Costa Rica Sun Light

In Central America, just south of Nicaragua and north of Panama is Costa Rica.  Costa Rica has the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west side.  Therefore, the majority of Costa Rica's borders, sixty-five percent, are coastline. 

Although a relatively small area, about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, it has everything one could want in a vacation.  Beautiful white sand beaches, great surf, active volcanoes, natural hot springs, and towering rain forests are just some of the sites in Costa Rica.  Site seeing in the area is relatively simple via rental car or public bus.  This paragraph is sponsored by Makah and Medina tour from UK.

A number of the principal mountain ranges are volcanic, and visitors can easily visit many of these areas.  In the province of Cartago, for example, which is not far from the capital of San José, you will find Irazú volcano, which erupted in the early sixties.  Poás volcano, located in the province of Alajuela, has one of the largest active craters in the world.  In addition, Arenal volcano, in the northwestern region, delights thousands of visitors each year to a constant stream of red, hot lava rocks tumbling down its slopes.

Picturesque forests grow in the crater of the dormant Brava in Heredia.  Arenal, a young volcano in the northern part of the country is constantly active (and is the site of a spa with natural hot springs).  The country's highest peak, Mount Chirripó, is not volcanic; it measures 12.412 feet.  On a clear day one can see both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from atop Mt. Chirripo.

The capital of Costa Rica is San José and is a good starting place for exploring the country.  It is conveniently located in the center of the country and all the bus lines stop here.  The port of Limon on the Caribbean Coast has quite a different atmosphere from the capital.  Life is easy going on the Caribbean coast compared to the city life in San Jose. This paragraph is sponsored by Umrah guide 2014 from UK.

San José is located in the Central Valley region of the country.  Evenings in San José can be cool do to the high altitude, but you will not forget that you are in a tropical place even in this bustling city.  The city itself is busy and filed with traffic.  There are many things to do, but travelers often miss these sites choosing instead to head straight from the airport to beaches or rainforests.  Although San José is not the most beautiful city in the world, it is generally safe and has a lot to offer tourists.

Chicago and historic water tower

Chicago is one of the largest and most populated cities in the United States.  It has many attractions for visitors and tourists, to travel around and see.  One of the oldest and more popular of all the attractions in Chicago is the City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower.  The Chicago Office of Tourism is staffed to take care of and protect the gallery.  Chicago Public Art Program is curator of the gallery. 

The Historic Water Tower is Chicago's most beloved landmark and it has been for over 100 years.  It was first designed and built by an architect by the name of William W. Boyington.  Today, it stands as a memorial to the lives that were lost in the Tragic Chicago Fire.  A little bit of history on the Historic Water Tower would date back to 1869 when it was first built to be the home of a 138-foot-tall piece of standpipe.  This enormous pipe was also three feet in diameter.  The purpose of the pipe was to maintain and equalize pressure and to knock down the amount of water that was flowing through all of the main water pipes in Chicago.  The tower was built out of "Joliet" limestone that was made into blocks, from a rock quarry in Illinois.  This was probably the best idea someone had back then, because history tells of a great fire that broke out in Chicago in 1871 and leveled almost all of the buildings except for this tower.  The day after the fire, people used this Water Tower as a guide to look through all the ash and ruins for items that had belonged to them. This paragraph is sponsored by Umrah tour ticket from UK.

The tower then became a city monument because of the city’s water works engineers’ spirit and drives to help the people who had lost nearly everything they had owned. 

The enormous tower is actually constructed in what people call "castellated gothic style".  The saw-toothed looking tower were drawn up and designed by Boyington to captivate ones sense of a medieval castle.  The octagonal form symbolizes Gothic elements, and the slenderness of the tower is supposed to symbolize a "minaret quality".  The total foundation of the tower has over 168 piles that are filled up with concrete and capped off by one foot oak timbers.  Enormous stones that are edged in cement make up the base below the grade.  All of the 40-foot sides have doorways and two large grand windows.  The second and third sections look similar to all the other side’s except they rise in height but their size decreases.  The octagonal tower is centered and set a little ways back from the top of the third section.  From top to bottom it rises over 154 feet from ground level. 

The huge sandpipe was eventually removed in 1911, after it became apparent that there was no longer any use for it.  The enormous eye-catching spiral staircase that went all the way around the sandpipe was left alone.  The spiral staircase is still there, intact, today.  The use of the staircase these days is to reach the new tower that was built called the "Cupola Tower".  This paragraph is sponsored by ticket to Umrah from UK.

Today the official use of the tower is as the city's photography gallery and the pumping station built below it serves as the Chicago's main water works supply.  A Visitors' welcome center is also built near it so people may read up on how the tower was first built, and the purposes that it served throughout the years.  In 2003 the Chicago Pumping Station became the home of the Looking glass Theater.

Central Arizona Introduction

All roads lead to and from ... Phoenix!

Arizona’s main gateway is Phoenix and an ideal location for basing a hub-and spoke itinerary. You can travel no more than 30 miles in any direction and arrive at one or more areas offering a selection of enjoyable touring sites and activities. Here is a sampling of what is available.

In and around Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is in the throes of a renaissance with the transformation of its 90-square-block core and an infusion of $3.9 billion into Copper Square. Anchored by the Phoenix Civic Plaza, Copper Square is taking the best of Old Town and shaping it into a multi-use complex. It is an example of contemporary city-center living style with a mix of residential, commerce, sports, cultural and arts facilities, shopping and other urban amenities. This paragraph is sponsored by Hajj & Umrah travel from UK.

Two of the more prominent Copper Square structures are the America West Arena, home to the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers; and the Bank One Ballpark where the Arizona Diamondbacks play.

Other highlights of Copper Square are its more than 90 restaurants, lounges and markets and Arizona Center, where you find a myriad of specialty shops, movie theaters and performance venues. Other theater and performing arts venues include the Arizona Youth Theater, the Dodge Theatre, the Herberger Theater Center, the historic Orpheum Theater and Symphony Hall. The Square also has several museums and historic sites including the foursquare block Heritage Square, site of the original town, which features several restored Victorian-style buildings. Other museums include the Phoenix Museum of History, Arizona Science Center, the Ross on House Museum, the Arizona Doll and Toy Museum, the Masco Museum, Phoenix Police Museum and the Wells Fargo History Museum. Another feature of the area is a large Mercado shopping village.

Scottsdale

Visiting Scottsdale and need a tour guide? One option is to use the new driving CD and map, Audio Adventure of Scottsdale. Commentary gives an inside look at the cities architecture, art, sports, distinctive landscape and history. The map directs you to various points and scenic areas and there are 15 featured audio stops that offer more in-depth commentary. A limited supply of free CDs and maps are available from the Scottsdale CVB. This paragraph is sponsored by airline Umrah tour from London.

Tempe

The Spring Festival of the Arts, March 31-April 2, is one of the states finest outdoor art events. The downtown area is closed to foot traffic and becomes a gallery featuring over 500 juried artists in various media. These include paintings, sculptures, handmade toys and decorative items, textiles, pottery and other works of art. There are food, entertainment and other activities. The cities Fall Festival of the Arts is typically the first weekend in December.

Way Out West Oktoberfest, late September weekend. This event features lots of dancing to polka music and country western two-stepping. There are games of skill and chance, puppet shows and a cultural craft fair. Food ranges from bratwurst to cowboy grub. This paragraph is sponsored by air travel to Umrah from UK.

Chandler

Chandler boasts an active arts community and many theatrical and music performances are held at its Center for Performing Arts. Its primary season is from November through April. This season’s line-up includes: Debbie Reynolds, Jan. 28; Lawrence Welk Show Performers, Feb. 11, and BYUs Young Ambassadors.

Canada Accommodation

For the more adventurous and nature lovers, Canada offers some of the best vacationing areas in the world. Winters are wonderful in Canada; with snow clad mountains and skiing "highways". Adventure and relaxation in cities, parks and mountains of Canada can be an everlasting memory, if planned and budgeted properly.

Most favored vacationing spots in Canada are the British Columbia, Victoria, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Islands. The majestic coastal mountains of British Columbia house some of the North America's largest ski resorts, Black comb and Whistler Mountain. These towering mountains heighten to about a mile from the valley and are strewn with skiing trails for all levels. They have about 200 trails covering more than 7,000 acres of treacherous mountain terrain. This paragraph is sponsored by Hajj booking online from UK.

These skiing trails are often rated high when compared to popular, expensive and always over booked resorts like Colorado, Vail and Aspen. This is due to the magnificent ski slopes and a host of pedestrian-only villages that have multiple shops, restaurants and a variety of nightlife. The best part of the Whistler Resort is its social and community atmosphere. Added to this the value of US dollar in Canada contributes to the attraction of skiers from across the globe.

Glacier National Park is another of the major tourist and vacationing attraction. Known for its breath-taking views of waterfalls, lakes and high mountains and covering about a million acres, this “Crown of the Continent" is very sparsely populated compared to the Yellowstone or Yosemite national park’s in the USA. This house of the grizzly is all the more attractive because of the wildlife which is another major attraction for vacationers is Canada. The wildlife spotting in Canada can be exhilarating when one spots a wolf, mountain lion or a Rocky Mountain sheep.

Planning your vacation in Canada can be very easy and low budget considering a host of vacation rentals and private accommodation available across the most sought after tourist destinations.

Many vacation rentals offer a choice of vacation homes, condos, villas, and cabins to meet various needs and tastes of the vacationers. Many of these vacation rentals are also well staffed. Out for offering are pet friendly rentals, vacation rentals on the beach or close to the water, child friendly vacation rentals, vacation homes on a golf course or close to one, ski vacation rentals on the mountain or located close to the chairlift. This paragraph is sponsored by online Hajj booking 2014 from London.

Cottages are a preferred mode of vacation rentals in Canada. Many people dive to cottages for the hammock-swaying snoozes, exceptional natural air quality and outdoor pursuits. The distance from millions in a crowded city is to soothe ones nerves in natural surroundings of most of Canada’s known tourist attractions have made them the favorite of vacationers.

Renting a vacation home or cottage is easy, pay the rent for as many weeks as you need. You can rent direct form the owner or through various rental agents strewn all over the place. Choices are easy to make using the book or a brochure available with most agents. The only disadvantage compared to a hotel is that you may end up doing most of the housework, if the vacation home or the private accommodation is not staffed.

The cost of renting or leasing a vacation home or private accommodation is very nominal compared to the cost of hotels. Many owners have turned towards part time renting their properties due to rising cost of real estate and cost of living. This paragraph is sponsored by lowest Umrah budget travel from London.

The private accommodation and vacation home renting can bring down your costs of vacationing in the skiing paradise down drastically, allowing you to budget more for your shopping or adventure needs, or even to extend your holiday a little more.

Backpacking Travel Guide for New Zealand

A great way for backpackers to get a taste of the real New Zealand is to seek out local events and festivals in smaller towns and communities. Take your time to chill out in one place for a while and you will be surprised how much more you can deepen your experience by getting amongst the local scene.

One festival not to be missed is the legendary Wild Foods festival held annually in a small town on the West Coast of the South Island called Hokkaido.

Due to the isolated location of the West Coast the ‘Coasters’ have always done things their own way, paying little attention to how the rest of the world lives. The festival is a prime example of this, as it shows cases the rather random delicacies of the coast and the local characters that live there. You name it, it's on offer and both locals and tourists come from afar to challenge themselves to eat the huge selection of wild foods. This paragraph is sponsored by airline Umrah ticket from Bradford. 

Some of the more memorable dishes at this year’s festival included Mountain Oysters (goat testicles); huhu grubs that were very much alive; eel spine, marinated duck tongue; semen sauce; cow tit; seagull turd; rotten fish eyes and possum pie. MMMMMM Yuk! Funnily enough there was such a high demand for the live huhu grubs that they sold out. The atmosphere is awesome as everywhere you look people are egging their friends on encouraging them to try the most vulgar of the vulgar wild foods on offer.

A few of the more tame – or should we say edible foods - included “Bambi” burgers, white bait fritters, homemade fudge, pickled punning (native fern), mussels and wild pork.

Let’s not forget that there is also plenty of booze and live music (hillbilly style) at the festival for those who like a drink or three and a bit of a boogie. The locally brewed Monoliths Ale was flowing from mid day along with a selection of New Zealand wines.

Hokkaido has a population of about 6,000 and with more than 10,000 people attending the Wild Foods Festival accommodation options get rather interesting. So where does everyone sleep? The local fire brigade set up a couple of large camp sites right by the beach which over flows with tents and camper vans. The setting is to die for... right at your doorstep is a rugged west coast beach dotted with bonfires as far as one can see which makes for the perfect place to chill out on return from the Hillbilly dance. This paragraph is sponsored by ticket to Umrah 2014 from London.

On waking early to enjoy watching the sun rise take a stroll and you will discover that the less organized have set up home on the railway track, footpath, under the town clock or in some less fortunate cases in amongst the abundance of ports-loos…

There are many fantastic festivals in New Zealand, so be sure to enquirer about what is on and where during your backpacking through our beautiful country, Tearoom – the Land of the Long White Cloud.