Must Visite Buddhist Temples

March 15, 2016
Chris
Destinations
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Buddhist_Temple_on_No._5_Road,_Richmond,_British_Columbia,_Canada

Buddhism has a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. Buddhism originated in India, from where it spread through much of Asia, whereafter it declined in India during the middle ages. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars

1.Shwedagon Pagoda

The Shwedagon Pagoda (or Golden Pagoda) in Yangon, is the holiest Buddhist hallowed place in Burma. The birthplaces of Shwedagon are lost in olden times however it is assessed that the Pagoda was first worked by the Mon amid the Bagan period, at some point between the sixth and tenth century AD. The sanctuary complex is loaded with sparkling, bright stupas however the focal point of consideration is the 99 meter high (326 feet) high fundamental stupa that is totally secured in gold.

Rangoon-2262.Bagan

Bagan, likewise spelled Pagan, on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River, is home to the biggest region of Buddhist sanctuaries, pagodas, stupas and remains on the planet. It was the capital of a few old lords of Burma who manufactured maybe upwards of 4,400 sanctuaries amid the stature of the kingdom (somewhere around 1000 and 1200 AD). In 1287, the kingdom tumbled to the Mongols, in the wake of declining to pay tribute to Kublai Khan and Bagan immediately declined as a political focus, however kept on thriving as a position of Buddhist grant.

3.Borobudur

Situated on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta, the Borobudur is the biggest and most well known Buddhist sanctuary on the planet. The Borobudur was worked over a time of somewhere in the range of 75 years in the eighth and ninth hundreds of years by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an expected 2 million squares of stone. It was deserted in the fourteenth century for reasons that still remain a riddle and for quite a long time lay covered up in the wilderness under layers of volcanic fiery remains.

Borobudur-1

Top Tourist Attractions in Singapore

January 13, 2016
Chris
Travel Talk
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To select the top best traveler sites in Singapore could be terribly difficult task; this town is among the good cities of the planet, with its combination of European and Asian cultures. The charming colonial buildings co-exist with trendy high-rises and street markets with centuries old. Although the government may be harsh with the guests and residents who misbehave, however those travelers who abide bythe rules and laws are allowed to relish this multicultural town. Read More

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Best Places for Afternoon Tea around the World

January 2, 2016
Chris
All Things Food, Destinations, Travel Tips
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Check out the best Places for Afternoon Tea around the World:

Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa

Mount NelsonLocated at the foot of Table Mountain, Mount Nelson is one amongst the simplest places for tea. Besides the various tea varieties it offers the pleasant array of ancient buffet finger food. You can even enjoy a tea made from rose petals picked from the garden of the hotel.

The Strand Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar

A far-famed old colonial haunt of Rudyard Kiplingand Somerset Maugham, the Strand building is another place to go to for tea. The architecture of this building is unquestionably from a bygone era. Afternoon tea is served within the Strand Grill restaurant. The heavily tiered stands are laden with the foremost delicate petit fours, cakes and sandwiches.

Betty’s Tea Room, Harrogate

Known as one amongst the simplest places for high tea within the UK, Betty’s Tea area has been serving afternoon tea within the North Yorkshire spa city Harrogate since 1919. There are over fifty totally different teas and over three hundred breads, cakes and pastries to choose from.Betty’s Tea Room

The Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria, Canada

The Fairmont Empress Hotel has been serving afternoon tea to dignitaries and royalty for over a century. Its tea lobby is well-appointed elegantly with snug wing-back chairs, hand-carvedfurniture,and classy chintz fabrics. The most delectable sandwiches, pastries and scones are served on silverware and delicate bone china.

Have you ever been to one of these places for high tea? Which of these places for afternoon tea would you like to visit? Share your thoughts, please!

Image by GOC53,masochismtango,Neil T Under Creative Common License.

 

Extreme Tourism Destinations: North Korea

December 24, 2015
Chris
Destinations
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Extreme tourism is that the latest trend in vacationing. Several tourists are sick of ancient vacation destinations are seeking thrills that your typical vacation location merely cannot offer. Several of those places is also scary or maybe dangerous but for several travelers that’s a part of the allure. While there are varied places to expertise extreme tourism, this guide will go over one of the most remote and unknown, the East Asian nation of North Korea.

PyongyangNorth Korea is one among the foremost closed and forbidden countries on the world. One of the last remaining Communist dictatorships, North Korea could be a totalitarian police state with very little to no freedom of data or movement. Any guests to North Korea are subject to monitoring during the entirety of their visit and aren’t allowed to deviate from the official government tour in any manner below penalty of immediate deportation or maybe imprisonment. Even famed journalists aren’t immune from prosecution, Laura Ling, a journalist with Current TV was imprisoned by the North Korean government for two months in 2009 for illegal entry into North Korea and were only released after intervention by former president Bill Clinton.

The official government tour of North Korea encompasses variety of sites, mostly related to North Korean information. one of the foremost outstanding locations could be a huge sculpture of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, settled on Mansu Hill. Another stop on the tour is that the U.S.S. Pueblo, that is an American warship which was captured by the North Korean government and now used as an anti-American propaganda museum. This theme is repeated constantly throughout the tour and variety of different sites are dedicated to opposing South Korean, Japanese and American propaganda. The Ryugong Hotel is not on the government tour but it is visible from nearly anyplace in the capital town, Pyongyang. This building is probably the foremost picture within the country. The building dominates the skyline of the capital and resembles a vast pyramid. One other highlight of the govt tour could be a visit to the North/South Korean DMZ or Demilitarized Zone, which is the dividing barrier between North and South Korea.Songam Cave

North Korea isn’t a straightforward country to enter. People from certain countries, as well as Japan and South Korea are strictly illegal from coming into the country. There are not any international flights into North Korea aside from occasional flights from Russia and China.

In order for the average Western traveler to enter the country one should first visit Southern China and apply for a visa at the North Korean embassy and either take a ferry or flight into Pyongyang. When entering North Korea an excellent deal of things don’t seem to be allowed to be brought into the country, as well as powerful cameras, GPS devices, cell phones, any printed literature and plenty of, more things. Before traveling to North Korea be sure to consult the North Korean consulate website for a complete and updated list of banned items. Bringing contraband into North Korea may result in very severe consequences and may not be tried.

Image by D-Stanley Under Creative Common License.

 

Sydney Pastry Experience: The Anatomy of a Great Pastry Chef

October 28, 2015
Chris
Travel Talk
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Everyone’s idea of a good pastry is different. For you, it may be something glazed in sugar and butter and then served hot from the oven. For some people, however, it’s a lot more. It may be a perfectly iced cupcake, a chocolate mousse cake, or a blueberry cheesecake.

Behind these delicious pastries are chefs who work painstakingly to achieve the desired taste and texture of their clients. A pastry chef has a specialty in desserts and breads, and works in a catering company, bakery, or restaurant.

Here are the qualities of a greatPastry Chef.

  1. Baking a cake is not as simple as putting it in the oven and waiting for it to be cooked. It requires a great deal of patience to bake pastries because rushing the process might compromise the integrity of the food. Being patient and calm are some of the important qualities of a good pastry chef.
  1. Keen Attention to Detail. A good pastry chef pays close attention to details. Tasks as intricate as designing a wedding cake requires precision in order to avoid flaws and achieve perfectly designed masterpieces.
  1. Creativity. The food industry constantly evolves and pastry chefs need to be able to come up with new flavors combinations and designs every now and then. Only those who are creative enough to discover exciting pastries gain the respect and admiration of food enthusiasts in the culinary industry.
  1. A good pastry chef who has earned a reputation in the field will have spent an average of three years before earning a name or building his own pastry business. The experience includes prepping food, cleaning up the kitchen late at night, or preparing kitchen utensils early in the morning. In addition, pastry chefs spend two to four years in a culinary school before finally making it to their first job as a chef.
  1. Quick Thinking. Baking pastries requires several tasks that need to be done simultaneously. It is important to be able to multitask and maintain the quality of the food at the same time. A good pastry chef is also able to make quick decisions whenever problems arise to keep the flow of operations and maintain the quality of the food being served.
  1. A pastry chef must have a commitment to cooking quality meals. They use only the best and freshest quality ingredients to come up with the best tasting pastries possible.
  1. A good pastry check must be able to handle criticisms well. He should know that poor reviews must not be taken personally and understand that people have different tastes and preferences. After all, you can never please everyone.

Above all, a pastry chef must have passion for what he does just like Adriano Zumbo,an Australian Chef who gained his global fame by introducing challenging pastry and dessert recipes to MasterChef contestants.

Competition among chefs today can be fierce, but the qualities above will separate the good ones from the rest.