Bandung

 

Although the oldest written reference to the city dates back to 1488, there were numerous archaeological finds of Australopithecus (Java Man) that lived on the banks of Cikapundung river and the shores of Bandung's Great Lake.

In the 17th-18th century, the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) created small plantations in Bandung, with a road to Batavia (today's Jakarta) completed in 1786. In 1809, Louis Bonaparte, the ruler of the Netherlands and its colonies, ordered the Dutch Indies Governor H.W. Daendels to improve Java's defenses against the threat of the English, who occupied the nearby Malay peninsula. Daendels responded by building the Great Post Road (De Groote Postweg) that stretched about 1000 km between the west and the east coasts of Java. Because north coast was in the form of impassable swamps and marshes at the time, the road was diverted through Bandung along what is now Jalan Asia-Afrika.

Daendels liked Bandung's strategic location so much that he ordered the capital to be moved there. Military barracks were built and Bupati Wiranatakusumah II, the chief administrator of that area, built his dalem (palace), Masjid Agung (the grand mosque) and pendopo (meeting place) in the classical Javan alun-alun (city square) near a pair of holy city wells (Sumur Bandung) and facing the mystical mountain of Tangkuban Perahu.

Powered by its cinchona (for malaria drug quinine), tea, and coffee plantations, Bandung prospered and developed into an exclusive European style resort with hotels, cafes, and shops. Many of Bandung landmarks, including the Preanger and Savoy Homann hotels, as well as the shopping street of Jalan Braga, are still available today. The Concordia Society building, now Gedung Merdeka, was built with a large ball room as a club for rich Europeans to spend their weekends.

In 1880, the first major railroad between Jakarta to Bandung opened, boosting small industries and bringing in Chinese workers. The first of Bandung universities, the Technische Hogeschool (TH) was established on July 3rd, 1920. One of the its alumni members is President Soekarno himself. That university is now known as the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)

In 1942, after Japanese soldiers landed in coastal areas of Java, the Dutch retreated from Jakarta to Bandung, but were driven out from there as well and surrendered soon after. After the end of the war, the Dutch came back with a vengeance and on March 24, 1946, during the struggle for Indonesian independence, the city of Bandung was burned down by its residents (Bandung Sea of Fire/Bandung Lautan Api) as a sign of refusal to surrender. Over 200,000 people fled the city during the incident.

In 1955, the Asia Africa Conference (Konferensi Asia Afrika) was held in Bandung, paving the way for the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. The Indonesian parliament was located in Bandung from 1955 to 1966, but was moved back to Jakarta in 1966.

Source: iguide.travel

Komodo Island

The generally steep and rugged topography reflects the position of the national park within the active volcanic 'shatter belt' between Australia and the Sunda shelf. Komodo, the largest island, has a topography dominated by a range of rounded hills oriented along a north-south axis at an elevation of 500-600 m. Relief is steepest towards the north-east, notably the peak of Gunung Toda Klea which is precipitous and crowned by deep, rocky and dry gullies.

The coastline is irregular and characterized by numerous bays, beaches and inlets separated by headlands, often with sheer cliffs falling vertically into the sea. To the east, Padar is a small, narrow island the topography of which rises steeply from the surrounding plains to between 200 m and 300 m. Further east, the second largest island in the park, Rinca, is separated from Flores by a narrow strait a few kilometres wide. As with Komodo and Padar, the coastline is generally rugged and rocky although sandy beaches are found in sheltered bays. The mainland components of the park lie in the rugged coastal areas of western Flores, where surface fresh water is more abundant than on the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar. The seas around the islands are reported to be among the most productive in the world due to upwelling and a high degree of oxygenation resulting from strong tidal currents which flow through the Sape Straits. Fringing and patch coral reefs are extensive and best developed in the west- and north-facing areas, the most intact being on the north-east coast of Komodo and the south-west coast of Rinca and Padar.

The predominant vegetation type is open grass-woodland savannah, mainly of anthropogenic origin, which covers some 70% of the park. The dominant savannah tree is lontar palm, which occurs individually or in scattered stands. Tropical deciduous (monsoon) forest occurs along the bases of hills and on valley bottoms. The forest is notable, lacking the predominance of Australian derived tree flora found further to the east on Timor. A quasi cloud forest occurs above 500m on pinnacles and ridges. Although covering only small areas on Komodo Island, it harbours a relict flora of many endemic species. Floristically, it is characterized by moss-covered rocks, rattan, bamboo groves and many tree species generally absent at lower elevations. Coastal vegetation includes mangrove forest, which occurs in sheltered bays on Komodo, Padar and Rinca.

The park is best known for the Komodo monitor, the world's largest living lizard. The population is distributed across the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Gili Motong, and in certain coastal regions of western and northern Flores. Favoured habitat is tropical deciduous forest and, to a lesser extent, open savannah. The mammalian fauna is characteristic of the Wallacean zoogeographical zone, with seven terrestrial species recorded including the endemic rat. Other mammals include primates such as crab-eating macaque. Introduced species, such as rusa deer and wild boar, as well as feral domestic animals including horses and water buffalo, form important prey species for the Komodo monitor. Some 72 species of bird have been recorded, including yellow-crested cockatoo, noisy friar bird and common scrubhen.

Upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deeper areas of the archipelago is responsible for the rich reef ecosystem of which only isolated patches remain due to anthropogenic disturbance. In areas of strong currents, the reef substrate consists of an avalanche of coral fragments, with only encrusting or low branching species. Reefs off the north-east of Komodo have high species diversity. The reefs off Gili Lawa Laut are variable. Notable marine mammals include blue whale and sperm whale, which are occasionally observed, as well as 10 species of dolphin and dugong. Marine reptiles include five species of turtle.

It is thought that the islands have long been settled due to their strategic importance and the existence of sheltered anchorages and supplies of fresh water on Komodo and Rinca. The evidence of early settlement is further supported by the recent discovery of Neolithic graves, artefacts and megaliths on Komodo Island.

Kuta Beach

Kuta is the most famous tourist places in Bali. It is famous with the spectacular white sandy beach, several of hotels from luxury and until budget hotels are available, hilarious nightlife, plenty of restaurants with international cuisine, bars, pub, Water Boom Park and shopping center. It is one stop place for holiday in Bali by offering the plenty of selection we need and make it the right place to visit on your vacation in Bali. 

Kuta History 

At three hundred year ago, in this place had been built a Konco (Buddhist Temple) located beside of Tukad Mati ( Dead River ) where it river can be navigable at that time. The boat steps into the hinterland of Kuta, so that Kuta is a port trade. Mads Longe is a merchant from Denmark in 19 century had built its trade station in the river periphery. During living in Bali, he often becomes the medium between king of Bali and Dutch. Mads Longe has mysteriously died and his grave is located inside of Konco ( Buddhist Temple ) right in the river periphery. Kuta is quiet fisherman countryside in the past, but now it has been turned into the hilarious town and it is completed by post office, police office, market, pharmacy, photo center, and shop. There are a lot of hotels which are designed luxury and comfortable set in a long side of white sandy beach of Kuta . 

What to see in Kuta Bali? 

Kuta is situated in 11 KM southern part of Denpasar town and it can be easily reached by public transportation from Tegal Bus Station about 15 minutes. Kuta is the fastest growing tourist place in Bali and it is the heaven for foreign countries tourists. Kuta is well equipped by tourist facilities like white sandy beach, bars, restaurants, cafeteria, disco and others spectacular nightlife. We can also meet a lot of good shops selling multifarious items of tourist need like clothes, cassette ribbon, airplane ticket, souvenir, handicraft, sport gear and others. It is a popular place with the surfing activity besides of beautiful sunset. Mostly the tourists come and stays in this place are coming from the low budget traveler especially young tourist. There is a new tourism object in Kuta built in the center of this place called Bali Bomb Monument to commemorate the Bali Bomb Tragedy on 12 October 2002. Bomb which burst at Sari Club and also Paddy'S club have killed 202 people.

Raja Ampat

The Raja Ampat Island in Irian is group spreads out over a huge area and consists of over 610 islands. The four largest islands are Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. The area's reefs are covered in a diverse selection of both hard and soft corals. Most of the areas reefs are pristine, with mile after mile of perfect hard corals, drift after drift of soft corals of many species and colors ranging from brilliant red, to shocking yellow pretty pink and exotic purple. Most reef dives are very colorful. The tourist would be able to experience the best dives sites within those islands, which include Cape Kri, Mellisa's Garden, Sardines Reef, The Passage, Nudibranch Rock, Wai Island Night Dive.

Raja Ampat is the western island of Papua Island. The name of Raja Ampat based on the legend. This area had begun with 6 eggs that found by King Waikew in Waigeo Island. But from the 6 eggs, just 5 eggs had crack. The last was become an egg stone till now on.

From the fifth eggs that had cracked, the 4 eggs was become men who become King of four big islands that is Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. While the one egg became a woman, had wash away and stranded in Biak Island. That woman was born a child named Gura Besi that known as the historical man of Raja Ampat, because of his heroic story.

The regency that formed based on the constitution number 26 in 2002, is the development of Sorong regency on 12 April 2003. This area has 46.000 km2. But, 85% of this area is archipelago area. There are 610 islands in this area. But most of them have no social life. This regency has 10 districts and 85 villages with about 48.707 men.

For the fauna sector, Raja Ampat has rarely fauna, such as; red birds of paradise (Paradise Rubra), Wilson birds of paradise (Cicinnurs Republica), Maleo Waigeo (Spilocuscus Papuensis), and rainbow fishes. Hence, for the flora, Raja Ampat has many kinds of Orchids, Waigeo palm, ironwoods or black woods, 'keruing', 'ulin' woods, etc.

Because of its various nature profit, Raja Ampat will declared by Maritime Ministry Freddy Numberi as ancient regency, based on its location that not only rich of fishes, but also its sea herb and the pearl.

Borobudur Tample

The Borobudur Temple is considered as one of the seven wonders of the world. This temple is located at Borobudur District, South of Magelang, Central Java.

The expression of experts who had been studying Borobudur Temple varied someway. Bernet Kempers' expression was: “Borobudur is Borobudur”, meaning that Borobudur Temple is very unique in her own way. Nieuwenkamp (an artist) imaginated Borobudur as “a big lotus flower bud ready to bloom” which was “floating” on a lake. Nieuwenkamp’s imagination was supported by N. Rangkuti (1987) that from the air, the Borobudur Temple looks floating. From the geological studies, experts were able to prove that Borobudur area was one time a big lake. Most of the villages around Borobudur Temple were at the same altitude, 235 meters above the sea-level. The same altitude included the Pawon and Mendut temples. Thus the area under 235 meter altitude was below the lake water level.

Based on the inscription dated 842 AD, Casparis suggested that Borobudur was one time a place for praying. The inscription stated a phrase such as: “Kawulan i Bhumi Sambhara”. Kawulan means the origin of holiness, “bhumi sambhara” is a name of a place in Borobudur. Paul Mus stated that Borobudur Temple had the structure of stupa (conical form) with double expression. As a whole, the Borobudur Temple was an open-flat stupa, but on the other hand, the temple expressed the idea of a “closed world”. The latter expression could be felt when one is already inside the temple. Whenever person is inside the temple, his or her view will be limited to high walls full on relieves, the verandah is always squared in such a way that one could not see other parts of the temple, even in a same floor. The same feeling happened if one stood on arupadhatu round platform, he or she will have a wider view only on that level, but are not able to see the lower level nor the upper level like the one on rupadhatu and kamandhatu. It could be said that Borobudur is a symbol of cosmic mountain covered by the sky roof, a specific world that could be reached through isolated alleys as stages. The closed structural design of the temple expressed the concept of a closed world, not just a technical reasons as had been suggested by other experts ( Daud AT, 1987)

Borobudur was built by Sanmaratungga in the 8th century, and belongs to Buddha Mahayana. Borobudur was revealed by Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles in 1814. The temple was found in ruined condition and was buried.

The overall height was 42 meters, but was only 34.5 meters after restoration, and had the dimension of 123 x 123 meters (15,129 square meters). There were 10 floors. The first floor up to the sixth floor was square form, the seventh to the tenth floor were round form.

Borobudur is facing to the East with a total of 1460 panels (2 meters wide each). Total size of the temple walls was 2500 square meters, full of relief. The total number of panels with relief was 1212. According to investigations, the total number of Buddha statue was 504 including the intact and damaged statues. The temple undergone restoration from 1905 to 1910, and the last restoration was done in 1973 to 1983.

Source: borobudur7.tripod.com

the history of eiffel tower

After the debacle of the Panama Canal with Ferdinand De 

Lessups, Gustave Eiffel began to experiment with enterprises to prove

the usefulness of his tower. He had begun to develop a passionate 

interest in that which, at the turn of the century, was considered 

avant-garde science: meteorology, radiotelegraphy and aerodynamics. 


 

In 1889, M. Eiffel began to fit the peak of the tower as an observation 

station to measure the speed of wind. He also encouraged several 

scientific experiments including Foucault's giant pendulum, a mercury 

barometer and the first experiment of radio transmission. In 1898, 

Eugene Ducretet at the Pantheon, received signals from the tower.



After M. Eiffel had experimented in the field of meterology, he begun 

to look at the effects of wind and air resistance, the science 

that would later be termed aerodynamics, which has become a large part 

of both military and commerical aviation as well as rocket 

technology. Gustave Eiffel imagined an automatic device sliding along 

a cable that was stretched between the ground and the second floor of 

the Eiffel Tower. 



The limited capacity of the available measuring instruments, led M. 

Eiffel to a more sophisticated knowledge in aviation and, eventually, to 

wind tunnel experiments. He built a wind tunnel on the Champ de 

Mars, which was in use from 1909-1911. The tunnel was sufficient for 

lab experiments bit inadequate for the study of airplanes. However, 

with the help of several other engineers, Leon Rith, Lapresle, and 

Eiffel made over 5,000 tests in this lab.  Almost all the pioneers of 

aviation tested in this wind tunnel. 



In 1911, a better wind tunnel which is still in use was built and between 

1912-1914, Eiffel began experiments with military equipment for WWI 

fighter planes. In 1917, the Eiffel Laboratory designed a very advanced 

monoplane chaser of which two prototypes were built in Breguet. One 

crashed due to pilot error. 

M. Eiffel was a contemporary of Samuel Langeley, the president of the 

Smithstonian Institute, for whom the NASA field center Langely 

Research Center was named. Much of Eiffel's work had gone on to help 

expand the science of aerodynamics.  NASA used many propeller and 

wind tunnel experiments in their trainer planes for astronauts. 

Source: endex.com

Here are some of the top jokes in different countries:

Top joke in UK

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!” The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.”

Top joke in USA

A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer. His friend says: “Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man.” The man then replies: “Yeah, well we were married 35 years.”

Top joke in Canada

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 C. The Russians used a pencil.

Top joke in Australia

This woman rushed to see her doctor, looking very much worried and all strung out. She rattles off: “Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were bloodshot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face! What's WRONG with me, Doctor!?”

The doctor looks her over for a couple of minutes, then calmly says: “Well, I can tell you that there ain't nothing wrong with your eyesight....”

Top joke in Belgium

Why do ducks have webbed feet?

To stamp out fires.

Why do elephants have flat feet?

To stamp out burning ducks.

Top joke in Germany

A general noticed one of his soldiers behaving oddly. The soldier would pick up any piece of paper he found, frown and say: “That's not it” and put it down again. This went on for some time, until the general arranged to have the soldier psychologically tested. The psychologist concluded that the soldier was deranged, and wrote out his discharge from the army. The soldier picked it up, smiled and said: “That's it.”

I don't know why but that belgium joke cracked me up, I've been in tears because of it. Great stuff.

Peter

Are you a talented writer or blogger? Develop your audience, get published, get experience and participate in profit sharing. Contact me via PM. 

Source: twcenter.net

Gudeg Jogja

Ingredients

- 5 Shallots
- 10 Candle nuts
- 10 Garlic cloves
- 4 Indian bay leaves/Salam
- 1/2 lb. (250g) Jack fruit
- 2-1/2 tsp. (12g) Coriander seeds
- 1-1/4 tsp. (6g)Cummin
- 1/4 cup (62ml) Coconut sugar
- 2 cup (500ml) Coconut milk
- 2 tsp. (30g) Tamarind
- 2 lb. (1kg) Chicken (cut into small pieces with bone)
- 5 cups (1.25l) water
- 2 inches bruised Galangga

Instructions

Cut jack fruit 1 inch thick wash.
Boil until tender. Ground shallots, candle nuts, saute paste, salam leaves, and galangga until fragrant then add chicken pieces.
Stir fry until chicken changes color.
Pour 4 cups of water and coconut sugar, bring to a boil.
Add jack fruit and simmer until chicken and vegetables are tender.
Add coconut milk 5 minutes before it's done, bring back to a boil.
Serve hot with rice.

Pepper Steak

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1 /4 - 1/2 pounds sirloin steak
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, smashed, peeled and chopped in half
• 1 14-ounce can baby corn
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons oil or margarine for frying
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup stewed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Partially freeze the steak for 15 minutes (this makes it easier to cut). Cut the steak into thin strips.
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut into slices to make 1 cup. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers, and cut into thin strips. Peel and chop the onion and garlic clove.
Drain the can of baby corn.
Combine the soy sauce with the beef broth. Set aside.
Combine the cornstarch with the water. Set aside.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil or margarine on medium high heat. Brown the meat, turning over once.
Turn the heat down to medium. Push the meat to the side and add the onion and garlic to the frying pan. Add the mushrooms and the baby corn. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the soy sauce and beef broth. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the meat is tender (25 - 30 minutes).
Add the peppers and stewed tomatoes. Cover and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes. Bring to a boil, and stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 - 5 minutes, until the food is thick and bubbling. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve over cooked rice.

Chinese Steak With Peppers - Stir-fried steak with barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce

Nutritional Breakdown (based on 4 servings, using 1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak and low sodium beef broth):
Each serving contains: Calories 457, 22g Carbohydrates, 34 g Protein, 25 g Total Fat - 9 g Saturated Fat, 11 g Monounsaturated Fat, 3 g Polyunsaturated Fat, 89 mg Cholesterol, 2 g Fibre, 851 mg Sodium, 830 mg Potassium, 67 mg Vitamin C. A good natural source of potassium and Vitamin C.

CN Tower

The CN Tower is the World's Tallest Building and Free-Standing Structure and has the world's highest public observatory, although it is not considered to be a traditional building. At a height of 553.33m, it is an important telecommunications hub. It is almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower and more than three times the height of the Washington Monument. 

Located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the southern end of town to the north shore of Lake Ontario, the CN Tower is easily accessible from many major streets and highways. It was erected as a communications and tourist tower. 

The CN Tower consists of a main hexagonal hollow pillar of concrete containing the elevators, stairwells and power and plumbing connections. To the main pillar are attached the broadcast antenna and the two main visitors area. The main pillar has three supporting legs giving it the appearance of a camera tripod. 

Some floors of the Main Level are open to the public. At 342 m is the Glass Floor and Outdoor Observation Deck. The Glass Floor consists of thermal glass units that are 64mm thick. The floor has an area of 24sq metre and can withstand a pressure of 600psi. At 346m is the Horizons Cafe and Look Out level. 

There is a rotating restaurant at 351m called the 360 Restaurant. It revolves completely in 360 degrees every 72 minutes. The rotation is slow enough that you can enjoy the fantastic views of Toronto without realizing your view is changing every moment. Below the Main Level is the tower's microwave receiver shaped like a big white donut. 

The Sky Pod is presently the highest observation deck in the world. From here, you can see 100-120 km away, to the city of Rochester across Lake Ontario in the US, and see the mist rising from Niagara Falls.The CN Tower has the tallest metal staircase in the world. At the 1776th step, the staircase reaches the Main Level. The staircase is intended only for emergency use, and is not open to the public outside three times a year during the charity stair-climbing events. 

At the base of the Toronto CN tower is an attraction called the Tour of the Universe. For the price of entry you can walk through a simulated space port, see a laser show and experience what it’s like to fly through space. Tour of the Universe is open daily from 10am until 10pm. The CN Tower is open 364 days a year (closed on Christmas Day). Hours of Operation are daily from 9am-10pm January-April; 8am-11pm May-December. Cost is $16 for adults.

Chinese Beef Steak

 

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak or filet mignon
• Marinade:
• 5 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons barbeque sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Other:
• 2 small tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 green onions
• 6 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

Preparation:

Cut the beef across the grain into 1-inch cubes. Add the Chinese rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and marinate for another 30 minutes.

While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables. Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Wash the vegetables as needed. Peel the tomatoes and cut into 6 equal wedges. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut the green onions on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add half the beef. Brown briefly, then stir-fry until the beef changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok. Cook the remaining beef, adding more oil as needed.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and green onion. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the green pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the orange bell pepper. Stir-fry for another minute, and add the tomato wedges. Stir-fry until the vegetables are softened. (Total cooking time is about 3 to 4 minutes).

Push the vegetables up to the side of the pan. Add the sauce in the middle of the wok. Heat briefly then add the beef back into the pan. Mix everything together. Taste and add extra sugar or soy sauce if desired. Serve hot over rice.

Travel Equipment and Travel Gear

The most important thing to remember when you are packing for a holiday is to pack as little as possible and this is the most important packing guide you have to remember before figuring out which travel equipment or travel gear that you should bring along on your vacation. Packing lightly should be the first thing on your mind when deciding on what travel accessories to bring along because it will save a lot of hassle and energy when moving your luggage from one place to another during your trip. The most essential rule to remember here is always try to travel light and by this, you have already made your trip much easier and enjoyable. So, always keep in mind this travel tip as it is one of the top travel tips you will come across. Most countries in Asia are well stocked with most of the personal items that you may need and therefore you will have the opportunity to buy whatever you need need over there. Having good packing tips gives you a good vacation.

It would a wiser move to buy whatever you may need as you go along your journey rather than throwing them away because of too much too carry. Not to bring anything along also would be a mistake. It is important to begin assembling on what to bring weeks ahead of time and never leave it to the very last minute to do your packing. Always have a list of all the important items that you need to bring along so that that you will not miss out on anything. Make sure everything is in order and works. Check to see if everything is there and make sure that you know how to operate all the items you bring along. If you are bringing along a tent, you should learn how to set up the tent before going. Carefully check the seams, snaps, zippers, pack frame welds and stitching at stress points. It is essential to make sure that all your gear fits in your backpack, gear pack, duffle bag or whatever carrying device you are taking along with you. You must always keep in mind that different types of trips require different types of travel equipment and also different types of packs for your personal gear. Several types of packs available are backpacks, day packs, floatable river bags or a strong nylon duffle-type bag. A flexible attitude is always needed in case your travel gear proves to be inadequate and also to face any unforeseen circumstances that will occurred during your trip. Before leaving for the airport or your trip, go over your checklist and equipment again.

Tallest Bridge In The World

The Millau Bridge is in southern France and crosses the River Tarn in the Massif Central mountains. It was designed by the British architect Lord Foster and at 300m (984 feet) it is the highest road bridge in the world, weighing 36,000 tonnes. The central pillar is higher than the famous French icon, the Eiffel Tower. The Bridge opened in December 2004 and is possibly one of the most breath taking bridges ever built.

The bridge towers above the Tarn Valley and the aim of Lord Foster was to design a bridge with the ‘delicacy of a butter fly’. Lord Foster designed a bridge that enhances the natural beauty of the valley, with the environment dominating the scene rather than the bridge. The bridge appears to float on the clouds despite the fact that it has seven pillars and a roadway of 1½ miles in length. On first sight, the impression is of boats sailing on a sea of mist. The roadway threads through the seven pillars like thread through the eye of a needle.

The bridge was opened by President Jacques Chirac. In his speech he praised the design saying that it was a ‘monument to French engineering genius’ and ‘a miracle of equilibrium’. 

The bridge was entirely privately financed and cost 394 million euros (272 million pounds, 524 million dollars). The aim is to cut the travelling time to southern France, removing the bottle neck at Millau, through the completion of the motorway between Paris and the Mediterranean.

Source: technologystudent.com

Light house Alexandria

Alexander the Great had seventeen cities named after him. Most of them are no longer around except for Alexandria, Egypt. This city is where the Lighthouse of Alexandria stood. Alexander died in 323 B. C. The city was completed by Ptolemy Soter, the new ruler of Egypt. The city soon became rich. The city needed a symbol and a mechanism to guide the trade ships into its harbor. Ptolemy started building the lighthouse in 290 B.C. It was completed 20 years later and was the first lighthouse of the world. It was also the tallest building with the exception of the Great Pyramid.

A man named Sostrates of Knidos designed the lighthouse. He thought it needed to have his name carved in the foundation. But Ptollemy II, who ruled after his father, refused and wanted his own name carved in. Sostrates, being a clever man, had this inscription put on the lighthouse: SOSTRATES SON OF DEXIPHANES OF KNIDOS ON BEHALF OF ALL MARINERS TO THE SAVIOR GODS. Then he covered it with plaster. Then they put Ptolemy's name into the plaster. As years passed, the plaster chipped away, leaving Sostrates declaration.

The lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos. 'Pharos' became the word 'lighthouse' in French, Italian, Spanish, and Romanian languages.

In the 10th century A.D., the lighthouse stood about 300 cubits high. That means that the lighthouse stood between 450 to 600 feet high. Wow!

This lighthouse was designed differently than modern lighthouses. It was more like a 20th century sky scraper. There were three stages which were piled on top of each other. The lowest level was about 200 feet square and was shaped like a huge box. The blocks on which the lighthouse was built were marble. There was a staircase in the lighthouse that led the keepers to the beacon chamber. In there, was a curved mirror. It was used to project a fire's light into a beam. Ships could detect the beam from the tower at night or the smoke from it could be seen during the day from up to 100 miles away.

I bet you're wondering what happened to the world's first lighthouse. Most accounts say that, like other ancient buildings, it was probably the victim of an earthquake. It stood for 1,500 years but was damaged by tremors in 365 and 1303 A.D. The final collapse came in 1326.

The Great Pyramids

The Great Pyramids were built between 2650-2500. It is said that they were a tomb of Khufu. They are located in Giza, Egypt. The largest pyramid is 756 feet long on each side and 450 feet high. It is made up of 2,300,000 blocks, that each weigh two and a half tons. It took 20 years for 100,000 slaves to build it. It required 112 men to lift each separate block.

Men that were great thieves wanted to get the hidden treasure that was hidden in the tomb.They found a small square room called the Queen's Chamber. It is a passageway. The Grand Gallery is another passageway to the King's Chamber. It is 34 feet long, 17 feet wide, and 19 feet tall. After not finding the treasure, the men got angry and tried to destroy the tomb but stopped after taking out 30 feet of stone.

No one knows what happened to King Khufu and his treasure. Some people think that it was just an observatory, but we can't be quite sure because when people stated that, it was already over 2,000 years old. An astronomer observed a descending passageway above the Grand Gallery that could have been used for mapping the sky.

Now, except for parts of the Mausoleum and the Temple of Artemis, the Great Pyramids are the only things left standing of the 7 Ancient Wonders.

Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches

Here’s the most beautiful beaches in the world to spend your holiday. Beach is one of the most attractive place to rest and spend holiday. Many activities also can be done in the beach from just relaxed and do sunbathing to surfing in some beach that have good waves. So let’s take a look at the most beautiful beaches in the world

10. Whitehaven, Australia

7 Kilometers of cleanest white sand beach in one of the most isolated coast in the world would certainly be sufficient for our relaxing need. Isn’t It? Sunglasses is a necessity at this beach because the sand is truly white.
most beautiful beaches in the world Whitehaven beach Australia

Whitehaven beach, Australia

9. Tulum Beach, Mexico

One of the first resorts in Mexico. Perhaps hundreds years ago also had been used by the Mayan as a resort as well. Ever dream of swimming in the white sandy beach, calm and relax accompanied by a Background of mayan pyramid? Here your dream come true. You can also Escape into wonderful Villa La Estancia Puerto Vallarta resort and enjoy the vacation.
most beautiful beaches in the world Tulum Beach Mexico

Tulum Beach, Mexico

8. Mnemba Lodge, Tanzania

Most beautiful beaches in Africa continent, although not located in mainland of Africa. The trip to this beach is not easy, but if you have reached on this beach, everything seemed to be valuable with the relaxing white sand and very beautiful beach.
most beautiful beaches in the world Mnemba Lodge Tanzania

Mnemba Lodge, Tanzania

7. Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

This beach is not so large, but this is a beach with the clearest water and cleanest blue in hawaii. Complete with view of two small islands called Mokuluas in the distance. Good Bye Waikiki!
most beautiful beaches in the world Lanikai Beach Hawaii

Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

6. Kondoi, Coral beach Okinawa, Japan

Okinawa. the safest islands in the world. the door here is never locked. 3 of 10 the oldest human in the world live in these islands. Very relaxing atmosphere results from the atmosphere of a typical Japanese countryside combined with beautiful beaches. Magnificent! Just one thing need consideration, It’s expensive place.
most beautiful beaches in the world kondoi coral beach Okinawa Japan

5. Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda

Bermuda is one of the most expensive place for beach tour in the world. But that didn’t stop thousands of tourists come to visit this island every year. The friendly weather, friendly calm water and waves, crystal clear water, and the pink sand make Horseshoey Bay almost unparalleled with the rest beach of this planet. This is the best beach and island in Caribbean!
most beautiful beaches in the world Horseshoe Bay Bermuda

Horseshoe Bay Bermuda

4. Boracay, Philippines

Boracay is an island in the Philippines that located about 200 miles south of Manila and 2 kms from the northwest tip of Panay island in the Visayas Region in Philippines. In 1990, It was elected by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by the British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach.
most beautiful beaches in the world Boracay Philippines

Boracay, Philippines

3. Anguilla

Ranked first in the top 10 World Best beaches of 2005 by the Discovery Channel Travel and Adventure certainly not a nonsense. Anguilla has it all. Quiet, clean, modern, complete with little island life that really “Carribean”.
most beautiful beaches in the world Anguilla

Anguilla

2. Maldives

The best calm beach in the world. Beautiful, quiet, modern and secluded. The very rare combination found on the beaches in the world. Welcome to Maldives.
most beautiful beaches in the world Maldives

Maldives

1. Fernando De Noronha, Brazil

Fernando De Noronha, is is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, around 220 miles offshore from the Brazilian coast.Probably the most beautiful beaches in the world where only a few people know about it. Fernando De Noronha is One of the Unesco World Heritage Site as “the most beautiful marine park in the World”.
most beautiful beaches in the world Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Packing Tips

Some travelers jam two weeks' worth of gear in their bags for a long weekend. Others pack a bit too lightly and forget important things like medicine or passports. Savvy travelers strike the perfect balance and bring just what they need -- with a little help from our list of road-tested packing tips, of course!

 

Packing Methods
When packing your clothes, you don't want to neatly fold them individually as you would in a dresser. If you do, they will crease when compressed. Here are a few alternatives:

Rolling Your Clothes
Backpackers swear by this method. Rolling works well with pants, skirts and sports shirts. Lay the item face down, fold back the sleeves and then roll from the bottom up.

Fold Clothes Together
Take two or more garments, for example trousers, and lay half of one pair on top of the other. Fold the one on the bottom over the pair on the top. Then take the other and fold it on the top. This gives each pair some cushion where you've folded it so it's less likely to crease or wrinkle in the folds.

The Bundle Approach
This ingenious method of packing, which we learned from Judith Guilford, co-founder of the Easy Going travel store and author of the "The Packing Book," has now become our favorite. It's a bit difficult to explain without a demonstration, but we'll do our best. You need luggage that opens up and lays flat to do this. You will also need a flat, soft, pouch-like rectangular "core" with dimensions that are at least 1/2 to 3/4 the size of your luggage compartment. This can be a pouch filled with underwear or something similar.

Start with your sports jacket or the longest, most wrinkle-prone item you have. With the collar or waistband flat, place it against the bottom edge of the bag and drape the rest of the garment over the opposite side of the bag. Take another garment and place it in the opposite direction, flattening and smoothing out both garments in the bag and draping the remainder over the side. If you have trousers or other narrow items, do the same with them in the narrow direction of the bag. Keep alternating your items, ending up with the most wrinkle-resistant clothes you have.

When you finish, place your "core" in the middle. Now you're going to start folding the garments over the core and each other in the reverse order you put them in. If you fold something over and there's excess draping over the sides of the bag, tuck it underneath the bundle you are creating.

What you will end up with is a bundle of all of your clothes that looks like a pillow. You can pick it up in one piece. It's compactly packed and doesn't waste an available space in your luggage. Plus, because of the way things are folded, your clothes will wrinkle less.

To find something in the bundle, lay it flat and unwrap until you reach the layer you want. Take the item out and refold the remainder. If done properly each layer should result in a self contained bundle at each layer.

Tissue Paper
For delicate items, try tissue paper. Lay the item face down and place tissue paper on top. Fold it up with the tissue paper inside. Use additional layers of paper as you fold the garment so it is completely wrapped in and around paper. This is easy enough the first time you pack, but becomes a pain if you have to keep repacking. We only use this approach for evening clothes that we don't want to crush.

Tips for Air Travelers

·  You may not pack liquid or gel substances in your carry-on unless they are in individual three-ounce containers, enclosed in one clear, quart-size, plastic, zip-top bag per passenger. Any larger containers of liquids and gels must be packed in your checked luggage. For more information, see Know Before You Go: Airport Security Q&A.

·  Be aware of restrictions on the size and number of bags you may bring onto your flight. Many airlines now charge a fee for every checked bag or have lowered the maximum permitted weight limits for checked luggage. For a clear overview of what the airlines are charging for checked bags these days, and how large and heavy your luggage is allowed to be, read Airline Baggage Fees.

·  Do not lock your checked bags except with TSA-approved locks; otherwise, if your bag is selected for random screening, agents will have to break the lock to get inside.

·  Do not overpack your bag. Screeners will have a difficult time closing your luggage if selected for inspection, which will only lead to wrinkles and the potential for lost articles.

·  Carry all film with you onboard, as screening equipment for checked luggage can damage undeveloped film.

·  Place any packed belongings you don't feel comfortable with strangers handling in clear plastic bags.

·  Do not stack books and other documents on top of each other; instead, spread them out throughout your bag.

Source: independenttraveler.com

Dago Car Free Day

For so long time, I have just realized that English language is so important.

This morning I have had accompanied friend of mine in my Collage, Bandung State Polytechnic, Adrian Chandra Faradhipta. He is a member of AIESEC, voluntary international organization that have aims to develop the education sector in the developing countries. Our destination was Dago Car Free Day, but before we went to Dago, we had to pick up one of the other AIESEC member from Margahayu. She is a women, her name is Sophia. She is a new volunteer from China and the newly arrived in Bandung three days ago.

I do not know, even my subject is English language I have not talked to foreigner before.  This morning is the first time I talked to foreigner with my English and for so long.

We arrived in Dago at 8.30 am. We had two agendas in there. First, accompanied the new volunteer to look  around Bandung especially Dago. Then the second one is met debaters from another collage. We had a meeting with others debaters in order to improve our skill in debate. This is because in a March, there is a competition of National Polytechnic Debating Contest.

I met a lot of friends this day.

 

I have got many advantages things from Adrian, Sophia and others.

Friends…Its not “Good Bye” or “See You Letter” or “See You Some Days” but I hope I can “See You Very SOON”

 

Keresidenan Building

Gedung Keresidenan (Residency building) is located on Jl. K.K. Singawinata or the south of Situ Buleud. Residency building built in a very wide area. The main building located in the middle of the yard. In front of the main building there is a garden, as well as on the left and right. To enter the main building there are two of stairs located in the middle of building. On the right and left of the main building there is a kind of pavilion buildings which roofed village houses stretching to the rear.

The construction of Gedung Keresidenan closely related to Purwakarta as the capital city of the residency of Karawang. However, because there was no residency buildings built and no adequate transportation facilities in Purwakarta, for some time the office of Karawang residency was in Karawang. As time goes by, in 1902 Batavia-Padalarang railroad was completed in construction. At the same years, the Residency building in Purwakarta has finished in construction. Moreover the office of the residency of Karawang moves to Purwakarta.

Nowadays, Gedung Keresidenan is functioned as the Regional Coordination Board office of Purwakarta.