Yapahuwa Kingdom

















   
Yapahuwa was one of the ephemeral capitals of medieval Sri Lanka. The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura was built around a huge granite rock rising abruptly almost a hundred meters above the surrounding lowlands.
In 1272, King Bhuvenakabahu transferred the capital from Polonnaruwa to Yapahuwa in the face of Dravidian invasions from South India, bringing the Sacred Tooth Relic with him. Following the death of King Bhuvenakabahu in 1284, the Pandyans of South India invaded Sri Lanka once again, and succeeded in capturing Sacred Tooth Relic. Following its capture, Yapahuwa was largely abandoned and inhabited by Buddhist monks and religious ascetics.

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Incheon International Airport

Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport, the largest airport in South Korea is one of the largest and busiest in the world. It has been consecutively rated as the best airport in the world by the Airports Council International since 2005 and has received the full 5-star ranking by Skytrax. The airport has a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, a casino, indoor gardens and a Museum of Korean Culture.

Abraj Al Bait Towers

Abraj Al Bait Towers
The Abraj Al Bait Towers in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, presently under construction is set to be largest building in the world upon completion. It will also have the largest floor area of any structure in the world with 1,500,000 square metres (16,137,600 sq ft) of floor space. The largest buildings in the world are ranked as per usable space (volume) and floor space. Here we present the world 20 largest buildings in terms of floor space.

Hummer

Hummer

Mount Fuji (Fujisan)

Mount Fuji (Fujisan)
Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is with 3776 meters Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people. Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days. The easiest way to view Mount Fuji is from the train on a trip along the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka. If you take the shinkansen from Tokyo in direction of Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, the best view of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train, about 40 to 45 minutes after leaving Tokyo. Note however, that clouds and poor visibility often block the view of Mount Fuji, and you have to consider yourself lucky if you get a clear view of the mountain. Visibility tends to be better during the colder seasons of the year than in summer, and in the early morning and late evening hours. If you want to enjoy Mount Fuji at a more leisurely pace and from a nice natural surrounding, you should head to the Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region at the northern foot of the mountain, or to Hakone, a nearby hot spring resort. Mount Fuji is officially open for climbing during July and August via several routes.

Kissing Camels

Kissing Camels
Kissing Camels through Juniper in winter. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Egypt: The Ancient Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

Egypt: The Ancient Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
The Pyramids of Giza represent one of the greatest architectural feats by man. The last surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the world's oldest tourist attractions and the reason most people visit Egypt today. There are in fact three main pyramids in Giza; the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops), The Pyramid of Kafhre and the smaller Pyramid of Menkaura. Each Pyramid is a tomb to a different King of Egypt. In front of the pyramids lies the Sphinx, or Abu al-Hol in Arabic, "Father of Terror". Carved out of a single block of stone, this enormous cat-like sculpture has mesmerized millions of visitors.

Ragdoll History

Ragdoll History
The Ragdoll breed is believed to have originated around 1965. Anne Baker is reputed to be the original breeder. There are many different stories as to the breed origin of these cats but it is thought to have started with a white Persian and Angora mix cat called "Josephine". Kittens born from Josephine appeared to have a very gentle disposition and a loving nature, magnificent blue eyes and non matting fur. They have a tendency to hang limply in your arms when picked up. Hence the name Ragdoll.

Bat Cave

Bat Cave
The Bat Cave, named after its former winter inhabitants, is the most extensive of the three caves. In total the cave is nearly 350 meters long and has multiple large chambers and diverging tunnels to be explored. Some of the tunnels come with rather low ceilings.

Rafflesia

Rafflesia
Only one of these is really a flower. Rafflesia is a parasitic plant, and when it does flower it puts forth a spectacular bloom up to 6 feet wide. Found in the jungles of Malaysia and Indonesia, the flower is usually pollinated by carrion flies, hence the intense rotting meat stench and the rotting flesh look!

Morning Bells - Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado

Morning Bells - Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado
The molten light of morning seeps down the striated, garnet hued sediment of the enchanted Maroon Bells. North Maroon Peak and cloud hidden Maroon Peak pierce the sky at 14,014 feet and 14,156-feet respectively. The Bells, as they are locally known, are two of six peaks that crest 14,000-feet and form the apex of Colorado’s rugged Elk Mountains. The peaks are tucked away within the boundaries of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, a 181,447-acre preserve established with the original Wilderness Act of 1964.

Site Menu Cyclades

Site Menu Cyclades
The Cyclades group of Greek islands is the ultimate holiday destination. While island hopping is easy, we recommend picking two or three that suit your interests. Paros & AntiParos We have a great many pages about Paros and our life here as well as accommodations. The Local Information page is probably the best place to start. Antiparos is our favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Although you have to reach it by boat (ferry costs about 1 Euro), we treat it as part of Paros. So you can find information and photos throughout our site, including the More Paros page. Amorgos Everybody we know who has been here loves it. More green than the typical Cyclades and dramatic mountain vistas. For those who like to be off the beaten path--and consequently a little difficult to reach. Read about our October visit. Our photo of sea view lodging Santorini Consistently rated one of the top ten views in the world. This island is an easy journey from Paros--we highly recommend it. We found the Akrotiri ruins and the Folklore Museum (cave houses) quite interesting but prefer our sandy beaches to the red and black rock found here. Shopping here is upscale to most other islands--great window browsing! The accommodations with caldera view charge a hefty premium while the bars and restaurants with the same view are just a little more expensive, so we recommend staying at the beach or on the non-caldera side and eating and drinking while watching the sun set. It is a small island; two days seems to be plenty to take it all in. Here are a few links to get you started: Discover Santorini with Greeka www.santorini.net An excellent full service hotel on Santorini: Maistros Village in Karterados. For a taste of up-scale dining investigate Papagalos Restaurant in Oia. They focus on New Greek cuisine with organic and farm direct produce and seafood from the Mediterranean. Overlooking the volcanic Caldera. Voted the best of Santorini Restaurants. Tinos Karin and I spent a delightful two days on Tinos. It was much different than our other Cyclades experiences, mainly we think, because it appears prosperous without tourism. Yet it receives substantial visitors as a major pilgrimage for the Orthodox church. Most of the population is in the main town which makes the whole rest of the island great for exploring, including maintained footpaths, a rarity on the islands. Our highlight was the unique village of Kardiani; it is a piece of history clinging to life on a steep hillside. It is difficult to put the sense of this pleasant island in words. A good place to start for more information is one of these all inclusive sites: WWW.Pigeon.gr or WWW.Tinos.biz For a very detailed account of personal journey see our May 04 Newsletter. Naxos photo of island highlight Naxos (High Season) Much like Paros for sandy beaches, windsurfing, and friendly people. We recently spent a day there and took a few photos. They are posted to our blog with brief descriptions. Paul and Rosi have a fun, friendly site for Naxos. Go Naxos - claims to be the "Complete Guide to Naxos Island" Agios Prokopios is a delightful hotel operated by delightful people. Sifnos Sifnos is quite small and therefore easy to get to all of its delightful villages. We highly recommend it as it may be Karin's favorite. Read about our experiences and see plentiful photos starting on our Sifnos page Mykonos I have yet to get off the ferry at Mykonos, but Karin has. She says that it is a delightful island and that the Delos antiquities are very interesting. Yet the universal comment is that Mykonos is very touristy as well as expensive. It's cosmopolitan reputation is supposed to stem from a history of fishing rather than farming and thus the locals were more traveled and more tolerant. In modern times this means it is a popular gay destination and noted for its night life and upscale dining. What I like best about Mykonos is that along with Tinos it blocks the worst of the Meltemi winds that come howling down from the North in July and August. These hot, dry winds of up to 35 kph (50 mph) are caused by temperature differences between the hot land and cool water. They can be quite irritating . .

Luxor Temple in Egypt

Luxor Temple in Egypt
If you travel to Luxor (ancient Thebes) then it will be hard to miss the spectacular Luxor Temple situated in the center of Luxor city. The Temple of Luxor was built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II around 1400BC. Its main purpose was to celebrate the festival of Opet. Many rulers built on to the temple yet it always remained a place of worship for Christians and later Muslims. A mosque built inside the temple still exists and is one of the highlights of the site. Luxor Temple is beautifully lit at night so it's worth visiting the site at sunset. Hours are 9am - 6pm and admission is 20 Egyptian Pounds. See my article for more information about Luxor, Thebes and Karnak including where to stay and how to get to the major sites.

Kiev Botanical Garden

Kiev Botanical Garden
In the beginning of May Kiev's lilacs bloom. This photo was taken in the botanical garden.

Philadelphia – Fairmount Park

Philadelphia – Fairmount Park
Claiming to be within walking distance of every Philadelphia resident, Fairmount Park is a park system with 63 different sections. The largest chunk is along the Schuylkill River, offering fishing and paddling opportunities in addition to the usual park activities.

Cairina moschata

Cairina moschata
Muscovy ducks are brownish-black in coloration, with iridescent green and purple dorsal plumage and white wing patches. The legs and feet are grayish-black and the iris is yellowish-brown. Males and females are similar in appearance, but males are nearly twice as large as females. In addition, males have a patch of bare black skin surrounded by pinkish-red caruncles (fleshy outgrowths) which extends from the back of the eye to the bill. Although relatively silent, the male produces a low hissing sound and the female has a short, weak "quack."