Some of the most reasonable Rome hotels and Rome apartments can be found in the centre. In my experience, a one or two star hotel can often be a lot better than what we would consider a two or three star in Britain, as I happily found out when I checked into a two star hotel to find it had a beautiful little Mediterranean roof terrace with a bar and seating area which came alive at night.

Some of the most beautiful Rome accommodation is situated near to the Vatican City, such as Hotel Torre Rossa park (Via Torre Rossa 94) which is within walking distance to the historical centre of Rome itself but has the added luxury of being situated in a beautiful park near Villa Pamphili. The lobby, outside seated area and the restaurant have all been completely renovated to provide clients with a clean, contemporary, modern style.

If you´re looking for something traditional, you will find some of the most picturesque apartments in Rome. Although many of the apartments are quite small in inner city Rome, this is to be expected in such as chaotic city, as there is not much surface area to work with! Apartment prices vary and many require you to stay for at least a week. If you do decide to opt for an apartment, search in the historic quarter, where you will find an abundance of apartments tucked away down little picturesque lanes lined with hanging baskets, quiet cafes and a wonderful array of boutiques.

This beautiful Rome apartment in Via Giuseppe Della Vedova located in the Prenestino district is perfect for a break away from the stresses of life. Situated in the heart of Rome, near to trams and buses, it is the perfect place to relax after a days sightseeing! Rome has wonderful accommodation to offer, but if you want to stay in the more touristy areas such as close to the Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona or Piazza di Spagne, you are more likely to pay more for your Rome accommodation.

No matter how amazing your accommodation may be, be sure to leave it now and again to experience all that Rome has to offer!

On Saturday morning, it was finally time to cross Sar Pass. The plan was to start at 0630 hrs so that Sar Pass can be crossed by 1230 hrs. The problem was that snow would start melting as the day progressed. We finally managed to start at 0730 hrs (guess I am right about the starting time). The path was pretty steep in the initial stages and it opened out to stretches and stretches of snow. It was a very pretty sight to behold. That it became tiresome after 2 hours of walking on snow was a different issue :P

(Endless snow)

(Yeah, its me.....)

We encountered lots of ice patches on the way (can I call them glaciers??). It was fun writing our names on them.

(Until the next fall)

After walking for a long time, we finally reached a stretch which we had to cross to get to the last leg of Sar Pass. I didnt know that God would test me, Ragi and Punarvasu big time then :) In terms of being slender, it will be Ragi, me and Punarvasu. In the descending order, that is. Sorry Ragi :P That stretch I was talking about was very tricky and before we realised, Ragi slipped. The guide who came to rescue Ragi was also pulled down by Ragi :) I slipped next (The trek leader pulled me down :( ) and Punarvasu next. It would have been a very big slide if the guides werent there. Thank God for them.

The descent actually started with sliding down from Sar Pass (13800 feet). It was really an awesome experience. Imagining sliding through some 100 feet of snow (might have got that measurement wrong). We were asked to keep all purses, cameras, etc inside the bag as it might fall out during the slide. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the slide. Except for J. She created such a ruckus that Lord Shiva might have peeped out from Mt. Kailash  :D 

There was another stretch which quite scared us, enroute Biskeri. We had to cross a river log and had to do some rappeling to get to the log.

(That river log, we had to cross)                         

   (Slippery Sultan :) )

Ragi and I had another "God is there" experience here. It was during rappeling for me and for him during river crossing.

Biskeri was the next camp and we were all pretty tired once we reached there. We had walked for about 10 hours on that day alone. The next day, we had to start for Bhander thatch and some people started thinking about skipping that camp and going to the base camp directly. The camp leader would have none of it (and thankfully so) and the next day we started off for Bhanderthatch.

(View from Bhanderthaatch)

Bhanderthatch is a nice place full of grasslands. We had quite a but of fun there, playing kho kho. The terrain was slippery and everybody had fun running and slipping while playing. The day ended with a campFIRE :) and everybody were encouraged to sing songs.

(The camp at Bhanderthaatch)

The next day, we started the journey back to the base camp. We had to trek till a place from where we would get buses to the base camp. The trek was uneventful till a point where we (Ragi, J, Punarvasu and I) found that we were the last persons. YHAI should be seriously thanked as they had clear arrows painted on rocks and that helped us a lot. Until we came to a point where we couldnt find any arrows. A local finally guided us to a bridge (and the arrows as well) to cross to the opposite bank. That place was very very picturesque.

(The place we got lost. Very picturesque)

Finally, we came to a place where we took the Hydro electric organisation (Parvati valley project) bus to the bus stop. There were fellow trekkers on top of a bus. They waved to us and helped us on to the top. They told us that they had walked all the way to the bus, and we couldnt wipe that silly grin off off our face as we had taken a bus instead 

Once we reached the base camp, we got ready to leave for Manali the next day. Chi went for rafting and Ragi, J, Punarvasu and I opted to go to Manali, where we did some shopping. We then took a bus (Raj Travels again) back to Delhi. The bus stopped at some small shack like restaurant for dinner. The food was very horrible, but I guess the owner of that place was a good entrepeuner. To make the restaurant hip, he had hung Jockey posters thru out. Jockey, hip, get it?? :P

We reached Delhi the next day morning, at 0800 hrs, bringing to an end a Super Duper trip. :)

Flickr has some of the most interesting photos I have ever seen.  I felt like visualizing London just now so i wrote London in the Search and came up with so many interesting day to day shots including this amazing photo taken from the Stone Gallery in St. Pauls Cathedral. 

Related Posts:

• Flickr
• Airbrushing
• GIMP Photo Retouching Tool

If you're anything like me, sleeping in a pipe is probably one of those things on your pre dirt nap to-do list. Well good news then: the Park Hotel in Austria allows you to do just this. Designed by Andreas Strauss, you can pre-book one of three pipes which means you can then simply rock up with your pin code to sleep in your pipe. You leave the amount you think your stay was worth in the pipe when you check-out. And if you want any reassurance, check out the recommendation on their website:

"It is wonderful ..."
Ein Besucher, A visitor!

Estelle calls her the Carrie Bradshaw of Morocco.

The only door painted green.

Could be a country's flag.

Right outside our lovely hostel.

Looks a lot like the greek islands doesn't it?

When holidaying in Rome, it is important to sample the local delicacies, talk a bit of the language and mingle with the locals. Here you will find a guide which shows you how when in Rome, to do what Romans do…

In terms of places to go and see, one attraction that is totally free, and in which you can join the locals, is the ritual known as "la passaggiata", the evening stroll. After smartening up in one of the Rome hotels or Rome apartments and dining in a fantastic restaurant, tourists and residents alike promenade the piazzas. Their dress is usually more suited to an evening out, than what they were touring in during the day. Two of the most popular hangouts, are the Via Condotti from Piazza di Spagna to the Via del Corso, and the Piazza Navona.

The Piazza Navona was originally built as a stadium in the first century for athletic contests and chariot races, but now, the Piazza Navona is lined with luxurious cafes and Baroque palaces and is the home to three lavish fountains. The Piazza is a lively, modern place, where both locals and tourists tend to gather, and is also full of local artists and artisans. At night the square buzzes with people but if you want to really appreciate the beauty of the square itself, it's best to go in early morning to avoid the crowds. Make sure you stay as close to the heart of Rome as possible by renting Rome accommodation, so that you not only sample Rome´s buzzing atmosphere during the day, but its fantastic bars and restaurants at night.

Italians are proud of their artistic heritage. Museums, churches, courtyards and statues all over the country proudly display to a watching world the treasures of some of the greatest artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, to name just a few. As well as this, Italians enjoy a night at the opera, dressing up generally, and although jeans can very occasionally be glimpsed at the theatre, a certain degree of smartness is expected. Evening dress is often worn to first nights, which can be glittering, paparazzi-attended occasions. Whatever you choose to wear to a performance, you are unlikely to feel over-dressed. One of the most popular theatres that Roman´s visit is Rome´s leading theatre, known as the “Teatro dell´Opera” or “Teatro Costanzi”, an attractive opera house, which puts on extravagant opera productions, interspersed with ballets. The Teatro dell'Opera has its own orchestra and ballet company, both of a very high standard and the outdoor theatre at the Baths of Caracalla, with the Roman ruins as the backdrop, is the venue for the opera company's summertime presentations in Rome.

Prices vary depending on the production: opera is more expensive than ballet, first nights are more expensive, and the summer season can be very cheap as few Italians go to the theatre. Box office opening hours are generally Tuesday - Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 9am-1:30pm, opening again one hour before performances.

Hypnotist Marc Savard at L.A. Comedy Club at Trader Vic's
L.A. Comedy Club - Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
Monday, Jul. 7 @ 8:00pm
Tuesday, Jul. 8 @ 8:00pm
and 2 more dates.
Full Price: $48.45 Our Price: $20.25
Rating: No rating yet

Comedy plus hypnosis equals unpredictable fun! Get completely mesmerized by hypnotist Marc Savard at the L.A. Comedy Club at Trader Vic's in the Planet Hollywood Hotel. You'll be rolling with laughter as you see your friends, family members and complete strangers volunteer to be seduced by Marc's hypnotic ways

Award-Winning Comic Magician The Amazing Johnathan
Harmon Theater at Krave (Las Vegas, NV)
Tuesday, Jul. 1 @ 9:00pm
Friday, Jul. 4 @ 9:00pm
and 42 more dates.
Full Price: $76.90 Our Price: $38.48
Rating:

As seen on Comedy Central and David Letterman, The Amazing Johnathan is a comic magician with exceedingly bizarre humor and unscripted antics that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. His impulsive, raw and abrasive wit, combined with spontaneous magic and impressive special effects, creates a show you shouldn't turn your back on!

Dinner and a Show: Tony n' Tina's Wedding Dinner Comedy
Calypso Room at The Rio (Las Vegas, NV)
Tuesday, Jul. 1 @ 8:00pm
Wednesday, Jul. 2 @ 8:00pm
and 12 more dates.
Full Price: $137.50 Our Price: $68.75
Rating:

Don't miss the original Off-Broadway hit Tony n' Tina's Wedding Dinner Comedy playing at The Rio in Las Vegas. Audience members are treated like family at this groundbreaking interactive comedy. The fun starts with the happy couple's wedding ceremony, followed by the all-inclusive reception featuring a full Italian dinner, champagne toast, wedding cake, dancing to a live band and lots of laughs!

Roseanne Barr: Domestic Goddess Live at the Sahara's Legendary Congo Room
Congo Room (Las Vegas, NV)
Saturday, Jul. 5 @ 9:30pm
Sunday, Jul. 6 @ 9:30pm
and 39 more dates.
Full Price: $69.00 Our Price: $42.00
Rating:

Legendary comedian Roseanne Barr brings her show, Domestic Goddess Live, to the Sahara Hotel's legendary Congo Room. Comedy Central has named her one of the ten greatest stand-ups of all time, and her namesake show was one of the top TV sitcoms of its era.

For the best hotel rates in town click here

Feeling very confused i was given no time to work out my thoughts as almost immediately  i heard a man cry "Tuk Tuk, you want Tuk, Tuk". Looking around i saw he was now following me down the road and looking right in my direction. I glanced at the small, three wheeled vehicle, painted in a rainbow of colours. The man was hanging out the open sides waving his arm around trying to encourage me. I simply wanted to laugh. How could he possibly think i could take him seriously whilst he was sitting in such a ridiculous looking vehicle?  Carrying on walking i tried to hide my amusement, whilst he repeated his question again "Tuk, Tuk, you want Tuk, Tuk". From the determined look on his face i could tell he was serious. He wanted me to travel with him, yet he too could not help smile, as he acknowledged the confused look on this tourists face, even though, to him, this mode of transport was completely normal. 

Quickly realising he was not going to let my custom go easily, i decided to throw myself into Thai culture and jump into this muliti-coloured source of amusement, with this comic man. Still unsure about what the first guy had tried to tell me, i decided to visit one of the spectacular temples i had read so much about. Attempting  to show my driver the map, he nodded his head with agreement before, telling me once again about these three Buddahs. Seeing as this was the second time i had been recommended to visit these places i agreed. Well, i say i agreed, when in fact i had very little choice in the matter. The Thai man was already pulling out into about six heavy lanes of traffic, at as fast a speed as the little Tuk Tuk could manage. My interest now was to hang on to the open side of the vehicle, making sure my arms and legs remained firmly inside, so as to save them from a brutal mutilation from ridiculously close passing traffic.

Speeding diagonally across the busy road, dodging everything which seemed to be coming right towards us, we pulled to the side of the road and came to a halt. First stop- a jewellery shop. The man started saying something about fuel and tickets. When i remained seated he stated in  quite a frustrated manner " i help you, you help me....yes". We both got out the vehicle and he shouted to his friend, while virtually pushing me up the stairs to go take a look around. Nervously looking round a dark shop, filled with jewellery of all sorts sparkling from every corner, underneath harsh, bright lights, i wondered what i was doing there. Feeling uncomfortable i turned round to find a lady, presumably the owner, following me with her eyes and an evil stare. Sternly she said if i was not interested in buying anything, i should leave, whilst virtually pushing me back out of the shop. Standing, once again, back outside in the sun, i didn't know whether to laugh or cry. However, before i got the chance to do either, my driver finished talking with his friend and ushered me back into the Tuk Tuk. 

Showing me the tickets in his hand, he explained further how he was able to get commission for fuel at each place he stopped. I now realised how important these detours were to him and was happy to go with the flow.Presumably the lady who i took to be the owner of the jewellery shop was far less passionate about this arrangement, as i can imagine not many tourists could afford what she was selling. Admittedly, the Thai Baht still confused me, however, i believe that like myself, most travellers would be put off by the numerous zeros on the price tags and i can only assume the Tuk Tuk drivers do not pull the same trick on the locals. Alternatively, the lady was just an unimpressed, bored shop assistant. I guess i will never know.

On we went. I was now beginning to enjoy the little Tuk Tuk and was filled with adrenaline every time we escaped being crushed underneath another vehicle. Coming to a halt the man pointed down a dark alley way and after walking in between two rows of very run down shacks crammed with large families i saw an amazing sight. An absolutely enormous golden Buddah towering above me. This was really spectacular  and it took me a while to fully appreciate it's astonishing proportions. Eventually i made my way back to greet my driver and thank him for his guidance, however, i was yet again rushed into the vehicle. On to the second Buddah, without time to waste. This time i viewed a massive stucture laying on is side. When i returned to meet my guide i was shocked to find he was not there and began to search around frantically because i had no idea where this place was exactly. All of a sudden another man pulled up beside me and ushered me into his little Tuk Tuk painted even more brightly then the first one. Not having any time to think i got in and later realised my first guide must have had another customer and asked his friend to look after me. Immediately we sped off and i came to the third and final sitting Buddah just as spectacular as the other two.

Feeling pleased with what i had seen i saw the Thai man once again and gave my thanks. The driver offered to take me somewhere else, however, i declined the offer despite having had so much fun. I was exhausted and did not feel like visiting another jewellery shop on my way home. Laying back on my hotel bed that night i smiled at the adventure i had just been on and how i had experienced Bangkok at its best, without even planning it. This was certainly a mad city and i could not wait for the rest of my trip.

My parents are spa crazy and since Chiang Mai offers a good variety of spas, we set them up to go to Oasis Spa yesterday. Even the most expensive package there, The King/Queen of the Oasis was 3,900 Baht, a nice reprieve for my dad who has been paying Banyan Tree prices. According to them, the therapists were very accommodating and skilled. Due to both my parents being riddled with back injuries, they requested that the therapist skip the 10 minutes of Thai massage and it was replaced with a further 10 minutes of aromatic massage. The therapist also customized the massage to suit their body needs. So all in all, the Oasis Spa is not a bad place to try out. They have three outlets in Chiang Mai and two in Bangkok. And the compounds are very, very pretty and serene.

We also went for dinner at a place called Fine Restaurant last night. Nobody had any idea if it was as its name said 'Fine Restaurant', but we were starving. Turned out, the food there was pretty good. In fact, it was awesome. We had Tom Kha Kai, the coconut and galangal chicken soup, Northern Pork Curry, Prawn fritters, Prawn Canapes, Tub Tin Fried Fish and Fried River Prawns with Garlic and Chili. All brilliant and extremely fresh, with the Tom Kha Kai being the spiciest I've tasted in Chiang Mai so far. Pity they didn't have Yum Pla Dook Foo though.

We tried to take my parents to the Tapae walking streets after dinner. They got to see the VW bus that sold coffee and a few other cool stuff, then it started POURING. Absolutely POURING. And we had to run 3/4 the way through the city to get to Wat Phra Sing where our car was parked. If we keep that up, I'll be able to run a marathon soon.

Tonight, I'm gonna enjoy being 21 for the last time. We're gonna go to Duke's for steaks. Yum, meat!

Sursa

Adevarul.ro

Wrapping the blankets around me, i found they gave me little warmth and were instead course and itchy. I laid back and being tall, could not stretch but had to draw my knees so they were bent. Leaning my legs to the side meant they were already hanging way out of my bunk. Looking to my right a smile came over my face as i once again saw the two large seat belt straps clipping from the top to the bottom of my bed. Believe it or not they were designed specifically to stop people from turning over in their sleep and falling to the floor, yet they were so widely spaced that you were more likely to fall through the middle, get your foot caught in them and end up hanging in the walk way by your ankle.

The continuous shaking of the carriage was so monotonous that it became almost relaxing. With thoughts of the following days adventures running through my head i shut my eyes and tried to sleep. I felt happy and content, as i began tof relax after a busy day. However, having entered a slumber my dreams of staying in jungle huts and trekking through the wilderness were soon over taken, as i boarded a vigourous roller coaster ride. Speeding over old rail tracks i was thrown from left to right repeatedly. Having been thrown sharply to the left i tried to calm myself only for the train to run over a bad join on the track. The jolt sent me flying to the right, but this time bouncing me high into the air. I longed for the ride to finish, yet it just kept on going, faster than lightening through a never ending, dark tunnel. Panic set in as images of the carriage caving in entered my mind.

Waking up slightly, feeling frightened and confused i looked up at the ceiling and remembered once again that this was a sleeper. Remaining in a fatigued state, my body was frozen and my hands gripped the side of the bed, knuckles white due to the fact i had clearly been holding on for some time. I still was unable to comprehend what had just happened and was convinced that i was on the death train from Hell. Why was no one coming to tell me we had to exit the cabin immediately? Gathering a little courage i was able to move enough to poke my head out of the curtain to take a look around the train. I was convinced there would be many worried people like myself, awake and seeking reassurance. However, to my absolute surprise, there was not a sole awake. They were all still sleeping soundly. Nausea welled up inside me, as i simply couldn't believe that we were not all fatally plummeting into a dark abyss. This feeling was soon over taken by a sense of stupidity, as i began to reason that my sleep had enhanced the movements of the carriage, turning it into a nightmare. Eventually i was managed to muster a smile and maybe a little giggle, as i recovered from my own personal adventure, relieved i had survived Thailand's newest theme park attraction.

I managed to get a little more rest that night, however, in the morning i still could not help but check if other people had been woken up by the ride. Most people slept soundly, whilst others said they had been awake all night, but had just been reading. Feeling a little embarrassed i shared my night adventure with the group, which entertained them for many hours, as we made our way to Kaoh Sok National Park.

The seat you are sitting on may be lighter. Perhaps there's less water on board for the bathroom taps and toilets. The drinks trolley coming your way probably weighs less too.

It's all part of efforts by airlines to shed weight and conserve fuel, running in tandem with more radical steps such as cutting routes and capacity.

"Individually they may sound quite trivial but they all add up," said Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

"Obviously, the more expensive the fuel, the more the savings translate into. Given that oil prices are at a record high and have quadrupled over the past few years, there's even more effort" to reduce weight, he said.

Japan Airlines (JAL), Asia's largest carrier, is among carriers that are putting fewer pages into their in-flight magazines.

It has also slimmed the handles of its forks and spoons, reducing their weight by two grams each, said JAL spokesman Hisanori Iizuka.

The weight of a freight container has been cut by 26kg, reducing the burden of a flight by one tonne.

Even the porcelain in business class on international flights is 20 per cent lighter since the manufacturer put tiny bubbles inside.

"It's important to make every little effort, which matters when you carry hundreds of passengers on a flight and operate 365 days" a year, said Iizuka.

"The heavier the plane is, the lower its fuel efficiency. This is part of our efforts to slim down everything possible."

It's not the only airline looking to shed weight. Qantas is also considering similar steps to conserve fuel.

"We don't want to compromise our product or service," but the carrier is looking at lightweight meal carts, alternative packaging and examining "what we carry to remove waste, that type of thing," a spokeswoman said.

Singapore Airlines has introduced lightweight drink trolleys and serviceware on board new aircraft such as the A380 superjumbo and the Boeing B777-300ER.

"These carts and serviceware will be on all new aircraft which join the fleet in the future. As for magazines, based on crew feedback, titles not in demand were removed," a spokeswoman for the carrier said.

All Nippon Airways has also been reducing the weight of seats, tableware, trolleys used by cabin attendants and other items.

"By introducing lighter porcelain for first and business classes, we have reduced the weight by an average 66kg on one flight," a spokeswoman said. "We're always looking for items whose weight can be reduced."

Even paint adds weight to an aircraft, so some carriers have been experimenting with only polishing the exterior, particularly for cargo planes.

Airlines worldwide face total losses of at least $2.39 billion this year due to soaring fuel costs, according to the International Air Transport Association, which says the industry is in "crisis".At least two dozen carriers around the world have gone bust this year.Some carriers have begun charging passengers a fee for checked luggage.

And there is even speculation that the passengers might eventually have to step on the scales before boarding a plane, with heavier travellers paying more to fly, although experts say that day is not here just yet."I don't think we've quite got to the point of passengers being weighed," said Herdman.

But the good thing is, you've got 24 hours to go around Alaska in summer =D Like, you can still go canoeing at 12am:

(That's the tiny weeny white/red canoe at the left corner) Taken at 1230 midnight at the University of Alaska Anchorage lake.

me me!

some random guy lol

We stayed at the UAA dorm for just usd30 per day =D

And then zhengjun saw this:

and insisted that we follow the sign so he could/might find some kind of mm paradise =__=

we got attacked by alaskan mosquitoes (which are huge and very slow-motion) along the way

only to realise mm means

(many) mosquito(es) lake =____="

Anyway, a few more pictures on campus before pictures in downtown:
The very artsy library:

main entrance:

Bus stop:

Moving on to the city center:

ok this is NOT the center of the city center, but the edge of the city center =D. And that's my big boss with his leng (ok with some cvpr conference participants)

in the city center! the shops are mainly souvenir shops, travel agencies and restaurants - very tourissy!

with lots of stuff like this for you to pose with

lol

oh and not forgetting the many skin/fur shops:

i'll bite you if you don't leave a comment =p

or even skinned you... I know this is cruel - I guess hunting is pretty common here therefore the abundant skins/furs.

and gold mining industry too:

rings with gold nuggets

even watches

some graffities around the corner:

So, in short, the downtown is more like a place to stay/eat/get creative souvenirs (seriously, the tee-shirt's designs are much more interesting than any other states' designs). I did a few outings (other than the cruise) in Alaska and will write them up next yo =D.

dad: only three pictures!!!
mum: she's busy lah...

so dad, this is specially for you yo

Not vegas - though Vegas IS a city that does not sleep all thanks to the casino lightnings that are on 24/7.

I got the chance to visit Anchorage in Alaska all thanks to the CVPR conference =D. It's a huge conference with more than a thousand participants - you might see this person today and not seeing him/her in the next few days! Met lots of interesting people and had really good alaskan experiences (especially being bitten hard by Alaskan Airline (the mosquitoes!!)).

Neway I'll let the pictures do the talking =D

I was a blur sotong (octopus) when I booked for the flight to Alaska - I thought the conference starts from 22 June so I booked 21 June - only to find out it's one day later. So as I was blaming myself (for like, 1 second? =p), I immediately googled up a glacier cruise =D

no not that kind of small boat =p

with nice reflections

the very shuai captain

it's double-storey

We first visited a salmon farm, and you get to see salmons come flying from the water. But I can't predict where the salmon will jump from and therefore the best picture I got of the salmon is:

yes the white splash is where the salmon was =p gomen lah, you just have to use some imaginations...

seagulls

starting to see some glaciers:

It's kinda cold if you stay out at the front deck when the cruise is moving...

cute isn't it? =p

The captain will stop whenever we spotted sea otters - this is a mum with baby otter... chio kawaii... and they love to swim on their back =p

more sea otters on ice bergs

and finally, the tide water glaciers:

notice the distinct blue colour? "The distinctive blue tint of glacial ice is often wrongly attributed to Rayleigh scattering which is supposedly due to bubbles in the ice. The blue color is actually created for the same reason that water is blue, that is, its slight absorption of red light due to an overtone of the infrared OH stretching mode of the water molecule." - wiki

closer look

even closer =p

the fresh white (clean) part is where the glacier just collapsed in front of our eyes =D

and dad, I know you missed me, so here's your kawaii daughter before I end this entry =p

chiang =D

So, I haven't really explained bout the midnight sun - will do so in the next one yo =D

p/s: I am looking at buying a wide-angle (I know I am super broke already but... u know... =p). Anyway, just planning okay... Let me know if you have any good suggestion, I'm interested in Tokino 11-16mm F2.8 (I hope to get a wide angle with big aperture so I dont need a tripod for nightscene).
http://smartimports.net/product.php?productid=16272&gclid=CIK3yuC7pZQCFSEbagodyGyWtw

My current lenses:
Sigma 18-200mm (which has a bit of wide angle to telephoto) F3.5-6.3
Sigma 30mm F1.4 (which is freaking good for dim light shots and with a bit of wide angle - which is bad sometimes cause it makes me look fat!!! =p)

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1. 1. 申請表格
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3. 3. 免照片

◎ 個人會員卡
【北部】
CTYHA中華民國國際青年之家協會
台北市北平西路3號3樓3037室(台北火車站樓上)
       TEL：02-2331-1102 or 02-2331-2655
       FAX：02-2331-1393
.................................................................................................................................................
台北之家國際青年之家
台北市松江路293號 11樓-1 近行天宮
       TEL：( 886 ) 02 - 2503–5819、2517 –8217
.................................................................................................................................................
新驛國際青年旅舍
台北市中正區懷寧街7號
       TEL：(02)22314-8008
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台北ＹＨ群賢樓國際青年旅舍
台北市忠孝西路一段50號13F-10.台北火車站正對面
       TEL：( 886 ) 02 - 2388 – 0885
       FAX：( 886 ) 02 - 6632 – 9288
.................................................................................................................................................
中華大學國際青年旅舍
新竹市五福路二段707號
TEL：(03)537-6175

檢視較大的地圖
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【中部】
陳國明老師的「禮來居餐廳」
台中市西屯區福林路10號(近東海大學)
       TEL：( 886 )  04-24633592
.................................................................................................................................................
日月潭青年活動中心
南投縣魚池鄉日月村中正路101號
       TEL ：886 - 049 - 2850070 ~ 72
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香格里拉空中花園國際青年旅舍
南投縣仁愛鄉大同村榮光巷8號
       TEL ：886 - 049 - 2850070 ~ 72
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Dunno what happened both of us ended up with bunny teeth!! Bleah!

The ride out of Frankfurt was pretty smooth despite the so-called morning traffic. The ride in Germany was really boring, with not much to see on both sides of the road, so boring till I fell asleep. I didn't realise it until I snorted and it was loud enough to wake me up and my driver to notice!!! He looked into the mirror to check on me and I pretended like nothing happened! hahahahahaha...so embarrassing!!

We stopped after 3 hours for a break & pee stop and to my shock, we had to pay 50 cents Euro to use the toilet! Shiats! Bought this apple juice....was frizzy of course....what else?

Crossover to Switzerland was easy peasy, no need to chop passport oso. After crossing over, it's tunnel after tunnel..and I noticed the driver was driving very slow (100 km/h is considered slow in his standard!!) as they r really strict there with speed cameras everywhere!

Lunch stop was at Marche. I can't believe they allow customers to bring in their pets into the restaurant. Talk about hygiene...bleah! Good thing was, we didn't have to pay to use the toilet here! Phew..

The scenery became really beautiful as we draw nearer to the Italian border, with lakes and mountains along the road and of course tunnels...tunnels...tunnels...

Once we entered Italy, our driver sped up and we were almost flying!! (as you can witness thru the pic of the speedometer!) hahaha..

Upon reaching Florence it was pouring cats & dogs so I couldn't go out...stuck in the hotel, I had cupnoodles with my dried chicken meat (yes Amah lugged that along) and did some planning for my shopping the next day. Good thing the bus station was just 1 minute walk from the hotel! Cool!

The following was what I fell in love when I saw it on the display at the Florence store. However they didn't have a new one in stock so I bought this in Rome. Too bad for the sales guy at the Florence store cos he was really very patient and nice to me while I made him bring me all sorts of designs to choose from and at the end I didn't buy off him.

]]> http://jgontour.wordpress.com/?p=784 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:46:16 +0000 jgontour http://jgontour.wordpress.com/?p=784 We started the morning at the London Dungeon, bright and early. It is a theme park type of recreation of various 'scary' points in London's past - the great fire, the plague, Jack the Ripper etc. The highlights included:

• a dead rat in a glass case of actual rats - don't think they'd noticed him
• one of the actors threatening to kick R in the face if she continued to touch the door hatch - as we were waiting in line and getting impatient
• the 'hall' of mirrors - all turning so you couldn't tell where you were or what was mirror
• another actor as we arrived in her section asking for a break after this lot as she needed 'a poo'
• the boat ride through tunnels

From there we walked back to London Bridge station and decided to check out the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret. Unfortunately there were works going on, but it was still fascinating with heaps of old surgical tools and information, and we were able to see into the old female theatre - despite the scaffolding.

We got home in time to finish packing and jump in the car to head for the Eurostar station. Paris here we come! It was all very painless and we arrived in Paris a couple of hours later. We caught the metro to Ecole Militaire and our hotel was not far away. We checked in and then went out for dinner and a stroll. We found a brasserie and had a tasty meal, including steak tartare for L, and frites all round, bien sur.

After that we strolled a little and came to... the Eiffel Tower! Which was blue!! We also saw a lovely art nouveau doorway on our way to the park that leads up to the Tower. The grass of the park was covered with Frenchies out with picnics which I thought was nice - that they enjoy the area even though its such a big tourist draw. At about 11pm the twinkly lights came on which were just beautiful. After walking under it and lying in the grass to watch it, we went back to the hotel - a big day ahead.

Arriving at the train station ready to go to work is often an experience which can test many people's patience. The shock of a sudden rush of people makes it clear that the shower you had taken that morning did not wake you up properly. Dreams of being comfortably tucked up in bed are quickly disturbed by the realisation that your train is flashing delayed. Annoyed and with a frown you go over to the  worker in the bureau and ask for a ticket, only to discover the price of travel has increased yet again. Was it not just the other week the price had been raised?

Driving to work can be no easier than public transport. The car is sat outside your house and as you quickly finish breakfast and grab your bag you remember that yesterday the petrol light had come on just as you turned into your road. Rushing out of the house with a sigh you drive to the nearest petrol station to find that there has been another  increase in fuel prices. Carrying on down the road to the next garage you hope that the fuel costs will be significantly lower, only to be rapidly disappointed. There is nowhere cheaper and so the only option is to fill your tank and clear your wallet. The feeling of frustration rapidly builds up, your bank balance is worryingly low and images of 'final notice' bills run through your head.

The continuous increase of anxieties facing people every day can acount for the pessamistic outlooks of many. So much time is spent worrying that the positive elements in life can be dismissed entirely. This is a great shame, as it can be hard to recognize the extent to which your life has become charged with negativity. During July 2007 I decided to take a month out of my busy working schedule to go to Thailand. It had always  been a place I had wanted to visit for a different type of holiday and to find out why so many people referred to this country as "the land of smiles". Determined not to  only look around the main tourist areas I decided that for half of my trip I would go into the poorest, most rural places to live with a Hill Tribe family. My desire was to experience customs that were far from the life I had become accustomed to.  

Arriving in Bangkok airport, tired from a thirteen hour flight, carrying a heavy backpack I made my way to the exit. Confused by the value of the Thai Baht I  attempted to work out the best deal for a taxi to my hotel. As I arrived at my destination I payed the driver, only to later realise the charge was significantly overpriced. Fueled by adrenalin I put my bag in my room and headed out onto the bustling streets, taking rides in "Tuk Tuks" and visiting temples- unprepared to waste any time. This fast paced, action packed schedule was how my time was spent for the first two weeks of the trip, visiting every place that attracted my attention in various guide books. 

As I travelled from one place to the next I met very different people, from many places around the world. They all had there own reason for coming to Thailand. There were those who were embarking on a journey of self discovery, others who were unhappy back at home and a significant amount who had come for the adventure. It was clear that the traveling experience enthused a significant amount of people and I wondered how or if their experiences would change them in any way when they eventually went back to their home lives.

At this stage in my trip I was overwhelmed at the idea of being over the other side of the world and was fascinated by the cultural differences, however, i by no means considered myself to be like a lot of the other people I had met. The things I were viewing daily were all  part of  another culture. As far as I could see I was simply a tourist who would visit, look around and then leave with a little extra knowledge of how people different to me live. It was difficult to understand those people who spoke about having their eyes opened and  whose experiences had been life changing. Although I was traveling in a culturally diverse group for much of the time, it took a while to realise we were discovering things collectively and that my English origin should not stop me from learning and adopting ways of various cultures. 

Having had an extremely busy and often chaotic two weeks in the urban areas of Thailand including Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Chaing Mai, I was ready to trek out into the rural areas of Chiang Mai,  to meet the hill tribe family I would be staying with. The trek alone was an experience i would never forget. Led by an extremely thin guide, I tackled the jungle with a few other travelers. We faced steep inclines followed by challenging declines and unbearably hot temperatures. As the jungle cleared and the surrounding terrain turned into paddy fields, I realised we were entering inhabited land and I soon caught sight of a small arrangement of wooden huts nestled in the hills.

We followed the river until we reached the Hill Tribe village. My guide pointed his finger to two small wooden huts on stilts situated very close to each other. They were at a slight distance away from the rest of the houses in the village and surrounded by mud which seemed to cover the parts of ground that were not long grass. I soon realized this was where we were going to be staying. A mixture of dread, excitement and intrigue came over me as the family slowly appeared from a dark doorway in the hut. As we cautiously walked up the steps to greet them, we were met with big smiles. Two children came running out, both under the age of five, wearing mismatched clothes and no shoes. My eyes scanned the room and i quickly realized the whole family lived in this one single room.

The family were not able to speak any English but enthusiastically signaled to us that we could stay in the hut next door. As we were redirected up the stairs of our new place of residence, i saw that my bed was the bamboo floor and my duvet, a mosquito net. For the first time on the trip i felt alone and admittedly a little frightened within my new situation.

It was dusk and the room looked gloomy. For a moment i started to ask myself what i was doing there. Thoughts of home flashed in my mind and for the first time i felt home sick. However, I was immediately put at ease as soon as I realised that the Thai family were doing everything in their power to make us feel comfortable. The whole family were working together to meet and greet us, creating a hospitable and friendly atmosphere. 

Having been left alone for the best part of an hour to unpack, bathe in the river and just relax, i soon noticed that an array of appetizing aromas were coming from the hut of the family. Extremely curious I  went onto the balcony just as the man was climbing the steps up to our hut with a large steaming pot. The lady followed closely carrying bowls containing food of all different colors. Even the children were helping with one bowl at a time. It became clear how this family had created a whole array of dishes especially for us, all with such enthusiasm. I could not believe where all the food had come from, there were all types of vegetables including potatoes, carrots and pumpkins - all of which had been turned into a curry. 

The people of the Hill Tribe were living in very simple huts, wore no shoes and bathed in the river, however, despite all this, they were still smiling. Not only did they appear content living in such a small space altogether, but they were kind enough to let visitors into their life and were thrilled to share what they had. After the meal, the children danced and sang for our entertainment and we taught them songs in return.

Staying in this environment made me realize for the first time on my trip that I could learn invaluable lessons from this incredibly different culture. Life back in England is often spent worrying about financial issues, when more time should be spent with family or friends. The Hill Tribe people seemed to place great importance on the family unit and enjoyed spending as much time together as possible, which can be a rarity in such a high speed British society. The Hill Tribes do not have luxuries as we know them in the United Kingdom. For instance, I saw one car in the entire village and that was under repair. Yet everyone i met greeted me warmly with a big smile.

This part of my trip, without doubt taught me that we should value what we do have. We may face daily struggles, however, for the majority of UK Citizens hot water and electricity are easily accessible and are used without appreciation. Can we be ruled by negativity when our supermarkets are filled with a variety of foods and our beds are comfortable and warm? More attention should be placed on the enjoyable parts of life and we should recognise how some people do not have the basic comforts we take for granted.

Revellers wearing traditional white trousers and shirts with red bandanas celebrated the beginning of the nine-day festival by spraying one another with champagne, red wine and sangria.

Town councillor Uxe Barkos started proceedings in traditional fashion from the Town Hall balcony overlooking the crowd, yelling: "Men and women of Pamplona, all hail to San Fermin."Fireworks were set off to herald the festivities and the crowd responded by tossing people into the air to celebrate the Chupinazo.

Residents poured buckets of water over the crowd from their balconies to help cool down the revellers, while others took the more traditional approach of pouring red wine, sangria and sparkling wine over one another.

"I love it. I'd heard a lot about it, but seeing it in person is truly moving," said Australian Anna Stampy.

Held since 1591, the fiesta is famous for the nerve-wrecking bull-run, where participants test their skill and courage by racing alongside six fearsome fighting bulls along 800m of narrow cobblestone streets linking the city's stables to the bullring.

On the afternoon of each day, the bulls must face matadors in the ring.During the celebrations, police found the body of a young man who apparently died by falling 30m from an ancient wall, but the tragedy had no effect on the fanfare.

Since 1924, 13 people have been killed in the running of the bulls. The last victim was a 22-year-old American gored to death in 1995.

On our first proper day, we made our way into the city, first by bus, then via the Underground. While we were on the train in, we realised that we didn't know the name of the bus stop we started at, or the name of the suburb we were staying in. No worries I thought, we'll work it out when we get back from the city.
We had a great day and visited the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. The tower was chock full of interesting displays such as the Crown Jewels, White Tower and the Medieval Palace. We also got a guided tour of parts of the Tower from one of the Beefeaters.
After we had a look at the insides of the Tower Bridge (also worth a look) we needed to head back through the tube. It was rush hour and the Circle Line was packed. We squeezed onto the train where it was hot, humid and stinking from so many people in such a tight space. After changing onto our line back (which was less busy) and getting back to the station we tackled the problem of not knowing where we were going, except for the name of the small back street cul-de-sac we were staying at.
First we looked for the information kiosk, but that was shut. Then we bought a map, but found that is was only for the center city! Next we tried jumping on a bus we thought was going in the right direction and looked out for landmarks we recognised. This was working for a while until everything looked unfamiliar. We jumped off, crossed the road and got the next bus back to the station.
Next up, we borrowed a phone book to look for my Uncle's phone number to ask him, but his number turned out to be unlisted! Finally, we went into a dairy and the guy behind the counter was nice enough to let us borrow his local area map. We found the way to go but didn't trust our poor understanding of the bus system, so we walked the 2-3kms back.
Finally, after nearly 2 hours of pissing about, we arrived back having learned an important lesson: we were staying in Harrow Weald.

All our other excursions into the city have gone smoothly. We've seen sights such as The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern, The Museum of Natural Science, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace and Greenwich.

The streets here are really tight here. I'm glad we don't have a car, or we would have hit something by now.

Today we're heading off to Brighton to stay with my Aunt. Better go pack!

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