Tag: union

Travel Tips and Guide

Travel Tips and Guide

Travel Tips

Golden rule

The first thing that you Must ALWAYS REMEMBER.

You must always pack your own bags and not put Anything inside that will get you in trouble, this includes Flammable Liquids, Sharp Objects and banned substances of any kind. Under No Circumstances should you ever allow anyone, not even your best friend to pack your bag. When checking Inn, nowadays in any airport you are always asked. Did you pack your own bag? A This question may sound routine to you but it is the most important question with regards to your travel.

The Second thing you must ALWAYS REMEMBER.

Never carry anything for anyone no matter how small the package or what the excuse is, your life and your freedom may depend on this. In most countries around the world trafficking Banned substances will extend your Holiday a lot longer than you want it to, maybe for the rest of your life it’s No JOKE!

Passports and visas

Every Country has a different policy on Visa’s and entry permits. It is inportant that you check with the Embassy of the Country or Countries you are going to visit,to see what their Visa or entry requirement are. If you need to get a visa it can take a couple of days so you need to plan ahead, and you would also need a passport that has at least 6 months left before it expires. This may increase if you are going to be travelling for a longer period.

Keep your passport in a safe place, since you will need it whenever you board an international flight. In some countries you will be required to leave your passport with the hotel or hostel when you check in this is to satisfy regulations requiring the hostel/hotel to register all foreign visitors. You will need to show your passport when cashing a traveller’s cheque.

Photocopy the identification page of your passport to carry with you in case your passport is lost or stolen while travelling.

Before departing make sure you are covered by insurance that will reimburse travel expenses.

What to pack

Your main objective should be to travel as lightly as possible, casual dress is acceptable in most countries around the world except for Muslim countries, where visitors can not wear short or scanty tops. In some Asian countries spiting or dropping chewing gum on the street can get you in trouble with the law which might result in a fine, always make sure to read the do’s and don’ts of the country you are visiting this will make your life much easier.

Break in your shoes before you leave home, shoes with soft substantial soles are not only deal for walking but can ease the difficulty of manoeuvring the cobbled streets that characterize many old city centres especially in European countries.

Health

Make sure you get all your vecinations from you doctor before you travel this will ensure that you stay healthy while you are travelling.

Always take sensible precautions during hot weather, wear a Hat/sunglasses and sun block, drink plenty of fluids. Tap water in Europe, America and Canada in general is safe to drink, although its high mineral content can cause Minor stomach up sets if you are not used to it. If travelling further a-field you should stick to Bottled water which is an inexpensive and widely available alternative.

A general rule to stop any stomach up sets is to stay away from salads, uncooked foods and fruits, no matter how good they look.

Language

Travelling is always exciting and enjoyable if you can converse a bit with the locals. Only the basics are needed like yes, please, no and thanks you accompanied by a pleasant smile, polite manner and using your common sense will get you very far.

If you are really stuck with Communication remember that hostel /hotel receptionists usually speak English and in most cases are helpful and friendly. So you should make use of their help and they could even teach you a couple of words. Be nice to them!

Money and valuables

Having some funds in local currency is a necessity, but only carry what you will need for a day or two if its lost or stolen your chances of getting it back are next to nothing. Travellers Cheque are reliable and safe, always keep a record of the Cheque numbers you redeem and receipts in a separate place in case you need to produce them in the event of loss. Be prepared to show your passport each time you cash a cheque or offer one in Payment

Personal safety

Common sense keep valuables passports, money, credit cards etc hidden when you are on the move a money belt or neck belt or neck purse worn inside clothing is the safest option, also put money in different places so that if one bag is lost you have another source of funds. Any bag you carry with you should have a secure fastener with strap that goes over your neck and crosses your body this ensures that bulkier items like cameras etc are safe from pick pockets.

Getting around

Find a central public transportation information centre spend some time there and obtain information on how to get around the city, including transportation maps and detailed maps. Buy valid transport tickets for multiple rides or for more than one day, they will save you money and the inconvenience of having to buy a new ticket for every journey. There are a variety of public transportation in Europe and America these include subways, trams buses etc

Each country has its own customs and regulations it is very essential to take note of these, the European Union countries are considered as one and there are no limits on goods for personal use when travelling between member countries, however restrictions do apply when travelling between EU and non EU countries.

To Know More Go To WWW.HOSTELS247.COM

Forbidden City

Forbidden City

The purple forbidden city contains the imperial palaces of the ming and qing dynasties.Twenty-four emperors,14 in the ming and 10 in the qing dynasties ruled from here.the last dynasty collapsed during the 1911 Revolution,but the last emperor puyi continued to live in the inner palace until 1924,when he was thrown out of the palace by the troops of General Feng yuxiang.After that,the palace was opened to the public as the palace museum and it was no longer forbidden to the common people.Do you know why it is called the purple forbidden city?let me tell you the reason.According to a Chinese legend,the heavenly king lived in the purple palace.the ancient Chinese emperors belivevd that they were the sons of heaven and the imperial residence was the cosmic center,so it should be off-limits for the common people.Moreover,the forbidden city,living in the center of the city,represented the purple constellation,the brightest one in the culmination.Hence the name,the purple forbidden city.

The Forbidden city covers and area of 72 hectares.it is rectangular in shape,961 meters long from north ot south and 753 metress wide from east to west.How many rooms are there in the forbidden city?good question!suppose you were born in one of the rooms and you wanted to stay in a different room every night.you would be 27 years old at the end of your experience.to be exact,it is said there are 9999.5 rooms in the whole complex.Almost Beijing Tour must visit the Forbidden City during the City tour.

The large scale construction of the palace extended from 1406 to 1420.what does that mean?it means the forbidden city was built 70 years before Columbus discovered America,140 years before the birth of William Shakespeare,the great engish playwright.it involved approximately 1000,000 workers including 100,000 artisans.the timber needed for the construction was brought mostly from southwest provinces such as Sichuan,hunan and guizhou,while most of the stones were quarried from the district of fangshan-a suburpan area of Beijing.There are some interesting stories about the transportation of the stones.i will tell you more about it later during our visit.

The imperial palace is surrounded by a 10 metre high wall,and further encircled by a 52 metre wide,3800 metre long moat.on the wall are four gates,each with a tower above them,and on the four corners of the wal stand four watch towers,each with three roofs and 72 roofridges.they are masterpieces of ancient Chinese architecture.

The construction of the grand walls showed the wisdom of the ancientartisans.As you can see,the wall is not straight upward like the ones we see today,it is ladder shaped,in fact,the bottom is 2 meters wider than the top,making it stronger,and more difficult for attempts to climb over the wall.the bricks on the wall were made from special materials in Shandong province and shipped all the way north to Beijing,via the great canal,this canal lies in the eastern part of china linking Beijing and famous southern city Hangzhou.Mkade partly of hite lime and glutinous rice,the bricks were dense,strong and smooth,In addition,a mixture of glutinous rice juice and egg whites were used as glue to cement the stone sabs and the bricks together.Look at the wall,can you imagine they are nearly 600 years old?the walls are made up of 20 million bricks,each one weighs about 24KG.it was truly a difficult job to build the wall,let alone the whole complex.

The building in the forbidden city are arranged symmetrically.along the central axis are three big halls,namely the hall of supreme harmony,the hall of complete harmony and the hall of preserying harmony.they make up the main part of the front area known as the quter court where the emperors attended state affairs.Behind the three big halls lay the living quarters of the imperial family,which consist mainly of the palace of heavenly purity,the palace of earthly tranquility,the hall of union and peace,six eastern halls and six western halls.If you only have one day,and want to visit it,you can choose the Beijing Coach Tour,Beijing coach tour only one day tour to visit the whole sightseeing tour around Beijing.

Discover Indian: Heritage & Culture

Discover Indian: Heritage & Culture

The culture of India has been shaped by the long history of India, its unique geography and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from both immigrants and invaders, while preserving its ancient heritage from the Indus Valley Civilization. India’s great diversity of cultural practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millinnea. India is also the birth place of several religious systems such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, which have had a great influence not only over India but also over the rest of the world. From the twelfth century onwards, following the Islamic conquests and the subsequent European occupation, the culture of India was influenced by Persian, Arabic, Turkish and English cultures. The various religions and the multi-hued traditions of India that was created with those amalgamations have influenced South East Asia and other different parts of the world.

India is a diverse country, a fact that is visibly prominent in its people, culture and climate. From the eternal snows of the Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, from the dry heat and cold of the Central Plateau to the cool forest foothills, Indian lifestyles clearly glorify its geography.

There was a time when India was known as the land of snake charmers. Then people started identifying it as the land having the majestic Taj, the ferocious Tiger and the great desert of Thar. But with each turn that the wheel of time took, Indians have proved to be a lot more. From time immemorial, India has been seen as a mystery land. A land full of paradoxes, it causes travelers to marvel and also to despair during their journey through India. Like an enigmatic lady, India has always attracted the attention of the world for various reasons.

The famous traveler and writer, Mark Twain, wrote after his sojourn through India in 1896: “”So far as I am able to judge nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his round. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked. Always, when you think you have come to the end of her tremendous specialties and have finished hanging tags upon her as the Land of Giant Illusions, the Land of Stupendous Mountains and so forth, another specialty crops up or another tag is required.”” It was best, he decided, to discard the labels and call it simply the Land of Wonders.

Heritage & Culture

The Indian culture varies like its vast geography. People speak in different languages, dress differently, follow different religions, eat different food but are of the same temperament. So whether it is a joyous occasion or a moment of grief, people participate whole-heartedly, sharing the happiness or pain. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighborhood is involved in bringing liveliness to an occasion. Likewise, an Indian wedding is a celebration of union, not only of the bride and groom, but also of two families, maybe cultures or religion too! Similarly, in times of sorrow, neighbors and friends play an important part in easing out the grief.

Over the ages, India has experienced hundreds of years of foreign invasions and influence, yet it still manages to absorb and change everything the world cares to impose on it, remaining at its core untouched. If anything, it has developed into a multi-linguistic, home for masses of many religions. Although India has modernized to a great extent, old traditions and ancient cultural rhythms continue to have a strong hold over the functioning of the nation.

Since ancient times, the spiritual land of India has displayed varied hues of culture, religion, race, language, and so on. This variety in race, culture, religion, etc., accounts for the existence of different ethnic groups who, although, live within the sanctums of one single nation, and profess different social habits and characteristics. Regional territories in India play an important role in differentiating these ethnic groups, with their own social and cultural identities. The religions that are prevalent in the country are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism, with the freedom for citizens to practice any religion they want to. The Constitution of India has recognized 22 different languages, out of which, Hindi is the official language and is spoken in most of the urban cities of India. Other than these 22 languages, there are hundreds of dialects that add to the multilingual nature of the country.

India is a land of festivals and fairs. Virtually celebrating each day of the year, there are more festivals celebrated in India than anywhere else in the world. Each festival pertains to different occasions, some welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings and saints, or the advent of the New Year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion. Some of the festivals celebrated all over India are mentioned below.

• Janmashtami

• Holi

• Dassehera

• Christmas

• Rakshabandhan

• Deepawali

• Id-ul-Zuha

• Ramnavami

• Guru Nanak Jayanti

Science

The global image of India is that of an upcoming and progressive nation. True, India has leaped many boundaries in all sectors- commerce, technology and development etc., in the recent past, yet she has not neglected her creative genius. Wondering what it is? Well, it the alternative science that has been continuously practiced in India since times immemorial. Ayurveda is a distinct form of medicine made purely of herbs and natural weeds, which can cure any ailment of the world. Ayurveda has also been mentioned in the Ancient Indian epics like the Ramayana. Even today, when the western concept of medicine has reached its zenith, there are people looking for alternative methods of treatment for its multifarious qualities.

With increasing complexities in one’s life these days, people are perpetually looking for a medium through which they get some peace of mind. This is where another science, that of meditation and spirituality comes into the scene. Meditation and Yoga are synonymous with India and Indian spirituality. Meditation is one of the most important components of Yoga, which is a mind-body therapy involving a series of exercises. The word ‘meditation’ covers many disparate practices from visualizing situations, focusing on objects or images, thinking through a complex idea, or even getting lost in a provocative book, all qualifying as meditation in the broad sense. However in Yoga, meditation generally refers to the more formal practice of focusing the mind and observing oneself in the moment. Many people from India and abroad are resorting to yoga and meditation to de-stress and rejuvenate their mind.

Another widely followed phenomena in India is the Doctrine of Karma, that preaches that every person should behave justly as every act or deed comes back in a full circle in one of the births of an individual.