Morocco)

As one of the amazing Islamic cities in the world, Fez shares a history dating back to the 8th century AD. From the time of its foundation, the city became a great trading center and already in the 11th century AD it was famous throughout Europe for its intellectual and cultural heritage. Regardless of the Europeanization of the city, Fez still bears its features of the medieval Islamic architecture in its entire splendor.

The city has many significant historic places and monuments listed in the UNESCO Heritage list. Among them is the great medina called Fes el Bali where the oldest madras (educational center, school) in the world is situated. This oldest distinct part of the city called medina is walled  and includes many narrow and old streets inside. This old city walled part of Fez is considered the world’s largest car free urban area.

It is easy to discover the numerous landmarks on your own.  You should skip the option of hiring a guide from the street; instead, ask the hotel reception employees to arrange a local guide service for you. The  reason why you should avoid hiring a guide from a street is that you will end up with entering from shop to shop where you will be obliged to buy items. Moreover, most of the time the information provided by ‘shopping’ guides is incomplete.

To get orientated in the maze-like walled city, you should pay attention to the signs having eight point shapes which lead to the main places of the medina. Walking downhill will take you to one of the main gates (there are many gates to the walled city). A simple map of the city at hand will be of great help to you. It is recommended to have a compass at hand to get the track of the known monuments; the narrow streets mostly make it difficult for you to orientate in the city.

What to see in the medina? One of the must things to see in Fez are the pits where the locals dye leather. You will find young boys offering you a tour to the tannery (the tour is free). Sometimes it is hard to go and see the tanneries on your own, as the local ‘guides’ may even abuse you physically for an attempt. Instead, from the nearby leather shop balcony you can see it in all its splendor. Be prepared to be forced to buy some goods from the leather shop.

Other sights worthy to be visited are the religious collage of Bou Inania (14^th century), the Merenid Tombs (from where a panoramic view of the medina opens in front of you), the Moulay Idriss II shrine (the entrance is open only for the Muslims, though, from the outside, you may admire the view to the tomb), the library and mosque of Qaraouyine (it has a splendid interior design that is worthy to be visited regardless of the fact that you would not be allowed to enter t in case you are a foreign non-Muslim.    

The Best Time to Travel to Bali

Bali, often referred as ‘paradise on the earth,’ is one of the islands in the Indonesian archipelago (it is considered as a province of Indonesia). The magic and fame of Bali are known throughout the world. The island boosts in spectacular mountain landscape, picturesque beaches, rice terraces, diving sites, palm groves, ancient temples. People in Bali are known to be kind and welcoming.

There is no particular season that should be considered to be the best to travel to Bali. It is your individual preference when to decide to travel to Bali. However, there are certain general elements that will help you to choose the right time travel in order to fulfill your expectations. Moreover, depending on your priorities on what to do, what places to visit your decision will be influenced by a number of factors.

The Peak Season

The peak of the busy season in Bali is July and August, when children are on school holidays with families spending their holiday on the island. The peak season (the busiest in July and August) is not only about the crowds of tourists but also the expensive prices typical for the peak season. It is the same for the Christmas and the New Year. As in any other part of the world, for the sake of attracting more tourists during the off season, they provide lower prices which are sometimes quite suitable for the visitors. The off season lies between March and October.

Festivals

The festive period in Bali is between July and October. This is the time when tourists and the locals are participating in numerous festivals which are accompanied with music, dancing, fireworks, good food and the like. The festive spirit of the island is shared between the locals and the tourists fascinated by the wonderland of Bali. The biggest festival is held during the New Year’s Eve, so if you consider your trip to be calm one, then it’s not the right decision to visit the island at that time.

Surfing and Weather

Bali is a famous surfing destination. Two factors you should take into consideration before you have booked your trip to Bali are the different weather conditions for surfing, as well as the peak season when there are too any surfers in one spot. The best time for surfing starts from April to October.  As a tropical country, Bali has a mild climate; the weather differences are between dry and humid seasons. During the humid season, it’s a little bit hotter, and there are rainfalls during the day, which can hardly affect activities and tours (it starts from November to April). The dry season is the busiest one in Bali as it’s the best time for sunbathing and outdoor activities (it starts from May to October). 

  

The Holy Mount Athos (Ogion Oros)

Regardless of the fact that my blog is more about tourism and famous tourist attractions, I am willing to share with you a brief introduction of one of the Holy Spiritual centers in the Orthodox world. The article has derived from the soul and belief in the Almighty God, the Son and the Holy Mother.

Located on the same name peninsula, the Mount Athos is one of the oldest monastic communities in the world. The community of 20 Orthodox monasteries, established during the Byzantine times, functions in its complete freedom till nowadays. According to its sacred traditions, only men are allowed to enter this monastic republic. Mount Athos is a self-governed state in the territory of Greece, having its local administration.

The monastic community of the Athos has been leading an isolated life of its own. The Mount Athos is considered to be one of the virgin parts in Greece, where the wild nature appears in its entire beauty. Green valleys and gorges, crystal clear waters, wooded peaks and coastline ravines complete the magic of this holy area.  The peaceful scenery over the blue waters of the Aegean Sea, alongside with the picturesque landscape of the mountain, appealed the hermits to establish their holy community on the peninsula.

The only woman who has walked on the holy land of the Athos is the Mother of God, Holy Virgin Mary. The Mount Athos is also referred as the Garden of the Holy Mother Mary. According to a legend, on her way to the island of Cyprus, the Holy Mother, accompanied by the Evangelist John, had to anchor at the nearby peninsula (Athos) because of the storm. When she walked in the wild and splendid nature of the peninsula, she couldn’t help admiring its beauty. It was this time when She asked her Son to make this land her garden. Hence, as the legend indicates, She has been the only woman to have stepped on the virgin land of the Athos.

The first records about the official establishment of the Athos Mount as a monastic autonomous community go back to the 9th century. Since then only religious men have been allowed to live there.

Nowadays, the main and the leading monastery of the Athos Mount is the Great Lavra, founded by Athanasios. Built in the mid of the 10th century and at the time the monastery was inhabited by eight monks. Great Lavra monastery set forth to the construction of other monastic buildings, due to which the hermit system gradually changed into a monastic one. The secular traditions of the old hermits accused Athanasios of breaking the isolated essence of the Mount Athos. The Byzantine Emperor Ioannis Tsimiskis came forward to encourage the rights of big monasteries, at the same time confirming the daily rules and discipline of the Athos monastic life (the charter of Typikon), initiated by Athanasios himself.

As mentioned above, the Mount Athos is home to twenty Orthodox monasteries with 17 belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church, the other three belonging to Russian, Bulgarian and Serbian Orthodox Church. Besides the great monasteries, there are also smaller monasteries, farmhouses, small houses for monks prevailing on the peninsula.

In order to visit the Mount, it is recommended to have your trip booked in advance. The entrance to the Holy Mountain is limited to 110 male visitors a day, with the 100 out of them belonging to the Orthodox Church and the other 10 male visitors belonging to any other church. The bureaucracy starts with the permission you need to have gained prior to your visit to the Mount. It is worth to mention that men under 18 are not allowed to have an overnight there. Once you are there, you should follow the humble behavior of the locals by expressing your respect in return.

Before Climbing The Mount Everest

The Mount Everest, as the highest peak on the Earth (8,848 meters/29,029 ft), has attracted thousands of explorers and mountaineers to try the adventure of climbing its top. Regardless of the professional level of mountaineers, professional guide is a must to accompany them to the summit. By taking into consideration the huge challenge of climbing the highest peak in the Himalaya Range, there should be encountered the following dangers; winds and the weather, oxygen lack, sickness because of the altitude and the icefall.

There are two main routes to access the peak (besides, several less famous paths); the comparably easy one starts from the southeast of Nepal, also called the standard route. The second one starts from Tibet in the north. As mentioned above, the southeastern route is an easy one and most climbings are realized from that route. In 1953, Edmund Hillary from New Zeland and Tenzing Norgay climbed the summit from this route, officially recognized in 1996 as the first climbers to the top of the Mount Everest.

The seasonal monsoon winds make it difficult to climb the mountain. The best season for climbing is May; strong summer monsoons are dangerous for climbing. The dangerous season ends with the coming of September and October.

The hikes from the southeastern route start from Nepal, the Base Camp at an altitude of 5,380. To get acclimatized to the density of the air and the cold around, the hikers spend two weeks in the Base Camp. The first challenge that hikers have to overcome is the passing of the famous hazardous part of Khumbu Icefall. They realize the pass of the Icefall part early in the dawn when the ice is firm enough because of the night cold.

The second camp or the ABC (the Advanced Base Camp) is located at an altitude of 6,500 meters. This camp is located in the glacial valley of Cwm, which is the hottest section of the southern route to the Everest.  Overcoming the ABC by ropes, the fourth Camp comes forward with its challenges for the hikers to pass black and marble rocks covered with snow  with the help of ropes.

 The checkpoint determining whether hikers can go on with climbing to the summit is the so-called dead zone (on the South Col). In this fourth Base hikers stay for two or three days to make sure if their body is capable of enduring the altitude. In case the weather is not good enough for completing the climbing to the top, climbers have to descend back to first Base Camp.

As mentioned above, it is more difficult to climb the summit of Everest from the northern route. The evidence for it is that this route consists of more than four camp bases (as it is in the case of the southern route). 

Giza: The Mysterious Pyramid of the Ancient World

The three Pyramids of the Ancient world are located in the Giza Necropolis, Egypt. These three pyramids were built at the time when the Kingdom of Egypt was in the top of its power and richness and are considered to be architectural wonders in the world. Though 6,000 years have passed since the pyramids were erected, they still stand with all their glory on the outskirts of the modern city of Cairo. 

The oldest, also the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza is the one also Called the Pyramid of Khufu. It was named after the same name pharaoh, who built it as home to his tomb. It took over 20 years to complete the construction of the pyramid which was over 2560 BC. As the largest pyramid in the world, it is 147 meters long. Each side of the pyramid is 230 meters long. The blocks composing the pyramid, weigh over 1,5-2 tons. It has been the highest structure in the world for 3,800 years. At the age of 4,500 years, the Great Pyramid of Giza stands to be the only surviving wonder in the ancient list of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

We find records on the history of the pyramid in the works of the Greek historian and traveler Herodotus, who visited the place in 450 BC. He wrote in his history book that over 1,000 slaves worked on the pyramid with enormous machines to pull those 1,5-2 tons stones. Herodotus, coming from  democratic Athens, anticipated this kind of egoism from the pharaoh towards his people; so much effort and harsh work to construct an enormous building just for a single person. In is later records the historian mentions that even one thousand years passed since the reign of Khufu, people still hated his cruelty and cold hardly say his name aloud. But for the Egyptians during the Khufu’s reign, this act could be something honorable to do for the sake of Gods. It is well-known that pharaohs were not only the head of the Kingdom, but also those sacred creatures who were a link between numerous Egyptian Gods.

However, contemporary historians find that Herodotus is not that accurate in his records. According to calculations, fewer years and men resources were needed to construct the pyramid. The fact of huge machines used during the construction appears to be false, as well. Though, it isn’t  surprising that the historian mentioned false information in his book, as something like 20 centuries had passed since the time of the construction.

The pyramid was exposed to both modern and ancient robber’s atrocities. Most of the funeral goods and bodies have been removed and the white limestone covering the inner walls, are stripped off. Even in this condition the Great Pyramid of Giza continues to attract thousands of tourists annually. If you haven’t visited it yet, do not make any plans to die. 

The Highest Peak in the World: Everest

The Mount Everest, also known as Chomolungma, is the highest peak in the world. The mount is a part of the Himalaya Asian mountain range, which includes some of the highest peaks in the world. The official height of the Everest is 8,848 meters according the Chinese survey in the year of 1975. Due to excessive length the climate of the Himalayas varies from tropical to eternal snow in different altitudes.

For thousands of years, the mount was called Chomolungma, having a Tibetian origin. Meanwhile, this part of the world was closed to the outer world. The Survey of exploring the mountain range lasted for several decades. The section of the mountain range starting from the south of India and extending to Nepal in the north, was explored by the Welsh geographer an surveyor George Everest. Accordingly, the official name was given to the mountain in honor of the Welsh Colonel George Everest.

Thousands of professional hikers all over the world are attracted by the challenge of climbing the highest peak in the world. Although most of them are professional hikers themselves, the local guides leading to the Everest are a must. There are two gates to climb the mountain; one is located in the southeast (Nepal), the other in the north (Tibet). The gate from the southeastern Nepal is also called standard route.

While admitting that those who climb the Everest should be professional hikers and climbers, we take into consideration the existing challenges of overcoming the cold winds, lack of oxygen, snow slides, sickness from altitude and many more. The majority of climbers uses oxygen bottles while climbing, though the number of climbers without a bottle is not little, as well.

The first human to climb as high as 8,300 meters was in 1922, by the British expedition members. For a long time mountaineer could not access the mountains from the Nepal part, as it was closed for foreigners. This is the reason why the British mountaineers accessed it from the Tibetian side climbing as high as 8,300 meters. The expedition of the British climbers in 1924  has been a mystery till nowadays. Two members of the expedition went to reach the top for no longer coming back. For a long time, there was a debate on whether these two climbers were the first to reach the top. The doubts vanished with the discovery of their corps at a height of 8,150 meters in 1999.

The Nepalese mountaineer Tenzing Norgay and the explorer Edmund Hillary from New Zeland were the first officially to climb the summit of Everest from the southeastern standard route in 1953.  

The Oldest Hotel in the World – The Roshi Ryokan

The existence of hotels and inns has been important in the history of traveling. People traveling thousands of miles needed places to stop for having rest, taking food and water after long journeys. It is considered that people started to build inns from the Roman times. These were not only places where travelers stopped, but also was a community gathering spot. Besides lodging, food and water, inns also provided travelers with horses as well as sheltered horses in their stabling. The history of inns is over 2000 years old. Time and the nature have played their crucial role in destroying most of those ancient buildings.  

However, a well preserved hotel has survived for 1,300 years and still hosts travelers from different parts of the world. The ancient history of the Roshi Ryokan hotel in Japan begins with a great Japanese Buddhist teacher Taicho Daishi, who was traveling across the area perform his exercises. For this reason, he climbed the mount Hakusan, which was an amazing spot for training Buddhist exercises. The wonder happened when in his dream the spirit of the Mount Hakusan appeared to the teacher, by indicating the place of a hot spring, which had  a curing power. The indication was quite clear with mentioning the name of a small village Awazu, where the natural spring was supposed to be. By the help of the local people, the Buddhist teacher traveled around the area, finding the spring, which cured people of all their illnesses.

The rumors about the curing power of the hot spring spread all over the country; more and more people traveled to the place to get healed their illness. On this regard, the teacher ordered to build a spa on the place for the people visiting the area to get healed.

Now there is a Japanese ryokan (the Japanese name of the word inn) on the spot, which has been run by the Hoshi family for 1,300 years. Accordingly, it is considered to be the oldest standing and active hotel in the world; moreover, it is the oldest company that has operated over 1,300 years. Certainly, the old building of Hoshi Ryokan has expanded into numerous new building with all of the contemporary equipment to ensure the comfort of its visitors. If more in details, the hotel can host nearly 450 guests.

The four buildings comprising the hotel are named after the four seasons of the year. It is supposed that all of those seasons signify life, hence giving happiness to their visitors. 
This magnificent relic of history is considered one of the top hotels in the world, providing its guests with a high quality service.

Popcorn: An Ancient Snacky Fun

Nowadays popcorn is one of the famous snack foods in the world. Its popularity spread from the United States of America from the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. At that time, one could buy popcorn in the streets, nearby theaters and parks. Nothing big has changed with the popcorn tradition till now; moreover it has become more popular when television was invented. With the invention of the microwave the popularity of popcorn considerably increased. 

The surprising fact is that popcorn has originated from the Latin America. The evidence says that first people to Pre-Columbian people were the first to domesticate this kind of grain for making popcorn afterwards. The archaeologists found the oldest popcorn ever in New Mexico (the “Bat Cave), which is approximately 5,000 years old. Other well preserved traces of popcorn were found in Utah, the USA, which 1,000 years old. 
According to the archaeologists the discovered popcorn was so fresh and well preserved that, after blowing off the dust, they still look white and fluffy. Most probably, popcorn was one of the favorite foods in the ancient civilizations of the Latin America, as, on a funeral urn, there was found painting with a corn god wearing a headdress decorated with popcorn. French explorers found out that not only the Aztecs, but also the Iroquois Indians made popcorn in the regions of the Great Lakes. 

Europeans were first introduced popcorn by the Native Americans; they used popcorn not only as food, but also as necklaces and decorations on their headdresses. Popcorn spread in the North America with the help of the colonists when they began to move to the north. With this popcorn was adapted in the north and was eaten with milk and sugar by the colonists. The Natives also made beer and soup out of popcorn.

Throughout thousands of years, a number of techniques had been developed to pop corn until the commercial popcorn machine was invented. The machine was invented in 1885 by Charles Cretors in Chicago. It was this time when the popcorn street culture spread throughout the USA. The machine was mobile, and it was available for roasting the corn with a gasoline burner inside it. Alongside with the emerging of popcorn vendors it became popular to attend movie theaters. These machines were found nearby theaters where huge crowds of people gathered. This is how the great tradition of popcorn as a movie snack came forward.

During its history popcorn was available for most of the people; during the great depression in the USA people could afford to buy this snack fun. Popcorn became even more popular when butter, sugar, chocolate, caramel, cinnamon were added as popcorn toppings.

What is the Best Time to Visit Thailand?

Depending on your purpose why you travel to Thailand, the times preferable may differ. There are a number of festivals held there, which can be good for you to be present and participate in, and which can be bad at the same time. It's important to take into consideration the seasonal particularities of Thailand, which is hot, hotter and hottest. To avoid a bad experience, you will need to keep this in mind. Besides, there are other important 'facts' about Thailand to take into consideration, in order to enjoy your trip and make it unforgettable.

If you prefer to visit Thailand in the hot season, the perfect choice to book your vacation will be in October or March. During these months, the weather is quite cool in many cities, even cooler than Bangkok.

Those who are missing the heat and want to warm up the body, late September and March are the perfect time to visit Thailand. Though, the heat is followed by heavy rain, so that if you like heat you will need to cope with rain, as well.

If you like rain, it's recommended to head to Thailand from April to September. Even if it is raining like cats and dogs, and you haven't seen rain falling down so heavily, just keep in mind that it's going to last less than 30 minutes. After all, the sky is open, and you can enjoy the warm rays of the sun.

Best festivals in Thailand are held at the beginning of April and November, during Christmas and Year time. The Thai New Year, also called Songkran, is celebrated from April 13th to April 15th. In Thailand the New Year is with the festival, which is the same Thai New Year. During these two days you should be ready to soak in water everywhere, starting from streets and ending with shops. Children are ready with their water guns and buckets full of water to chase you until they get you soaked from head to toe. It's quite hot at that time, so that you don't need to avoid getting wet. In case it is the opposite, and you hate crowds of people, it's preferable to skip the festival.

The festival of floating boats called Loy Krathong is held all over Thailand on the full moon of the 12th month. They make small boats out of banana leaves, fill them with coins, food and candles and leave them in the rivers, lakes and oceans of Thailand. Loy Krathong is held only one day. According to belief, the longer the boat floats on the water, the luckier the  owner of the boat person will be for the coming year. So, make it sure that the boat you made out of banana leaves will float as far as possible.

The coolest time in Thailand is from October to March, and accordingly it's the best season for the ones who come from western countries. If you don't like spending Christmas at home, the Thai New Year is an amazing choice for adventures and discovering something new.

Valuable Tips Before You Go Hitchhiking

If, for you, traveling is more about experiencing new things and meeting new people, then hitchhiking is what will fulfill your goal. Young people are more inclined to take risks; they are attracted by the unknown. But once you have experienced the joy, as well as the possible inconveniences of hitchhiking, this way of moving from place to place will become a habit and tradition in your travel agenda.

One of the reasons, if not the main one, is that by hitchhiking people save up enough money for heading to their desired destinations. According to statistics, nowadays people are more careful when taking hitchhikers, which in their turn are more cautious while taking the care of a friendly stranger. But those people whom pick-up hitchhikers tend to be very friendly.

There are certain points one should take into consideration, before standing at the edge of the road with the thumb up. Keep up with the article to find out some of those important points to encounter the possible inconveniences to get the best out of your trip.

Tip 1. The first thing to do is to have the map of the whole of your hitchhiking itinerary. This will help you to figure out which road you should stand in to get to your destination (or how far you are from it).

Tip 2. Always keep in mind that your first means of transportation as a hitchhiker are your feet; the ride on a car is the second option. Until to manage in persuading the passing cars to stop and take you, sometimes you will need to walk long distances. This shouldn’t frustrate you as it is the inseparable part of hitchhiking inconveniences one has to have encountered in advance.

Tip 3. It is good to learn some of the important expressions and words of that particular country you are traveling in. By this you will be sure that in case the person picking you up doesn't speak English, it will be possible for you to use your tiny vocabulary to describe the destination you are heading to. Besides, many people picking up hitchhikers hope that the journey will be more interesting when there is a person to talk to, especially when the trip is a long and a boring one.

Tip 4. Keep your food supplies sufficient, especially if a long trip is awaiting you. In most cases, it’s quite expensive to make stops at gas stations for a snack or the like.

Tip 5. Having a warm sleeping bag and tent are two musts for hitchhikers, as you should be prepared for the possible inconveniences. To minimize the risks you should have arranged our accommodation before starting your journey. A perfect choice may be staying at a place of a couchsurfer (check out chouchsurfing.org) or a youth hostel.

Tip 6. Hitchhiking can be hardly illegible, though there are certain areas from where it is forbidden to disturb traffic on a purpose of hitchhiking. Areas that are illegal for hitchhiking are highways, bus stops, as well as intersections.

Tip 7. One should avoid carrying a huge backpack, when it is you all the time to carry it on your shoulders (though, be sure you take all the essential items like a hat, sunscreen, a pocketknife to make your trip as comfortable as possible). Your coat should be water resistant and light to have on.

Taj Mahal (Agra)

Taj Mahal, one of the iconic images of India, is considered to be one of  the world's eight, wonders. In 1632, the Mughal Emperor  Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal to house the remains of his third beloved wife. It is located on the bank of the River Yumana in Agra. The construction of the mausoleum took over 20 years to be finished. The building has got not only Indian architectural solutions, as Persian and Islamic influences are significant. The tradition says that Shah Jahan intended to build another mausoleum on the other bank of the River Yumana, where they would bury his remains.
  

The graceful minarets ad archways give a magnificent view to the building. But architecture is not the only thing to point out its wonder, as Taj Mahal is an outcome of a rich history. It is said that over 22,000 people participated in the construction of the building, including painters, workers, sculptures, and many others. It is said that Taj Mahal obtains different colors during the different times of the day; it is pink in the morning time, white in the evening, and golden when the moon is high in the sky. These changing colors are associated with the changing mood of women, in this case- the wife of the Emperor. After his third and most favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal died,  the Shah Jahan is said to have his hair grown white in a short period of time. Inside the mausoleum, the false tomb of Mumtaz is located, thought the real sarcophagus with her remains is below (at the garden level). 

Taj Mahal is not the only building there, as the complex is home to delicate gardens, a mosque and several guest houses. The construction of Taj Mahal was carried out with the help of dozens of elephants. The top of the mausoleum is over 170 meters (560 feet).  Though, in 1857 many precious stones, were ripped off from the building by the British.

Today’s Taj Mahal attracts over 3 million visitors annually. The sad thing about the building is that, its white gleam of the white marble stone is threatened by the nearby factories pollutions. In 1998, the Supreme Court of India undertook a number of protection measure to lessen the amount of harm to the landmark. Not only factories, but also the polluted air by automobiles continue to be a threat to the white marble of Taj Mahal.