Interesting Tourist places and things

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Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic)



The ancient temple of Wat Mahathat was founded in the 18th century, before even the founding of Bangkok (1782), but has been considerably altered over the years, most notably by the young Prince Mongkut who would later become King Rama IV of Thailand.



Today, the temple is the headquarters of the Mahanikai school of Buddhism, Thailand's largest monastic order, and is used as a center for monastic learning for members of the school that come from all across Southeast Asia. The temple is also home to the Center for Vipassana Meditation at Buddhist University, and is one of several in Bangkok that offers classes in meditations. Some programs are taught in English.



Originally built to house a relic of the Buddha, Wat Mahathat is one of the oldest shrines in Bangkok. The temple is tucked away on the grounds, surrounded by a confusing layout of schools, offices and other buildings. When you come to the entrance to the inner courtyard, push your way through the door. It tends to be closed to keep out the noise of the surrounding environs. The courtyard is packed with statues and relics, with an out-of-place garden of tall palm trees pushed to the back.



Next to the temple, vendors gather every Sunday for Bangkok's largest amulet market, where they peddle religious amulets, talismans, charms, and traditional medicine. All of the amulets have a different purpose: to restore health, to bring great wealth, to keep enemies away.

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Margate Shell Grotto



In 1835, James Newlove was digging a duck pond when his shovel broke through the ground into some kind of underground opening. Lowering his son into the cave, he quickly realized that this was more than just a natural underground cavern. (Reports on the discovery vary, and some suggest that Newlove and his children were aware of the grotto for some time before announcing its existence to the world.)



Decorated with thousands of local shells, the designs are reminiscent of Indian and Egyptian designs. The mosaic panels are quite abstract but some appear to represent animals such as a crocodile, owl, or turtle and another is said to look like a skeleton.



The grotto was opened to the public in 1837 and quickly became a local tourist attraction. Unfortunately the gas lamps used to light the cave in Victorian times have rendered radiocarbon dating almost entirely useless in dating the age of the cave. Other methods have been used in an attempt to date the cave but so far they have proved fruitless, and an investigation into the mortar used to affix the shells to the wall was only able to conclude that it was "fish based."



Because of this lack of a fixed date of creation and because the designs look vaguely Eastern, speculations over who made this cave have ranged wildly from Phoenicians over Romans, Templars to 18th and 19th century mystics and magicians. Most likely it was created in the 1700s by one of the many Eastern-influenced secret societies of English gentlemen.

The grotto is a small place, and easy to miss, in a neighbourhood that obviously has known better times. So, alas, has the grotto itself, and it is listed as an endangered structure. At the back of the small entrance building which there is a small souvenir shop and cafe, and a modest exhibition on the history of the grotto. From there one descends a narrow stairway, and finds oneself in a passage, with a few niches decorated in shells.

This particular entrance was not finished when the grotto was found in the 19th century, and it has been furnished for the comfort of the visitors. The original entrance has since been bricked up, as it is now on another property.

Once through the new entrance a narrow S-shaped passageway leads to a chamber with a central column, and this is where one can grasp the charm of this man-made cavern. The walls and ceiling have been covered in literally thousands of shells, in intricate patterns, which look like trees, flowers, men, and more.

At the end, there is a shaft upwards, letting in the sunlight, and said to function as a solar clock/calendar. A further S-shaped passageway leads to a rectangular room, which had its vaulted ceiling and part of its wall destroyed in the World Wars.

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Most Dangerous Airports in the World

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (Saba)



Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba, in the Netherlands Antilles. It is well known among experienced fliers for the way in which airplanes must approach or take off from the airport.

Yrausquin Airport covers a relatively large portion of the small island of Saba. Some aviation experts are of the general opinion that the airport is one of the most dangerousin the world , despite the fact that no major tragedies have happened at the facility. The airport’s sole runway is marked with an X at each end, to indicate to commercial pilots that the airport is closed for commercial aviation.

The danger arises from the airport’s physical position. It is flanked on one side by high hills, and on the other side and at both ends of the runway by cliffs dropping into the sea. This creates the possibility that an airplane might overshoot the runway during landing or takeoff and end up in the sea or on the cliffs.


Courchevel (France)



Courchevel is the name of a ski area located in the French Alps, the largest linked ski area in the world. It’s airport has a certain degree of infamy in the aviation industry as home to a relatively short runway, with a length of 525 m (1,722 ft) and a gradient of 18.5%. It’s so short that you have to land on an inclined strip to slow down and take off on a decline to pick up enough speed.

Who gets to land here? Well, Pierce Brosnan made the short list. This was the airport used in the opening seen of Tomorrow Never Dies. For the rest of us, private plane, helicopter, or charter are the only ways to go, and your pilot is going to need some serious training before he or she is allowed to land at CVF.

Gustaf III Airport (St. Bart)



Gustaf III Airport also known as Saint Barthélemy Airport is a public use airport located in the village of St. Jean on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. Both the airport andthe island’s main town of Gustavia are named for King Gustav III of Sweden, under whom Sweden obtained the island from France in 1785 (it was sold back to France in 1878). The airport is served by small regional commercial aircraft and charters. Most visiting aircraft carry fewer than twenty passengers, such as the Twin Otter, a common sight around Saint Barth and throughout the northern West Indies. The short airstrip is at the base of a gentle slope ending directly on the beach. The arrival descent is extremely steep over the hilltop traffic circle and departing planes fly right over the heads of sunbathers (although small signs advise sunbathers not to lie directly at the end of the runway).

Lukla Airport (Nepal)



A huge mountain on one end, a thousand meter drop on the other. And it’s at 2900 meters elevation, so you don’t exactly have full power.

Lukla Airport is a small airport in the Town of Lukla in eastern Nepal. In January 2008, the government of Nepal announced that the airport would be renamed in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, who passed away on January 11, 2008. The airport is quite popular as Lukla is the place where most people start their trek to climb Mount Everest.

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Greenest Cities in the World

Reykjavik, Iceland



The city had just been trusted to hold the first winter olympics in earth with theme is sustainable or sustainability. The Comittee was using electronic waste as a medal and build a stadium which is very “green”. But this is not just a business because of the winter Olympics. Vancouver has been settled long ago. 90% of electricity needs in the town is supplied by hydroelectric. Meanwhile wind, solar, wave and tidal energy has been used extensively to keep the environment conservation in this city.


Malmo, Sweden

This is one of the international city that focus on green space. Famous for their gardens, but also on sustainable urban development. It’s one of the largest cities in Sweden and really beautiful city. They have changed their environment to be environment-friendly area.In this city you will find a lot of people cycling in the city because many roads built specifically for those who ride. This town really appreciate their green sky and did not want their green sky became polluted. Today approximately 20% of the population of Malmo come from different countries, making it the most cosmopolitan city in Sweden. This has contributed to the cultural life of the rich and the opportunity to enjoy lots of delicious and exotic food. These days the old industrial city has been replaced by suburban area of the modern middle class, residential neighborhoods and environmentally friendly.

Curitiba, Brazil


Curitiba is a city in southern part of Brazil and the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state (estado) since 1854. The city was founded in 1654 as a gold mining camp. Population: 1.8 millions (2007 estimate). From the early 19th century, it has received many immigrants from Germany, Italy, and Poland, and immigration continued during the 20th century with the arrival of Syrian and Japan, and the entry of massive migrants from rural areas.

The city has many green spaces like parks and very beautiful botanical gardens such as Alemâo Bosque, Bosque de Portugal, Italiano Bosque, Bosque do Papa, Gomm Bosque, Bosque Gutierrez, Capão da Imbuia Bosque, Bosque da Fazendinha, Boa Vista Bosque, Bosque Reinhard Maack, Bosque Vista Alegre, Jardim Botanico, Memorial Ucraniano, Barigüi Parque, Parque Tanguá, Tingüi Parque, Parque das Pedreiras, Passaúna do parque, Parque São Lourenço, parque do Iguaçu e Zoo, Parque da Barreirinha, Parque dos Tropeiros, Parque do Bacacheri, Basseio público, Unilivre, and Vilinha. The city is focused to become the greenest city in the world. So residents advised to leave their cars at home.


Portland, Oregon, US

The City, the home of Portland Blazzers NBA team, is really very active in welcoming new world filled with green and healthy to live. Although many US cities now prefer to use the fast lane, this is the first city to focus on alternative transit with light rail and bike path network extensively to encourage people to leave their cars at home. Also one of the first cities that pledged to reduce emissions and begin to use the sustainable building materials.

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Lotus Lake, Taiwan



Lotus Lake is a man-made lake and popular tourist destination on the east side of Tsoying District in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. Opened in 1951, it is famous for the lotus plants on the lake and the numerous temples around the lake, including the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and the Confucian Temple.



Lotus Lake was the site for several water sporting events for World Games 2009, including canoe polo, water ski, and dragon boat.

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Belchite - Ghost Town in Spain



Belchite is a village in Zaragoza province, Spain, about 40 km southeast of Zaragoza. It has a population of about 1,647 (2007).



On June 15, 1809, French and Spanish forces in the Peninsular War fought
the Battle of MarÃ*a near Belchite.



Between August 24 and September 7, 1937, Republican and Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War fought the Battle of Belchite in and around the town. After 1939 a new village of Belchite was built adjacent to the ruins of the old, which remain a ghost town as a memorial to the war.


The remains of the old village have been used as filming locations in some Spanish and Hollywood movies.

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Secret Places ON Earth

Vatican Secret Archives



Vatican Secret Archives, which are as vast as they are old. Headed by a cardinal like the Vatican Library, another rumored storehouse of secrets, they partially open today to a few approved scholars who are let in only with specific purposes and with permission of the Pope.


Club 33

Since 1967 Disney’s Exclusive Club 33, Walt Disney felt that he needed a special private place where he could entertain sponsors and other guests. After he had died Disney Land decided to make Club 33 open only to special members. As of June 2007, the membership waiting list was 14 years.


Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center


Just 46 miles from Washington DC, a mysterious and secretive underground military base exists, located deep inside a mountain near the rural town of Bluemont, Virginia. Said to be equipped with all amenities of life. In the event of nuclear war, declaration of martial law, or other national emergency, the President, his cabinet and the rest of the Executive Branch would be “relocated� to Mount Weather.

Room 39


Room 39 is one of the most secret organizations in arguably the world’s most secretive state. Its mission is to obtain foreign currency for Supreme Leader of North Korea. The powerful entity, which has existed for decades, is believed to raise funds through business ventures, some legitimate and some not. Room 39 is believed to be located inside a ruling Workers’ Party building in Pyongyang.

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Secret Places ON Earth

White’s Gentlemen’s Club

It was established in 1693 to sell hot chocolate, a rare and expensive commodity at the time. Now its membership is reserved for the wealthiest and most influential members of society.


Moscow Metro-2



Metro-2 in Moscow, Russia has a secret underground metro system which parallels the public Moscow Metro. It is said to connect the Kremlin with the FSB headquarters, the government airport at Vnukovo-2. In the late 1940s Stalin had created the tunnels in the event of a nuclear war.

Area 51



Area 51 which is known for its secretive nature and undoubted connection to classified aircraft research, together with reports of unusual phenomena, have led Area 51 to become a focus of modern UFO and conspiracy theories. Located at Groom Lake, it is a large secretive military base.

Ise Grand Shrine



The Ise Grand Shrine which is located in Japan is considered arguably one of the most sacred, holiest and important places in Japan. Shrine is demolished and Rebuilt once every twenty years. The only people who are able to access the shrine are the Japanese imperial family and the high priestesses and priests.

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Secret Places ON Earth

RAF Menwith Hill


Known for its connection with Echelon spy network. The Menwith Hill spy base near Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest electronic monitoring station in the world. It has been the key link in a worldwide eavesdropping network.

Mezhgorye



Russia’s massive secret underground facility at Yamantau Mountain and the city of Mezhgorye is rumored that the Yamantau Mountain project was associated with the so-called ‘Dead Hand’ nuclear retaliatory command and control system for strategic missiles.

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Laxmi Vilas Palace Vadodara - Royal Residence

Right from its imposing façade to its ornate interiors, Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, is always on its way to impress the visitors to no end. Vadodara's Laxmi Vilas Palace was constructed during the period from 1878 to 1890. The construction of this palace was commissioned by Maharaja Sayaji Rao III. The total cost of its construction amounted to a whooping sixty lakh.



The palace is still served as the royal residence. The interiors of the palace exude opulence and are graced with marble mosaic, fine stone and valuable furnishings. The palace features a grand Durbar Hall that boasts of an italian mosaic floor. The walls of the Durbar Hall are beautified with brilliant mosaic decorations.



The palace sprawls for about 700 acres and incorporates a number of buildings. The Moti Bagh Palace and museum need a special mention. The museum was constructed for the Maharaja's children for educational purposes. Today this museum houses a large number of art works belonging to the Royal family. Among all the works of art, the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma stand out on the virtue of the skill of the artist that is clearly reflected in them.




Another popular highlight of Laxmi Vilas Palace is the zoo. Today nothing remains of the zoo except a pond that is inhabited by a number of crocodiles. If you are lucky enough you might also find peacocks strutting about the palace compound or langoors hanging from the tree branches.