Connecticut

Connecticut is a U.S. state located on the northeastern part of United States It is surrounded by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the U.S. state of New York to the west and the south. Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, a major U.S. river that approximately bisects the state. Its capital city is Hartford.

This state had a strong maritime tradition, which continues today. Prior to European colonization the Connecticut region was inhabited by the Mohegan tribe. More recent immigrant populations include those from India, Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, Jamaica, Haiti, Cape Verde and former Soviet countries.

If you love hiking and want to have great experience of the beautiful scenery in this New England region , then hiking in Connecticut is for you. During the spring, summer, and fall months, Connecticut hiking is a good way to observe wildlife while you can take breath in the fresh air. You can choose Connecticut hiking trails spreading from the dense forested woodlands to the coastal maritime towns.

There are many interesting places to go in Connecticut such as : Mark Twain House and Museum, Peabody Museum of Natural History , Mohegan Sun Casino, Mystic Seaport , Gillette Castle and many others

Mark Twain House

Mohegan Sun Casino

Borobudur (2)

After the recovery Borobudur underwent several restorations. And the largest project was conducted by the Indonesian government and UNESCO between the year 1975 and 1982, then the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until now pilgrimage still takes place at Borobudur and once a year - usually at the full moon night in the month of May - Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak – the birth of Prince Siddharta, the enlightenment and the attainment of Nirvana - at the monument. Borobudur certainly becomes Indonesia's most visited tourist attraction. Moreover after the Guinness World Records certified it as the biggest Buddhist temple on earth.

Mount Merapi from Borobudur

Borobudur in the Mist

Borobudur (1)

Borobudur is located nearby area between two volcanoes of Sundoro-Sumbing and two others of Merbabu-Merapi, and also two rivers, the Progo and the Elo. It is about 40 kilometres northwest of Yogyakarta and 86 kilometres west of Surakarta, more precisely it is in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Because of its high soil fertility this place has been called “the garden of Java” and according to local myth this area which known as Kedu Plain described as Javanese sacred place. In Indonesian, ancient temples are referred to as candi; therefor local people refer to "Borobudur Temple" as Candi Borobudur. It is a 9th-century Buddhist monument. Decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues this monument has six square platforms topped by three circular platforms. It was built during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty. India's influence on the region reflects on the temple’s design in Gupta architecture, but still there are some scenes and elements that make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian. The monument is a shrine to the Lord Buddha as well as a pilgrimage place for Buddha follower. For centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth Borobudur lay hidden. The reasons why it had been abandoned , remain a mystery.

From 1811 to 1816 Java was under British administration. Thomas Stamford Raffles was elected as Governor-General. He took great interest in the history of Java and collected Javanese antiques. He made notes during his journey throughout the island through contacts with local inhabitants. On one occasion when he went to Semarang in 1814 to conduct certain inspection duty, he was informed about a big monument near Bumisegoro village deep in a jungle. He himself couldn’t make the discovery and asked a Dutch engineer, H.C. Cornelius, to do some investigation. For as long as two months, Cornelius and his 200 men cleaned the area and dug away the earth to find the monument. Afraid of being collapse, he was not able to reveal all galleries.Since then Raffles has been credited with the monument's recovery and had brought it to the world's attention

Some Parts of Big Bend National Park

Road Running at Big Bend National Park

Hot Spring

Campground Reservation

Mountain Lion

For Big Bend National Park article click below :

http://watedaaylen.blogspot.com/2012/02/big-bend-national-park.html

Tang Paradise of China

Tang Paradise is a large theme park , divided into twelve scenic regions with respective themes, located near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, in the Qujiang Resort, southeast of the Xian City, Shaanxi Province. The park features numerous buildings, squares, and gardens, all incorporating features of traditional Chinese architecture, such as eaves and cornices. Some features are named after historical sites or buildings.

Tang Paradise covers a total area of about 165 acres and of which about 49 acres is water.. The outstanding designers of the magnificent Tang Paradise have integrated almost everything representative of the Tang Dynasty, such as the poetry, the songs and dance, the marketplaces, the food, the women's lifestyles, and science into every site using cultural themes, thus endowing every place with its own story and its own place in the tapestry of Tang Dynasty culture

In the large number of buildings at Tang Paradise, oneTang-dynasty Dance may see almost all architectural types of characteristic of the Tang Dynasty. Tang Paradise is praised as 'Garden of History', 'Garden of Spirit', 'Garden of Nature', 'Garden of Human Culture' and 'Garden of Art'.

In Tang Paradise, another surprising man-made wonder is the water film which claims to be the foremost in the whole world. The screen of the movie is a film of water. It can create a special kind of optical effect which makes the frame tridimensional. Each time the figures in the movie appear on the screen, it seems that they are flying to the sky or coming down from the heaven.

Sochi , The 2014 Winter Olympic Host City

The city of Sochi is located in far southwestern Russia along the edge of the Black Sea. It fronts the massive peaks of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains, a perfect venue for winter sports of all types. The last local census indicated 328,809 residents, but that will certainly increase as construction and development activities for the 2014 Winter Olympics progress.

Map Of Sochi

Sochi from Black Sea Point

The city of Sochi, Russia, has been elected as the host city for the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, as well as the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2014 until at least 2020. It is also one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Winter Olympic Complex

The vision of Sochi 2014 is to unite the resources of the city of Sochi, the Krasnodar region and the Russian nation to develop in Sochi greatly needed sports venues and resort infrastructure, in a sustainable, inclusive, environmentally responsible manner. Their goal is to deliver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of unsurpassed excellence for the athletes, the Olympic family, the Paralympic family and the world.

The Palace of White Roses, Sochi

London

London Paralympic 2012 Schedule

http://http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports

London Olympic 2012 Schedule

http://www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results

London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly. London has been described as a world cultural capital. It is the world's most-visited city and has the world's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In this 2012 year London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times. London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries. London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925.

Map of London

London Olympic Stadium 2012

London Buckingham Palace

London Tower Bridge