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Must see! By Alexa Boyce

San Miguel was founded in 1542, with the "de Allende" part being added later in honor of the independence patriot born there. San Miguel de Allende today is a city of vistas: the town was built on a hillside facing the Rio Laja and with a great view of the Guanajuato mountains. The view from the mineral spring El Chorro, in the center of town, has been declared a national monument.

San Miguel is also famous for its nearly perfect year-round weather. It is also not as large as some other attractions nearby, and most sights can be reached from the town center on foot.

El Chorro:
Of course, if you are visiting San Miguel de Allende, the view from El Chorro cannot be missed. The entire city builds up to it in terraces, and the brightly colored domes of at least 20 churches can be seen from the top.

Plaza Principal:
According to Footprints travel guides, this serves as a sort of "open-air living room for the whole town". Social life in San Miguel revolves around the market and the Jardin here. It is surrounded by several colonial buildings of note, including the Palacio Municipal, the elaborately decorated La Parroquia church, and the church of San Felipe Neri a the southwest end of the market.

Palo Huerfano:
This mountain is situated on the south end of town. It will take a good day to hike it, but once again, the views are absolutely breathtaking.

Comonfort:
Along the way to Celaya, 3 km north of Comonfort, you will run into some pre-Colombian ruins near Rancho Arias. It's definitely worth a look for any amateur archaeologist!

La Concepcion:
The large baroque style building was erected in 1734 as a summer convent for the Condes de Canal. Today it houses both the Art school of Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez Nigromonte and also the language school Instituto Allende.

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By Connie Marianacci

One of the most recognized places in the world for surfing is Costa Rica. Why?
* warm water
* affordable prices
* over 700 miles of coastline
* international tournaments are hosted here
* many other adventurous activities available.
* great waves all year round

Jaco Beach in particular is one of the best choices. It is the closest beach from San Jose attracting both tourists and locals on the weekends and holidays. It takes about 2 ½ hours to get to Jaco Beach by bus or car so it is ideal to combine a stay in the city and at the beach.

Jaco is the surfing beach party capital of Costa Rica with over twenty bars and many surf shops. Surf during the morning, shop and hang out in the afternoon and go out at night! Never a dull moment to spare.

Here is what Waive Junters has to say about Jaco:
"Beach break slammers. Prevailing wind is SW after 10 am. Blocked from NW swell. S and SW only. 7km of beach with lots of peaks. Plenty of waves. Strong current, difficult to get out when over 5ft."

If you are going international.... find all the benefits at one location, Costa Rica! PURA VIDA!

Great Resource: http://www.surfing-waves.com/

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By Alexa Boyce

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China, and therefore is what the Lonely Planet China Travel Guide calls, "the center of the Chinese universe." While it's shiny skyscrapers and creature comforts belie the true economic situation of the country, those who have braved China's rough interior will appreciate what Beijing has to offer. The already rapid development of the city has doubled down in order to prepare for the 2008 Olympics.

Beijing seems hectic upon arrival, but it is actually laid out geographically in an orderly, grid pattern. The Forbidden city is the center of the grid, and the major roads are generally named for where they are located or where they go. For example, Chongwenmenwai Daije literally means "the avenue outside Chongwen Gate", and Xi Daije ("West Avenue") heads west from the Forbidden City. Once you know these tips, the city is easily navigable. Bikes are the easiest and most efficient way to get around, and if you get a flat there are many roadside repairmen willing to help.

Forbidden City:
Of course, the best place to start a tour of Beijing is the Forbidden city, the famed Ming and Qing dynasty palace that was off-limits to everyone but the royal court, and some places off-limits to everyone but the emperor and his harem. Tours all day.

Tiananmen Square:
Chairman Mao's creation, this massive square is now the heart of Beijing. Once used for reviewing parades of troops, this square was also the site of the 1989 massacre of protesting students. Be careful to walk (not ride) your bike across the square.

Mao Zedong Mausoleum:
Westerners may have been raised to hate Chairman Mao and his deeds, but his impact on Chinese and World history in the 20th century cannot be denied. Throngs of sightseers flock here to pay their respects and view the body of this influential leader.

Summer Palace:
Described in Lonely Planet as "one of the finest sights in Beijing", this lakeside retreat was designed for royalty, enlarged in the 18th century, abandoned and rebuilt in the 19th, destroyed by foreign troops in the 1900 Boxer Rebellion, and renovated again in 1949.

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Scuba Diving – By Glenn Rigby

I have had the opportunity to scuba dive on a few occasions, mostly when I was younger. It is an activity I would love to do again, and probably will do when I decide to visit some fun and exciting locations. Because a great way to enhance the fun-factor of any trip is to strap on scuba gear and go diving.

Let us look at a few spots that may be of interest to the scuba enthusiast and beginner alike.

Puerto Rico-
Being exposed to northerly swells, the north coast has only a few dive sites, and divers staying along this coast are usually taken by road to the east coast for diving. East coast diving is easy as the sites are relatively shallow and the seas rarely rough. Fine white sand creates idyllic beaches but reduces visibility after ground swells. The diving terrain is typically gently sloping fringing reefs with both hard and soft corals, especially bushy gorgonians. This is a gregonian:

Costa Rica-
Most good diving is on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. The Caribbean reefs were decimated some years ago due to pesticide runoff from the banana plantations although the last two or three years have seen a definite return of life to the region. Dive operations are not very sophisticated but if you happen to be on that side of the country a day of diving can be fun. The best months are in September-November.

There are three main areas for diving on the Pacific Ocean side. The first area is Isla del Caño, located on the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica. The other two lie in the northern province of Guanacaste.

Chile-
Chilean beaches are easily accessible and generally have similar characteristics: a small sandy bay of approximately 1 kilometer (.6 mi) of extension limited at both ends by cliffs. This is important for your orientation when in the sea. The bottom of the sea alternates between sand and generally large, round stones.
Once in the water you will quickly notice a great difference from other coasts: the abundance of seaweed and the variety of sea life. The abundance of fauna is remarkable, even near the coast, which is due to the almost total absence of divers. This amount of fauna living in relatively shallow waters coupled with excellent visibility makes for ideal conditions for marine photography.

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By Alexa Boyce

The city that stands under the crest of the bear and the Madrone tree has been occupied since prehistoric times, but the earliest facts known about the city date back to the Moorish occupation in the 9th century. It was then that Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, Muhammad I built a small palace on the site where the Palacio Real stands today. A citadel was built around the palace, and this was named al-Mudaina. The nearby river Manzanares was called al-Majrit, meaning "source of water". This word is credited as being the origin of the name "Madrid". Interestingly enough, the word Madrid does not translate into most other languages and is therefore identified as Madrid throughout most of the world. In 1085 Alfonso VI of Castile then conquered the city on advance to Toledo and took it back from the Moors.

The Iberian Peninsula was divided into Crowns, and per the tradition of the time, each time a king died the kingdom was divided among his offspring. There was much clashing between the Crowns of Castile and Aragon. This strife was put to an end when King Ferdinand II of Aragon married Queen Isabella I of Castile, and they conquered Grenada and expelled the Moors. Then, to demonstrate the new 'unified Spain', Phillip II moved the capital to the centralized location of Madrid in 1561.

Madrid has remained the capital, seat of the Royal Family, and center of government since then. Therefore it has become one of the most influential and historically important cities in Spain. Today Madrid is an industrial center, second only to Barcelona. Madrid is made up of 21 districts that in turn are divided into barrios (neighborhoods). Like the rest of Spain, the city has really only blossomed since the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

There are so many exciting things to do in this city today. The Palacio Real, though it no longer functions as the home of the royal family, opens most parts of the castle for tours. Admission is 6€ ($6.90) for adults, 3€ ($3.45) for students and children. It is located on Calle Bailen, at the Opera/Plaza de Espana metro stop, and is open 9:00 am-6:00 pm Monday - Saturday and 9:00 am-3:00 pm Sunday.

The largest and most important bullring in the world is located in Madrid. It is called La Plaza de Toros de las Ventas and is located on the east side of the city and can hold 25,000 spectators. The best time to go see a corrida, or bullfight, is in May or June when the festival of San Isidrio is taking place. Seats are priced based on how close they are to the action and whether they are located in the sol (sun) or sombra (shade). Shady seats are more expensive.

The Parque del Buen Retiro was once a retreat outside the city, but now is completely surrounded by it. It was originally the site of a Royal Palace built by King Philip IV in 1632. Most of the palace was destroyed during the Napoleonic wars, and the park was opened to the public in 1868. Some parts of the original palace still stand today, such as the colonnade in honor of Alfonso XII located near the lake. Many festivals and activities take place in the park, though at night it is notorious for the sketchy characters hanging around. It is not advised for tourists to visit the park after dark.

Art lovers can be found frequenting the Golden Triangle of Art, housing the Museo del Prado, the Museo Reina Sofia and the Museo Thiyssen-Bornemisza. The Museo del Prado houses an impressive collection of European painters, sculptors and other artists. It can easily claim to have the world's best collections of Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez, as well as other painters such as El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Rembrant, Durer and other works from the 14th-19th centuries.

Nearby Museo Reina Sofia houses an impressive collection of modern (20th century and today) art. A large claim to fame for the Reina Sofia is that it is the current home to Pablo Picasso’s famous work Guernica.

The Museo Thiyssen-Bornemisza was started as a private collection in 1920 and fills in the gaps in the other two museum's collections.

Madrid is also known for fabulous shopping. You can find specialty markets, major designer boutiques, and other shops for every price range. The Spanish department store El Corte Ingles has various outlets throughout the city, and sells everything from electronics to sporting equipment. El Rastro is a large flea market where one can go to practice the art of haggling. Calle Serrano, Calle Carmen and other places around the Puerto del Sol are also known for interesting shopping.

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By: Alexa Boyce

Buraimi is an Omani city situated directly on the border with Al Ain, UAE. This joint-city is located in the center of what has been known for hundreds or thousands of years as the 'Buraimi Oasis'.

Originally made up of six tribes, half of which were loyal to the Sultan of Oman and the other half were loyal to the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi. The national borderlines were drawn in 1972 to separate these two groups. The border actually runs through the downtown area, but customs are on the outskirts of Buraimi so that one may easily walk between Buraimi in Al Ain in the UAE.

However, for the last 5 years, rumors have been spreading that the UAE intends to position regular border guards along the Al Ain-Buraimi border. No one seemed to know for sure what the case was, and nothing ever happened. However, back in September, rumors became stronger and more conclusive that something was going to happen very soon along the border. AmeriSpan's school in Al Ain was forced to move its classes into the homes of host families in Buraimi, as all but one of the teachers lived on the Oman side of the border. This political situation caused us to temporarily discontinue our Al Ain program. This is unfortunate because a student traveling last spring said about the program, "I cannot compliment this school more; absolutely effective and patient instructors and extremely disciplined to make sure that students don't use English as a crutch."

If the border problems continue, the school may permanently move into Buraimi. For now, AmeriSpan offers very popular Arabic programs in Cairo, Egypt and Fez, Morocco.

A good site for historical facts about Buraimi and Al Ain go here.

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By Glenn Rigby

Located in Central America, Honduras shares a boundary with Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. It is also bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Honduras (that's a lot of water).

Christopher Columbus reached the coast of Honduras in 1502, after which it became a part of Spain's vast empire. The Spanish ruled for approximately 300 years, and then Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas.

Besides lush rain forests, untouched cloud forests (which can rise up to nearly three thousand meters above sea level), mangroves, savannas and mountain ranges laden with pine and oak trees, Honduras harbors yet another priceless ecosystem: The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. In the Bay Islands it is no coincidence to swim with bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, parrotfish, schools of blue tang and even the colossal whale shark. The white sands, tall coconut palms and the easy-going Caribbean atmosphere provide refuge from the busy Central American cities, or across the Atlantic Ocean.

Copan: A city located in Western Honduras, near the Guatemala border. It has a population of about 24,000 inhabitants, and has an unmistakably colonial feel. Copan also houses famous ruins of the ancient city that once dominated the territory.

Outlined are some of the attractions of Copan's ancient Mayan ruins:

* The Ball Court is the most artistic of its type in Mesoamerica, with unique sidewall markers resembling macaw heads. Below is a picture of one of the Court's side buildings.

* The Acropolis is divided into the east and west court plazas and features the most monumental temples in Copan.

* The Great Plaza famous for its stelae and zo zoomorphic altars scattered around it. The Hieroglyphic Stairway holds the longest known text left by the Maya civilization. It was erected by ruler number 15, known as Smoke-Shell, and is believed to be a lineage tree recording the ascension and death of all Copan kings from Ya-Kuk-Mo to Smoke-Shell himself.

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Automobili Di Sport - By: Alexa Boyce

True, the developments that gave the automobile its popularity originated in the United States. However, the advent of the stylized racing car is pure Italian. Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lancia, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Bizzarini, Iso, ItalDesign, Pagani, Fiat: All makes of Italian cars renown worldwide for speed and beauty. Lifeinitaly.com says that these cars are "made specifically to take on competition, and Italians still produce a car that not only looks stunning, but also takes first place in many racing battles."

Racing of Italian cars takes many forms. Car racing began in the 1920's with 2-seater cars and enclosed wheel wells. Then the Grand Prix cars became one seater cars to race on a track, and broke off from the endurance racing in Europe that came to be called Gran Turismo. It was in this category that marques such as Ferrari and Maserati made their names in the 1950's. By the 1960's the 'prototype' racers had little to do with actual production vehicles.

In the 1970's Grand Touring (GT) vehicles became more popular, and the American market became flooded with so-called 'muscle' cars. The muscle cars were street-ready versions of these GT cars.

Today there are many collectors of Italian sports cars, and the market for parts is booming. Perhaps a hobby limited to those of a certain economic class, but still a widespread one nonetheless.

I recently heard that one of those who benefited from the recent stock market boom invested $4 million of his profits into one customized Ferrari. One car for $4 million may seem ridiculous, but to some, these cars are worth it.

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By Glenn Rigby

Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, an island off the coast of the People's Republic of China. It is rife with culture and historical importance. There are many fascinating temples, museums, towers and other architectural features.

Let's take a look at some popular sightseeing spots, shall we?

* Taipei 101 – The world's tallest building when built in 2004. The design is inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, with a shape resembling a pagoda. The sectioned tower is also inspired by the bamboo plant, which is a model of strength, resilience, and elegance.

* Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall – A majestic marble monument surrounded by gardens and ponds, the Memorial contains a statue of late President Chiang Kai-shek. A ground-level library displays photos and mementos of the late president's life. Adjoining the Memorial are the National Theater and National Concert Hall, both built in a traditional Chinese palace style.
Changing of the Guards: every hour.

* National Palace Museum – The National Palace Museum was established in Beijing on October 10, 1925, shortly after the expulsion of Puyi, the last emperor of China, from the Forbidden City by warlord Feng Yü-hsiang. The articles in the museum consisted of the valuables of the former Imperial family and were moved from place to place in the 1930s and 1940s to prevent them from falling into the hands of the invading Imperial Japanese Army.

* Confuscius Temple – In contrast to many other temples, the Confucius Temple is a tranquil place that comes to life only at dawn on September 28. On this day every year rites are performed, some of which date back nearly 3,000 years, by school children in ancient costume to honor Confucius on his birthday.

* Pao An Temple – A short walk from the Confucius Temple is the 230-year-old Taoist Pao An Temple. The three main deities worshipped here are Pao Sheng, God of Medicine; Ju Lai Fo, God of Luck; and Chu Sheng Niang Niang, Goddess of Birth and Fertility.

* Martyrs Shrine – An excellent example of classical Ming dynasty architecture, dedicated to the fallen heroes of China's wars. A majestic archway, tranquil paths, and a ceremonial changing of the guards. Changing of the Guards: every hour, 10 minutes to the hour.

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By Glenn Rigby

Beer? Check! Germany? Check! It sounds like you're ready for the world-renowned, phenomenon known as Oktoberfest.

This two-week festival in Munich, Bavaria is the world's largest fair. Every year, about 6 million people attend from around the world. Germany is known for its beer, and it is found in abundance at this famous event.

I've never been to Germany, so I have not experienced the awe-inspiring spectacle known as Oktoberfest. Friends of mine have gone. I am related to people who have been a part of the event. But, alas, I am not yet part of that club. Cities around the world hold their own smaller versions of the Munich original, and in Philadelphia the drinkers like to celebrate it, but it is not the same. Just look at this photo of the Löwenbräu tent at night!

This is one of 14 enormous tents set up every year for the fair. This particular tent seats 5,700 people inside, and 2,800 people outside. Above the entrance is a 15 foot lion who drinks from his beer.

Oktoberfest began as a commemoration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in October 12, 1810. Many times over the course of the years Oktoberfest has been cancelled – whether the cause be plague, war, inflation, or other emergencies.

About 15% of the attendees are visitors from out of country. Many tourists are overwhelmed by the grandeur of the tents, the people, the dizzying amount of beer, and the overall atmosphere. Be careful not to drink too much! Every year, many people pass out due to drunkenness. These overly drunk people are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beercorpses"). They are brought to a medical tent where drunks as well as sick people are treated.

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By Kayla Allen

The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 and responsible for some of China's best known achievements even today.

Great Wall of China
Though the much repeated myth that you can see the Great Wall of China from space (the moon or mars) is not in fact true it still remains one of the seven wonders of the world as well as the longest man made structure on the earth.

While many a wall had been made in China before the Ming Dynasty came along, however they had never been so well constructed and so ambitious in their scope. The walls that went before it have long since disappeared into the earth while the Great Wall with it's strong stonework and towering lookouts looks like it'll be around for years to come.

Porcelain
Porcelain production and diversification occurred. Blue and white porcelain became the normal form, but experimentation in two color and even three-color porcelain began. Everyone has heard of the beauty and priceless ness of the Ming vase; still sought after today.

Other forms of artwork started being popularized within the people and not solely the nobility including wood and block prints. As people began moving from the farms and country into the city, the market and demand for goods and art became larger.

The Novel
A great cultural development of the Ming Dynasty was that of the novel. Ming Dynasty novels developed from the oral tradition of storytelling. As a result, they were written in the people's language, not the language of the nobility. Their origins as oral stories made natural pauses in the narrative where the teller would have asked for, or accepted money; these pauses, in the written form became chapters. Some of these stories, first set in moveable type during the Ming Dynasty are still read today.

As the written word became more accessible and moveable type made it possible to create multiple identical copies, encyclopedias were written containing important information from a variety of fields, such as geography, music and medicine. Dictionaries were also written; including the most influential, written in 1615 A.D., which reduced the number of signs for Chinese characters to 214, as opposed to the 540 plus signs of previous dictionaries.

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Things You May Or May Not Have Wanted To Know About Egypt -
By Glenn Rigby

"Hey, isn't Egypt that place with the pyramid?" We've all heard questions like these a thousand times. But how do we answer them? "Yes," would suffice, but I am inclined to provide more information than needed when it is available.

Now you can, too! The next time one of your friends asks you a random question about Egypt, you can dazzle and amaze them by providing any or all of these interesting factoids.

- Egypt's capital, Cairo, is the largest city in Africa and in the Middle East.

- Egypt is the 16th most populous country in the world (76,000,000 people), and is ranked 30th in total area (386,560 square miles).

The seven wonders of the ancient world were known as:
1. The Great Pyramid of Giza
2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
4. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
6. The Colossus of Rhodes
7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

- The pyramids of Egypt, the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world, are the only one of those wonders to survive to the present day.

- In order to deter flies from landing on him, Pepi II of Egypt always kept several naked slaves nearby whose bodies were smeared with honey.

- The boat found near the pyramid of Cheops is the oldest complete boat in the world - it is believed to be four and a half thousand years old and had been dismantled into over a thousand pieces before being buried.

- Cleopatra wasn't Egyptian, she was Greek.

- As well as preserving the bodies of their rulers, the ancient Egyptians also mummified birds and animals linked to their gods: cats, bulls, crocodiles and ibises have been found in their thousands, carefully mummified and wrapped.

- In the Middle Ages and for hundreds of years after, mummies were believed to be a powerful medicine and were ground up into powder and drunk in a potion.

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Beijing vs. Shanghai - By Alexa Boyce

While Beijing and Shanghai have roughly the same population, the cities vary widely in nearly every other way. Beijing is the commercial and technological center of China, Shanghai is the cultural and historical center. The government filters quite a bit of funds into Beijing for the sole purpose of development, and the city is currently working overtime in preparation to host the 2008 Olympics.

If a foreign visitor sees only that which is located within the city limits of Beijing, they will come away with an impression of the country that is, quite frankly, completely inaccurate. Shanghai also is in a period of rapid development, but it is more a city of extremes. Next to the gleaming skyscrapers and elaborate department stores, you will see homeless children and prostitutes.

Beijingers are stereotypically held to be open, confident, humorous, majestic in manner, enthusiastic about politics, art, culture, or other "grand" matters, unconcerned with thrift or careful calculation, and happy to take center stage. People from Shanghai have long been categorized by other Chinese as materialistic, pretentious and disdainful of provincials.

Beijing, meaning "northern capital" is located at the northern tip of the North China Plain. It is also the name of the Municipality, or province, in which the city is located. Shanghai’s name means literally on (shang) sea (hai). It is located on the East China Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. In Beijing, most of the widely-recommended tourist spots are related to historical events, such as the Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square.

In Shanghai, the tourist spots are mainly art galleries and theaters. Shanghai was the birthplace of Chinese cinema and theater, though Beijing is the home of the Beijing Opera. This is widely considered to be one of the greatest accomplishments of Chinese Culture. It is performed through song, dialogue, acrobatics, fighting and gestures. It is often performed in an archaic "stage dialect" that is very different from modern Mandarin. It can be hard to understand even if one is familiar with Chinese, so many modern theaters utilize electronic subtitles.

Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
Lonely Planet Travel Guide- China

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By Kayla Allen

The Amalfi Coast is known worldwide for it beauty. Famous for its views, its food, its walking tours and the diversity of its towns, it’s got a little something for everyone.

Nature
Amalfi’s oceanic views will turned even the most stalwart city dwellers into nature lovers with its bright blue water and villas built into the hillside, you simply can’t help falling in love.

For the already seasoned nature lovers there is Ferriere Nature Reserve which hosts a variety of plants and wildlife including salamander, badger, fox and many birds like the kestrel and the red woodpecker. Due to the reserve’s position in a valley it is protected by the cold winter wind and has a pretty consistent temperature of about 59F degrees with high humidity. These characteristics help the reserve to act as a nursery keeping plants that would find it very difficult or impossible to grow anywhere else on the coast.

Food
Italian food with some of the freshest fruits and vegetables, seafood, cheeses, and sumptuous pasta dishes how could you go wrong. Not to mention the wonderful world of Campania wines.

Lemons are always used in the local cuisine in the preparation of main courses, sweets, ice cream and simple refreshing drinks, such as lemonade. Lemon liqueur is one of the most famous foodstuffs on the coast, offered after meals and always served cold.

A mainstay of every lunch on the Amalfi coast and in Neapolotan cuisine in general is strong black coffee.

History
Amalfi has no shortage of museums owing to its long and interesting history.

Il Museo della Ceramica
A Museum dedicated to local ceramics with pieces dating back to XV century and votive ceramic of the XVII century.

Il Museo della Collegiata Chiesa di S.Maria a Mare
This church was built during the XII century and was turned into a museum a few years ago. It contains many objects thought to be holy, Spanish sculpture from the XVI century and its most treasured piece from that period, an ivory casket.

Sources:
www.amalficoast.com
www.amalfilife.com/tours_culinary_06.html

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Glenn Rigby

After traveling Europe extensively as a boy, and then as a young adult, Mozart began making his return to his native land of Austria. On the way he stopped in Munich, where his opera Idomeneo premiered. The next year he returned to Vienna with his employer, Prince-Archbishop Colloredo. Mozart grew more and more rebellious towards Collerdo, and admitted he was released from employment "with a kick in the seat of the pants." He then settled in Vienna to pursue an independent music career.

In 1782 Mozart married a woman named Constanze Weber. This was also the year that he created the opera Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail ("The Abduction from the Seraglio"). This piece was widely successful. Not long after he performed piano concertos as director and soloist.

The next year, Amadeus and Constanze visited his father in Salzburg with a cold reception. Leopold Mozart did not take to his son's wife. Though the visit was not a particularly pleasant one, it did inspire Mozart to write one of his best known works, the Mass in C Minor. This piece premiered in Salzburg with Constanze as lead female soloist.

In 1782 Mozart became acquainted with the composer Joseph Haydn. The two quickly became friends. During Haydn's visits to Vienna, the two would play in quartets together. During the years of 1782-1785, Mozart dedicated six quartets to Haydn, and it is thought that these were in response to Haydn's Opus 33 from 1871.

Between 1782 and 1785, Mozart also performed a series of solo concerts. These are considered to be his best pieces, and were financially rewarding.

During the years 1784-1787 he lived in a lavish, seven-room apartment behind St Stephen's Cathedral; it was here, in 1786, that Mozart composed the opera Le nozze di Figaro. This apartment may be visited today at Domgasse 5.

Source: wikipedia

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By Kayla Allen

Milan is synonymous with fashion and thought by many to be the fashion capital of the world. Just name all the famous designers you know off the top of your head and you might as well be speaking Italian; Dolce & Gabanna, Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani, Missoni, Franco Moschino, Prada, Fendi, Gucci and the list goes on.

You also might as well be walking the Via Montenapoleone in Milan. The Via Montenapoleone is the most important street of Milan's fashion district, Quadrilatero Della Moda and home to some of the world's top designers. One visit to Milan and it lives up to its reputation. Everywhere you turn there is yet another opportunity to purchase something gorgeous and to pay a pretty penny for it, or...euros.

There is another side to shopping in Italy however. With all those designers there's bound to be some surplus; enter, designer outlets. First developed so design house and store employees could actually afford to wear their designers' labels and later opened up to the masses, designer outlets are a fashionista on a budgets's dream come true.

The best of the outlets tend to be centralized around, Milan, Florence and Rome allowing shoppers to pick-up last season's goods at more affordable prices. Though most who come to Italy specifically for the fashion would not be caught dead in last seasons garb, for those of us who still live in the real world the outlet stores provide a peak into a more glamorous lifestyle.

And if Italy is too far away to indulge your dream of being absolutely fashion fabulous Italy also turns out some of the most stylish and eye pleasing magazines and photos around. So you can lose yourself in those luscious images while sitting on your couch painting your toenails.

Something that I'm totally addicted to that has nothing to do with Italy but maybe something to do with Italian fashion and a lot to do with hilarious and entertaining is Project Runway. This is my entry point to the fashion world. I watch every week as fewer and fewer designers try to impress model Heidi Klum and her designer judges. At this point I'm as opinionated and critical of the designer's work as judge and designer Michael Kors or guest judge Diane Von Furstenberg. I even bought a sewing machine. Lookout!

« Travel to Merida | Main | Italian Fashion »

By Glenn Rigby

Asia is the largest continent on earth and contains an abundance of mountains and mountain ranges, in all shapes and sizes. Well, the mountain shape is pretty set in stone (haha) I suppose, but the sizes certainly do vary.

Everyone knows about Mount Everest, and its claim to fame of being the highest mountain in the world. But what about the often overlooked K2? This guy may not achieve the 29,000 plus feet that Everest does, but its 28,251 elevation is still impressive enough to put it in the number two spot.

K2 is in the Karakorum range, one of Asia's Greater Ranges. The Karakorum is popularly identified with the Himalaya, though it is a separate range in itself. It is home to many of the world's highest mountains including Gasherbrum; Broad Peek; Gasherbrum II; Gasherbrum IV; Distaghil Sar; Masherbrum; and many, many others. There is even one called "The Ogre," known to be one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb. (The Ogre was first sucesfully climbed in 1977 by Doug Scott and Chris Bonington. They were involved in one of mountain-climbing's most notorious descents, which lasted a week. Early on Scott broke both ankles, and later Bonington broke two ribs and came down with pneumonia. It was 10 failed attempts and 23 years before the next succesful climb!)

Also called Godwin-Austin, K2 is located on the border of China and Pakistan. Though its elevation is about 800 feet less than Mount Everest’s, it is considered to be a more difficult climb, partly because of its greater height above the surrounding terrain.

You might find yourself asking in wild disbelief, "More difficult to climb than the mighty Mount Everest?" Well, I am no mountain-climbing expert, so let us take a look at the statistics, shall we?

If these two were boxing, I'm not sure who would win. You be the judge!

SOURCE:Statistics from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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by Kayla Allen

South America is the world's 4th largest continent, includes 12 countries and is divided into 3 major territories. It contains the massive Amazon River and surrounding basin - the largest tropical rain forest in the world, the Andes Mountains stretch the entire length of the continent and some of the most diverse and spectacular landforms on the planet. Because of its diverse landscape South America's climate varies greatly.

South America contains the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls, the largest river (by volume), the Amazon River, the longest mountain range, the Andes, the driest desert, Atacama, the largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest, the highest capital city, La Paz, Bolivia, and the world's southernmost town, Puerto Toro, Chile.

The fact that South America resides in the southern hemisphere does mean that their seasons are the opposite of those in North America but what winter or summer look like for the various countries in South America is a another ballgame. In many South American countries, altitude rather than distance from the equator determine temperature. For instance it has been said that in the Andes all seasons are represented in one day.

Even a small country like Bolivia can be broken into 5 separate climate regions; the Andes and Altiplano (high plains), the Yungas and Chapare (hot and humid), the temperate valleys, the Chaco (hot and dry) and the tropical lowlands of the upper Amazon basin.

The same can be said for Chile. Temperatures are moderate along the coast throughout the year and more extreme inland, especially in the central basin. The average temperatures for the hottest (February) and coldest (July) months are 72F and 60F.

Central Chile has a Mediterranean type of climate, with cool and rainy winters but without a completely dry season. The climate of the southern region is cool and rainy the year round and characterized by abundant clouds.

For more information on South America and what all of its countries have to offer visit one of my resources at here

Because of its topographic and climatic diversity, South America has a lot to offer equally diverse travelers; with tropical getaways, skiing paradises, and miles of rainforest for the ecotourist in all of us. Pretty much everything under the sun, below the equator, above the tree line and approaching the antarctic circle.

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By Kayla Allen

The second largest desert in the world, second only to Antarctica, the Sahara desert takes up about a third of the continent of Africa and is roughly the size of the continental U.S.

The boundaries of the Sahara are the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea on the north, the Red Sea and Egypt on the east, and the Sudan and the valley of the Niger River on the south. The Sahara divides the continent of Africa into North and Sub-Saharan. The southern border of the Sahara is marked by a band of semiarid savanna called the Sahel; south of the Sahel lies the lusher Sudan and the Congo River Basin.

The Sahara's climate can be divided into two climates, a dry sub-tropical climate in the north and a dry tropical climate in the south.

The dry tropical climate is generally characterized by mild, dry winters and a hot dry season just before the rainy season. The average temperature in this region is about 31.5 Degrees F (17.5 Degrees C), however in the higher elevations, the temperature has been recorded at 5 Degrees F (-15 Degrees C), which is quite typical. The average annual precipitation is around five inches and includes snow in the higher elevations.

The desert's dry, sub-tropical climate is characterized by cold winters, hot summers and two rainy seasons. The highest recorded temperature in the Sahara is 130 degrees. Even with two rainy seasons this part of the Sahara rarely sees more than 3 inches of rain a year.

Humans have lived on the edge of the desert for almost 500,000 years. Imediately after the last ice age, the Sahara was a much wetter place than it is today. Over 30,000 petroglyphs of river animals such as crocodiles survive in total with half found in southeast Algeria.

Fossils of dinosaurs have also been found here. The modern Sahara, though, is not as lush in vegetation, except in the Nile Valley, at a few oases, and in the northern highlands, where Mediterranean plants such as the olive tree grow. It has been this way since about 3000 BCE.

The Sahara Desert covers over 3.5 million square miles and has only 2.5 million inhabitants - roughly 1 person per square mile, which is one of the lowest population densities on earth. Wherever abundant food and water sources occur, one will find relatively large masses of people and wildlife. Most of the Sahara's inhabitants live in Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria. The largest city in the Sahara is Cairo, in the Nile Valley and Egypt's capital. On the whole, the Sahara is one of the harshest environments known to man.

For more information please visit my resources:
Thinkquest

Wikipedia

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By Alexa Boyce

Lonely Planet Travel Guide describes the city of Shanghai as, "Whore of the Orient, Paris of the East, city of quick riches, ill-gotten gains and fortunes lost on the tumble of dice; the domain of adventurers, swindlers, gamblers, drug runners, idle rich, dandies, tycoons, missionaries, gangsters and backstreet pimps," (8th edition – China). Whoever you are, it is likely there is something that will entice and excite you in Shanghai. Lavish department stores, glitzy skyscrapers, and a booming café scene all rule this metropolis on the Yangtze River delta.

« Strange Customs | Main | Staying with a Host Family »

By Kayla Alen

Italy has produced many, not only famous but also ridiculously talented painters some of which have become the fore fathers of this great medium. One of the major reasons people still flock to Italy today is to get a glimpse into its revolutionary artistic past and be in its presence, to stand in front of the masterpieces we send as postcards and have hanging in our homes as posters. So many iconic images from paintings are those of Italian artists.

In Italian history religion and art walk hand in hand. So many of Italy's artists used religious figures for their inspiration and subject matter which is not surprising considering many of the commissions came directly from the church itself.

Given this introduction it would follow that I'd want to highlight and discuss a Renaissance artist or at least an Italian artist known for their striking religious images. Not so, instead I will write about Modigliani or Modi for short, known as Dedo to his friends who couldn't be farther from the Renaissance.

Modigliani produced images that I find both haunting and calming. Images that feel realistic and also make you wonder at the depth and luster of his colors. Modi's life is almost equally as haunting. Years of tumultuous relationships, alcoholism and extreme drug use played their part in his work, who knows what kind of artist he would have been had he chosen to lead a different life.

Modigliani's life started out hard plagued by illness, got more difficult and ended the same way it began, in illness. Born into a very poor Jewish family in Tuscany Modi was said to have saved his family. At the time of his birth his family had recently lost it's money changing business and was in deep debt. Luckily, when the creditor's came a calling Modi's mother was in labor with him and by Italian law they were not allowed to take the bed of an expectant mother and this is exactly where the family hid their most prized and valuable possessions.

Modi was ill for much of his youth but even at a young age showed promise as a painter. As soon as he was able, he moved to Paris and started a not so successful art career but a very successful drug addiction and several very intense relationships with woman who would serve as both muse and mothers of his children.

As is the case with many now famous artists, Modi's fame did not come fast enough to save him and by the end of his life he was destitute and this time illness (tubercular meningitis) finally took him. He leaves behind a legacy of sadness and some very beautiful artwork.

For more information on Italian painters, check out this list of biggies:

Botticelli
Caravaggio
Leodardo da Vinci
Michelangelo
Raphael
Tintoretto
Titian

« Another Side of Quito | Main | Famous Italian Painters »

By Alexa Boyce

When traveling the world, you will certainly run into customs that differ from your own. This is what makes traveling fun, and indeed why many people travel in the first place. Probably one of the differences that people take notice of first is bathrooms, toilets and bathing rituals.

Bathroom
In Australia, like in the States, a daily shower of water as hot as you can stand it is required to feel clean. However, in nearby Indonesia, a mandi, or bath is performed by using a "dipper" to ladle cold water from a trough while soaping up.

In many Asian countries such as Papua New Guinea, the toilet as it is known in Western countries is nonexistent. Instead, the porcelain bowl is set flush with the floor with footholds on either side. One must squat in order to use it properly.

While this may seem a more hygienic way to use the bathroom as it eliminates contact with a toilet seat, we must keep in mind that toilet paper is also a foreign concept. In India, a jug and the left palm take the place of TP, while in Indonesia, one might grow a long fingernail on the left hand for this purpose. Perhaps that is why bowing is a customary greeting in many Asian countries instead of the handshake.

Body Language & Gestures
Body language is just as varied around the world. Often, something that we take for granted as meaning one thing can mean something completely different elsewhere. For example, in Thailand, as the foot is the lowest part of the body it is held in the lowest esteem. To point a foot at someone is extremely insulting. Likewise, as the head is the highest part of the body, it is never touched directly by others. A pat on the head in Western society might mean a job well done, but in Thailand it is an insult of the worst kind.

As mentioned before, greetings in Asia consist of a bow. In Japan, your hands are at your side; elsewhere they may be in prayer position. The inferior person will bow longer and lower. In Mediterranean countries on the other hand, a kiss on each cheek is customary. In Latin America, one might greet someone of either sex with a hug and a kiss. In Muslim nations, sexes generally do not mix at all unless they are family. Something as common as clasping hands may mean impending death to a Guatemalan.

Some simple gestures that are common here in the States, such as the
"thumbs-up" sign are vulgar to those in Middle Eastern countries, Nigeria, Australia and Afghanistan. A two-finger "V" sign can mean Victory with the palm out, but either means the number two or "shove it" depending on where you are.

Some gestures have widely different meanings in almost everywhere it is used. For example, in Japan crooking a finger in a "come here" gesture is obscene. In Yugoslavia, Vietnam and Malaysia it is used to call animals, and therefore insulting to people. In Indonesia and Australia one would use it only to a prostitute. Even something such as a smile, which seems an instinctive reaction to happiness, can mean sadness or anger. When traveling, it is important to take the time to learn about your host's customs so that you do not seem ignorant or offensive.

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By Kayla Allen

Almost anything as old as the creature, the sphinx, will have a past and origin rich in speculation and myth and of course the sphinx is no different. The most famous sphinx is located in Egypt on the Giza Plateau at the west bank of the Nile River, near modern-day Cairo. It is the largest single-stone statue on Earth and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the 3rd Millenium BC.

Sphinx is the Greek name given to it as we do not know what the Egyptians called it and it closely resembles the mythological creature the Greek called sphinx. Generally, Greek spinx would have the head of a female and yet the great Sphinx has the head of what appears to be a pharoh.

The sphinx in Greek Mythology was most often depicted seated upright rather than recumbent, as a winged lion with a woman's head. The Greek sphinx was said to have been sent from Ethiopia to Thebes where she asked all passersby a riddle: "Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?" She strangled anyone unable to answer. The word "sphinx" comes from the Greek word meaning "to strangle". The answer to the riddle; Man – he crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age.

The first attempt to restore the Sphinx to its former glory was actually thought to have been in 1400 BC. The Sphinx had become burried up to its shoulders and it was then that Tutmosis IV, was said to have uncovered its feet.

Later, in 1817, in the first modern dig the Sphinx was dug out completely. In the 1980's, a haphazard attempt at restoration took place. Over 6 years, more than 2,000 limestone blocks were added and chemicals were injected. This treatment didn’t work and just flaked away along with parts of the original rock. Later, various mortars and concrete were used to repair it. In 1988 the left shoulder crumbled.

Present attempts at restoration are under the control of the Supreme Council of Antiquities' archaeologists. They are concentrating on draining away soil moisture, which is damaging the rock. They are also repairing the damaged shoulder and trying to stay within the original porportions.

Beyond what is physically being done to the Sphinx, a plan of action and restoration is being developed so that this piece of history does not have to suffer additional potentially damaging restoration attempts in future. Dr. Zahi Hawass is heading up this effort.

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By Kayla Allen

I'm sure everyone knows by now that the always beautifully illustrated and happily ever after bedtime stories that we've come to know and love came from much more grim origins. The Brothers Grimm are a mainstay of children's literature worldwide and it strikes me as funny that the stories that we know to inspire hope and a sense of magic, in their original form might instead inspire terror, nightmares and possible bedwetting.

Not that it was the Grimm's intention to be frightening but the stories were intended to teach a lesson and most likely to be strong enough that it would not be forgotten. Not to mention that the world was just a tougher place back then and their stories were likely never intended to be children’s stories.

The Grimm brothers were linguists and traveled extensively through Germany and other countries to do field work.. To get the information they needed for their field work it was imperitive to find ways of convincing people in small villages to feel comfortable enough to talk at length. To accomplish this they asked the people they met to tell them their favorite stories. In the end the brothers not only attained the data necessary to do their linguistic work, they also took along with them stories from various regions which they compiled and would eventually make them a household name.

If you would like to see what a difference decades can make, follow these links to the original versions:

* Cinderella

* Hansel & Gretel

* Snow White

« Another side of Quito | Main | Outlook, Grim »

By Kayla Allen

Hand gestures can mean completely different things depending on where you are in the world. A peace sign in the U.S. turned around in Britain could start a fight. The easily recognizable sign for O.K. in the U.S. means zero in France, in Japan it means money or coins and in Brazil, Germany, and the former USSR, it is obscene gesture.

Head movements are the same; what means yes in one country might mean no in another and while handshakes are generally looked upon favorably, how you do it and what exactly the handshake means can also be up for interpretation. While the handshakes origins are speculation, it is widely thought that it was developed to show that neither party was armed and therefore friendly. Now its used as a greeting, as a goodbye, in business deals as well as a sign of mutal respect.

A kiss hello has none of that confusion. The Romans distinguished three types of kisses naming the hello kiss osculum. While the kiss hello can vary by how many kisses you give or receive, whether it be on the cheek or the mouth the general sentiment remains the same, "Hello, nice to meet/see you!"

Americans don't tend to be big kiss hello-ers but in some areas the practice is gaining popularity. Given the amount of things people touch with their hands in a day compared to how many things people kiss in a day I think I'd actually be happier kissing someone hello than shaking their hand and most importantly less likely to get sick. Maybe the fear of sickness is what's driving some to adopt the "air kiss", all sound and movement, no exchange of germs.

Whether you shake, bow, press together or kiss hello, non-verbal gestures have an evolution all their own, who knows how we'll greet each other in 2206.

« Warmth of Merida, Mexico | Main | Another side of Quito »

By Alexa Boyce

One theory on the origin of the name Seine has it coming from the Latin Sanctus, or sacred. Today when walking along the Seine in Paris, France, you can still feel the tranquility that may have precipitated this name, even among the hustle and bustle of this capital city. The beauty of this river has inspired many painters over the years, including Claude Monet, Charles François Daubigny and Emile Othon Friesz.

From the popular Bateaux Mouches tourist boats, one can travel the waterway located between the famed Rive Gauche (Left Bank) and Rive Droite (Right Bank). Many of the most famous sights in Paris can be seen from these boats, which could explain why they are so popular among tourists. These sights include: among other sites, the Eiffel Tower, "Notre-Dame" Cathedral, the Alexander III Bridge, Arc du Triomphe, the Orsay Museum, the Louvre Museum and the "Les Invalides" where Napoleon's tomb is located.

You can also travel under the Pont Neuf, whose name means "new bridge". Actually, the Pont Neuf was built in the early 17th century, and is the oldest standing bridge in Paris. This bridge is west of the Ile de la Cité, and connects the Left and Right Banks. The bridge also holds the famous equestrian statue of Henry IV.

The Rive Gauche is the romantic district of Paris past: Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald are among the artists of the Montpamasse. Besides being just a neighborhood, Rive Gauche can also refer to a certain type of fashion or way of life. This bohemian attitude was captured most recently in the film Moulin Rouge. The famous university district the Quartier Latin is also found on the Rive Gauche.

The Rive Droite is less artsy then its