There are many souvenirs to buy, and other products in India that they also export, and one of them are carpets. We stopped by one large store to see their products for sale. Most of that store’s displays were jewelry items, carved products and woven stuff. In one corner of the store I spotted this man weaving a carpet. It was beautiful. Such an intricate handwork, that it is so great seeing what he has woven thus far. Of course he must have very long patience.

Frontier trivia of the day:

The hand-knotted pile carpet probably originated in Central Asia. The importance of carpets in the culture of Turkmenistan is such that the national flag features a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs). (Wikipedia)

I arrived in Manila from the US late at night during my last vacation, but I decided to just stay in the airport since there are many people there also. I would not spend a penny for a hotel because I was so tired, I might miss my early morning flight. I was just so anxious to arrive home after all the longs hours of flying. Inside the airport, I saw a cat! One of the airport guards said that she is a resident there. That was so funny seeing her running around the corners, and also because I just lost my cat that time, Lady Gishi that I was supposed to bring along with me to the Philippines. Seeing that cat made me smile, I was really amused. Cats are really something, aren’t they?

Frontier trivia of the day:

In Minuteman Airfield in Stow, MA , circa 1978, there was “Airport Cat” called Barclay. What made him unique was that he loved to go flying when in the right “mood”. He would enter through the open pilots door and made himself at home atop the instrument panel. He flew many times giving pilots’ ‘company’. (http://www.videointerchange.com/cats.htm)

That was where we stayed on my second time in Mumbai, in the lakeside chalet apartment. We had a very nice stay there in the apartment; the Marriott hotel compounds are lush with green and most of all, secured from the outside. There I met a fellow Filipina who has also been traveling with her husband. It was unexpected, and great. I took this picture during one of my tours yet again around Mumbai, the time when Madonna was there.

Frontier trivia of the day:

Some hotels have accommodation underwater, such as Utter Inn in Lake Mälaren, Sweden. Hydropolis, under construction in Dubai, will have suites on the bottom of the Persian Gulf, and Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida requires scuba diving to access its rooms. (Wikipedia)

Christ of the Ozarks statue is a monumental sculpture of Jesus located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, atop Magnetic Mountain. It was erected in 1966 by Gerald L. K. Smith, a Depression-era movement initiated by religious and political figure who briefly led the Share Our WealthHuey Long. The statue is a popular tourist attraction, but remains controversial with local residents due to Smith’s association with anti-Semitic organizations throughout his career.The statue, which is over 67 feet (20 meters) tall, was primarily the work of Emmet Sullivan, who also worked on nearby Dinosaur World. The work is quite modernistic and minimalistic in a way; there is little true facial detail or expression, and the lines and forms are generally quite simplified.

The face itself is fifteen feet long. The arms, with a spread of sixty-five feet from fingertip to fingertip, suggest the crucifixion. The representation of Christ was built completely by hand, constructed of twenty-four layers of white mortar interlaced with a steel frame. The robes and hair were sculpted by workmen on scaffolds who built an elevator so that they could reach the higher segments of the statue. The statue was dedicated on Saturday, June 25, 1966, although the folds of the robe took an additional three weeks to complete. The Christ of the Ozarks is also featured briefly in the 2005 movie Elizabethtown.

Christ of the Ozarks statue was built by the inspiration of The Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the world’s largest statue of Jesus.

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. On February 10, 2008, violent electric bolt parted the thunderclouds over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to strike Christ the Redeemer. Sunday’s storm caused havoc in Rio, felling trees in several neighbourhoods – but did not damage the statue.

This was the dramatic scene as the world’s largest statue of Jesus was hit by lightning.

It was just some lighting striking an object, or could be taken as a warning to humble man.

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer, standing 30 metres (98ft) tall, made of 700 tons of reinforced concrete and overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, is one of the tallest statues in the world. The statue represents Jesus standing with outstretched arms and is one of the most famous symbols of this lively city. Developed by the engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and originally conceived in 1921, construction started in mid-1926 and was completed in 1931. The statue sits on top of 2,296ft Corcovado Mountain (Hunchback Mountain) located in Tijuca National Park, a popular area for picnics and walking. From the statue there are superb views of Sugar Loaf Mountain, downtown Rio de Janeiro and Rio’s beaches.

I love nature. I love the beach. Though I am not the best swimmer, the beach always captivates me, maybe because of the freedom and wild feeling it gives those who indulge, and also because of it’s wonderful beauty. Stopping over in Hawaii many times I came to know first hand some facts about its great tourism spots. One place I want to explore some day is the Na Pali Coast along the Hawaiian shores. It is the best for nature trek and beach adventures. Na Pali coast is a national state park that can be accessed by hiking, by chopper or by boating. Kauai boat tours by the Yacht Club O‘ahu Channel sailing race winner Capt. Andy and his crew will sail us along the state park, the nature reserve, and to see geologic formations, volcanoes, and other natural features. They are always breathtakingly beautiful. You will not just witness the wonder of the works of nature which are diverse in this place, but always view wildlife and even Kauai whale watching. Isn’t that a one of a kind experience? All of nature wild and free, the amazing cliffs, exceptional landscapes is always stress relieving, the place so lush and tropical. Some called it a must-see place; yeah we can call it paradise on its own. Sailing adventures or the daring raft expeditions, you can have it all with an online comprehensive coast guide to Na Pali.

I came across a humor blog few weeks back and the humorist showed a photo or two of peoples, particularly of women having long necks. At first sight that seemed funny, but I knew it goes deeper than that.

By following Jewel in the palace community I read some phrases about “long-necked beauty”. So was it for that reason that those women have long necks, for beauty?

I have not traveled and met with them actually, I just found some interesting things. I believe there are also some small tribes in Africa (women of Ndebele), but the group of people some labeled as the “long-neck” or “giraffe” tribe, signifying the very old tradition and practice of adorning their women with rings around the neck, are called Karen Padaung, a tiny sub-group of the larger Karen people, natives of Burma who have long been caught up in a civil war against the government, and found refuge in artificial tourist villages in Thailand who were accepted by the Thai government for the tourist money they bring in, which also supports them. They sat on display at a Bangkok tourism fair, helping to create the buzz that would draw visitors from around the globe who will be paying a heavy entrance fee to gawk at them. They prefer to be exploited for tourism, (anyway they seem to enjoy being photographed), than going back to their land in civil war.

In the Mae Hong Sorn and Bann Thaton area in Thailand, the women of the Karen Padaung villages wear multiple brass spiral coils and rings around the neck, the arms and the legs, and use carved elephant tusk in the ears. This neck ring adornment is started when the girls are 5 or 6 years old and the neck grows longer as additional rings are added with each passing year. The rings on the neck reach from the clavicle up to beneath the chin, and these rings are always held very tightly by the bone structure from clavicle to chin. But the appearance of a longer neck is a visual illusion. The women’s necks are not actually stretched. The weight of the rings gradually pushed down the women’s collarbones, as well as the upper ribs, to such an angle that the collarbone actually appears to be a part of the neck, making an illusion of a long neck! For this tribe the rings are the most prominent sign of female beauty and status, and an extra-long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth and that it will attract a better husband. But in this small tribe whose members marries within the group, adultery is low, well, since the punishment is removal of the brass neck ring, which over the years, weakened the neck muscles that women have to spend their life lying down for support. Each peoples, each cultures. There is always striking beauty and wonder in them that overwhelm our thoughts of fathoming them.

Let’s sail and travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing! I love to travel and see many new places and culture and enjoy all the experience! Hubby and I have talked about it and one of the things we have planned is to take a vacation, on cruise to famous places as the Caribbean or Alaska aboard Canada Cruises or where the cruise line sails. We have been preparing for that. It will be a very rich experience, and can be expensive too. But we know better. Direct Line Cruises is a cruise-only travel agency that offers discount cruise rates for various cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises to great cruise destinations such as Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii and more, with travel insurance at no extra cost as one of their promos!

Once in a while we deserve to be pampered; and this fleet of cruise ships, celebrity cruises and Carnival Cruises open all the fun and luxury in festive-yet-casual atmosphere while on board, providing some of the highest quality food, service and entertainment in the entire cruise industry, with activity options to suit almost any interest. Do you know that Celebrity Cruises ensures that there is at least one staff member onboard for every two guests, so when you have a need, there’s always someone there to help you enjoy your vacation? Feel like a celebrity in this unforgettable experience. That is why they are so popular in the world. No one helps us experience more incredible destinations than these direct line cruises. So wherever our destinations are, we can always enrich the experience with these top of the line cruise ships! Be pampered while you saved!

I love vacations, and I cannot forget the one we took at a lovely place with a beach so cold and clean a water, last year. Who would not love beach vacation getaways? One place I want to go to is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I see the place is so pristine and welcoming that we deserve one and so a Myrtle Beach vacation. The visit there will surely be a memorable one, and it would be nice to stay there for few days with hubby, friends or family, no worries for accommodation for I know where we will stay, in the prestigious Myrtle Beach hotels and condos for rental in the area. There are so many things we can do and see in Myrtle Beach. Golf is an attraction for tourists there and most importantly, maybe we can find some properties we might be interested in. Last year we were talking about a possible property to purchase and we prefer it near a beach, or overlooking one. In Myrtle you may find one while on vacation. And hey, summer is near, it would be great to book ahead in a Myrtle Beach resort for great savings, while relaxing and enjoying a worry free stay.

One thing from them though:

TRAVEL TIP: Travel on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for best availability of lowest fares.
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